Marantz HD-DAC1 vs Bel Canto DAC 1.x/2.x/3.x?

DAC is one place where price has nothing to do with sound quality. See if you can find out which DAC chip they use, as all DAC using the same chip sounds alike.

Looks like Del Canto uses PCM1796, which is a 6bit R2R + rest Delta Sigma. This chip sounds pretty nice. Ross Martin Audio would be a budget choice if you like the sound of this chip.

Looks like that Marantz uses CS4398, I have never heard of this chip so I can't comment. "multibit Delta-Sigma" so looks like it'll have similar sound to PCM1796, see if you can find out how many bits R2R it is, more bits sounds better.

Coli said: "DAC is one place where price has nothing to do with sound quality. See if you can find out which DAC chip they use, as all DAC using the same chip sounds alike."

I think many digital designers would disagree with that statement. Just for example - Lampizator, who builds some very good dacs, states on his website that the chip is 10% of the sound. But that's his opinion, of course.

Then again, others have said, "The transport is 80% of the sound." So, spend less on the dac but more on the transport?
Would the Marantz with a venerable transport such as the Esoteric VRDS Neo, sound better than the Bel Canto with the same transport? As always, the proof is in the listening.

One thing that helps a lot is a pro grade reclocker, eg: mutec smart clock, then add in balanced power and they really all sound pretty much the same as long as they use the same $5 DAC chip. The only place in DAC world that may be worth the dollar are custom DAC chips.

Hi Zordex,
What are you using as transport?
J.