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Bel Canto DAC3 vs Theta Gen Viii

The transport is Bel Canto CD2, so the easiest guess might be using the same company's DAC3 which seems to be very well regarded. I am even thinking of the Underwood-modified DAC3 for further improvement.

Then the Theta Gen Viii which shows up on the audiogon once in a while. Yes, it's more expensive but it can also eliminate the preamp. And I am happy to reduce the number of equipments.

The Underwood site claims their modifed DAC3 can compete with $10,000-range DACs, and the Theta is really a $10,000 product...:)

Anyone heard both? How do they compare? I'll welcome other suggestions too. I'm interested in the overall sound quality but my priority is in the decent reproduction of big orchestral music.

Thank you.
jhyang
gmood1
1,251 posts
 
Before going with the modded Bel Canto Dac 3, why not try the unmodded one first and decide from there?

If it doesn't work move up to the Theta.

As with the Theta ..no preamp needed using the Bel unless you use analog front end.

You may find the Bel all you'll ever need. I'm listening to Classical as I type this. The Bel does a fantastic job rendering the instruments and voices realistically. Nothing rolled off or warmed up. The better the recording the better the music.

It has an ebb and flow that allows the music to climb and and fall as it should.

Good luck with your hunt
jhyang OP
2 posts
 
Thanks for the replies.

Trying unmodded unit first seems reasonable, but the modded unit comes at a discount. So I thought buying an already modded one is a good idea, especially when used DAC3s are either hard to find or not so cheap anyway.

I do need analog inputs, and considering the price of a decent preamp, Theta isn't that much more expensive..

Are there anyone who compared these two and willing to share his experience?
cytocycle
1,043 posts
 
The Theta has a total of 5 inputs which you can assign any way you need to (there are 8 possible input paths). Of those possible inputs it has analog single ended inputs and a set of balanced analog inputs; These analog inputs are not digitized. I am running my Clearaudio Balanced Reference Phonostage(just upgraded from Dynavector P75) into one of my analog inputs, Bolder Modified Squeezebox via my Modified Tact 2.2x into one digital RCA input and I'm using the AEB(XLR) digital input from my Theta Compli.
honest1
586 posts
 
Cytocycle - what else have you compared your Theta to? Anything from Wadia? How did they all fare?
cytocycle
1,043 posts
 
I've owned Wadia gear before and last I heard was the 850, which I also like. But Wadia does volume control in the digital domain and so you need to jumper inside the unit to determine the max output level and then you shave bits down as you reduce volume. This is true of all the older gear. I can't speak for the 581 and the new series.

I find the Theta sound is warmer and more filled out in body than the Wadia gear I have heard but the Wadia gear has an amazing delicate top end (not that the theta doesn't) that is thinner but not Levinson thin. I find Wadia to sound more realistic than DCS or any of the other upsampling DACS. But I find that Theta even more pleasing in this respect.
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