Bel Canto DAC3 vs Theta Gen Viii

Amnizu: The Theta Gen VIII comes in two version one with fixed volume output to be used with a preamp and one with variable volume output. Because the variable one has a numerical volume number you can calibrate it with your surround system and return to that number when using your surround processor for a HT bypass. You can also program the volume number that the Gen VIII starts up in and make that the same pass through level for ease of use. If you have a Casablanca you can get a control card that digitally connects to the Gen VIII and uses it as an external processor for whatever channels you want. I hope to go that route some day.

Thanks for the info, Cytocycle. One of the things I was hoping to improve over my current GNSC modified Wadia 850 (and was hoping the Theta might be the one to do it) was in the sense of airiness and spaciousness. I had heard a Simaudio player that had a sense of airiness and breathing that is hard to describe that was better than the Wadia, but it was not as good as the Wadia in other ways. I attriuted htis to better very high frequency performance of the Simaudio. It sounds like the Theta might not be the improvement I'm looking for, though, as it sounds like you're saying the Wadia has a better top end than the Theta, although the Theta is better across the rest of the frequency band. Am I reading you correctly? Thanks for the info.

it's so hard to describe these minute differences.... The Theta sound is fuller (has more meat on it) in the upper freq than the Wadia. I prefer the Theta top end to the Wadia in my Wilson system, if I had other speakers that weren't as fast or revealing the Wadia/Levinson might be a better match. I can't speak about the GNSC modification but when I was looking I was considering the Wadia 861 or the Theta Gen VIII. I felt the Wadia concentrated on the edge of the note more than the sustain...delicate but too delicate compared to live performance but more natural than the DCS,Levinson,EMM, etc.. If you like what the Wadia does then the new 581 SE sounds like an amazing machine that you might consider... it takes the hassel out of finding a good transport, but I have heard the Wadia still benifits from a good preamp... uggh... around and around we go..... I have huge depth of stage with the Gen VIII but not the width of soundstage in my salamander rack, but my dealers Gen VIII has huge width also in his Particular Rack, and I had it before I went to the salamander rack. I have tried a nice VTL 6.5 preamp which gave me even more air to my system so that it approached my dealers setup (without a preamp)... It might be as simple as powercords though also, as I'm running Purist Audio and he is running either Transparent or Shuyanta power cables. Both of our systems are running Transparent cabling for interconnects and speaker cables, and both systems are using Theta Citadels.

How much of a difference do people hear when switching between Jitter Jail and Reclocking on the GenVIII?

Depends on the quality of your transport... whatever it does to for my Theta Compli and Squeezebox all I can say I'm truely stunned.