bel canto dac 3 cd 2 owners

from my experience the bel canto will take more break in, let us know in a couple of weeks or in a month, it has caddok resisters in the output stage, which take a while to break in. then it will crush that sonic frontier dac , sorry. also by looking at your system, the focals are a bright speaker, so are your nordost cables, all your tubes are mellowing out the sound, which I would do to if I had your speakers.

Chrissain, can you tell us the cost to upgrade the 3 to 3.5?
Also, what is the cost of the VBS1?

I am also concerned with the increased bass.
My system is at the point where more bass may
overload my room. I am looking for better pitch,
more delicacy, a wider and deeper sound stage and
a maybe a little more warmth, not to mention a lower
noise floor, all without overloading my room with bass.

If this is possible, then I am really tempted to upgrade
soon.

08-14-10: Zear
I owned a DAC 3, and though the cosmetics and faceplate were impressive, I was very unimpressed with the sloppy, substandard soldering that was evident throughout the boards.

I went through the innards of my DAC3 with a fine tooth comb looking at the solder joints and pressure-fit connections. I haven't seen better construction! The layout is clean and uncluttered. The PCB boards are arranged in ideal proximity. The ribbon connectors are fit perfectly to size. The connections are unquestionably solid. I've seen plenty of good quality constructions, but the DAC3 is a step above.

FWIW, I always look under the hood of components.

Has anyone tried plugging an upgraded power cord or
conditioner to the VBS1? I am really curious because
I have the Synergistic Research Hologram D PC on my
Dac 3 and the SR Powercell SE. The SR products have
expended the sound stage of the Dac 3 by a quantum
leap. So, it would be nice to use it elsewhere if it
is true that upgraded pc's have no effect on the VBS1.

Hi , multiple questions so first off, the bass of the dac 3.5 is just tighter and more rock solid, with a good combo of weight and punch. I dont think you would have an issue with too much bass. I will let you know the upgrade price when I get it done, and the vbs 1 still needs a good power cord, I can still hear differences in power cords, its just not as dramatic as with some dacs. And I am suspicious of the post claiming bad build quality, I am nothing but impressed with the inside of mine.