Bel Canto dac 3.5VB vs 47 lab progression gemini

Not sure you'll find someone to directly compare these two, so I'll chime in that I auditioned the BC DAC 3.0VB in my system and it was outstanding. I actually got to compare VB and non-VB versions and the power supply makes a huge difference and I view it as mandatory FWIW. The sound was neither warm nor overly detailed but rather just exceedingly natural and transparent in that it sounded both very neutral yet very refined. It was a cameleon that just went with whatever type of music or recording I threw at it, and there was not one thing I would've changed about its sonics. Read the reviews of the 3.5VB -- it gets favorably compared to some of the best and most expensive DACs on the market, so it seems pretty unlikely you'll be disappointed although there's always the question if there may be a better choice for your particular tastes. Anyway, hope this helps at least a little and best of luck.

Thanks for your reply. This is a difficult decision for me. The 47 lab gemini progression has many good qualities. Great prat, it's very musical, fast transients, and had a decent sound stage. How they got so much out of such a minimalist design is kind of mind boggling. It's still offered for sale by 47 labs but lack of any recent reviews makes it hard to compare to newer products.

Hindu108,
The minimalist design if well executed is a major reason for high quality sound. Pure and natural sound from a simple circuit with fewer parts(but of good quality). This approach stands the test of time. You "may" not find the Bel Canto necessarily an improvement.

Agree with Charles that less can absolutely be more, and I think that can be especially true with DACs. I too have a very minimalist DAC with high parts quality (EVS Millenium DAC -- open the hood and you see very little in there) that has more than held its own over the years, but the BC just literally annihilated it on every level. Not even close, which is saying something because differences in digital sources -- at least in my experience -- can often be relatively incremental (although still extremely important) on an absolute basis relative to something like, say, speakers. Your DAC may be much better than mine, but you get the point. My suggestion would be to wait for a BC DAC3.5VB to become available here and buy it. If it doesn't offer significant improvements over your DAC you can sell it at likely little or no loss. Personally I think it's well worth the modest gamble and would bet heavily you wouldn't be selling it. Otherwise, if you have a BC dealer worth anything in your area just borrow one. Either way it will be worth your effort.

Soix,
You made some very good points. For all I know the BC could be a superior DAC as your endorsement suggests, I was just responding in a general sense. The idea of very simple circuit with high quality parts/construction is one proven path for excellent sound. The BC itself could follow the design approach for all I know. If Hindu108 can do a direct comparison in his system, this will settle everything.

I have a Japanese DAC who's builder made it as simple/minimalist as he possibly could( no NFB, Op amps, multiple parts etc.). I continue to prefer it compared to numerous very good more "recent" designs. It's very organic,dynamic and connects music's emotion beautifully. In my experience simple circuits are often more engaging musically than the complex engineered competitors. Good luck Hindu108.