Any experience of Planet 2000 with Bel Canto DAC2?

My pleasure to comment! If you get a chance to try one, based on your preferences, you may really enjoy the Analysis Plus Solo Crystal Oval interconnects. They're about $250 or so used for a 1m pair.

The Hero is a very timbrally pleasant sounding cable, but I think it attenuates high-frequency detail to some degree, and bass can be a little round when compared to dead neutral. This can make them sound on the "soft" side, and this makes them a very popular choice as a non-harsh sounding cable. For the pleasantness of the cure, however, some detail may be sacrificed.

The Analysis Plus should be a little tighter in bass, a little more neutral overall, and give more high-freq. detail without going so far as to sound shrill. I've definitely got a system (horns) where I notice "harsh" very quickly, and found the Analysis Plus to be just the right amount of detail without the harshness.

So along with the DAC (which would be a big upgrade, and the Bel Canto sounds like a good fit for your preferences), experimenting further with the interconnects could also yield some incremental improvements toward the sound you're looking for. At any rate, it doesn't cost much to try (as long as you don't step all the way onto the merry-go-round!)

Thanks!...
Anyone else with a similar (or different) experience?

Why match the Planet 2000 with a better DAC? According to what I've read what makes the Planet 2000 is its resident DAC, and not its transport. My opinion would be to purchase a better player if you've got the upgrade bug.

I'm using a Planet 2000 with a Plinius 8200, Soliloquy speakers, and Acoustic Zen cables with much success. At for what a 30 year old law student can afford..

Well, the upsampling feature of the DAC2 definitely SHOULD make the difference, I figure. I am willing to try and report later. I have located a used one in perfect condition and it should arrive very soon. Stay tuned.

To follow up on my earlier comments, I did try different power cables on the Planet 2000 the other day, using it as a transport. Wow - they make a much bigger difference than I would ever have expected. I was quite surprised. A transport just sends 0s and 1s... but something quite audible is going on nonetheless.

I tried these from my collection:
Analysis Plus Power Oval - good all around, a little more bass bloom than the others. Could easily live with it and love it - it's what I'd been using here.

Nordost Shiva - more detailed and quieter. Bass more tactile and defined, though with less overall LF output in quantity, but not lesser in reach (less bloom, and more true sounding.) Clearer, more articulate and impactful. This one gets swapped in for the next long haul.

Signal Cable Magic Power - respectable for the bargain price, but ponderously slow compared to the other two.

Mdp0430 - the Planet 2000 was "glue" in my system using its internal DACs, taming my Klipsch La Scalas with their sweetness. But as I've discovered, the same tonal balance is also achieved using the Bel Canto DAC with the Planet 2000 as a transport. Given the difference in sounds using different power cords when using the 2k strictly as a transport, it's clear to me that the inbuilt DACs of the Planet 2000 aren't the only thing that defines its unique sound.

I'm interested to hear your impressions of the DAC2, I may eventually do the same.