Any experience of Planet 2000 with Bel Canto DAC2?

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.

I had paired a Bel Canto DAC2 with an Audio Refinement CD Complete CD player and found the upgrade to be quite substantial. So I would suspect that you will also notice a significant upgrade in sound simply by adding the DAC2. I later replaced the AR CD player with a dedicated transport (Theta Pearl) and heard a distinct improvement in voice smoothness and instrument separation - more holographic. So maybe you use the Planet as a transport for now and upgrade to a dedicated transport sometime in the future.....

In my experience, it's worth experimenting with digital coax cables. When I got my Bel Canto DAC2, I tried several different ones from Analysis Plus, Harmonic Technologies, Acoustic Zen, Tributaries, and JPS Labs. In my system, the JPS coax won hands down.

Regarding power cables, I was able to audition a Shunyata Black Mamba power cable on my DAC and it made more of a difference than I would have ever imagined. Greater dynamics, "blacker" background, and it deepened and widened an already excellent soundstage. I was really surprised.

Good luck and have fun!

Kurt

Thanks, Kurt. I really want to use this setup for now (Planet 2K/DAC2/AP Oval Digital) and later move to a dedicated universal transport. My only concern is that I have not seen many of those: a transport only CD/SACD/DVD-A. If you know of any examples, please share.

In any case, I will definitely report on the upgrade as soon as I receive the Bel Canto, hook it up and do some critical listening.