bel canto dac 3 cd 2 owners

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 also found a cold solder joint. I was then interested in seeing the insides of other units to compare. I found different size transformers with different values, along with different brands of some capacitors. My opinion of this approach in the production line is far from positive.

zear, how were you able to see inside other dac 3s ? are you a dealer ? are you a dealer for a competitive product ? I have looked inside my dac 3 and are nothing but impressed with the build quality. when you post slanderous comments about any product, you raise suspicions about your motives.

So, does the VBS1 have three separate power supplies
for the three outputs, or is it just one power supply
driving three outputs?

VBS1 Features:
• Low Noise Switch Mode Power Supply (SMPS) provides over 90% energy efficiency, specific control over
operating parameters of the supply, and high levels of isolation with significantly lower audio band noise
than traditional 50/60 Hertz transformer based linear supplies
• Extensive input filtration, low noise rectification and high energy storage prior to the SMPS
• Massive bank of LC filtration using compound inductors, parallel electrolytic capacitors and final stage
polypropylene capacitors to ensure hundreds of amperes of peak current capability and low noise across
a wide frequency spectrum
• ½ of a Farad of total capacitance (500,000 microfarads) and over 100 Joules of energy storage
• 10X to 100X lower noise floor than traditional linear power supply
• Provides over 100 dB of isolation starting below 100 Hz
• Compact SMPS isolation transformer for superior isolation from the power line

I tried to start a new post/topic but it couldn't copy the entire text from another doc.

So I'll post here for now but if someone can tell me how to start a new thread and copy my full text into it, that would be great. In the meantime...

This is my first review on Audiogon. And since this is my first new D/A converter in my system for about 13 years, I thought I'd share some initial impressions. As a disclaimer, I've only listened to the BC 3.5 for about 6 hours... although it's been powered up for 30 hours. The BC is a loaner that has been burned in and I've had my gear warmed up for 48 hours.

What really interested me with the Bel Canto was to see how a new, modern DA converter sounded up against my 13+ year old reference Sonic Frontiers SFD-2 MKII. As as optimistic audiophile always looking/hoping for for the the next audio epiphany, I wanted the Bel Canto to blow away the Sonic Frontiers D/A.

Well... good news for any SFD-2 MKII owners, you've still got a killer D/A converter... however, there are caveats... like always.

First, I'm an unabashed tube guy. I like the euphonics of tube gear. I don't need or want the sharp reality of SS gear. Understand, I've heard some SS gear that made me think twice about dumping my tubes for some Levinson, Rowland or other mega-watt performers. However, that's another discussion. Back to the Bel Canto.

One thing I can say with certainty (at least in my system), I did not like the direct-to-amp sound. The Bel Canto has a built-in pre-amp with digital volume control so you can bypass your pre. When I tried that it was way too bright and forward for my taste. So I went back to feeding the BC DAC through my Cary SLP-98 pre. Much better.

Before going further with other comments, I wanted to mention the other components in my system to give you a picture of what I'm listening through:

CEC TL1 Transport
Meridian 518 (yes, it makes a difference)
SFD-2 MKII

Cary SLP-98 (with 1950s NOS Sylvania tubes)

Cary 211AE Monoblocks

Focal Electra 926 Speakers

All nice cables, mostly Nordost with Shunyata PCs and Power Conditioner.

As a side note, I also have a VPI Scoutmaster with Outer Ring, VPI SS weight, VPI SDS, Benz H2 on a Ginko platform. This set up accounts for 70% of my listening, which at $6K is almost always more involving than my $14K (incl. cables) digital front end. But I digress.

The Bel Canto 3.5 is really, really good. In fact, I've heard some passages on tried and true CDs that made me say, "Wow, I've never heard that before... or at least not in quite the same way." There is a lot of punch with the Bel Canto. More than the Sonic Frontiers for sure but the difference is subjective. I prefer the SF.

Anyway, I'll post again after a week or so and report more. But, if you're thinking of buying the Bel Canto 3.5, you'll be thrilled... unless you have the Sonic Frontiers SFD-2 :) Again, it's all about what you like in sound qualities.