JOB, BelCanto, Perpetual, MilleniumDACs?

Sol, I will of course share results after break-in, my system very similar to Wes Phillips, Musical Fidelity A3CD MF amp/preamp.......I am very happy with current system for Classical and other well recorded material, but 1/2 of CD collection is rock/alt and many of these recordings treble will have some digital edge/glare in extended passages. Auric Illuminator and Bedini II remove some of it, and of course cables can reduce or exaggerate the effect, I am hoping Bel Canto slow roll-off filter and zero jitter will further clean up these recordings.....as well as make other good recordings even better, Sam

Thanks for all the advice, folks. To that end I managed to borrow a BelCanto DAC1 and Pioneer DVD333 (set to 96/24), 2m toslink, and started comparing it to my old Rotel CD855. I expected to be blown away by dramatic improvements...but it didn't happen! Certainly there were significant differences: the 'Canto w/DVD provided a more-resolved treble, but I sensed a tonally lightweight presentation (esp on pianos). Upper octaves' info, although smoother, seemed bathed in a soft, whitish glow that precluded complete individuation of tones (I hate to say "smearing"...maybe a lack of crispness.) Thus the presentation was less immediate, and certainly less exciting on pop recordings (like Paul Simon's latest: try Pigs, Sheep & Wolves) than my naked Rotel. Violinist and professional sopranos who listened observed that violins' upper partials and singers' voices seemed somewhat more natural, however, yet still tonally thin. (The dealer thinks ALL 24/96 processors sound spectrally uptilted due to the improved definition in the upper octaves; maybe there's a pychoacoustic effect wherein the added information results in percetual reorientation? He also suggested I redemo the 'Canto with a warmer, yet equally-resolving interconnect (instead of my RedDawn), such as a Siltech. I don't find my system uptilted with the Rotel, but is that because I'm not "getting" all the top end resolved correctly? The ARCAM 9 seemed spectrally ok, however, but very lacking rhythmically. [:( In many cases the 'Canto's lack of crispness (lack of digital glare?...help me here, guys!) pushed the soundstage back a bit. That was okay for most classical/jazz recordings, but ocassionally less involving on pop stuff. On a few great recordings (Nojima/Liszt) I found the 'Canto/DVD enthralling, and not significantly uptilted. But pianos are tricky. Substituting the Rotel as a transport resulted in some intermediate place I couldn't get a handle on; three-way comparisons are too hard, and mostly invalid, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't better than either of the former setups--just somewhere in between. I must say the 'Canto's rhythmic abilities are superb: it REALLY keeps time! So that part's okay. Do you think I should try the 'Canto again with a warmer cable, hoping to darken this whitishness on top (the "CustomHouse Barracuda" the dealer's clerk let me borrow was so obscuring of detail that ALL setups sounded equally unresolved! I've similarly been warned to stay away from MIT or CARDAS)?... or should I continue with the Red Dawn's openness and try another DAC, such as the Perpetual Tech,or EVS Millenium II. Some of you have mentioned the EMC1. $3k used is a lot in these pre-revolutionary times. I was about to try the RA CD55, but am concerned about its lack of digital outputs. I'm on Ric's waiting list for the EVS II, but I sadly find I'm not spending time listening to my system because I feel I don't know how to fix it. Am I bumping up against the limitations of the RedBook?...and if so, can I fix it, or do I have to await the newer formats? Sorry this post is a streamofconsciousness jumble.... Thanks again. Ernie PS. Bel Canto told ME that they prefer DVD/2meter toslink, and I related that to my cousin Wes Phillips, who printed it in his review...funny how it all goes around, eh?

Subaruguru, don't you think any piece of equipment deserves a little cable shuffling to see what's under the hood? I am using XLO Reference Type 1 and a 2 meter XLO toslink from my Pioneer DVD 525. I really am a fan of the sound I am getting. Also, did you try the DVD by itself to get a feel for it? I was surprised how well my 525 performed for its price, but fear that the low price might result in inconsistencies as a transport. So far, so good. Yeah... that's the ticket, you must have a lemon, or did you forget to plug the dang thing in? [:)] Good luck, Charlie.

Subaruguy, that is a GREAT post! You really captured the morass I often find myself in when evaluating components. --Dan

Subaruguru I wouldn't say you are at all off base with your observations on this unit based on my early first impressions. I would however be interested in knowing the rest of your system. I too found the Bel Canto a little "laid back" in comparison with the Perpet tech P-3a unit which was too forward but ultimately it was the tonal problems with that unit that I really didn't expect would improve enough or mesh well with my system in the long run. I WELCOMED the laid back sound of the Bel Canto with my Merlin VSM-SE’s but still realized something was missing. I was using the stock cord and recently purchased a JPS digital power cord. Bingo. The sound REALLY opened up. It was a quantum improvement, more than I could have ever expected. Who says power cords don’t work, maybe in some systems in mine it was a WOW! Of course one would expect a lower noise floor, improved dynamics and the sort of things attributable to power cords. What really through me for a loop was the dramatic improvement in spectral balance, soundstaging and bass performance. In addition the subtle tonal qualities of the Bel Canto came to light in a way that was completely unnoticed before. Ambient retrieval of low level information was revealed through the blackness. The aspects of what makes live music live were truly revealed in this system for the first time. This with a power cord, no exaggeration! I have made numerous changes and improvements in my system over the past 5-6 months. This power cord with the Bel Canto has taken the system to another level or two. My previous processor the P.S. Audio Ultralink is no slouch in the resolution department, problem with it is that digital edge that brings attention to itself over long term listening plus it is TOO forward, but a lot better than the PT unit tonally, that is for sure. The Bel Canto is in a completely different league. With reference to piano, on some of my REALLY dynamic piano recordings (I am quite sensitive to recorded piano also) I noticed a marked improvement in the jump factor and a sense of realness, especially with the cord. As Danvetc states in his post, try different cables. The Bel Canto is smoooothe and may be perceived as laid back but don’t give up yet, it is a very resolving, dynamic, smooth sounding unit that makes me wonder how much more one would have to pay to make a notable improvement.