Bel Canto DAC3

Edgar Kramer has posted a review, including a full suite of measurements, of the Bel Canto DAC3 with USB input ($2495) at AVHub. His conclusions:

Ergo, the Bel Canto DAC3 serves oodles of detail and superb dynamics with a sense of speed and tight control of the whole frequency span. Put on an acoustic piece such as Tom Brosseau’s How to Grow a Woman from the Ground from the wonderful CD ‘Empty Houses are Lonely’ and the life of the performance is delivered realistically and with its full helping of string micro detailing, transient attack and life-like presence. Given my observations of superb detail delivery, the DAC3 is not a soulless minutiae freak living outside the fringes of the mythical municipality of Musicality-ville. Indeed, Tom’s longing for a soul mate is very touching, confirming the DAC3’s ability to communicate in a way that connects the listener to the emotive content of the music as would have been the songwriter’s intention.

Bass in general is very tight and again detailed… and ever-so slightly lean when compared to what I recall from the Audio Research and Bryston devices. Such a tonality would be invaluable for those with mid-bass heavy speakers. The DAC3 will wipe your bloated bottom clean… if you know what I mean. The midband excels in clarity and dynamics. Simultaneous multiple instruments are clearly resolved and individualised and images are precisely placed in a wide and deep soundstage. That elusive PRaT quality is there in spades too, frequency-wide, as all manner of instruments - from piano to guitar to acoustic bass - sound lively and fast with crisp transients and rhythmic ‘snap’.

‘Air’, or room ambience/reverberation, is superbly done by the DAC3. Live recordings come through with the excitement of the event, from boundary interaction and instruments’ echo trails, to audience coughs and noises. Musically to die for, in the absolutely superb live CD from The Waifs, a brief history… the band and audience actively interact in between and even during some of the performances. The DAC3 powerfully conveys the impression of the event, transporting the listener into the multiple and acoustically vary- ing venues and communicating the concert in a wholly emotive and involving manner.

You can read the full review here.

For another take, you can read John Atkinson’s review for Stereophile here.