I was able to listen to the new Bel Canto all-in-one DCD player for about 35 minutes at the end of Friday when there was no traffic. There was another Japanese dealer in the room auditioning at the same time. This unit is pretty amazing. It plays CD, DVD (progressive Faroudja DCDi), DVD-A, SACD, MP3. The sound is detailed without being analytical, rich, sweet, airy, nicely extended and involving without being upfront. Excellent soundstage beyond the speakers: very good width, depth and lifelike height. Gives good sense of movement. Beautifully designed by a consultant who also works for another reputable American company. Don't think it's my position to divulge the name. Any nits? Yes. The unit does not have balanced XLR outputs and the target price is approx. $8K (which is unaffordable by me!). Due for release around April 1.
Associated equipment: Bel Canto eVo2i, Verity Parsifal, Wireworld cables (don't know the model) with RCA terminations.
The room was not acoustically treated!
Music used:
Limehouse Blues (XRCD Jazz at the Pawn Shop 10 min)
Bersntein Overture to Candide (HDCD Reference Recordings approx. 5 min)
Liszt: Jeux D'eau a la villa d'Este (Bosendorfer, Delos Recordings, approx. > 6 mins)
Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto (SACD) provided by Bel Canto Design.
The rest of the music was from an amazing demo disc (Stellavox Japan...all Japanese writing!) brought in by the Japanese dealer One track by Helen Merrill. You can feel the emotion in her voice. One track was a beautiful piano sonata recording extracted from Phillips. The last track was a broadway-like music that has voice, orchestra and hapsichord. Could be Stravinsky. It was very long. But the sound was 3D.
I have no association with Bel Canto or any dealer. Other source components I was able to audition at the show included:
Ayre CX-7, Cary 306/200, MSB new Reference Super CD II, Gryphon Adagio, Unico new CD player, Metronome Technologie T1i, Audio Research CD3, Audio Aero Capitole MKII, Lindemann D680, Roksan DVD, Sonneteer Bronte, QUAD CDP99, Muse 10, Theta Carmen II, Talk Thunder 3.1 Balanced, CEC TL1X, Audio Analogue, Linn CD12, Sim Audio Stellar DVD, AVM (new German line, beautiful looking), Cairn Fog, Electrocompaniet (new brushed silver face plate!), Burmesster Rondo, Audio Note 3.1x, Combak Raymio, Ensemble Dirondo.
Associated equipment: Bel Canto eVo2i, Verity Parsifal, Wireworld cables (don't know the model) with RCA terminations.
The room was not acoustically treated!
Music used:
Limehouse Blues (XRCD Jazz at the Pawn Shop 10 min)
Bersntein Overture to Candide (HDCD Reference Recordings approx. 5 min)
Liszt: Jeux D'eau a la villa d'Este (Bosendorfer, Delos Recordings, approx. > 6 mins)
Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto (SACD) provided by Bel Canto Design.
The rest of the music was from an amazing demo disc (Stellavox Japan...all Japanese writing!) brought in by the Japanese dealer One track by Helen Merrill. You can feel the emotion in her voice. One track was a beautiful piano sonata recording extracted from Phillips. The last track was a broadway-like music that has voice, orchestra and hapsichord. Could be Stravinsky. It was very long. But the sound was 3D.
I have no association with Bel Canto or any dealer. Other source components I was able to audition at the show included:
Ayre CX-7, Cary 306/200, MSB new Reference Super CD II, Gryphon Adagio, Unico new CD player, Metronome Technologie T1i, Audio Research CD3, Audio Aero Capitole MKII, Lindemann D680, Roksan DVD, Sonneteer Bronte, QUAD CDP99, Muse 10, Theta Carmen II, Talk Thunder 3.1 Balanced, CEC TL1X, Audio Analogue, Linn CD12, Sim Audio Stellar DVD, AVM (new German line, beautiful looking), Cairn Fog, Electrocompaniet (new brushed silver face plate!), Burmesster Rondo, Audio Note 3.1x, Combak Raymio, Ensemble Dirondo.