Hi John. While I don't have any experience with most of the DACs you're considering, I do own the Bel Canto DAC1.1.
From what I understand, the original DAC1 and the newer 1.1 have some sonic differences. Choosing between these two may depend on the charactersitics of your current system. If you have an overly strident or lean system, the original DAC1 may be the better choice.
There have been a few people here that had their DAC1s upgraded to 1.1s and they remarked that it resulted in a quicker, more extended sound. For those that felt the original was too polite and dull, the upgrade was a welcome change.
I on the other hand had a system which was slightly lean. Adding the 1.1 extended the freqs. and both widened and deepened the soundstage without introducing any nasties. I'm very happy with this DAC. It's detailed without sounding unnatural.
This unit takes a long time to fully burn in. Around a month. However, used DAC1s are prevelant in the classifieds here for between $600 and $700, while the 1.1s are about $100-$150 higher.
Good luck and happy hunting!
From what I understand, the original DAC1 and the newer 1.1 have some sonic differences. Choosing between these two may depend on the charactersitics of your current system. If you have an overly strident or lean system, the original DAC1 may be the better choice.
There have been a few people here that had their DAC1s upgraded to 1.1s and they remarked that it resulted in a quicker, more extended sound. For those that felt the original was too polite and dull, the upgrade was a welcome change.
I on the other hand had a system which was slightly lean. Adding the 1.1 extended the freqs. and both widened and deepened the soundstage without introducing any nasties. I'm very happy with this DAC. It's detailed without sounding unnatural.
This unit takes a long time to fully burn in. Around a month. However, used DAC1s are prevelant in the classifieds here for between $600 and $700, while the 1.1s are about $100-$150 higher.
Good luck and happy hunting!