DK Design MKII to Bel Canto M300 upgrade?


Hi All, first time posting here, been reading for years, but really need your advice now ;)

I'm currently running a pair of Sonus Faber Grand Pianos (first version) off a DK Design MKII with an Opera Consonance Ref. 2.2 cd player. The last upgrade I made was putting a Chord Company reference interlink and speaker cable in between, which has improved the clarity by a bunch. (More than I thought it would to be honest...)

Since I'm streaming a lot more lately using a Schiit Bifrost from my MacMini I don't use the cd player loads lately.

That made me want to upgrade to a better dac and maybe the amp too.

I already really like the sound I have now, but I would love a bit less bass heavy sound and a bit more control in the mid/upper regions.

I was looking around, but now just got an offer viavia for a set of Bel Canto M300 power amps and a Bel Canto DAC 3 for $1250. (I could then sell my DK Design MKII and Schiit Bifrost and still have some change left)

From what I know about Bel Canto and the ICE amps, that is more the type of amp I should be looking for.

The problem is, I can't listen to the set before I order it.
And I would need to sell my DK Design MKII to be able to finance it.

Any tips? I read that someone really didn't like the M300 on this forum, on that other hand it has some really good reviews.

And another thing, is this going to be a good upgrade anyway? Or do you have any other suggestions? Maybe Bel Canto is a bit too analytical for Sonus Fabers?

Thanks in advance for helping me out!

Please not that I'm based in Europe, so pricing may differ based on region.
bbuijsman
Thanks for the advice, since I can't hear the amps before I buy them I'm think it's too big of a risk.

Another offer I got from a friend was his ASR Emitter 1+.
As I understand if I want more clarity and a better mid/high that should be a good match.

But again.... He's based +- 400kms from where I live, so a quick test is out of the question. But if the match might be good I don't mind the drive :)

I know these are very specific questions, but any tips are welcome!
You can find many glowing reviews of S300 or M300. I use Rowland 102 that is based on the same module and it sounds fantastic. Module used is not ASP250 but 200ASC (just for the reference). Highs are wonderful extended and not "splashy". Mids are out of this world with extraordinary mid-range speaker in my Hyperions HPS-938. Sibilants are clear and undistorted. One thing you need to check is minimum impedance of your speakers - should be not lower than 3ohms (Ref1000 can drive 2 ohms). You might consider S300 or Rowland 102 since module inside has its own power supply thus the only difference between S300 an M300 is single case instead of two cases. Rowland has better heavier chassis (milled from the block of aluminum) and additional instrumentation amp (based on THAT1200) that increases common mode rejection while also increases input impedance from 10k to 40k. Jeff Rowland is very proud of this amp. Sound is more toward tube than transistor IMHO but I found it slightly lean in the lower midrange - upgrading speaker cable from AQ Indigo to Acoustic Zen Satori fixed it completely. My system: MacMini, Airport Express, Benchmark DAC1, Rowland 102, Hyperion HPS938. It sounds very neutral in spite of Benchmark being purposely designed not to be warm sounding.

There was comparative review of M300 and REF1000 in Stereo Times:

http://www.stereotimes.com/amp111307.shtml

This part of the review shows the difference between two:

"It is to be expected that these two amps will sound very much the same, as indeed they do, slightly better bass being a generally distinguished trait of the REF1000. Subtler differences are elusive. So when I suggest that the M300 is a sweeter and airier amplifier, and that the REF1000 does a better job of pinning down the positions of the four musicians sawing away at cat gut, that the REF1000 sets the musicians further back in the venue and that the M300 brings them forward in a more intimate perspective, I justify it not by the certainty of my perceptions, but by the fact those perceptions have recurred over several months. Other than these qualifications, both amps do a splendid job preserving the dynamics, sonority and transcendent energy of this music, both amps facilitate that all-important connection. At the risk of paraphrasing St. Anselm, what goes on in the Late, and some of the Middle, quartets is that which is beyond conception, beyond words, and these amplifiers reveal this without intrusiveness."

A word of warning - these amps need a lot of break in time. Mine started sounding smoother after 100 hours and stopped improving perhaps around 500hrs. Don't make any rush judgment.
If you ask me, the M300s were the worst power amps in Bel Canto's line up - along with the S300. It's not Bel Canto's fault. It's really the ASP250 modules inside them.

They simply couldn't measure up to the REF1000 and REF500 designs - and not just in terms of power. It's just the whole sonics package that I found lacking.

I'd rather get the Bel Canto REF500M or REF500S or even the newer REF150S over the M300s.

The DAC3 is a touch on the warmer side and I think it is still a great performing DAC today - even if it doesn't support asynchronous USB or DSD audio.

If you are getting this second hand and can get a good price for the DAC3, I'd snap it up. But I'd avoid the M300s. I notice you are also looking for improved mids and highs - so that makes the M300 even worse for the task.

I am a big fan of ICEpower but I would always use these modules with a tube power amp. I think it gives the best of both worlds. See if you can get a Modwright LS100 to partner with. I think the LS100 with the Wyred4Sound mAmps would be a great combo.