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Mod my B C DAC 3, or just get another DAC?


Hi folks

As I suffer from the disease of ‘more’ and I’d like very much to gain another level of performance in terms of honesty in the tones, and greater immediacy with imaging and sound stage representation, I’m looking for input here so I can decide which is better for me right now:

1. Modding my current stock BC DAC3
2. Sell it and buy another brand & model entirely?

I’m guessing the modding route one of greater value as it could likely be less expensive a way to go for me to gain what I seek.

My hesitancy to have it modded, revolves around the possibility of me winding up with a DAC that is transformed into something so critically revealing and resolute so as to be without the involvement which comes from the truth & naturalness of real music, thereby reducing the music I can play through it.

I listen to everything but the baser urban genres. Rap & most Hip Hop usually aren’t my cup of tea. All else? Yep. Pretty much and now I’m starting to get into classical as well. Mainly though it is jazz, big band jazz, vocalists, Bluegrass, R&B, Folk, Country, World, Rock, Blues, etc, etc.

Anyone who has had a DAC3 modded and would take the time to provide some feedback as to the results would be immensely appreciated.

Of course, any other thoughts on the topic in general are welcome too, and perhaps in terms of which mod master tends to voice their mods in SUCH & SUCH A WAY… OR THE LIKE.

I feel naturalness & honesty in tone, timber, dynamic range, as well as ambient retrieval are of significant consequence to capture the soul of the musical recreation and enhance the illusion of they are here, or you are there, which I get a fair degree of now.

Naturally, a higher level of resolution is amenable to that end, yet it should not be the spotlit attribute of a presentation. I listen for hours on end now and would wish that frame not be truncated by listening fatigue.

I’ve seen only the notes from Underwood HiFi on their level one and two mods, and the recent claims of the new VBS technology available thru Bel Canto for some of their e One level components.

As all of my system is and will continue to be digitally sourced a DAC is the key item for me. I must add too I do like what the DAC3 does for my stereo and my HT rig presently.

Thanks a lot for the input and consideration on this inquiry.
blindjim

Showing 1 response by dpac996

dpac996's avatar
dpac996
720 posts
 
How would one know if the resulting sound from say the BC DAC3 vs the Lavry is due to jitter rejection or analog filtering current/voltage conversion post DAC, or simply the dac IC itself? I think excessive attention to jitter performance can misguide many audiophiles, certainly myself. Yes jitter is bad, but once that is dealt with there is no shortage of other challenges. I have had the BC DAC3 (for over a year), a benchmark DAC1 (non usb) and just recently the Benchmark DAC1 HDR. In all cases the DAC's sounded different, not one clearly better over the other. In general I found that the Benchmarks to have a more vivid presentation, a touch more upfront, but the DAC3 somewhat recessed with a tendency to bunch the images, but with a good 'tone' nonetheless. Both dacs claim, and the data indeed does prove it, top notch jitter specs. Both dacs use well selected operational amps in the chip configuration (pretty much all cd players and dacs are implementing op-amps either with an IC or discrete). The DAC3 uses digital attentuation, while the dac1 HDR was a more traditional analog pot.

Back to the OP. I think modding the DAC3 would be a mistake and a misuse of time/effort. The DAC3 is a superb example of engineering with premimum parts already and I would bet that modding isn't really going to do much for you and may even produce a worse result.

For me, i've been pretty dissapointed after a few years of messing around with DACs and so called high end cd players. It's the same story: at first i'm blown away by this or that difference, and then I get bored... and after a long enough soak, I realize that the difference between these and lesser sources, like my squeezebox (with the linear) are actually pretty small, and certainly not worth the extra $$$. I think in my case, I am overly excited by the new toy and over hype the sonic results approximately in proportion to how much the new component cost (over the old). I thought the DAC3 would be the end all be all, based on the engineering and reputation, and reviews, but like Blindjim, I got bored with it. It's less a problem of the dac3 and more a problem of my subjective scrutiny of all these toys. Sigh. I need a new hobby. Sorry for the long blathering post. Maybe the Bryston Dac will be the one ;)
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