Guys, Thanks for the advice and comments. I guess I feel a little greedy,I've did a lot of cost-effective upgrading with happy results all along the way-the occassional no-change or bad purchase (about $50 dollars of new tubes which sounded worse in my valve pre-amp-)means I've built a good (to my ears)system at a reasonable cost using older used but good equipment. It also means I've got the bug but it's built out of a love of music I buy a lot of CD's. The DAC-1 costs about $300 dollars more here in the UK to buy-as I said when listening to the new Arcam CD23 I could hear a performance a couple of notches up-I wasn't convinced it was worth £1100 ($1500)-the DAC-1 costs the same here. Since I use a DVD/dac set-up-the Bel Canto screams at me as does the almost universal good feedback it is getting..... Am I happy with my system? Of course. Would I like to buy/try the DAC-1 even though it means spending more than I should? Of course. Ben
What price hi-fi?
This may start some debate I am hesitating over my next hi-fi purchase-a Bel Canto Dac1-even with the 10 day back guarantee-I can't audition cause I stay in the UK and have to buy from France... Having recently auditioned the new Arcam CD23 I wasn't convinced it did for me in terms of value for money. Ok only I can decide butI'd be interested to see others experiences-nerves before a big purchase,mistakes which have led to begging for refunds,wives who filed for divorce when receipts were found. Is there a value system outwith the obvious financial constraints that people use in upgrading or buying new equipment? Ben