Thanks to good advice from srb, here it is:
Bel Canto Design DAC 1.5 e.One Processor Reviews I've been waiting for reviews of thennew Bel Canto series of DAC/preamps. Here are two; more to follow.
Submitted by The Computer Audiophile on Tue, 05/03/2011 - 14:26
"Pleasantly surprised right from the first note is one way to describe my time with the Bel Canto Design DAC 1.5. I was initially drawn to the DAC 1.5 because of its price ($1,395) and features. I wasn't sure what to expect sonically from the least expensive DAC in the Bel Canto Design lineup. What I heard was very good. Comparing the DAC 1.5 to a very popular product in this competitive market segment lead me to place it on the Computer Audiophile C.A.S.H. List immediately. DACs of this ilk must be good to survive the onslaught of Internet chatter, reviews, and endless comparisons. The Bel Canto Design DAC 1.5 is clearly the best value in the Bel Canto DAC lineup. This DAC worked very well in my system whether connected to Windows, OS X, or Linux music servers. Plus the characteristic that matters most to me, sound quality, was the real standout. It's tough to beat a value like the DAC 1.5, that works well, and sounds this good. "
There is much more at
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Bel-Canto-Design-DAC-15-eOne-Processor-Review There was also a really long review of the DAC 1.5 at 6moons.com Generally positive things were written, and there are some good photos.
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/belcanto3/1.html My Gallo Reference 3.5 demo speakers are on sale at $3400 the pair, including grill.
Why Are Good Speakers So Damn Expensive These Days?
That's not my title - it's the title of an article in HomeTheaterReview.com See
http://hometheaterreview.com/why-are-good-speakers-so-damn-expensive-these-days/ One reason given was the recent 2000% increase in price of neodymium magnet material, and other increases in raw materials. Obviously higher oil prices increase transportation costs, and even the price of Chinese labor is rising. There is a tremendous attrition of skilled workers because many come from the country, get trained, save their wages and go back home to start small businesses. The remainder are getting hard to hire for cheap wages.
New Classico speakers coming from Gallo Acoustics
After years of development Anthony Gallo's un-box box speakers have been finalized and are due to be shipped from China next month. That's the good news. The bad news is that the prices are way higher than expected. For the reasons see the article above.
Mini Monitors will be priced at $795 and $1295 a pair. Floor standing at $2495 and $3495 a pair. 6moons and others have commented very very favorably on the hand-built prototypes, but the major magazines like The Absolute Sound an etc. insist on reviewing production speakers. I am not too sure whether I want to order any until the reviews come out, as the interest always seems to come directly from the reviews..
