OK, time for my impressions.
Summary
This is my new reference IC and is best IC I have ever tried regardless of price, it is so good I have sold my previous favorite
AZ Silver Reference IC and purchased a 2nd pair of BSSR, it has no weakness that I can detect and offers previously unheard of performance at this price level IMO.....has my strongest recommendation.
Further Details
In my 2 channel stereo I am using the BSSR ICs from Bel Canto Dac 2 to Musical Fidelity A3cr preamp. Previously for almost 2yrs I used the still excellent AZ Silver Reference I which gave me combination of smooth natural sound with excellent detail retreaval.....all this with huge soundstage presention which cannot be accurately heard with headphone only use. Several well reviewed challengers were tried but no IC "overall" could match the AZ SR for me with a sane price tag ($500 or less)
Then I read posts at AA that a new kid on the block "BSSR" could not only match the AZ SR, but surpass it at 1/4 the price retail, this had my attention! I was concerned with the design, bare unsheilded silver wire, no braiding in plastic tubes.......this will have noise problems for sure I thought. But I had to know what they had to offer, there is no trail period offered by Bogdan which will stop many from using them and had me a bit concerned, but after AC1 had success I thought what the hell.
BSSR arrived by priority mail well packaged, they use the Eichman
plastic bullett RCA plugs which were too tight initially to fit my RCAs so I had to use hair dryer to heat them and they slid on.
Once form fitted they come on/off no problem. This is explained in flyer you get with BSSR. They are lightweight and fairly flexible, I tried them in two systems and have no problem with any noise pick-up.
I mentioned before you need to put some directional markings on these IC so when you move them once broken in they will be oriented properly.
Sound Impressions
Caveat - I was trying new AC cord at same time on BC Dac 2, the excellent Empowered which replaced a VD Nite, so some of what I describe maybe from AC cord benefits.
Have you ever heard a planar speaker vs a box speaker. The music is just seamless and extremely transparant, it has a delicate airy quality that makes the music sound effortless, like it just appears out of thin air. It is agile and fast as if weightless, yet can produce deep satisfying highly detailed bass. It produces a huge massive soundstage that reveals the most intricate detail
that was previously obscured.
This is how I can best describe the BSSR experience. By contrast the AZ SR now seems a bit heavy/rich and somewhat slow, fine details were slightly shrouded and somewhat obscure. It as if I was wearing rose colored glasses, a pleasant experience but the BSSR lifts a veil and brings everything into better focus. On many CDs where I previouly heard a single sound, it is now 2 or 3 individual fine details that were just close together. Often I am really surprised at newly uncovered fine delicate details on tracks I have heard many many times, the bass is especially clarified now revealing new information.
I was listening to STONE ROSES last night which is not good recording CD, but I was hearing all kinds of cymbal brush work, stick taps, shimmer/decay etc I didn't even know existed. This is like different version of "sally cinnamon" than I heard before, he he.
All these benefits with no downside, there is no brightness, glare, edge or grain........just beautiful natural music. The soundstage size which the AZ SR excelled in is now slightly expanded further with BSSR, it is very impressive. There really is no weakness I can detect with the BSSR, it is just a fabulous IC at a real world price.
If you have a lean/bright system already these may not be best choice since they will not make overall sound warmer/richer etc.
but they will do amazing things for system that is already neutral balanced or slightly rich/warm seeking more detail/speed etc.
Coda
I am interested if others have experienced similar results, share you impressions for the benefit of all here. Thanks again to AC1 for getting the ball rolling here.
If you want to check these out here is Audiogon link with special price till July 25th:
BSSR