Amertuollig
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2009
- Posts
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To sum up:
It is a converter that can allow a direct control of a power amplifier or of amplified monitors.
It is a converter designed to take advantage of symmetrical or asymmetrical connections.
It is a converter that allows you to play your music files (Mp3....native Flac 24/96 or PCM 24/96) stored on a Mac or a PC. However it does not use a USB connection.
It is a converter that has many other features and goodies, not least ...
It is a converter that, if we believe the specifications manufacturers, focuses in its design to eliminate the jitter whatever the digital input used.
To my point of view, it is a converter that monitors the signal and which is devoted to those for which the requirements of listening are matched with that.
This is obviously not a universal choice and who wants to be consensual.
It is a converter that I judge objectively (bandwidth, dynamic, S / N) and subjectively (neutrality, transparency, pleasure and interest listening) equal or often superior to many of the players or converters that I had the pleasure to test (or to have in the past) at home in a constant reference (same amplifier and loudspeakers):
Esoteric X-05, DCS P8i, Accuphase DP 67, Audio Research CD3 MKII, Rosita DAC, Bel Canto Dac 3 and 2, Stello da 220 mkII, modified valab DAC (i have one)
It is a converter that has design, which is the antithesis of Non Over Sampling converters that I had before (modified Satch, modified Valab DAC) and, admittedly, is a notch above (not to say more).
This converter shines particularly on the subjective aspects following:
- The soundstage is huge with ability to pick up more easily the depth, the width and the height whatever the level of listening, no magnifying effect due to rigorous tonal balance, ability to completely "erase" the loudspeakers and to minimize their directivity: in other words the sweet point seems to be wider, a listener positioned on the side of the listening area can enjoy the soundstage!
- The transparency is in the top league. It sounds extremely natural and neutral with high resolution (timbre and dynamic) and without any digital edge:
- The tracking inflections, the small dynamic and the macro dynamic are on top of what I heard with a lack of projection, a very well tonal balance over the entire sound spectrum.
- The refinement, the timbre and smoothness are for my point of view in the top league without obvious listening constants apprehended.
- The acoustic of the recording places, the natural or artificial reverberation, the echoes and all small signals are easily heard.
- The aeration and the separation are such that the sound events seem more separate than in most cases.
It gives a great feeling of stretching and slowing down of time and tempo.
- The quality in the bass tones rendering (deep, varied, slam, blast) is astonishing . Assess this source with a system and some loudspeakers able to report on quality in this segment should tell you how is efficient this source in this segment.
- Sound quality at low level and high level listening: the dynamic qualities and tonal balance are preserved.
- The listening at a realistic level or high level reveals equilibrium, the lack of subjective distortions, homogeneity, and richness. It digs the difference with the pre-cited sources.
- The decrease and the attack of the notes are very well reproduced. Combined with the quality in tones, woods sound more wood, metals, more metallic, skins more skins ...
- The listening of deezer.com or better streaming website is particularly pleasant (digital output set to stereo 24 bit 96 kHz): full-bodied sound, the quality in tone, the soundstage and the variety of tones are surprisingly good.
All these qualities contribute to:
- A listening pleasure renewed and immediate.
- An increased understanding of the artistic (and technical) features of the recording and therefore an ability to captivate and involve the listener in the listening.
- A great foot tapping.
- Despite its obvious transparency, almost all music recordings, whatever the recording qualities, are more pleasant to listen. Curiously the deficiencies of a poorly mastered recording are easily listened but nevertheless it is not detrimental to the listening pleasure because the musical event seems to be more realistic.
It has some minor "minus":
- No USB connection (but this is not really a problem for the PC or Mac with an S/PDIF optical output mini jack or a sound card).
- A housing, a look and a price that does not flatter its owner.
Today, there is to my knowledge no serious review of the quality of the headphone output. May be, it will be change soon thanks to you !?
This is not to say that this converter is the "best". The purpose is simply to say that this source appears to me as good (to say the least) as the other depending my tastes and priced (~ 300 $ or 300 € in europe) much better than many others (it an objective reality)!
In France, some have compared the bmc-2 to the Cambridge DAC Magic, the Linn Unidisk 1.1, the Audiomat Maestro (french converter) and the Weiss Medea converter.
Some technical specifications are given in the manual : http://www.tcelectronic.com/media/BMC2_manual_US.pdf
I use an Icos Fado as drive , Jean-Marie Reynaud Concorde Signature loudspeakers and this Lavardin Technologies - Model IT.
The matching, which operate mutual compensation between the elements of my equipment and my tastes largely determine the testimonials I have of this unit.
