Connecting the past with the future is one way of describing what the Bel Canto USB Link is capable of accomplishing. Until recently most digital to analog converters relied on traditional audio interfaces like AES (XLR) and S/PDIF (coax & Toslink). Now more DACs are leaving the factory with USB interfaces to allow a direct connection to music servers that are the future of High-End audio. Even though DAC technology has advanced over the years there are still a plethora of excellent USB-less DACs in use that audiophiles simply won't part with. Fortunately the Bel Canto USB Link closes the gap between old and new by converting the USB signal from a music server to an S/PDIF signal almost all DACs can understand. In addition the Bel Canto USB Link is an incredibly simple device to use. It installs on Windows and Macintosh computers without any user intervention and without any additional software or device drivers. Many audiophiles have been waiting waiting to get into the music server game for many reasons one of which is complexity. The Bel Canto USB Link may be the component that lubricates their entry into the next phase of High-End audio.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
<b>What, Why, How?</b>
The Bel Canto USB Link is an audio converter in the simplest terms and an advanced bit-transparent 24/96 capable adaptive USB to S/PDIF interface in more complex terms. On the outside the USB Link is as simple as it gets. A metal box with a USB input on one end and an S/PDIF BNC output on the other end. There is also a small light to indicate when the device is receiving power from the computer. The USB Link does not even accept an external power supply thus eliminating an additional device in the audio chain. The USB Link is so simple to use that it is impossible to physically connect the device incorrectly. The USB input only accepts the Type B end of a USB cable and the S/PDIF output is connected via the included high quality Stereovox XV2 BNC to RCA adaptor. I hate to say it but the USB Link really is idiot proof.
Internally the USB Link separates itself from most USB converters with a true high resolution capable TAS1020 chip. The TAS1020 using CEntrance code is what I consider the best adaptive USB implementation available at the time of this writing. Thus, the Bel Canto USB Link is fully capable of handling digital audio natively at 16/44.1, 24/88.2, and 24/96. There is no up or down sampling necessary to pass any of these sample rates to the listener's DAC of choice. Not only does the USB Link work flawlessly with the Bel Canto DAC3 but it works great connected to any DAC with a coax input. The USB Link allows an extremely flexible upgrade path which is very important to almost all audiophiles. Since the device works with many different DACs listeners can upgrade their DAC separately without worrying about USB connectivity to their music server. There is no need to shop around for a "USB DAC" when using the Bel Canto USB Link. Simply find a DAC that sounds great and the chances are pretty high that it'll work great with the USB Link. On the other side of the coin, if a new USB converter is released there is no need to replace an expensive DAC that sounds wonderful already. Thus, when sample rates get to 64-bit / 768 kHz and a new USB converter is available existing expensive DACs will still work .... oh wait, no they won't. The sample rate is a little high for anything other than fictional DACs but the fact remains, greater flexibility is never a bad thing.
Not only is the USB Link physically simple to understand and connect to an audio system, but it's just as easy to configure and use once connected. As I mentioned earlier there are no extras to install or worry about with this device. Simply plug it into an existing USB port on a music server and it's ready to use. Some operating systems may not route the audio signal automatically to the USB Link, or any USB device for that matter, so the only configuration change left is to simply select the USB Link as the audio output device in Mac OS X or Windows. I know some Computer Audiophile readers have stressed out over this part of the configuration for any music server, but it's really far easier than most people expect. Heck, it's even multiple choice and listeners can have as many do-overs as they need to get it right. For example in Mac OS X the Audio Midi Setup application provides a list of audio output device to select from and one of those will be the Bel Canto USB Link. I'm willing to bet the Computer Audiophile Chihuahua Archie could eventually get this one right and start listening to the theme song from Beverly Hills Chihuahua via a bit-transparent USB Link.
<b>The USB Link In Action</b>
I received the Bel Canto USB Link in mid November 2008 and have used it frequently since then. It's a great tool to have especially with all the different components that come and go from here. Needless to say I've listened to it with a ton of gear in a ton of configurations. The bottom line is the Bel Canto USB Link is capable of enabling wonderful sound from a music sever. It wouldn't make sense for me to say the device sounds great because after all it's an audio converter that shouldn't leave an imprint on the sound. Saying the USB Link sounds great would actually be an insult to Bel Canto! Like all audio components the USB Link does have a sonic signature. Partly due to the similarity in design, using the TAS1020/CEntrance chip, the USB Link has a signature a bit like the Benchmark DAC1 series. Sound is very tight and controlled when the USB Link is in place. This tends to decrease the soundstage in my system and a slight loss of overall transparency is evident. This is in comparison to my go-to Lynx AES16e card in my Mac Pro music server. Fortunately for the USB Link it can be connected to any computer or laptop with an available USB port. The Lynx has sized and priced itself out of many audiophile's music servers because it uses a full size internal PCIe slot and is several hundred dollars more than the USB Link. Similar to the Benchmark DAC1 series, with the USB Link there is a sense of tight studio sound as opposed to a live sound that I get with my Alpha DAC / Lynx combination. Fortunately using the Bel Canto USB Link allows listeners to avoid my one negative part of the DAC1 series, its analog output stage. As I said in my review of the DAC1 HDR I think its analog output stage is a weak link in an otherwise wonderful component. The Bel Canto USB Link doesn't have an analog output stage and allows listeners to select the DAC, with corresponding analog output stage, of their choice. Other than the two noticeable sonic signature effects mentioned previously, which some listeners may really prefer over live-ish sound, I have no complaints whatsoever with the USB Link. Again, it's actually quite weird to be talking about the sonics of a component that isn't supposed to do anything other than convert one digital termination into another. Using descriptors like "excellent highs" or "great mid-range" wouldn't seem appropriate. However, I did have a little time to compare the Bel Canto USB Link to the dCS U-Clock asynchronous USB to S/PDIF converter. Sure there are many sonic differences between the two devices just as one would expect with components using vastly different designs. The dCS U-Clock is in an entirely different class of performance as it should be for its hefty several thousand dollar price tag. However, I am very willing to bet the Bel Canto USB Link is as good if not better than the current crop of adaptive USB to S/PDIF converters. This includes converters with triple digit price tags from some high-end boutique brands. In addition in my opinion the Bel Canto implementation using the TAS1020 / CEntrance code is a better implementation that products like the M-Audio Transit. Sure the M-Audio Transit handles up to 24/96 and converts USB to S/PDIF, but the device requires installation of software and device drivers to function properly. Also, the fact that a device handles 24/96 or a high resolution sample rate does not mean it's equivalent to all other devices that can handle high resolution. I liken it to driving a car at high speeds. I own a Volkswagen Jetta with a 2.0 v4 motor and a v6 Honda Accord Coupe. Both cars can go 100 MPH, but everything about the experience of traveling 100 MPH is vastly different between the two cars. The Jetta is very noisy and makes one question the survivability of traveling another 1000 feet whereas the Accord Coupe handles 100 MPH like just another Tuesday afternoon drive to the store.
At $495 the Bel Canto USB Link may seem a little expensive at first blush. But, considering the solid implementation of this conversion technology and the absolute ease of use the price is just right in my opinion. I've used and listened to many other converters at all price ranges and consider the Bel Canto USB Link a great product to link the traditional world of High-End audio to the new and improved High-End 2.0 where music servers reign and high resolution is the norm. The USB Link is a great tool in my toolbox as a reviewer and is a great addition to most listener's audio systems for every day use. Incredible flexibility, true high resolution capability, and true plug n' play operation make the USB Link a really smart selection for many audiophiles.
<center>Bel Canto USB Link</center>
<center>
<img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2009/0823/USBLink600v2.jpg" alt="Bel Canto USB Link"></a>
</center>
<center>Standard USB Cable Terminations for the Bel Canto USB Link</center> <center>
<img src="http://images.computeraudiophile.com/graphics/2009/0823/usb-connectors.png" alt="Standard USB Cable Terminations"></a>
</center>
Manufacturer: <a href="http://www.belcantodesign.com">Bel Canto Design, Ltd.</a>
Product Page: <a href="http://www.belcantodesign.com/Belcanto_news_usb_link.html">USB Link</a>
Price: $495
Availability: <a href="http://www.belcantodesign.com/Belcanto_how_to_buy.html">Dealers</a>
The following information was gathered using the Apple application USB Prober and built-in OS X System Profiler.
Bel Canto 2496 USB:
Product ID: 0x0102
Vendor ID: 0x1c07
Version: 0.01
Speed: Up to 12 Mb/sec
Manufacturer: Bel Canto
Location ID: 0x04100000
Current Available (mA): 500
Current Required (mA): 100
_______________________________
Full Speed device @ 4 (0x04100000):
.............................................
Composite device: "Bel Canto 2496 USB"
Port Information: 0x001a
Not Captive
Attached to Root Hub
External Device
Connected
Enabled
Device Descriptor
Descriptor Version Number: 0x0100
Device Class: 0 (Composite)
Device Subclass: 0
Device Protocol: 0
Device MaxPacketSize: 8
Device VendorID/ProductID: 0x1C07/0x0102 (unknown vendor)
Device Version Number: 0x0001
Number of Configurations: 1
Manufacturer String: 1 "Bel Canto"
Product String: 2 "Bel Canto 2496 USB"
Serial Number String: 0 (none)
Configuration Descriptor
Length (and contents): 109
Raw Descriptor (hex) 0000: 09 02 6D 00 02 01 00 80 32 09 04 00 00 00 01 01
Raw Descriptor (hex) 0010: 00 00 09 24 01 00 01 1E 00 01 01 0C 24 02 05 01
Raw Descriptor (hex) 0020: 01 00 02 03 00 00 00 09 24 03 08 01 03 00 05 00
Raw Descriptor (hex) 0030: 09 04 01 00 00 01 02 00 00 09 04 01 01 01 01 02
Raw Descriptor (hex) 0040: 00 00 07 24 01 05 01 01 00 14 24 02 01 02 03 18
Raw Descriptor (hex) 0050: 04 44 AC 00 80 BB 00 88 58 01 00 77 01 09 05 01
Raw Descriptor (hex) 0060: 09 40 02 01 00 00 07 25 01 01 00 00 00
Number of Interfaces: 2
Configuration Value: 1
Attributes: 0x80 (bus-powered)
MaxPower: 100 ma
Interface #0 - Audio/Control
Alternate Setting 0
Number of Endpoints 0
Interface Class: 1 (Audio)
Interface Subclass; 1 (Control)
Interface Protocol: 0
Audio Control Class Specific Header
Descriptor Version Number: 01.00
Class Specific Size: 30
Number of Audio Interfaces: 1
Audio Interface Number: 1
Dump Contents (hex): 09 24 01 00 01 1E 00 01 01
Audio Class Specific Input Terminal
Terminal ID: 5
Input Terminal Type: 0x101 (USB streaming)
OutTerminal ID: 0 [NONE]
Number of Channels: 2
Spatial config of channels: 0000000000000011
(null)
(null)
String index for first logical channel: 0
Terminal Name String Index: 0 [NONE]
Audio Class Specific Ouput Terminal
Terminal ID: 8
Output Terminal Type: 0x301 (Speaker)
InTerminal ID: 0 [NONE]
Source ID: 5
Terminal Name String Index: 0 [NONE]
Interface #1 - Audio/Streaming
Alternate Setting 0
Number of Endpoints 0
Interface Class: 1 (Audio)
Interface Subclass; 2 (Streaming)
Interface Protocol: 0
Interface #1 - Audio/Streaming (#1)
Alternate Setting 1
Number of Endpoints 1
Interface Class: 1 (Audio)
Interface Subclass; 2 (Streaming)
Interface Protocol: 0
Audio Control Class Specific Header
Audio Stream General
Endpoint Terminal ID: 5
Delay: 1 frames
Format Tag: 0x0001 (PCM)
Audio Class Specific Audio Data Format
Audio Stream Format Type Desc.
Format Type: 1 PCM
Number Of Channels: 2 STEREO
Sub Frame Size: 3
Bit Resolution: 24
Sample Frequency Type: 0x04 (Discrete)
Sample Frequency: 44100 Hz
Sample Frequency: 48000 Hz
Sample Frequency: 88200 Hz
Sample Frequency: 96000 Hz
Endpoint 0x01 - Isochronous Output
Address: 0x01 (OUT)
Attributes: 0x09 (Isochronous adaptive data endpoint)
Max Packet Size: 576
Polling Interval: 1 ms
Class-Specific AS Audio EndPoint - Isochronous output
Attributes: 0x01 Sample Frequency,
bLockDelayUnits: 0x00 (UNDEFINED)
wLockDelay: 0
Associated Equipment: Mac Pro, Lynx AES16e card, Kimber USB cable v1 & v2, Benchmark DAC1 PRE, Kimber Select cable, Avalon Acoustics speakers, McIntosh tube amplification, Virtual Dynamics power cables, Richard Gray's Power Company cables, dCS Paganini DAC, dCS U-Clock, Devilsound DAC v2, Berkeley Audio Design Alpha DAC, Ayre QB-9 USB DAC, Wavelength Audio Proton, Ayre AX-7e Integrated Amp, Windows XP "Music Server for a Song."
Recommended Comments