It’s common for high-end audio electronics companies to make audacious claims for the performance of their products, but exceptionally rare for them to demonstrate the products’ performance — other than, of course, playing the de rigueur Diana Krall tune. Bel Canto dared to demo the differences among its three new USB-to-SPDIF converters, the mLink, uLink, and REFLink, designed to interface computers with high-end audio systems. All of the units feature a coaxial output on a BNC connector; higher-end models add an ST-type fiber optic output. As the demo stepped from the $375 mLink to the$1,495 REFLink, I did indeed hear increased smoothness, detail, and body. It helped that the demo system, comprising Joseph Audio Pearl 3 speaker driven by Bel Canto electronics, totally rocked.
