Bel Canto's John Stronczer made a bold decision to demonstrate exclusively with a music server streaming Music Giants. He ran the output from his laptop to the $2495 e.One DAC3 digital-to-analog processor and then directly to a pair of e.One REF1000 1000W monoblocks ($1995 each).

No preamp?

"This is how I listen at home most of the time," Stronczer said. "Actually, our newest product was designed to solve a problem I've been running into—the e.One DAC3 sounds so good, I've almost stopped listening to LPs, so I had to design the PHONO3 analog-to-digital phono section to give my albums the same resolution my CDs have."

Audiophile heresy! But he was getting beautiful sound.