Bel Canto e1X DS1 Streaming Pre Amplifier

Bel Canto e1X DS1 Streaming Pre Amplifier

The Bel Canto e1X DS1 Streaming Pre Amplifier is available for demonstration in our Hull store by request.

The Bel Canto e1X DS1 Streaming Pre Amplifier is a refined, high-performance digital hub designed for listeners who value musical realism, low noise, and intuitive system control. It brings together a reference-grade streaming DAC, a precision control preamplifier, and a powerful headphone amplifier in a compact, beautifully engineered chassis. As the entry point to Bel Canto’s prestigious e1X series, the DS1 delivers uncompromised sound quality while remaining elegantly simple to integrate into modern high-end audio systems.

Built around Bel Canto’s latest HDR-II Core architecture, the e1X DS1 is voiced to sound open, natural, and emotionally engaging rather than artificially bright or clinical. Its sonic character emphasises clarity, dynamics, and musical flow, allowing recordings to sound lifelike and involving across a wide range of genres and listening levels.

Reference-Grade Sound with HDR-II Core DAC Technology

At the heart of the Bel Canto e1X DS1 Streaming Pre Amplifier is the company’s most advanced HDR-II Core DAC platform, developed from more than two decades of digital audio research. This architecture achieves a class-leading 126dB dynamic range with extremely low distortion, ensuring that both subtle low-level detail and large dynamic swings are reproduced with precision and ease.

Pure Class A Balanced Analogue Output

Advanced CMOS DAC technology combined with a fully balanced Class A differential analogue output stage allows the e1X DS1 to maintain true analogue behaviour across the entire dynamic range. Low-level signals remain clean and uncoloured, preserving harmonic texture, spatial cues, and timing accuracy that are often lost in lesser digital designs.

High-Resolution Streaming & Digital Connectivity

The e1X DS1 Streaming Pre Amplifier is engineered to extract maximum performance from today’s highest-quality digital sources. Its proprietary asynchronous Ethernet streaming removes source clock errors entirely, relying on an ultra-low-noise master clock to eliminate jitter and preserve musical integrity.

Roon Ready Network Playback

High-resolution network audio support extends up to 24-bit / 192kHz, with compatibility for DSD64 and MQA playback. The e1X DS1 is fully Roon Ready and can be controlled via Bel Canto’s SEEK iOS app or the mConnect app for Android, allowing seamless access to streaming services or NAS-based music libraries.

Precision Control Preamplifier

Beyond its digital capabilities, the Bel Canto e1X DS1 functions as a true high-end control preamplifier. A precision 24-bit volume control operates within a fully balanced signal path, providing smooth, transparent level adjustment without degrading resolution or dynamics.

Dedicated High-Current Headphone Amplifier

The front-mounted headphone output allows the Bel Canto e1X DS1 Streaming Pre Amplifier to double as a serious headphone listening solution. Driven by a dedicated DAC with a 112dB dynamic range and a high-current buffer stage, it confidently drives 32-ohm headphones with authority, detail, and control.

Intelligent Filtering & Musical Tuning

Two selectable digital filters allow fine-tuning of the presentation. The Standard filter offers a balanced, natural sound, while the Fast filter sharpens image focus and bass control with a slightly more forward high-frequency response.

Premium Build & Long-Term Reliability

Housed in a rigid, all-aluminium constrained-layer chassis, the Bel Canto e1X DS1 Streaming Pre Amplifier is designed to minimise vibration and electrical interference. Firmware updates are easily performed via Ethernet, ensuring long-term performance and compatibility.

Bel Canto e1X DS1 Streaming Pre Amplifier Specification:

• Dynamic Range: 126dB (A-weighted)
• THD+N: <0.001% (1W, 1kHz, 4 ohms)
• IMD (CCIF): <0.001% (1W, 18.5kHz : 19.5kHz, 1:1, 4 ohms)
• Balanced XLR Output: 5.5Vrms, 100 ohms impedance
• RCA Output: 2.75Vrms, 100 ohms impedance
• Minimum Load: 600 ohms
• Digital Input (Ethernet): Up to 24-bit / 384kHz, MQA, DSD64/128 (10/100 Ethernet)
• Digital Inputs (AES / SPDIF / Optical): Up to 24-bit / 192kHz
• Headphone Output: 2.75Vrms maximum, 32 ohm minimum load
• Power Consumption (On): 20W
• Power Consumption (Off): 0W
• Operating Voltages: 100–120VAC / 220–240VAC, 50/60Hz
• Dimensions (W × D × H): 17.75 × 15.75 × 3.25 inches (451 × 400 × 83 mm)
• Weight: 14 lbs (6.4 kg)