Blk25 - that's exactly what I do. Three digital sources (HDTV, DVD, Airport Express) with Benchmark DAC1 connected directly to Rowland 102 (class D) power amp. Sound is outstanding IMHO and the only drawback is lack of remote that also forces me to get off the sofa.
According to Benchmark engineers, signal path with or without volume pot is identical. The only bad thing could be tracking of inexpensive pot but it is very good (I listen in 8-11 o'clock position).
Pot on Benchmark created some static after couple of years of use but I sprayed contact leaner/pot lubricant inside (lifting one corner of the pot's back-cover plastic) with needle and since then it is perfectly quiet (most likely will be forever).
You have to protect switch on the back from accidental switching to "direct" position and possibly damaging speakers. I placed plastic stab in the hole but gluing metal plate might be even better. I use differential output of Benchmark in 0dB position.
Airport Express has very respectable jitter (258ps according to this review: http://www.stereophile.com/digitalprocessors/505apple) further suppressed by Benchmark. Negative side of such setup is limitation to 16 bit (all my CDs are 16 bit) but it keeps computer (and its noise) away, makes playback program irrelevant, since data has no timing being transferred as compressed packs. Also type of the computer, amount of memory etc. have no effect. It saves one set of ICs using inexpensive high quality short glass Toslink from uniqueproductsonline.com instead. Apple TV might be even better (costing the same $99) but I've never tried.
According to Benchmark engineers, signal path with or without volume pot is identical. The only bad thing could be tracking of inexpensive pot but it is very good (I listen in 8-11 o'clock position).
Pot on Benchmark created some static after couple of years of use but I sprayed contact leaner/pot lubricant inside (lifting one corner of the pot's back-cover plastic) with needle and since then it is perfectly quiet (most likely will be forever).
You have to protect switch on the back from accidental switching to "direct" position and possibly damaging speakers. I placed plastic stab in the hole but gluing metal plate might be even better. I use differential output of Benchmark in 0dB position.
Airport Express has very respectable jitter (258ps according to this review: http://www.stereophile.com/digitalprocessors/505apple) further suppressed by Benchmark. Negative side of such setup is limitation to 16 bit (all my CDs are 16 bit) but it keeps computer (and its noise) away, makes playback program irrelevant, since data has no timing being transferred as compressed packs. Also type of the computer, amount of memory etc. have no effect. It saves one set of ICs using inexpensive high quality short glass Toslink from uniqueproductsonline.com instead. Apple TV might be even better (costing the same $99) but I've never tried.