Benchmark VS older ultrahigh end dac's in these...

My experience with the Benchmark matches Drubin's. I've owned one for more than a year and used it with solid state amplification from Sim Audio and tube amplification from AES/Cary. I've found it to be very transparent and neutral, never harsh or fatiguing at all. It has seemed to me to be a clean window into the rest of the system and the music.

I suggest you take Steve Nugent's "Spoiler" USB tubed DAC, clocked with his "Pacecar" into account and discussion here. As far as sound staging, width as well as depth, is concerned it has bettered in conjunction with a dedicated laptop both the DCS and the top of the line Zanden combo to these here ears. Not an easy feat. I believe Nugent also has mods for the Benchmark in his program. Should be interesting.

I replaced my musical fidelity tri-vista dac with a tube audio designs TADAC because I like the sound better. My guess is the Benchmark would loose out to the TADAC then.

Presumably the new DAC/USB/Pre model is what Benchmark would like to be assessed on. I've yet to see a detailed review. Can anyone provide one ?

Bought a Benchmark USB and got rid of it in a week, my old MSB Link sounded better and my Monarchy 18B smoked it except in the details department. Benchmark = complete abscence of texture and body to highlight upper mid lean and mean, digital at its best for the worst....
Since then, I have auditionned the Audio Aero Prima SE and Audiomat Maestro, loved both tremendously yet way too expensive for me. My pending purchase is either a Stello 220 or a Monarchy NM24, the latter seducing me lot and one cannot beat the choice of tube and SS output..if only it had balanced out like Stello...