Transport for DAC

Al - One review of the Benchamark claims way better performance at 0dB settings for XLR (four jumpers inside) than any other position (-10, -20, -30). I can hear a little livelier sound at 0dB than -20dB but -10dB is much worse and my 0.5m cable has total of only 6pF/ft x 1.5ft=9pF.

Benchmark stated in manual that for XLR:

Setting (dB), Output impedance (ohm)
0 60
10 1600
20 500
30 160

and -10dB is really bad. If you're concern with it - get DAC1 USB. I think that pre has also LM4562 on the output and different divider but verify. I'm not sure how better it is - will check their website for the manual.

Word of a warning - Benchmark is not a warm sounding DAC. According to John Siau it was meant to be neutral because warm sound (exaggerated even harmonics) sounds wonderful with voice or guitar but not with instruments that have more complex harmonic structure than simple overtones (like piano or percussion instruments)

Interesting comment. FWIW I noticed an improvement in percussion and piano with the DAC1 versus standard low end Sony CDP. Vocals also sounded thinner and more articulate with the DAC1.

I prefered the more natural sound of the DAC1 (more natural to my ears - especially for cymbals and piano) but a friend of mine (given an hour of blind A/B testing) prefered the regular CDP sound with thicker vocals but less realistic cymbals. Of course, he thought the organic thicker sound without the DAC1 was more realistic for vocals.

I was able to accept hearing exaggerated vocal articulation due to the singer using a microphone in the recording process and get past this reality and still enjoy the music whilst my friend found it intrusive (too evident that we were listening to a recording).

Certainly - it is a very subjective subject! And what I describe above was extremely subtle and NOT evident on every recording... on some recordings we were unable to tell which was the source. It suggests that you need to listen to a wide variety of music and recordings in order to make a full comparison and it inevitably requires some compromise. To me the greater the precision the more problems/anomalies you discover in your recording collection.

Shadorne -

"To me the greater the precision the more problems/anomalies you discover in your recording collection."

This is very true. I discovered big difference in recording quality with the Benchmark. I like its clarity but it took a while to get used to it. At first I had impression that something (some instruments?) must be missing. I even heard opinion that "sound blob" performance is more musical than "analytic" Benchmark's performance where you can distinguish individual instruments. Some like also a little THD to make sound "lively".

I hear people saying that all is subjective and if you like it it's better for you. It took me a while to really like Benchmark and I'm always ready (with my limited experience) to learn to listen.

I can hear a little livelier sound at 0dB than -20dB but -10dB is much worse and my 0.5m cable has total of only 6pF/ft x 1.5ft=9pF.

Are you using the calibrated output - bypassing the DAC1 volume control?

What you report strongly suggests that the device (power amp or preamp) that you are connecting the XLR outputs of the DAC1 to - this device has a rather low input impedance (much less than 20K). I'd check this angle out - many power amps have simple input attenuators (rather than variable gain) which may lower the power amp input impedance (depending on the power amp volume/trim settings and the design).

Also if you are using adaptors to take XLR from the DAC1 to RCA then be aware that pin 3 must be left to float or yo'll get distortion.

Shadorne - I'm using XLR cable without adapters. The only gain adjustment with XLR is either 4 jumper settings or volume knob on the front (if you chose this mode).
I'm using volume control (no preamp).

My power amp (Rowland 102) has only XLR inputs rated as 40k impedance. 9pF with 1600 ohms of output impedance makes fc=11MHz. It has to be something else.

I would thing that I might compare different levels or "hearing things" but review I read claims the same and Benchmark lowered this output impedance with stronger output drivers and lower dividers in DAC1 USB. I will try to find link to this review.