I agree with Bob....the Benchmark doesn't sugarcoat lousy source material but it's sweet with good recordings. Of all the dough I've spent on audio gear in the last 20 years or so it's given me the best bang for my audio buck. I'm primarily an analog guy so that's pretty high praise.
DAC advice for the non-tech-savvy
Hello,
I am less an audiophile than a music obsessive, and I'm looking for
DAC advice as I am ripping all my CDs to FLAC and plan to get rid of
my CD player.
My system is a Unico Unison integrated amp, Monitor RS6 speakers and
(for now) an NAD C545BEE CD player. As I say, I'm not really an
audiophile, so I don't know how well-synergized this system is, but I
love the sound for the most part. If I can find a DAC that gets more
low end bass definition that would be great (though I'm guessing this
is largely a limitation of the speaker).
More than specific recommendations (though I'd welcome those as well),
I'd be eager for general advice about what kind of DAC technology
would be best for me. I find all the info about oversampling vs.
upsampling (or are those synonyms?) vs. non-oversampling, different
bit rates, etc., pretty bewildering. I listen mostly to rock, with a
little bit of everything else thrown in. So pace, rhythym, dynamics
are more important to me than neutrality, harmonic resolution, etc.
I'm pretty happy with the soundstaging and imaging of my system as it
stands, so improving that is not a huge priority.
What do these preferences (and my current equipment) dictate about
what kind of DAC I should look for?
I'd spend up to $1000, though I'd rather keep it around $600 (and it
seems like there are a lot of good options at that price point.) Also:
my computer has a coax digital out, so I don't need a USB input
(though it might be nice for the flexibility)
Many thanks for any advice!
Mike
I am less an audiophile than a music obsessive, and I'm looking for
DAC advice as I am ripping all my CDs to FLAC and plan to get rid of
my CD player.
My system is a Unico Unison integrated amp, Monitor RS6 speakers and
(for now) an NAD C545BEE CD player. As I say, I'm not really an
audiophile, so I don't know how well-synergized this system is, but I
love the sound for the most part. If I can find a DAC that gets more
low end bass definition that would be great (though I'm guessing this
is largely a limitation of the speaker).
More than specific recommendations (though I'd welcome those as well),
I'd be eager for general advice about what kind of DAC technology
would be best for me. I find all the info about oversampling vs.
upsampling (or are those synonyms?) vs. non-oversampling, different
bit rates, etc., pretty bewildering. I listen mostly to rock, with a
little bit of everything else thrown in. So pace, rhythym, dynamics
are more important to me than neutrality, harmonic resolution, etc.
I'm pretty happy with the soundstaging and imaging of my system as it
stands, so improving that is not a huge priority.
What do these preferences (and my current equipment) dictate about
what kind of DAC I should look for?
I'd spend up to $1000, though I'd rather keep it around $600 (and it
seems like there are a lot of good options at that price point.) Also:
my computer has a coax digital out, so I don't need a USB input
(though it might be nice for the flexibility)
Many thanks for any advice!
Mike
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- 9 posts total
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- 9 posts total