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Upgrade from Benchmark Dac?

The Benchmark USB DAC is the first piece of digital gear that I've bought and been happy with. I still prefer analog but listening to 50,000+ wav files randomly is pretty sweet.

I've had an Audio Research DAC 3 as well as a CD1 which I thought sounded like crap. I have ARC electronics and love them but their digital offerings left me cold. On the value for money scale the Benchmark gets my highest rating although my local hifi emporiums claim the PS Audio or Bryston is better.

Anything out there in the digital world that will blow me away like the Benchmark? I don't want to spend ten times the dough to get a debatable 10% more "sound".
ntscdan
chazzbo
1,007 posts
 
No names on these PC's.Being the cable skeptic I'd like to hear some names.Biggest bang for lest buck given match with this unit?
Chazz
4est
507 posts
 
Chazzbo, I am using a JPS Digital.
drubin
3,285 posts
 
I have at least 3x the cost of the DAC 1 on it's power
Doesn't that strike you as a bit...ah...wacko?
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,973 posts
 
" I have at least 3x the cost of the DAC 1 on it's power"

"Doesn't that strike you as a bit...ah...wacko?"

Overkill, maybe. Maybe not. I could see it if power was very dirty to start with and the PC device resolves it. Still, there might be a less expensive PC solution that does it. I don't know one way or the other.

But, it doesn't necessarily surprise me that the Benchmark requires clean power to work its resolving magic to the max.
4est
507 posts
 
Drubin,

Well of course it's...ah..wacko! That's what this hobby is all about. I didn't plan it that way, it is just how it worked out. I had a Running Springs Haley with a Cardas(mongoose) cord. I wanted to sell it and tried installing a bybee (go ahead and laugh) signature power conditioner and ended up with them in series. Both make a difference, but work on different aspects of the sound. Over the weekend I installed a loaner Bybee super cord and I am really tempted to keep one in but it is pricey. As my original post stated, I am looking for a replacement for this combo. Frankly I was embarrassed to post it for fear of a comment such as yours...
By the way, the power is not very "dirty", but as Mapman said, it is very resolving and the AC stuff has really made a somewhat sterile DAC very liquid on my Soundlabs.
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