Benchmark Dac 1 Pre Volume pot?

Do you mean Alps Blue Velvet? This would be expensive and large pot (conductive plastic track). It would not even fit since it is 1" square. Tiny greenish pot in my Benchmark DAC1 is quite good and has excellent tracking even at the lowest setting. The only problem I had was static noise while turning, that appeared after few years of use. I assumed that it has to be dust and applied some isopropyl alcohol thru the shaft and body gaps. Now it is perfectly quiet again.

I was worried about just such problem. It seems too small to do daily volume control duty on such device. Mainly I like to ask IF the DAC1 Pre has the same green thing and I have to get the HDR to get the "real" pot? Thanks again.

I have used the fixed level output on my DAC1 through a Dact attenuator with success. Mildly cleaner and sweeter sounding.

Be20 - According to Benchmark signal path inside is identical (doubled) with or without volume control. I suspect You might hear benefits of better made volume pot alone. I found on the other forum that volume pots have distinctive sound to them. Conductive plastic sounds different according to them. I wonder if I would hear any difference. TKD makes excellent pots with extremely good tracking. They have miniature version that might fit in place of current Benchmark DAC1 pot. I will replace it, as soon as noise problem come back again. TKD pot uses conductive plastic that should not get scratched or dusty over time. My all sources (Server/Airport Express, DVD, HDTV) are digital and adding preamp cost money, transparency and another IC - will try to avoid it.