Anyone tried the Benchmark

This is typical studio equipment. So you will hear the music as intended by the mastering engineer. Some mastering engineers (like Doug Sax) use tubes so the sound of vocals is already sweetened and the drums may have more weight/punch from the added compression.

However, if you like to sweeten things even more with your own tubes then you may find the sound to be thinner, more neutral and with less warmth than what you are used to.

I have the HD-650's and had the Benchmark DAC. I also used the DAC-1 with my Krell KAV-400xi/Dynaudio Contour S3.4 speaker setup. FYI, Head-Fi.org has a ton of info about the headphone pairing with this DAC and others.

What I can tell you about my experience is that I didn't care for the sound. To me, it was harsh, analytical, forward and cold. My opinion applies both to the speaker setup and the DAC-1 directly driving the HD-650s. Sources I used were Sonos ZP-90, Apple Airport Express and my MacBook Pro digital out - admittedly not the greatest "transports" but I always used lossless files. I went to an Electrocompaniet EMC-1UP CD Player and wow, what a difference - warmer, definitely, but a much more realistic and enjoyable experience. I sold that and went to the ECD-1 DAC, which is basically the digital section of the EMC-1UP, and it still sounds great, but lacks the smallest bit of extra magic as compared the single-box CD player - probably attributable to jitter from the Sonos, cabling, god-knows-what - but it's still much better to my ears and in my system than the DAC1 ever was.

I use the Benchmark DAC 1 with headphones and the results are superb, IMO - great transparency and dynamics, crystal clear and not bright or etched. I'm using it with a transport, not a server, and in this set-up a good transport and fine digital cable make all the difference.

With a server, I assume you'll use the USB input on the Benchmark, and all the reviews say the Benchmark has an excellent implementation of the USB - better, e.g., than the Bryston dac and some others.

(NOTE: I meant to title this thread "Anyone tried the Benchmark "Complete System" but the last part somehow got cut off.)

Thanks everyone for your replies so far. Sounds like the Benchmark system is for people who like clarity and neutrality in their sound reproduction. Rhmmmm's review gives me some pause, though. Since I'm coming from an integrated tube amp I'm worried that I will have the same overall impression of thinness. Then again I've never had a good solid-state set-up, so it's possible that the increased clarity and definition will be a new kind of revelation for me. I will never know unless I take the plunge and try it for myself.

The other system I am looking at is the Cary Xciter DAC and integrated tube amp, but after I add a pair of decent bookshelf speakers and the HD650s I would be well over my price limit. For simplicity and affordability the Benchmark system looks to be my best option at the moment. But, I've been know to flip-flop on these sort of decisions. Keep the recommendations coming, please!

Thanks,
-Mike

You can always try out the Benchmark. The upside is that it has decent resale value and you won't lose much, especially if you buy used to begin with. If you like it, that's great because they are not super expensive.

I've had a few headphones in the same category as the HD650's, such as the Sony MDR-CD3000 and SA5000, the AKG K701 and some Beyerdynamics. The 650's remain my favorite so far, just make sure you burn them in for a LONG time as they did not sound that great out-of-the-box. In fact, I almost returned them in the beginning. I don't want to try the HD800's because I'd probably have to pick up a pair if I do, so I'm content in my ignorant bliss.