Audio note Dac question

Fc911c - it is NE5532. It was made by Signetics (Philips) until factory burned down in 2000/2001. Texas Instruments bought license, redesigned die (larger) and obtained fuller sound. Early Benchmarks, with Signetics chips, sounded a little thin. Ti Chip has TI logo on the top (Texas state outline). I replaced TI NE5532 (all of them) with National Semi LME49860 with good results. Sound is more vivid and cleaner. I also tried other opamps like OPA1612 but did not care for the sound (very dynamic and warm but also very bassy, lacking transparency). My Benchmark, before and after mods, sounded bright with aluminum dome tweeters. Now it sounds nice and soft with Hyperions HPS-938 that use soft domes. I suspect that Benchmark reveals, in many systems, bright amps or speakers while other (warm) DACs mask it. Also, not everybody likes clean sound. A little distortion adds dynamics. I even found opinion that instruments should not sound separately but all together (like sound blob). People try to repeat whatever they had before. To me Benchmark sounded unnaturally clean at first but now I'm very happy. Perhaps I got used to it (or learned to listen).

Hi Kijanki
thanks for clearing that up. It has been a while LOL. I know what you mean, sometimes my system sounds different on different days.

I upgraded to the 2.1 from the 1.1 and haven't yet heard a dac under $3k that I prefer, the Benchmark included.

USB and balanced in/out are options, and the chip supports up to 24/96 so I don't consider it dated enough to outweigh that I really appreciate the AN's sonic signature.

Thanks Joncourage

Did you upgrade to the 2.1 A or B?

anyone else on the AN Dac?? I changed my mind on the Benchmark.