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Should I go to a Benchmark DAC1 pre in my system?

The magazine reviews rave about this device. Absolute Sound calls it revolutionary and says it compares very favorably to high end DCS equipment, which I've heard and liked.

How does it stack up against the competition as a pre-amp for both digital and analogue sources and as a DAC?

I believe I could run my Denon CD as a transport and my Roku Soundbridge directly into it, and add a phono-pre and connect my turntable as well. That would cover 99% of my current listening sources. I could also add a music server later via USB when ready.

Should I do it?
128x128mapman
ckoffend
684 posts
 
Be cautious about what the magazines report - if one believes what they report everything is close to the best and certainly much better than many much more expensive items!

Is the Benchmark in the same league as the DCS? I seriously doubt it, but it certainly helps to please the manufacturer when a reviewer claims that a product at 15% the cost competes favorably with some of the most highly regarded equipment in the world! I am sure it uses electricity just like the DCS and does convert digital signals to analog signals, which the DCS also does. Jeez - I guess they are almost identical!
usblues
1,217 posts
 
Absolute Sound just lost most if not all their cred if this report is true.Did it ever have any?I don't know.I wonder who reviews magazines?Remember Payola in the 50's?Don't get me started......
mapman's avatar
mapman OP
22,333 posts
 
Benchmark says their DAC design solves the jitter problem associated with all but the best vendor-integrated transport/DAC/clock systems out there, like DCS in a manner that is independent of transport used.

Absolute Sound seems to agree that they have done this and that it is revolutionary. The cost of entry is low enough to not be a barrier for many, compared to the high end CD playback options out there.

They also say the whole preamp package, including analog input, is very good and neutral sounding and competitive with other more expensive similar designs out there, at least SS. I would not expect a "tubelike" sound from these units at all from what I have read.

There are other positive reviews of the BEnchmark DAC1 pre that I need to read as well.

Does Benchmark really have enough clout to buy positive reviews like these in multiple publications? Wouldn't that tend to push away other high end vendors that might not compete well with something so different and innovative?

Is there really a Benchmark conspiracy at play here or have they maybe just come up with a better and more cost effective way of doing things?

It's won't cost much to find out, I suppose. Resale value on the BEnchmark stuff seems pretty good as well if it doesn't work out.
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