Benchmark DAC

I will say I personally liked the DAC1 better than the Bel Canto DAC3. And that it did work well with a Musical Fidelity A308 integrated I had owned before (though that was with some "dark" speaker cables). I think the common theme with most digital products, including most DACs, is brightness or etch or glare or whatever. Some are more bright than others (i've owned four that I fed via an IMac or pc/laptop, so maybe the sources were at fault). Even the Havana was a bit bright until I fixed some other areas in my setup.

I am a Benchmark owner, and it has made me search for the next level-it makes my squeezebox sound so incredibly good, I keep thinking there may be something that makes it sound even better - then I read and read and realize unless I spend MEGA bucks, Ill stick with my Benchmark. Maybe that's whats going on with all the sales.

I would be curious to find out what the sellers ended up with, and what they think of the change. Anyone care to chime in?

I don't think you'll find much more out there that gives you the detail the Benchmark does. Rather than spending a grip more on another DAC, buy a high-end power cord and see what difference that renders. I put a Python Helix on the one I used to own and was suprised at the improvement. Adding Hi-Fi tuning fuses to the DAC did help with some of the etch/glare (albeit subtle change, but noticeable since all you have to do is swap fuses back and forth to see the difference).

That said, I still sold the DAC1 as it was too bright for my setup.

I had the USB Benchmark recently for a couple of weeks and I thought it was very detailed and clear, but just wasn't "musical". I guess by this I mean that I just couldn't listen to it for long periods of time, I thought it was clinical sounding. I didn't think it was bright or etchy though, maybe it's a matter of mating it to the right equipment for the best sound.

I remember several years back there was an inexpensive DAC that was THE rave for its price point. I ordered one with great anticipation that it was a panacea for everything wrong with digital. After a total of 3 days, with a 30 day money back guarantee, I was ready to return the unit at the chagrin of the dealer who told me to just let it break in, give it a chance. Out of respect for him I did give it a chance, a week of constant playing. Unfortunately, nothing changed, it was positively digital sounding, the upper frequencies were absolutely unlistenable, but it did offer detailed sound with quite decent bass yet I couldn't for the life of me understand what all the fuss was concerning this piece. I eventually sent it back, waiting the full 30 days so the dealer wouldn't come back and accuse me of not giving it a chance.

Lesson learned, good digital doesn't come cheap. I'm unfamiliar with the Benchmark but from what I've read about its sonic characteristics, I wouldn't commit to it without listening first. Then on the other hand, if you can pick one up cheap enough used with the realization that it could be sold without too much of a loss it might well be worth investigating sound unheard. No knock, I haven't heard this product but often times something too good to be true often times is just that! Cavaet emptor.