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Benchmark DAC1 users thread

A

Andrew B.

pfm Member
I am getting interested in the Benchmark DAC1. Two people I have recently chatted with have traded CDS2s for a system built around one. Has anyone here done much of a comparison between the Benchmark and its pro audio or audiophile competitors (eg. Apogee miniDAC, RME, Chord DAC64, NOS DAC)?

Is there any difference at all in the sound quality from transports using this DAC? Or put another way, would a £100 DVD player get the same sound from the DAC as a £1500 Meridian transport?

Thanks

Andrew
 
IME transports have had an effect on every DAC I've ever tried, including the supposed 'immune to transport' ones.

I think its a fallacy that you can get similar sounds with a cheap DVD player.

Haven't heard the Benchmark, but I've often heard it compared to Levinson in presentation. If you dont get feedback on it I'd suggest duplicating the thread on zerogain.com, where I know some people definately are using it.

Ive heard the NOS dac and the DAC 64. The NOS dac is just fantastic with a simple and enjoyable presentation. The DAC 64 very ''HERE I AM!!!'' about it's presentation. Both good both different.

Whether the benchmark dac is better/worse than a CDS2 (or anything else) will just depend on what you like the presentation of the best.
 
Originally posted by Andrew B.
I am getting interested in the Benchmark DAC1. Two people I have recently chatted with have traded CDS2s for a system built around one. Has anyone here done much of a comparison between the Benchmark and its pro audio or audiophile competitors (eg. Apogee miniDAC, RME, Chord DAC64, NOS DAC)?
Click to expand...

Tried these (and some others):

b1.jpg


This one is as good as any I've tried:)

b2.jpg
 
I bought the DAC1 for several reasons.

Firstly, to offer an outstanding upgrade over the Meridian player, facilitate the need to improve the PC's sound output, and provide superior headphone performance. In a word, I achieved this and without unnecessary costs. Is it better than a CDS2? Without doubt technically and sonically IMO, but unless you have the master recording or a given reference point, it is very difficult to argue either case.
 
Nice collection of kit you have there, Oedipus. Which one did you like best? Was that the Benchmark PCB or is it a homebrew?

{edit} I see now that the PCB is from the Benchmark DAC
 
Originally posted by Andrew B.
Nice collection of kit you have there, Oedipus. Which one did you like best?
Click to expand...

The only one I still own is the Benchmark, although I liked the Levinson a lot for functional (rather than sonic) reasons.

You know that the Benchmark has a built in preamp for the main outputs (it's not just a headphone volume knob)? I mention this because if you only have digital sources and can live without a remote volume (and digital input selector), then you can use the Benchmark direct into the 50's (and sell on the CA2:)) It's one less box.

Is there any difference at all in the sound quality from transports using this DAC? Or put another way, would a £100 DVD player get the same sound from the DAC as a £1500 Meridian transport?
Click to expand...

You can use any transport you like - the benchmark has an asynchronous sample rate converter to eliminate "incoming" jitter...
 
Benchmark have dropped the price for the DAC 1 in Germany to just under 1,000 Euro incl. VAT. Is that a sign of a DAC 2 coming soon?
 
Originally posted by Markus Sauer
Benchmark have dropped the price for the DAC 1 in Germany to just under 1,000 Euro incl. VAT. Is that a sign of a DAC 2 coming soon?
Click to expand...

The US price hasn't changed (still $975). So I suspect (and hope) that they are just in the process of making the european prices slightly fairer.

Currently its $975 in the US, and £935 in the UK, hardly a fair exchange rate even including VAT (Sales Tax)

BTW - Does anyone know of anywhere in the UK where you can get a home demo of a DAC1, as far as I can see the only people who stock it are pro-audio shops that aren't that keen on home dems etc.

--
tom
 
I might well order one from Thomman in Germany, since they are a very respectable pro audio store and ship cheaply to the UK (and no duty since we are in the EU).
Thomman link

There is also a cheap UK supplier here although I do not know them:
Advanced Sounds

The German route is about £50 cheaper.

Andrew
 
You mentioned a good point about using the DAC1 as preamp. I've been considering this with ATC's, but the 50's are too wide for the chosen room position.

What are your thoughts about the active ATC SCM 20 SL. How does this compare with the 50's, or even the SCM 35's with a decent amplifier. Are there decent active alternatives?

tomh

The pro audio shop SCV offered me a 7 day return (or 14 can't remember) if not happy.
 
Handy to see others are getting atc 50's too... (just need to confirm what I'm putting with the damn things!)

Andrew - thanks for the benchmark dac tip. Looks like a silly priced bargain as well. However, I'm not sure it can sound as good as the opus I just heard - can it?! If so, then it's 1k verses 3k for opus! Mmmm.... although I did try chords choral dac into my dvd player (cyrus dvd8 qdac) as a comparison, but I didn't like it as much. I couldn't see that digital village sell it anymore for a free trial. Did you order it yet? If so, where do you live as I'd love to hear it on the 50's! I'm in the south east ([email protected])

Interesting about the atc pre bargain as well. Some dealers love to rip us off big time don't they. P.S I'm getting 2.5k off my new made to order atc 50's : )
 
Originally posted by PMR
What are your thoughts about the active ATC SCM 20 SL. How does this compare with the 50's, or even the SCM 35's with a decent amplifier. Are there decent active alternatives?
Click to expand...

Check your PM's.
 
I auditioned the Benchmark DAC1. Although it was very clear, I found that the music didn't coalesce as I expected. I was auditioning it using the AAA5+ as a transport, and comparing it to the AAA5+'s built-in DAC. In all cases, the player's own DAC seemed more convincing, even though it wasn't as "clean". I also compared it to the dBx DAC (or whatever they're called now). It had some nice qualities as well, but the AAA5+ still beat it.

I've got a Scott Nixon Chibi Saru NOS DAC on order, so I'll let you know whether I think it beats the AAA5+ when it arrives.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-
 
I went ahead and ordered it from Advanced Sounds in sunny Weymouth. Could have saved money buying from Germany but I decided to buy British for once and I wanted it to arrive tomorrow because I have no patience...

This will be attempt number 3 to replace my CDS2/XPS. The first two candidates (Micromega Stage 2 and AAA5+) sadly failed. Haven't worked out what transport to use. Thinking of an old Meridian 506 or used Cyrus. Will start with a cheap DVD player to keep Oedipus happy ;)

Andrew
 
Hi Andrew,

I didn't think you were one to buy things on spec. I thought you preferred to audition things first.

Maybe at < £1K its worth a gamble, but personally I'd want to hear how it works into my pre-amp, and with my CD [or DVD] transport as a front end.

I guess I also have itchy feet with the whole Naim thing. They used to specialise in High End with the odd foray into entry level (ie the Nait), but these days they want to be total generalists and they don't stand out as much as they used to in the high end any more.

I do wonder, though I haven't tried this yet, whether a really good DVD plus AV amp combo might not in fact be as good as or better than a CDS2/52/500. The Arcam FMJ DVD player, AV controller and multi channel power amp springs to mind.

One little experiment I did the other day makes me wonder whether even the mainstraim Japanese kit isn't also as good as the Naim gear these days.

I took a 4 year old Pioneer high end AV amp (which broke 2 years ago and took me a year to get round to getting repaired) and I plugged it in in place of an Arcam AVR200. It has such good synergy with the Ruark Vita speakers I use for my DVD/TV system, that I also tried out the pre-amp out into the Naim system - its more than a little good, I have to say.

At the risk of wasting a little time over the next few weeks I plan to try out a few different high end Japanese AV set ups (probably with UK speakers) by comparison to the Naim 5 series AV set up and the FMJ's.

At the end of the day, I suspect just buying the DAC and then adding the transport and amp components might be a dead end, given that the DAC capabilities of most high end AV amps is based on the same sort of components as the DAC1 anyway - aren't they ???
 
Hi Cliff

Well, I bought your 250 on spec, if I remember correctly!

I'm no audio engineer (well, perhaps I am, but not an digital electronics engineer) but I understand that there is more to the implementation of a DAC that just putting a chip into a circuit. There is the design and implementation of the circuit and interfaces themselves, for one thing.

You are right that I am someone who likes to audition and then audition and then audition some more. But I have come to the conclusion that this only works properly in a home demo and the only way to get an extended home demo of a lot of kit is to buy it at a keen price (preferably used) and sell it if it doesn't come up to scratch. Especially true with speakers but I think it applies more generally.

I am very happy with my amp/ speaker components (having sold the 52/Super/250 and SBLs). So I am fiddling with my front end to see if I can sell the last 2 Naim boxes in my rack (CDS2/XPS).

I liked your 500 into NBLs very much. I would be interested to hear you comparing it to some ATC active 20s or 50s one day.

Andrew
 
Originally posted by pauldixonuk
How long before eveyone sells off their old naim and heads for Richer sounds :)
Click to expand...

They way I look at it, I have just moved a little way down the road from Salisbury to Stroud...

OK, with a bit of USA thrown in there.

Andrew
 
Originally posted by Andrew B.
Hi Cliff

Well, I bought your 250 on spec, if I remember correctly!
Click to expand...

I'm sure you'd heard a 250 before ;)

I am very happy with my amp/ speaker components (having sold the 52/Super/250 and SBLs). So I am fiddling with my front end to see if I can sell the last 2 Naim boxes in my rack (CDS2/XPS).
Click to expand...

If I recall correctly you bought my old SBLs from the shop where I had traded them in for the NBLs

I liked your 500 into NBLs very much. I would be interested to hear you comparing it to some ATC active 20s or 50s one day.
Click to expand...

I liked the ATC 50s that I heard a few years back at the show (I think it was Heathrow but it might have been Bristol). I'd certainly be interested in hearing the active ATC AV setup.

Maybe its time I visited your pace for a demo ...
 
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