Benckmark DAC1 Review....

[steveinaz]

Benchmark DAC1: (see my system showcase for a pic)
http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/

Description
9.5" wide by 8.5" deep
Approx 3.5lbs
2 headphone jacks with level adjustment
Ruler flat freq response from 10Hz to 42kHz
THD: .0005%
SN: 107dB
Inputs: Toslink, Coax BNC or RCA, AES/EBU
Outputs: AES/EBU, RCA
$975

Performance
Where to begin? I really tried to resist the urge to post this review so soon, wanting to lend more credibility to this, but what
I was hearing compelled me to get the message out---as quickly as possible.

Break-in? Yeah right, I have no mercy on new products, this one got about 25 minutes of run time, thats it. And frankly, if it will get better with time, then bury me in bliss.

I have my CEC CD-3300 CDP connected to the DAC1 via an AES/EBU, 2ft cable from Signal Cable. The DAC is then connected to my MF A3CR via a pair of AQ Copperheads. See my sig for all associated pieces.

I did my initial listening with a mixture of music; Incubus, Morning View; Blue Man Group, The Complex; Kenny Chesney, Greatest Hits; Carpenters, The Singles 1969-1973; and Alter Bridge, One Day Remains.

The first thing that struck me with Incubus, was the how everything sounded completely sorted out. Midrange was pushed back down to the midrange cone, highs left for the tweeter, and bass.......just unbeliveable. The cymbals displayed a 3 dimensional character that sounded like they were literally spread by a fine thread from the front of the speaker, to about 18" behind it. Spooky, real. You could hear the character of the wood stick striking the brass cymbal surface, uncanny.

Blue Man Group reproduce percussion that would knock the fuc*ing wind out of you. Punchy, controlled, slamming bass. Utterly incredible. The louder I cranked it, the better and more real it sounded.

Carpenters allowed me to hear the texture of Karen Carpenters voice like I've never heard it before. Velvety, no longer nasal, just natural and smooth.

Kenny Chesney is a 20bit HDCD, and although this DAC doesn't decode HDCD, it doesn't need to. Again, midrange was just fantastic. Vocals so real it sounds like he's singing in the family room---just the right amount of weight.

Altar Bridges' driving rythm guitars and deep bass lines were rendered cleanly, with just the right amount of presence. Again the punchy solid bass energizes the room's natural resonance and gives a live feel to the music. Vocals sound far less edgy when compared to playback on the CEC using its Burr-Brown DAC's.

Pros
- Sound, specifications, and build quality
- Price
- 3 selectable digital inputs
- AES/EBU inputs/outputs
- Built-in headphone amplifier w/2 jacks
- Ability to use any digital source, regardless of jitter
- Can be used as a preamplifier and/or dedicated DAC

Cons
- No power switch
- LED's are bright to the point of being distracting

Summing up
Want to save alot of money on your digital front end, and have DAC that has been compared to (and regarded as highly as) multi-thousand dollar products? I won't go into this DAC's ability to negate jitter, you can research that, simply type "benchmark DAC1" in Yahoo or visit the Benchmark website.

Sound quality is extremely non-fatiquing, crystalline, and free of any signs of digital harshness or glare. Bass is the best I've heard out of any digital source; deep, controlled, punchy. This DAC just organizes music in such a way that everything is easily identifiable to it's location, with an absolutely black background. Extremely dynamic with very good low-level resolution as well. Air, imaging and soundstaging are phenominal. This product is a genuine "Giant Killer."

[organ]

Thanks for the review. Very interesting! Glad to hear your're enjoying the new piece. Outboard DAC's are very special. I remember the Audio Alchemy DAC's I had. Beautiful Sound.

Maurice

[LuSh]

I really am happy you enjoy your dac. I think digital frontends are the most important when realizing the full potential of your system. Not to hijack your thread but if anybody has been toying with the idea of adding a dac grab this one now.
http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?dgtlconv&1116541588
If you have a high resoulution system you willnot regret it.

[DAGLJAM6]

Excellent review, gotta love it when a review/reviewer can spark your interest in something you've never given much thought to.
You'll have to bring this one back up given a few more weeks or so of listening.

[Zero]

Thanks for sharing your review Steve! I have had my eye on this Dac for a long time now. It is wonderful to see you enjoying your new dac this much. My Scott Nixon tube dac should be arriving soon. Can't wait!

Enjoy the music bud.

[dragon1952]

Yes, thanks!
Although I fail to see how $975 is going to save me alot of money :confused:
I think, unforunately, my wife would fail to see that also :(

[steveinaz]

Consider that with this units 100% jitter immunity, you could hook up just about anything as a transport (ie, a $49 Toshiba 3950) and have a digital source that could compete with any of the "big dogs".

[steveinaz]

Originally posted by Zero
Thanks for sharing your review Steve! I have had my eye on this Dac for a long time now. It is wonderful to see you enjoying your new dac this much. My Scott Nixon tube dac should be arriving soon. Can't wait!

Enjoy the music bud.

Man the treble this thing puts out is just unbelieveable. I've never heard cymbals reproduced with such accuracy and air around them. The bass is equally impressive. This thing has literally transformed my system. I now know what all the fuss is about with this unit.

[dorokusai]

It's telling you your source sucks. No offense of course.

[fireshoes]

I guess that's one way of looking at it. :D

[RuSsMaN]

$1000 Dac with $40 Copperheads sticking out of it?

[dorokusai]

Many rivers to cross - Bob Marley

[dragon1952]

$1000 Dac with $40 Copperheads sticking out of it?

I was thinking the same thing. Stevie boy, nice system but time to ugrade the interconnects buddy! ;)

[steveinaz]

I may move to AQ Corals, but I'm not a big fan of laying down serious bucks on copper. How much "damage" is a .5 meter, perfect surface copper, twin 21awg solid core wire gonna do?

come on now....

[steveinaz]

Originally posted by dorokusai
It's telling you your source sucks. No offense of course.

I don't think so, I think it's more of a testimony of the capabilities of the Benchmark. I must of listened to 30 different CD's last night, I couldn't get over the analog sound and dimensionality that it creates.

Enough drooling...go listen for yourself. 30-day money back return policy--but I'll bet a months pay you'll keep it.

[tryrrthg]

Originally posted by steveinaz
Enough drooling...go listen for yourself. 30-day money back return policy--but I'll bet a months pay you'll keep it.
I'll take that bet! :D

Glad you're liking the new toy. I'm hoping to upgrade my source soon. I just don't know if I could get my wife to agree to a $1000 CD upgrade...

[dorokusai]

Originally posted by steveinaz
I don't think so, I think it's more of a testimony of the capabilities of the Benchmark. I must of listened to 30 different CD's last night, I couldn't get over the analog sound and dimensionality that it creates.

Enough drooling...go listen for yourself. 30-day money back return policy--but I'll bet a months pay you'll keep it.

Exactly.

Drooling? No, but it sure is cute.

[steveinaz]

Originally posted by tryrrthg
I'll take that bet! :D

Glad you're liking the new toy. I'm hoping to upgrade my source soon. I just don't know if I could get my wife to agree to a $1000 CD upgrade...

For God's sake man, lie. I told my wife it was $275. She loves it.

[dorokusai]

:D

[LuSh]

One begins to understand the differences in digital a little more clearly when playing with higher end stuff. There are differences in digital, and $200 DVD players are not suitable for a higher resolution system.

[steveinaz]

I'm going to address that VERY topic next. I'm going to hook up my 3 yr old, $129 panasonic dvd (I think it is an RV-26 or something) to the benchmark dac and do a little shoot-out against the CEC transport. With 3 digital inputs, I'll be able to A/B by throwing a switch.

I think I'll enlist my wife to do the listening.

Stay tuned....

[DAGLJAM6]

"For God's sake man, lie. I told my wife it was $275. She loves it."

Yeah, my wife still thinks the Jolida CDP cost $ 200. I know morally i'm wrong but heck....:o :D :D

[tryrrthg]

Originally posted by DAGLJAM6
"For God's sake man, lie. I told my wife it was $275. She loves it."

Yeah, my wife still thinks the Jolida CDP cost $ 200. I know morally i'm wrong but heck....:o :D :D
You guys are BRAVE!

I KNOW she would figure it out. She'd notice the $1000 missing from the checkbook. She did just get a new job and a hefty raise so maybe in a few months I'll be able to get something going.

[steveinaz]

Originally posted by DAGLJAM6
"For God's sake man, lie. I told my wife it was $275. She loves it."

Yeah, my wife still thinks the Jolida CDP cost $ 200. I know morally i'm wrong but heck....:o :D :D

Let yourself off the hook brother. Set that bag of bricks down and listen: nowhere in your marriage vows did you say "and I will disclose the price of all audio purchases..." now did you? We're men, this is a survival instinct for us. LOL!!

[DAGLJAM6]

"You guys are BRAVE!"

You gotta go to the edge to know you're alive, Baby!

[tryrrthg]

Originally posted by DAGLJAM6
"You guys are BRAVE!"

You gotta go to the edge to know you're alive, Baby!
Let me know how "Alive" you feel when she goes Lorena Bobbit on your ass! :D

[steveinaz]

Updated information in reveiw.

[tryrrthg]

Steve any chance you and I-Sig are going to do a shootout between the Benchmark and the Bel Canto DAC2?

[steveinaz]

YEP. In fact thanks for reminding me I need to invite him down this weekend.

[Zero]

Tell him to bring the NEC transport !!!!

[steveinaz]

Ok. we'll probably just take my CDP out of the system and use his NEC for evaluation, more room to work with. My rack is a bitch because everything is ty-wrapped and no room in the back. Changing equipment out is a major hassle.

[I-SIG]

I'm helping a friend move on Saturday. (check your e-mail, Steve)

I think I'm open for Sunday or next weekend for sure. :D

Speaking of the NEC, if I don't head to Steve's Sunday, I'll do a direct A/B comparison of the NEC as a player and the NEC/Bel Canto combo.

Wes

[steveinaz]

We'll have to plan on 3 weeks from now. Bev & I are out of town weekend after next.

We'll get it together.

[heiney9]

When I bought my seperate Dac I really was skeptical in the beginning. I knew it would really improve my DVD player, but the way it made my Nak sound was incredible, mainly because the Nak was an expensive unit with much of the same parts the Adcom had. It's not always the parts, it's how they are put together. It was jaw dropping, really.....

The best analogy I cam come up with is someone who needs glasses. You can see pretty good w/o them but when you put the glasses on everything becomes vivid, crisp, sharp, etc.... and sometimes you see things you don't want to see so well!!!

It's the same with the DAC.. the bass tightened up and was much more extended and controlled. The soundstage is huge, both vertically and horizontally. The depth is fu**ing amazing. I can place intruments anywhere in the soundstage. I can tell the exact position of the snare and the hi-hat and where they are in relation to each other and each tom, etc. The natural decay of instruments can now be heard, so many little nuances I missed before. I literally turn off the lights and the speakers disappear. Background singers are actaully placed in the background, and if to the left of the main singer, then that's where you hear them. I've heard/sold SDA's in the past and this is a similar experience, but the imaging and staging is absolutely remarkable. When I first got it I actually had to take a day off work to stay home and listen. I did this over a 3-day weekend and listened almost 12 hours a day. I was simply blown away. It has such an open, airy sound. It is really amazing it could make such a difference. Imagine someone drapping a double folded sheet over your speakers, and then after years and years of listening to it that way have someone remove the sheet, that's kind of what it's like. When I leave the room and am in another part of the house I swear the performer is live in the other room. It's amazing

On the down side, and for some this may be a formidable draw back, poor source equipment and poor source recordings are only made worse. Marginally recorded music is going to sound shrill, compressed, unappealing using an outboard DAC. I have RTA-11t's and that annoying resonance/spike at 12-13KHZ has become much more annoying on certain musical passages. Most of the crappy, compressed top 40 rock cds are going to give you listener fatigue because the DAC is revealing all the deffeciencies of the source material. Forget MP3's, they sound horrible through the DAC, not musical at all. But, when you do get a good recording, it really makes a night and day difference and it becomes much more enjoyable. I highy recommend an outboard DAC if you have better than mediocre equipment, it will change the way you listen to music.

I listen to a lot of female vocal-Jewel, Sarah Mac, Sarah Brightman, Holly Cole, Lisa Loeb, Norah Jones etc. and lot's of acoustic music and it sounds phenomenal. However, Vanessa Carlton, Joss Stone, Michelle Branch although acceptable are not mastered very well and it shows. Just to name a few off the top of my head.

Heiney9

[danger boy]

this all sounds like we could be heading towards a DAC shoot out. :p down the road.

[heiney9]

Originally posted by danger boy
this all sounds like we could be heading towards a DAC shoot out. :p down the road.

That would actually be kinda fun...... like the "iron chef" how about the "iron DAC":D

I'm happy for Steve because he's experiencing the euphoria I did and still do. I could never go back to my stand alone cd player. Sometimes just so I don't thimk I'm crazy I take the DAC out of the system and everything just falls flat. It's been quite an eye opening experience. Hell, if you get a 30 day return, eveyone should give a DAC a try. The Benchmark is among the best.

Heiney9