Jump to content

appleteapot

  • Posts

    1
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Country

    country-ZZ

Retained

  • Member Title
    Newbie
  1. Hi Elias, I am a Benchmark DAC 1 fan since 2005 since my first audition of DAC1 in Hong Kong showroom. I have been enjoying the excellent price/performance ratio for the past 3 years and DAC 1 (not USB DAC1) is in the heart of my whole playback setup. The DAC1 manual is a piece of great work from engineer and I think it sets a standard. The 5-year warranty proves DAC1's ruggedness. The device never overheats even under HK Tropical weather and I never need to turn it off. IMO It well deserves the "Class A" component recommendation from Stereophile magazine. We have a local discussion group in Hong Kong on HTPC since 2005 and I have praised the performance of the DAC1 throughout the past 3 years. My current digital path is RME 9632 output AES to Benchmark DAC 1. However, I am quite surprised to learn that the later model, USB DAC 1 comes with 24/96 USB input (whereas the USB DAC1 claims to be 24/192 which is, IMHO, needs clarification). And the latest member, Pre DAC1, has no AES input port. As a professional DAC manufacturer (BTW do you consider yourself professional DAC equipment manufacturer?), I would expect Benchmark in the same league with Apogee, Weiss, Mytek, and your products should at least have an AES input. I put my PC in study room, run a piece of 5 meter long AES cable to the DAC 1 in my living room. This is to isolate any HTPC fan noise. AES is good for long connection and the excellent physical locking mechanism prevents the connection from being accidentally unplugged. cPlay, is by far the best sounding playback software I have used. We used cPlay to replace Foobar. cPlay's core competence, 24/192 upsampling, provides a 145dB dynamic range, which translates into excellent dynamics and musicality. With cplay/9632/DAC1 combination, I enjoy music more than ever. That's why I am concerned about your recent changes to use 24/96 USB and the removal of AES input. I am a fan of Benchmark DAC1 because it is an good sounding DAC with careful engineering and the price performance ratio. If I just go for USB convenience, there are many much cheaper choices.
×
×
  • Create New...