Episode #6 is up!!   http://www.mastersfromtheirday.com/deerhoof-with-chris-shaw-episode-6/   From the site:     "Invariably, Deerhoof records are as pleasurable as they are perplexing.  Each release…each SONG from each release…delivers with an immediacy that, paradoxically...

Hey y'all!!  Thanks for noticing!    Also, a little birdie told me that there is an episode featuring the amazing Deerhoof coming out in late October.   Best, Elias  

Quote: This is correct.  The HPA2 in the original DAC1 has the same gain range as the highest range in the other models.   Best, Elias

Quote: You will not damage the headphone amp, and if you keep the volume reasonable, you will not damage your headphones either.   The DAC1 is designed to drive two pairs of 60-Ohm headphones or one pair of 30-Ohm headphones.   Best, Elias

Quote: None of the Benchmark converters require USB power.   Best, Elias

Yes, the DAC1 is absolutely neutral.  To demonstrate this, we sent an AIX high-resolution music recording through the DAC1, then connected the output to our ADC1 (analog-to-digital converter) and recorded it.  We took that recording and sent it through that chain again, creating a 3rd generation...

Quote:   Hi Doug,   Just to address your question here, I'll paste Rory's reply from the Benchmark forum:       1. We have not tested the Replay Gain feature of J River, but based on its handling of the signal (64bit), I'm not surprised that you cannot hear a difference...

  Quote:   There should be no sonic difference whatsoever.  Benchmark converters are immune to differences in differences between interfaces.  As long as the data remains in tact (which, in your case, should not be a problem), the sound will not be affected.   Best, Elias

Glad to hear you're enjoying your HDR, Lord Chaos!

Sorry I haven't responded sooner! Somehow I didn't get a notification of your posts.   khaos974's math is correct; the HPA2 (Benchmark's headphone amp circuit that's in several of our products) will have plenty of power to drive the HE-6's, according to their spec.   Keep in mind, we...

Hi, I'm Benchmark's applications engineer.  Let me know if I can answer any questions for you.   Best, Elias

I am Benchmark's applications engineer.  Let me know if I can answer any questions.   Best, Elias

Quote: The ideal scenario is when you acheive comfortable listening levels with the volume control between the 10 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions.  So, I would suggest trying the DAC1 USB in the factory configured setting (-20 dB).  If you find that you cannot turn the volume up above...

Quote: Hi Cpluse,   You can use monitor controllers with the DAC1, although without testing these particular models, I can't tell you if they will degrade the quality.  Perhaps you could acquire one of them temporarily for evaulation?   Best, Elias  

Hi everyone!  I'm sorry I haven't been responding.  Somehow these latest posts escaped my radar.   I'll try to answer everyone's questions, but please let me know if I've left any unanswered.   Best, Elias

Hi,   The DAC1 USB does not require USB power.  You will not lose sound quality nor harm the DAC1 USB if you don't connect the USB power line.   Best, Elias

  Quote: Hi GV,   We have a company policy not to discuss future plans for product development, so unfortunately, I can't answer this question.   Do you have any suggestions for us?  Would you like to be able to use this driver with the DAC1?    Best, Elias

  Quote: No updates yet, but there will be soon.  I'll keep you posted.   Best, Elias

Quote: I'm sorry I haven't posted an answer on this yet.  As I'm preparing my reply, I'm realizing that to answer requires a complete explanation of electronic design!!  Your questions are what every engineer must learn and conquer to make a great product.   But I will finish and...

Quote:   Believe me, I am as annoyed by 'subversive advertising' as anyone, and I certainly don't mean to do that.  I'm trying to stick to the facts and answer questions that are asked (someone asked whether jitter really had an effect in this day-and-age, so I provided a objective...

Hi tvrboy,   This is a great question.  I would like to answer this thoroughly, so please excuse me while I prepare a complete answer.   Best, Elias

Here is a plot of DAC1's performance of THD+N vs. Jitter amplitude.  Each of the several lines (each one is a different color) represents a different jitter frequency.  This is taken from page 34 of the DAC1 USB manual...

Quote:   I'll show you with a measurement.  We measured the jitter performance of a competitor's D/A (one that cost over $2000) by playing a 10 kHz pure sine-wave while adding 250 mUI of jitter (not a lot) at various frequencies.  The red spike in the middle is the 10 kHz sine-wave...

If you are trying to play sample-rates above 96 kHz while using the USB interface of the DAC1 USB, then your setup seems to be solid.  iTunes is also very good at converting sample-rates, but I don't think you need to change anything.   Best, Elias   Quote:  

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