Most POWERFUL DAC/Amp all-in-one? - Page 3

Quote:

Originally Posted by philo50 

I love mine and I am sure you will love yours....they even look sonically sublime.....

Good to see another fellow owner! How long have you had yours? Has it been pretty solid?  

UPDATE: Well... I had an epiphany last night when I was setting everything up out in my workshop (as I do every night) and it occurred to me that if the unit had a remote control, I could simply leave it on the work bench and operate it from my work area without having to constantly move the unit around. It would also allow me to leave it plugged in and not have to break down the whole system each night and morning...

Anyway, long story short, I decided NOT to go with the Conductor (I refused delivery and sent it back unopened) and to go with the Benchmark DAC2 (or possibly DAC1 for $500.00 less) or something else with a remote control (possibly the GRACE 903). It's got a remote control, a very good headphone amp, and  preamp outs so I figure even it I outgrow the Amp inside it, I can use the DAC part and buy a separate Amp. In other words, it's a lot more scalable and with the money I save I could afford to buy a Lyr or some other more powerful Amp.

So there it is, I feel like a tool that I didn't think of it before but then again this whole journey into HiFi has been wrought with missteps and short sighted decisions (mostly for the sake of trying to save some $$$). I hope the Benchmark is a good way to go. I will of course post impressions. 

Found another contender! The GRACE M903/905 both have a remote and a lot of power. I'm adding this for future seekers... 

ETA: It looks like the owner of the company answered my email! Now that's pretty cool... 

Quote:

Grace Design M903 DAC vs. Benchmark DAC2 HGA

Any thoughts comparing these two more than welcome.

Thanks. 

Okay. I can't decide between the Benchmark DAC1 and the Grace Designs m903. I'm leaning towards the Grace simply because it appears to have a lot more power and a lot more available gain... Both companies have been great to work with and very responsive to my questions. I ended up buying both units and I will do a direct comparison. I just sent off this email to Benchmark: 

Finally got some good specs on the Benchmark from the Mfr. Noted here for future seekers: 

Benchmark DAC1/2 Power Output:

@ 32 Ohms: 1.1 W

@ 50 Ohms: 0.76 W

Grace Designs M903 Power Output:

@ 32 Ohms: 2.1 W
@ 50 Ohms: 1.5 W
 

Should be noted that "specs aren't everything" as stated in an email from Benchmark. I plan to compare them head to head and see what the real deal is. Comparison to follow....

The Benchmark DAC1 is here and I've been listening to it for a couple of hours. Man, this thing sounds really GOOD. Probably the best DAC I've heard to date. Compared to the DAC in the iDo, it's far more accurate and doesn't get a lot of "glitches" and "mystery buzzes and clicks" like the Nu Force "iDo" did on the same material. So it gets an A+ on DAC. Really nice and smooth.

Now. For the reason for this thread... While it sounds great, the POWER really isn't there. It's "okay" but the DACmini has more power and gets a little louder with better Bass Slam. The DAC1 just KILLS it for DAC though. The DAC in the Mini is a tad bright compared to this one. Of the three DACs I've tried recently this is the winner for detail and clarity without being harsh. I'd characterize it as "neutral". The DAC in the Mini is warmer (less neutral) and had a little more "slam", however the top end can get strident if you push it too hard. Compared to the DAC1 the DACmini has more of what people describe as the "House sound". More Bass slam and slightly extended highs. 

The Grace Designs M903 will be here tomorrow. It has just about DOUBLE the power of the DAC1 and has 9 dB's of available gain (easily set through the menus) so I'm expecting great things from it. I will update as I go along... 

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheKillerPiglet 

Interesting series of posts. What headphones are you planning to use?

 

KP

HE500s with upgraded Cable. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by knopi 

Do not know why you decided for Benchmark. But I would choose Grace M903, overall popular and people seems to be happy even without separate amp. 

Another dac with powerful amp is Audio-gd Reference 10.32 but it is big beast.

m903 got here yesterday and you are absolutely right that it is a very fine piece of equipment. Sounds very different from the Benchmark. My initial impression are that at least in terms of a "headphone amp"  it is indeed on a slightly higher level than the DAC1. The DAC1 has a killer DAC in it though. They both have lots to like about them and once I've had a chance to really compare them I'll post an update. But so far, so good with the Grace. This thing is a BEAST. It's got the most clean output right out of the box than any of the three DAC/Amp combos I've tried. I had been thinking I probably would have to buy something like a Lyr to get the power I want but now I'm not so sure. It's got a LOT of power.  The sound is warm and it's got some serious deep Bass extension. I would describe it's sound signature as warm and robust. 

The Crossfeed circuit is implemented really well and while I'm not normally a fan of any type of DSP, in this case I think they got it right. It's very subtle. LIke grabbing the soundstage by the edges and stretching it out about 2 inches in every direction. I have yet to find a genre that it doesn't improve. The best part is what it does for the Bass.... It "gently" bumps up the bottom end and really adds some low down growl that is very satisfying... It's quickly becoming my favorite feature.

Good stuff for sure. It's not perfect, but it's very good. I'll be comparing all three (CEntrance DACMini, Benchmark DAC1, and Grace Designs m903) more extensively over the next day or two, and I'll try to post the main strengths and weaknesses as I see them as soon as I've had more time with them.