I believe the Benchmark claims are only partially true. Their jitter reducing technology applies only to the transmission line and does not fix transport poor performance. DAC1 is very sensitive to transports whether it is a cdp or computer soundcard. It is like a good pair of speakers - it...

Clearly this just shows that with so many variables and personal preferences making purchases based on prices alone can be a bad idea.

I compared the 240, 271, BD 770 and BD990 with various pro sources at the store. The K240 I got are the studio version, 55ohm. They indeed suffocated some cheapo Teac cdp (and I suspect they would do the same to iPod) but they were fine with other sources the had on hand. At home I use them...

I just tried K240 at a pro shop and liked them better than K271, BD 770 and 990. Brought them home and like them better than my HD650. Am I nuts? Anyone out there with similar reactions?

Quote: Originally Posted by EliasGwinn If you are using the calibrated setting, there will be very little difference between these -10dB attenuators and -10dB on the trim-pots. ... Thanks, Elias I have tried setting the attenuators to 0dB and turning down the trim pots at the...

Quote: Originally Posted by KarateKid A newbie's question here: How do I hook this DAC1 through XLR to a hd650? I have the cables but I've read that you need to set it to "variable" mode? Does this allow the front pot to control the volume once I'm using XLR? Also I've heard that you...

Elias: Quote: ...If you are using the calibrated setting, there will be very little difference between these -10dB attenuators and -10dB on the trim-pots. The only difference will be a decreased output impedance, which will be noticeable if you're driving long cables or devices with high...

I have a question regarding attenuation pads on DAC1usb. Normally I use it at -20db setting with a consumer level balanced preamp. Recently I have tried it at 0db and my preamp handles it ok however the frequency extremes loose on definition and after few hours I detect a channel imbalance...

I am not sure if thats normal hence I am blaming the static. I hear static popping when the cable rubs the carpet.

Has anyone replaced their drivers and what was the cost? Mine are starting to crack after 2-3 years even though I listen at moderate volumes, perhaps the static in the house gt the best of them.

Looking for opinions from users of dual-conversion UPS devices such as Tripp Lite SmartOnline, Liebert, APC etc. For those unfamiliar, they are not just regular ups devices that kick in when main line goes down; they are full time regenerators that convert ac/dc and dc/ac. Anyone using them...

I am looking at using Tripp Lite online puresine UPS which employs full time AC/DC and DC/AC conversion which is esentially what PS Audio power plants do. I don't care about the UPS/battery aspect but it is a nice bonus. I am asking if anyone with SD Transporter or DAC1 has tried it so thanks...

Looking for opinions from users of dual-conversion UPS devices such as Tripp Lite, Liebert, APC etc. Anyone using them with DAC1 or Transporter?

I have tried using 0db setting with my old dac1 and Sim P-5 preamp. It worked and I think the sound was a little less restrained but the volume adjustment range was much smaller. Try it and see what happens.

Although DAC1 is fairly immune to transmission line jitter it still is transparent to data quality - it plays whatever is fed to it. Data quality varies a lot - this applies to cdp as well as PC transports. From my experience most of the tweaks applied to hardware cdp players is also audible...

I used to own older (2004) and newer (2005) DAC1 but not the latest. In my experience DAC1 is very sensitive to cables. The best combination I found was a glass Toslink which eliminated a touch of grain on vocals. I did own Lavry and liked its presence, warmth but in the end found it rather...

Anybody tried it? I realize there will be a lot of impurities from preamp and cables etc plus one must be careful with the volume but there must be some advantage to this. Looking for opinions and experiences. I am really itching to try it with a Krell 8-)

I have been using 0404 PCI with 650s for some time now and I found it very well balanced. Has anyone compared 0404 PCI with 0404 USB? I presume there would be a benefit to the balanced outputs and outboard power supply.

I have not heard the SB3. My friend who owns the Transporter has two SB3 and likes them but he found the Transporter is in a different league as far as the DAC portion is concerned.

Friend bought it few weeks ago and was very excited with it. I have been considering it for PC playback so I had to hear it. I used my HD650 plugged to the rca outputs using rat shack patch cord. Data was streamed using wireless Ethernet. It didn't take too long to realize this thing is...

and no problems whatsoever. The 0404 may sound different than 1212 due to the fact that they use different internal dacs. 0404 uses AKM and 1212 uses CS

Quote: Originally Posted by Scrith ...E-Mu 1212M sound card. The analog sound is fantastic (the Benchmark DAC1 was a relatively minor upgrade, in my opinion) .. I also have a DAC1 and use it occassionaly with EMU 0404. How does EMU1212 analog out sound compared to DAC1?

Well, I got the pure ASIO going into my EMU and must say the improvement is definetely there. More transparent that Kernel Streaming or Direct Sound, the grain is gone, timing is better. So yes, the hard-disk pback through ASIO is better than my Panasonic DVD-RP91 used as transport

Quote: Originally Posted by mulveling The rp91 is a good unit, considering the price they go for used. As mentioned before, it's entirely possible that the spdif circuitry is better in the panny than your emu/PC setup. Give the analog outputs on the rp91 a try sometime, too. I doubt it...

Ian: yes, the waveOut to ASIO in EMU MixPatch seems a little strange but I thought since I set Foobar to Kernel Streaming or Direct SOund 2.0 it wouldn't matter . I will try to install ASIO for Foorbar and make EMU session which monitors this ASIO and sends it out to spdif out. We'll see what...