[drpje]

I would like to know if anyone has compared the Benchmark DAC-1 to the Apogee USB Mini-DAC. I have a G4 Powerbook and would like to use my computer as a music source. I also plan to purchase the Apple Airport Express. Will the DAC-1 work well with the Airport Express. How do the DAC's on the above units compare with the Burr-Brown or Wolfson DAC's used in the higher end CD players. I would like the best sound possible.
Thanks

 

[Wodgy]

It appears that the Airport Express is not bit-perfect, so it wouldn't be a worthwhile investment to combine it with an expensive DAC like the DAC1. You wouldn't be getting the performance you paid for.

Whether you prefer the Apogee or the Benchmark is likely going to be a matter of which flavor you prefer. You can get a fairly good idea of the sound of the Benchmark by reading the Stereophile reviews as well as Iron_Dreamer's comments here. The consensus seems to be that the highs and midrange are very sweet, and the overall sound is very fast, but the bass is not as prominent as with some other DACs. (Incidentally, this pretty much matches my impressions of the sonic flavor of the Analog Devices DAC used in the Benchmark.) Fewer Head-Fiers own the Apogee unit so it may be harder to get a handle on its sonic flavor. You may also want to consider the Bel Canto DAC2, which uses the same ASRC as the Benchmark and thus probably also has strong jitter immunity (this is important with computer transports), but uses a different DAC chip. There are a variety of reviews of the Bel Canto around here on Head-Fi, and there is a Stereophile review.

 

[3lusiv3]

I'm still waiting fro more info and reports on the Airport Express as a way to get optical out of my PBG4, but if it isn't going to be bit perfect I'll have to look for something that is. Is the M-Audio Transit good enough to use with an external DAC?

 

[tiberian]

i have both of them.
the apogee is like the opposite of benchmark, it is inoffensive, smooth and details don't stick out and pierce your ears. not everyone's cup of tea tho.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wodgy but the bass is not as prominent as with some other DACs. (Incidentally, this pretty much matches my impressions of the sonic flavor of the Analog Devices DAC used in the Benchmark.)

Well the bass is very tight, and I feel accurate, as it is extremely powerful, just not overly loud compared to the rest of the spectrum, as the bass on the ART DI/O's I've heard is.

 

[Ferbose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiberian i have both of them. the apogee is like the opposite of benchmark, it is inoffensive, smooth and details don't stick out and pierce your ears. not everyone's cup of tea tho.

Not having heard the Apogee, I can't comment on its sound. But I feel Benchmark DAC1 is neither offensive nor harsh. It has good resolution that permits lots of details without sounding fake or thin. Playing an XRCD24 disc, the sound is incredibly smooth, full, well rounded and LIVELY. Now I really understand why RCA calls it living stereo. As a frequent concert goer, I can attest that XRCD24 through my speaker sytem makes orchestral instruments come alive--very ecxiting to hear. To my ears DAC1 did not sacrifice tonal balance, ambience and roundedness to produce artificial details.

DAC1 has very tight and clean bass, compared to my Sony SACD player. When I used to use Sony's internal DAC, the volume dials of my subs are set at 5. Beyond that I find bass too boomy in my room. Using DAC1, the dials are currently set at 5.8, which would have sounded way too boomy with Sony alone. Since DAC1 has ruler flat freq response, it is unlikely that it attenuates bass. My explanation is that Sony's bass is more boomy, so my sub can only be played at lower volumes. With the tighter bass of DAC1, I can get more bass before room resonance starts to make it boomy. I don't think it has more or less bass compared to Sony, just better-controlled bass.

 

[ampgalore]

XRCD24, is that something like HDCD? Benchmark cannot decode HDCD encoded discs, it will play HDCD discs like regular CD's.

 

[Ferbose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampgalore XRCD24, is that something like HDCD? Benchmark cannot decode HDCD encoded discs, it will play HDCD discs like regular CD's.

XRCD is JVC's audiophile-oriented redbook CD product series. XRCD/XRCD2/XRCD24 is the their generation 1/2/3 product line. JVC spent huge research efforts into studying jitter effects on CD playback and optimized CD mastering and manufacturing processes. For example, all A/D and D/A steps is controlled by world clock signals from one rubidium atomic clock. Sounds like hype? No, I only started to understand their effotrts after reading Bob Katz's articles on jitter. My new XRCD24 disc (Kondrashin conducting Khachaturian) leaves all my SACD and DVD-A orchestral recordings in dust. I will post my detailed comparisons in a new thread. The other XRCD2 I once borrowed has a more alluring female voice (her name is Esther) than any of my own CDs. XRCD is mostly made from pristine analog tapes featuring great performances. Its only drawback is high cost/high price.

 

[tiberian]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferbose Not having heard the Apogee, I can't comment on its sound. But I feel Benchmark DAC1 is neither offensive nor harsh. It has good resolution that permits lots of details without sounding fake or thin. Playing an XRCD24 disc, the sound is incredibly smooth, full, well rounded and LIVELY. Now I really understand why RCA calls it living stereo. As a frequent concert goer, I can attest that XRCD24 through my speaker sytem makes orchestral instruments come alive--very ecxiting to hear. To my ears DAC1 did not sacrifice tonal balance, ambience and roundedness to produce artificial details. DAC1 has very tight and clean bass, compared to my Sony SACD player. When I used to use Sony's internal DAC, the volume dials of my subs are set at 5. Beyond that I find bass too boomy in my room. Using DAC1, the dials are currently set at 5.8, which would have sounded way too boomy with Sony alone. Since DAC1 has ruler flat freq response, it is unlikely that it attenuates bass. My explanation is that Sony's bass is more boomy, so my sub can only be played at lower volumes. With the tighter bass of DAC1, I can get more bass before room resonance starts to make it boomy. I don't think it has more or less bass compared to Sony, just better-controlled bass.

i am not really sure...maybe its because i am using etys ER4S and had a pair of cd3k. to me the benchmark sound is always a bit harsh.

 

[Nomad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wodgy It appears that the Airport Express is not bit-perfect, so it wouldn't be a worthwhile investment to combine it with an expensive DAC like the DAC1. You wouldn't be getting the performance you paid for.

Is that true??? I'm pretty sure I did read in some other threads that AX is bit-perfect (at least from a Mac).

 

[Hello]

I also remember reading that the Airport Express is not bit-perfect, but I cannot remember where. It could be that the Airport Express is bit-perfect under ideal conditions, where the transmitter is close to the receiver and where there are few obstructions in between. But, that's just a guess to reconcile the two different reports.

 

[drminky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wodgy It appears that the Airport Express is not bit-perfect, so it wouldn't be a worthwhile investment to combine it with an expensive DAC like the DAC1. You wouldn't be getting the performance you paid for.

This again? Wodgy, how did you come up with this conclusion? The AX can pass DTS files unmolested to a reciever, if set up properly. I understand the cd-rip may have the occasional missed bit, but not the AX AFAIK. Are you talking about packet loss or signal re-processing?

 

[drminky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3lusiv3 I'm still waiting fro more info and reports on the Airport Express as a way to get optical out of my PBG4, but if it isn't going to be bit perfect I'll have to look for something that is. Is the M-Audio Transit good enough to use with an external DAC?

The Transit has a really bad reputation on mac due to drivers that have not, and probably will not be updated to run properly. Most people who use this combo tend not to recommend it to others.

Unfortunately, it doesn't leave many cheap options for spdif out from a PBG4

 

[Nomad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drminky This again? Wodgy, how did you come up with this conclusion? The AX can pass DTS files unmolested to a reciever, if set up properly. I understand the cd-rip may have the occasional missed bit, but not the AX AFAIK. Are you talking about packet loss or signal re-processing?

Wodgy correct this in another post. AX is bit perfect with the right settings (at least from a Mac laptop).

Thanks a lot, drminky and Wodgy.

 

[thomaspf]

Is that bit perfect on the MAC on Windows or both?

Cheers

Thomas