[HeadLover]

BTW
Why don't the DAC-1 have some kind of inside buffer, so it can fix a not so good synch data from a PC ?

 

[G-U-E-S-T]

While I am awaiting Elias' reply to my above question, I have also ordered and received a Benchmark DAC1 PRE. I am still auditioning it in my system, and if anybody is interested (including Elias), I will be glad to share my impressions here in this thread. Shall I do so? Please post here to let me know.

 

[poo]

^ go nuts...

 

[HeadLover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by G-U-E-S-T /img/forum/go_quote.gif While I am awaiting Elias' reply to my above question, I have also ordered and received a Benchmark DAC1 PRE. I am still auditioning it in my system, and if anybody is interested (including Elias), I will be glad to share my impressions here in this thread. Shall I do so? Please post here to let me know.

Yep!
Post some nice review

 

[EliasGwinn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by G-U-E-S-T /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks Elias, so how does the DAC1 PRE handle a clipped digital signal when it encounters one? Some DAC's (like Lynx I believe) are designed to make a "best guess" rounded interpolation when encountering the clipped section of a digital waveform (and also give extra headroom for it) - which should result in nicer sonics in such situations rather than just allowing the sharp clipped section of the waveform to process through the D-A directly. Does the DAC1 PRE have any provisions like this?

G-U-E-S-T, et. al.,

I'm sorry I've been absent - I've been in San Francisco for the past week attending the AES conference.

As for inter-sample overs, they will clip any over-sampling filter, including ours. The way an over-sample filter works is, there are 256 samples interpolated between each 'real' sample. So, if there are overs between the
'real' samples, the interpolated samples will max out at full signal (all 1's) for the amount of time the over lasts. This will result in a clipped sound.

Thanks,
Elias

 

[EliasGwinn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadLover /img/forum/go_quote.gif BTW Why don't the DAC-1 have some kind of inside buffer, so it can fix a not so good synch data from a PC ?

HeadLover,

The DAC1 has a buffer on all inputs, and an additional one on the USB input. However, it isn't the quality of sync that causes errors. It is the PC allowing other processes to interrupt, or trump, the USB stream. This is because USB was never built to be 'streaming'. It was meant to be a 'data burst' transmission system. In other words, it would 'burst' packets of data to and from peripheral devices. The USB protocol was never intended for conitnously streaming anything, like video or audio. Buffers can take care of it in almost all cases, but if a computer simply overrides USB activity for an extended period, there isn't much that can be done (except determine what is the conflicting process that is overriding USB, and disabling it).

But it is only the rare computer that has any difficulties at all with streaming even high-res audio to the DAC1 USB/PRE.

Thanks,
Elias

 

[HeadLover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EliasGwinn /img/forum/go_quote.gif HeadLover, The DAC1 has a buffer on all inputs, and an additional one on the USB input. However, it isn't the quality of sync that causes errors. It is the PC allowing other processes to interrupt, or trump, the USB stream. This is because USB was never built to be 'streaming'. It was meant to be a 'data burst' transmission system. In other words, it would 'burst' packets of data to and from peripheral devices. The USB protocol was never intended for conitnously streaming anything, like video or audio. Buffers can take care of it in almost all cases, but if a computer simply overrides USB activity for an extended period, there isn't much that can be done (except determine what is the conflicting process that is overriding USB, and disabling it). But it is only the rare computer that has any difficulties at all with streaming even high-res audio to the DAC1 USB/PRE. Thanks, Elias

So I don't understand, I know of USB and USB 2 (and even 3 to be soon)
They all meant to send a lot of data and do it fast
If it isn't that good for audio
How can you make sure in the Benchmark DAC1 that it will be more than just "OK"
?
I am sure anyone buying it for using it with a PC, won't nothing less than really good SQ
Not?

 

[EliasGwinn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadLover /img/forum/go_quote.gif So I don't understand, I know of USB and USB 2 (and even 3 to be soon) They all meant to send a lot of data and do it fast If it isn't that good for audio How can you make sure in the Benchmark DAC1 that it will be more than just "OK" ? I am sure anyone buying it for using it with a PC, won't nothing less than really good SQ Not?

HeadLover,

This does not affect sound quality in general, it only affects drop-outs. In other words, in 98% of the cases where a PC is streaming audio to the DAC1 via USB, the audio will sound equally good as when a high-end transport is feeding the DAC1 with coax or XLR digital. For the other 2%, the computer will have some process that interrupts the USB stream that causes a drop-out where there will be no audio for +/- 0.5 sec at a time. In these cases, it is necessary to determine which process is interrupting (usually an anti-virus program or a power-management program or another USB device). Once these processes are found, they can be disabled to acheive top-level quality USB playback.

Thanks,
Elias

 

[dd051]

Elias, are there any plans to do usb to i2s with a next gen dac?

 

[warnsey]

G'day guys,

Well my Benchmark DAC1 pre should arrive here on Monday (I believe I am one of the lucky ones in Aus to actually get one in). Anyway, I have a quick question with connections.

I am wondering what the best way to hook it up to my set-up will be.

Option 1: XLR out from Benchmark to XLR in of my mono-blocks and RCA out of Benchmark to RCA in of Subwoofer.

Option 2: RCA out of Benchmark to Subwoofer RCA in> RCA out of Subwoofer to RCA in of mono-blocks.

Anyone have any thoughts on what will give me the best audio quality?

Cheers

 

[G-U-E-S-T]

Quote:

...Anyone have any thoughts on what will give me the best audio quality?

Do you need the crossover in your subwoofer? If not, option one would be my recommendation...

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dd051 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Elias, are there any plans to do usb to i2s with a next gen dac?

What advantage would that have over the Benchmark DAC1 USB when the signal begins as USB no matter what? If you wanted I2S for the input of some other DAC, that would be understandable, but a USB to I2S converter would make more sense for that application. Just curious.

 

[EliasGwinn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dd051 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Elias, are there any plans to do usb to i2s with a next gen dac?

Actually, the USB receiver in the DAC1 USB/PRE converts the incoming USB signal to I2S before passing to the converter section. So, it's already here!

Thanks,
Elias

 

[EliasGwinn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by warnsey /img/forum/go_quote.gif G'day guys, Well my Benchmark DAC1 pre should arrive here on Monday (I believe I am one of the lucky ones in Aus to actually get one in). Anyway, I have a quick question with connections. I am wondering what the best way to hook it up to my set-up will be. Option 1: XLR out from Benchmark to XLR in of my mono-blocks and RCA out of Benchmark to RCA in of Subwoofer. Option 2: RCA out of Benchmark to Subwoofer RCA in> RCA out of Subwoofer to RCA in of mono-blocks. Anyone have any thoughts on what will give me the best audio quality? Cheers

Hello Warnsey,

Congrats on your new DAC1 PRE! I'm excited to hear about your experience with it...

With regards to your wiring configuration, I agree with what G-U-E-S-T says. You can operate in both of these configurations, but if the sub has a crossover, then the two options presents a tradeoff. 'Option 1' gives you a direct, balanced connection to your main amplifiers, which will result in lower THD+N for the mains. 'Option 2' seperates the frequency bands which will result in lower inter-modulation distortion for your mains. I would suggest listening to both configurations to determine which sounds better to you.

If the sub does not have a crossover (high-pass) output, then 'Option 1' is by far the better option.

Thanks,
Elias

 

[ted betley]

Elias does the Benchmark when receiving a signal on bnc also convert to I2S? I'm using an Audio Alchemy cable which is by definition I2S. Does it still convert whatever comes over a bnc input or does it pass through?