[Rockin_Zombie]

   
Mine is dead silent. I'd try another outlet with it in your house first.
 
In case anyone interested, my Benchmark DAC3 HGC review is now live. 

Thanks! Tried another outlet and the issue persists. I really just want to not bother with it, as a warranty replacement will take weeks and I don't want to without this little gadget for that long lol, but I am scared it will get worse and will crap out right after warranty expires. Will keep a close "ear" on it for now I guess...

 

[MacedonianHero]

  Thanks! Tried another outlet and the issue persists. I really just want to not bother with it, as a warranty replacement will take weeks and I don't want to without this little gadget for that long lol, but I am scared it will get worse and will crap out right after warranty expires. Will keep a close "ear" on it for now I guess...

Maybe shoot them an email and see what they say? Is it the motor that turns the volume pot?

 

[Rockin_Zombie]

Maybe shoot them an email and see what they say? Is it the motor that turns the volume pot?

Interestingly it went away after a couple of hours. I usually keep it on all the time there why never noticed it, came back from weekend getaway so noticed for the first time after turning it on. I've sent an email and asked if I should be worried(hope not, don't want replacement gah).

 

[Edric Li]

 

  Hi guys,
 
I am getting a faint whine from the unit when the power cable is plugged in (even when the unit is not on). Is this normal? It doesn't bother me as the unit is quite far away and I only hear it when my ear is say a few cm away. Should I exchange it while the warranty is active, or is this normal? 

 
Mine is dead silent. I'd try another outlet with it in your house first.
 
In case anyone interested, my Benchmark DAC3 HGC review is now live. 

 
I am hyped every time I see the word "transparent" !
 
Question: dac-wise, is it better than Chord Hugo? (not the TT)

 

[M Siau]

  Hi guys,
 
I am getting a faint whine from the unit when the power cable is plugged in (even when the unit is not on). Is this normal? It doesn't bother me as the unit is quite far away and I only hear it when my ear is say a few cm away. Should I exchange it while the warranty is active, or is this normal? 

When the DAC3 (Or DAC2) is in close proximity to a magnetic field it can cause the power supply to make a very faint whine, this will not effect the audio performance of your DAC. Try creating some separation between your DAC and other equipment. If you have any further questions our technical support team is here to help!
 https://benchmarkmedia.com/pages/contact 

 

[Rockin_Zombie]

  When the DAC3 (Or DAC2) is in close proximity to a magnetic field it can cause the power supply to make a very faint whine, this will not effect the audio performance of your DAC. Try creating some separation between your DAC and other equipment. If you have any further questions our technical support team is here to help!
 https://benchmarkmedia.com/pages/contact 

I wanted to test this but realized I have so much crap in the house it's not worth testing, there will always be some equipment around. If it doesn't effect audio performance I won't bother at all, thanks!

 

[MacedonianHero]

   
I am hyped every time I see the word "transparent" !
 
Question: dac-wise, is it better than Chord Hugo? (not the TT)

 
Depends if you're looking for portability. 

 
 
If not, I'd go with the DAC3 HGC...no question to my ears.

 

[Kozwoz]

I've had the Benchmark dac3 hgc for three weeks. Theres a lot I like about it and a few things I don't. It's very detailed and clear. In many ways this is good. People ask whether this is a bright dac and my answer is no however there is certainly an effect on my ears which I can't describe very well when high frequencies become very transparent and crystal clear. What I have noticed with reference dacs that are generally more flat is that high frequencies stick out more or rather this is how I perceive it to be. The clearer high frequencies are the further forward they appear and the more apparent they become. I don't think this should be confused with brightness. This probably has more to do with the way in which my ears are conditioned to hearing. The human ear isn't flat in itself and we naturally hear certain frequencies louder than others. My point is that high frequency content is very clear much more so in my opinion than mid or bass frequencies because thats what flat is - at least thats how I perceive it. As for the integrated headphone amplifier again it is very flat and in my opinion it lacks a bit of low frequency oomph but then it wouldn't be a reference dac if it had its bass boosted and this certainly falls down to taste. What I love about this dac as a whole is that it responds very well to EQ. I find it very easy to tailor the sound to my liking much more so than any other dac I have owned previously. Its like it already has a great starting point so I am altering something which is already very pure to start off with. Boosting and cutting frequencies actually sounds very natural and I don't get any nasty distortion. One or two criticisms that have. Firstly the power cable sits very shallow. I've had to move this dac once or twice whilst it was still on and it has disconnected very easily with the power cable falling out which isn't nice. Im not talking about moving it any great distance just slightly forward or back to rearrange the input/outputs. Second I'm not a huge fan of the motorised pot. I don't really use the remote not that I think its a bad remote. Its just I sit very close to the dac anyway. Making fine adjustments to the volume is a bit difficult. Its usually under or over what I want initially. Im used to touching the pot once every few mins as I like to adjust the volume for each song especially If I am producing music. So the volume pot is a big deal for me. Just my opinion others will surely disagree. A great dac overall. 

 

[Edric Li]

Can someone comment on how good is the DAC3 as standalone amp (RCA in -> HP out)? Will it be at least as good as my SPL Phonitor? Because I sometimes listen to my vinyls, and do appreciate having one less piece of equipment on my desk.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Can someone comment on how good is the DAC3 as standalone amp (RCA in -> HP out)? Will it be at least as good as my SPL Phonitor? Because I sometimes listen to my vinyls, and do appreciate having one less piece of equipment on my desk.

I was actually taken by surprise by just how powerful and dynamic the amplifier in the DAC3 is. It powered all of my headphones from my Utopia & Z1Rs all the way up to the power hungry LCD-4s. It is as mentioned previously a "flat" frequency response, so you'll hear things as intended by the artist. The DAC section is outstanding and very transparent. I personally would ditch the Phonitor and use the DAC3 as an all-in-one solution. 

 

[HuoYuanJia]

Can someone comment on how good is the DAC3 as standalone amp (RCA in -> HP out)? Will it be at least as good as my SPL Phonitor? Because I sometimes listen to my vinyls, and do appreciate having one less piece of equipment on my desk.

Hmm. I noticed hiss and channel imbalance at low volumes (analogue only). Even with the digital circuit, the volume can be difficult to adjust with sensitive headphones. But the head-amp can sound great if you have some power-hungry headphones, like DT 880/600Ω and up.

 

[Hermitsden]

"The DAC3 HGC ensures Benchmark Media’s continued leadership in high-resolution digital audio, and I highly recommend DAC3 HGC.
- Gary Galo, AudioXpress

Download the full review and bench report (PDF) →

 

[Maelob]

I am looking for all in one solution, I just ordered the Benchmark and also got a good deal on a used Hugo TT- I will use them with my Sony Z1R - should be a fun week- sadly one of the two will have to go.

 

[onsionsi]

did someone have HE1000 and tried to use it with DAC3

 

[MacedonianHero]

Brilliant combination! The DAC3 drives them with authority and great tactility!