[MacedonianHero]

If this does not beat the Hugo 2 it most obviously does not beat DAVE. How is this Stereophile class A+? Not to mention by far the least expensive A+ DAC. Payola?

I would like something not bigger than this physically that is truly Summit.

FWIW, the Hugo2 is the better sounding unit between the two. But if you need balanced outs, the DAC-3HGC is hard to beat for price-to-performance. But if you don't need balanced outs, I'd go with the H2.

 

[Hermitsden]

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0318/Benchmark_DAC3_HGC_Review.htm

 

[Maelob]

If this does not beat the Hugo 2 it most obviously does not beat DAVE. How is this Stereophile class A+? Not to mention by far the least expensive A+ DAC. Payola?

I would like something not bigger than this physically that is truly Summit.

They only recommend product they reviewed, so they are not saying it beats Hugo2, they just have not reviewed Hugo2

 

[MacedonianHero]

They only recommend product they reviewed, so they are not saying it beats Hugo2, they just have not reviewed Hugo2

FWIW, I’ve owned and reviewed both.

 

[Maelob]

FWIW, I’ve owned and reviewed both.

Sorry I was just replying on why Stereophile didn’t list the Hugo2 in their recommendations. I totally respect your opinion

 

[MacedonianHero]

Sorry I was just replying on why Stereophile didn’t list the Hugo2 in their recommendations. I totally respect your opinion

No worries.

 

[HuoYuanJia]

I also reviewed Hugo 2 and Benchmark DAC3 HGC. Along with Lake People (Violectric) Reference Series DAC & amp, ADI-2 Pro and DAC, Hugo 1 & TT.

Obviously Benchmark has the advantage of the many connections. The DAC is great but as a head-amp I would prefer any of the others. It is very difficult to control the volume precisely. If you use some heavy headphones, that's ok. It provides plenty of power for insane volume, but the two headphone outs are not versatile nor graceful.

Personally, I went with the Hugo 2 for portability and the ADI-2 Pro as desktop solution. I don't think I will upgrade either for a few years. I don't have any super-difficult-to-drive headphones like the Abyss, so these two performed best for my needs.

 

[nordkapp]

Guys, my plans have changed and I am now an owner of the DAC3. I am feeding it files from my server through its AES3 input and streaming music from PC into the USB. It's functioning perfectly and sounds fabulous!

 

[neogeosnk]

Picked one up... does it need major burn-in? Cause it sounds very shrill and tissy for me on day 1. Ive has Sabre days before and didn’t sound this light. Also the bass has no extension. If this doesn’t change, gonna have to return it.

 

[Kozwoz]

I would say it does improve somewhat however it won't be drastic rather more subtle. The Benchmark dac3 requires careful system matching in my opinion and optimising the gain staging via the internal pads is crucial. I got better results when I optimised my system so that the volume pot was working around the 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock area as suggested by Benchmark.

The Benchmark dac3 measures flat. It lacks colouration and if this is what you're looking for you should look elsewhere. On the plus side however I find the dac3 responds beautifully to equalisation. I can tell you that there is certainly very deep bass extension. I use Shure 846 which pairs very well with dac3 HGC amp. Low impedance, plenty of drive and endless bass. I also run balanced XLR's into 3 way active speakers that have 9'inch drivers and there is a lot of bass extension.

What headphone and / or speakers are you using out of interest?

 

[neogeosnk]

Using Zmf Auteurs, Aikon, LCD 2c, Clears, Alpha Dog. Using the Benchmark HPA4 setup how benchmark specifies and have confirmed by them via support. I do not want to EQ so this might be a dealbreaker for me.

 

[Kozwoz]

I thought the HPA4 had a powerful presentation with a lot of drive when I auditioned it at Canjam London. Although I can't comment past initial impressions. I certainly wasn't implying that you need to EQ. Generally speaking I have never found a good DAC to fundamentally change the character of a headphone to a drastic extent. Perhaps a bit less bass or more extended yes but if your headphones are bass forward then this shouldn't change. This is just my opinion having auditioned many DAC's. Amplifiers on the other hand can have a profound effect. The LCD 2c are fairly bass dominant. I'm finding it hard to imagine a bass light presentation from the lcd2c without a fair bit of EQ. Most reviews of the Benchmark dac3 are positive. It is one of the best dacs on the market and easily competes with the Chord Hugo 2. Although some do prefer the latter. If you're not totally satisfied I'd go with something else considering your setup is a big investment.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Picked one up... does it need major burn-in? Cause it sounds very shrill and tissy for me on day 1. Ive has Sabre days before and didn’t sound this light. Also the bass has no extension. If this doesn’t change, gonna have to return it.

I found 150 hours or so was needed.

 

[neogeosnk]

So folks, I blew it. Looks like I enabled Roon dsp that caused all the issues. Everything back to normal and sounds great! Does seem to be opening up more the longer I burn in.

 

[esauseesaw]

This is just my opinion having auditioned many DAC's. Amplifiers on the other hand can have a profound effect.

This is exactly my experience and I totally agree. I find differences between DACs far more subtle.