Spent&Bent
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2003
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A recent review of the benchmark DAC 1 by the biggest hifi website in the Netherlands "hifi.nl", isn't too positive for the otherwise favorably reviewed DAC.
The reviewer (which I have met/know personally,he pretty much shares my general preferences in music reproduction) concludes that while the benchmark has very good extension and sounds crystal clear, its balanced output is inferior compared to the regular output, and there isn't any decent PRaT.
Also, he doesn't quite agree with the regular opinion that has been expressed many times here that the DAC 1 is well suited in a home application because of its sonics, at least with any equipment that he had at hand to try it with I guess....
He does however think it earns it's place in a professional environment
In his opinion the Benchmark lacks proper timing and sounds sterile compared to other DACs like the Apogee Mini DAC, a DAC which the reviewer is intimately familiar with.
Unfortunately this device (the Apogee) isn't very well known around here but I am sure at least some of us here know it's signature compared to that of the Benchmark DAC 1 (more mellow and analogue like)
Please remember I am just giving a utterly incomplete translation of his review, if possible read it for yourself.
For those who are interested in reading the review and can read Dutch, the link to this is here
The reviewer (which I have met/know personally,he pretty much shares my general preferences in music reproduction) concludes that while the benchmark has very good extension and sounds crystal clear, its balanced output is inferior compared to the regular output, and there isn't any decent PRaT.
Also, he doesn't quite agree with the regular opinion that has been expressed many times here that the DAC 1 is well suited in a home application because of its sonics, at least with any equipment that he had at hand to try it with I guess....
He does however think it earns it's place in a professional environment
In his opinion the Benchmark lacks proper timing and sounds sterile compared to other DACs like the Apogee Mini DAC, a DAC which the reviewer is intimately familiar with.
Unfortunately this device (the Apogee) isn't very well known around here but I am sure at least some of us here know it's signature compared to that of the Benchmark DAC 1 (more mellow and analogue like)
Please remember I am just giving a utterly incomplete translation of his review, if possible read it for yourself.
For those who are interested in reading the review and can read Dutch, the link to this is here
