[StudioSound]

The Benchmark DAC1 is here now, and with the stock setting I have it turned up as loud as it will go and it gets what I'd call fairly loud. Certainly not "deafening" by any means. The way they have it setup (with minus 10 dB) it seems to be designed to be able to crank it up al the way with zero distortion. To that end they have succeeded, but I have to say, the DACMini has more available gain and gets considerably louder (also with little or no distortion). The Benchmark has a much smoother top end (the mini can get a little strident if you push it too hard), but the DACmini has better Bass response and more "slam". It sounds very good, but depending on the song, it's still a bit under powered for my purposes. I think it's more suited as a building block for someone who is going to use the preamp outs to drive a bigger Amp.

The DAC in this unit is one of the best I've ever heard. Very detailed without being harsh. Superior to the DAC in the Mini for sure. The next move would be to open it up and remove the -10dB Jumpers so I can get some more gain out of this thing

The HE-500 is supposed to be very power hungry, so there's that. According to InnerFidelity though, they only need 2.04mW to reach 90dB SPL - going louder than that for extended periods of time is a danger to your hearing.

I would suggest removing the jumper to change the output from -10dB to 0dB if you are finding that it can't go loud enough - though I am surprised that it's been a problem.

It does seem to be sounding better the longer I let it burn in. I got "Zomboy" on my 500s right now and it's crankin' pretty good. Time will tell...

There's no such thing as "burn-in" with this type of product - it's solid-state studio gear.

Much will depend on how good the Grace Designs offering is and it will be here tomorrow. It's got almost double the power  and +/- 9 dB's of gain, so I'm expecting good things from it.  If it is clearly superior then I'll likely be sending the Benchmark unit back to the seller. If they both are about the same, then I'll do more critical listening tests and consider keeping the one that simply sounds the best and then using it as a preamp for a more powerful amp. That may end up being what I have to do... 

If you aren't finding the DAC1 loud enough, you are almost certainly going to prefer the Grace unless you are level matching the amps. (and not by ear) You really need to remove that -10dB jumper.

Straight out of my Macbook Pro and iTunes. I'm thinking of buying and installing "Amarra" which is supposed to have much better sound than iTunes. I'm still looking into that... The M903 will be here tomorrow night. I'll let you all know how it works out.

Amarra basically just handles sample rate switching automatically. Instead, close iTunes, open the "Audio MIDI Setup" app, and set the output to 44,100.0Hz and 2ch-24bit and then re-open iTunes. Now you will have bit-perfect output from iTunes for all CD quality music without spending a penny. If you are using EQ, software volume control, or are wanting to use unsupported formats in iTunes without conversions, then it may be worthwhile for you, but even then, probably not.

 

[bareyb]

Quote:

The HE-500 is supposed to be very power hungry, so there's that. According to InnerFidelity though, they only need 2.04mW to reach 90dB SPL - going louder than that for extended periods of time is a danger to your hearing.

I would suggest removing the jumper to change the output from -10dB to 0dB if you are finding that it can't go loud enough - though I am surprised that it's been a problem.
There's no such thing as "burn-in" with this type of product - it's solid-state studio gear.
If you aren't finding the DAC1 loud enough, you are almost certainly going to prefer the Grace unless you are level matching the amps. (and not by ear) You really need to remove that -10dB jumper.
Amarra basically just handles sample rate switching automatically. Instead, close iTunes, open the "Audio MIDI Setup" app, and set the output to 44,100.0Hz and 2ch-24bit and then re-open iTunes. Now you will have bit-perfect output from iTunes for all CD quality music without spending a penny. If you are using EQ, software volume control, or are wanting to use unsupported formats in iTunes without conversions, then it may be worthwhile for you, but even then, probably not.

 
Bah! 90 dB is for losers. I'll email them and ask them if they mind me cracking the case. I'd love to remove the jumpers, otherwise not really a fair comparison. Thanks for the tip on the Midi setup. I just checked it and it's already set at those specs by default. Well except for the Benchmark. It's 96000.0 Hz. One of the reviewers at Stereophile swears up and down that Amarra is a vast improvement over iTunes. So I guess as with all things, it's a matter of opinion.
 
The burn-in question is debatable, but I personally believe there is some change in the sound in the first couple of hours. After that, I haven't heard any difference on any of the SS Amps I've tried. 

 

[StudioSound]

Unless the music you are playing is 96,000Hz, you should be outputting 44,100Hz to avoid OS X upsampling the audio before it gets to your DAC. That is the main thing that Amarra does.

 

[bareyb]

Quote:

Unless the music you are playing is 96,000Hz, you should be outputting 44,100Hz to avoid OS X upsampling the audio before it gets to your DAC. That is the main thing that Amarra does.

I had thought they set it that way as the maximum possible with the DAC.  I'll have to look into that. Thanks for the heads up. 

 

[bareyb]

In fairness to the DAC1 I have to say I was hasty. I very carefully pulled the jumpers (I put a T shirt between the screwdriver and the screws) and now it SCREAMS. It's got way more volume than I can use. Not ALL of it is useable, but it goes to 3 o'clock without distortion and 2 o'clock is about all I can stand! It cleared up most of the deficiencies I'd noted earlier and it sounds fantastic now. 

 
HE500s really need the jumpers pulled in my opinion. If you buy this amp don't even listen to it until you pull them. I'm glad I didn't return it! Jeez... A good case for an externally mounted gain control...
 
Anyway, I really wanted to come in and report the good news. To sum up (and answer the big question), the Benchmark DAC1 is indeed still a viable investment. For folks who use iTunes alone it's all they will need for years to come. If the DAC in the DAC2 is really "better in every aspect" as reported then it must be an Amazing (with capital A) DAC.  Ill be posting any further impressions on it and the Grace in my other thread . 
 
ETA: Oh! I tried StudioSound's trick of setting the bitrate to CD quality in "Audio MIDI Setup.app and it really made an improvement in the sound. Especially at high volumes which we all know by now, is how I like to roll. It makes a lot of sense to lock it CD quality (native) and my music did sounded clearer and less strained. Great tip.

 

[bareyb]

Update: Full review on the Benchmark vs. the GRACE m903 and DACMini here: All-In-One Comparison: CEntrance DACMini vs. Benchmark DAC1 vs. Grace Designs m903

 

[Chippy99]

The DAC1-HDR is a fabulous DAC. It's a toss up whether the DAC2 is better, IMHO.

Yes, the DAC2 has better features: 2 set of analogue inputs, trigger output, HTPC setting and DSD deciding.

On the other hand, it does not sound appreciably better (double blind tested, I would bet my house that no-one could tell te difference). And the DAC1-HDR is like revision 10 and is refined and polished. You never get any clicks, pops, thumps or anything else. Unlike the DAC2 which does all of that. And it has idiosyncrasies - which the DAC1 does not. The DAC1 has a mute button that just mutes the sound. And another button that progressively reduces the output and them mutes. The DAC2 has the same, two buttons to do two different things. But they both do the same thing??? The both progressively reduce volume and then mute. Press again and the power goes off (as with the DAC1). My guess is the DAC2 insists on turning the volume down first, in order to minimise the offensive switch-on thump.

In short, the DAC2 trades the refined sophistication of the DAC1 for extra features. The two don't sound very different, if at all.