New Benchmark DAC2

BlueFox
BlueFox Posts: 15,251
edited October 2012 in Electronics
Just received an email about this. It seems pretty nice, and also handles native DSD. However, I don't know if that is the same as two channel SACD. I do wish they would offer a more audio looking chassis. Their design is too sterile looking for me, even though I do have two DAC1s.

http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/dac/dac2-hgc
Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits.
Post edited by BlueFox on
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Comments

  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited October 2012
    I agree with it looking uggg and wish they would have put more thought into the face plate at least. I wonder if the dac1 hdr will drop more than the $300 it has recently. The dac2 has a 5 yr warrant so thats gotta say something about stellar build quality
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  • Blownrx7
    Blownrx7 Posts: 137
    edited October 2012
    It pretty much follows the form of the DAC1 - I guess they went with the dont mess with success formula. I wish they would go with a 17" unit and a digital display insead of led's. For 2K they did a lot but they could have done more instead of increasing their margins.
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,500
    edited October 2012
    Looks like a nice feature packed DAC. That would be DoP, or DSD over PCM conversion. JRiver had a hand in developing that.

    Here is an interesting DAC that will do DSD, the exaSound E20. It supports PCM sampling rates from 44.1 to 384Khz at 32bit resolution, and DSD at 2.82 and 5.64 MHz. They offer a 30 day free trial. It uses the same ES9018 Sabre32 DAC chip I built my dual mono DAC around. I modded a Denon 3910 to export PCM and DSD to the DAC.

    http://www.exasound.com/e20DAC/e20DACOverview.aspx

    I learned of exaDevices from their exaU2I USB to I2S Interface. It can stream multichannel 384 kHz and 352.8 kHz DXD audio in full 32 bit resolution from a PC to a DAC with professional mastering quality. (Their claim but many users do love it). I read that you can even do DSD with it. I want to try it, but don't have the $430.

    http://www.exadevices.com/exaU2I/Overview.aspx
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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