Benchmark DAC 3B Vs. Schiit Gungnir Multibit and a question.

@yyzsantabarbara
I am going to blow some money on the R2R Halo May Level 3 DAC just to see what the differences are.

You’ll hear a difference -and- if you are more acclimated to the big wide open clear sound of the DAC3B, its possible you might not like the romantic and velvety analog sound of some of the R2R Ladder DACs. I do, helping with some streamed content, particularly for tracks that were not recorded very well, makes it more enjoyable.  
The end result also has to do with how open and transparent your preamp/amp and speakers and the rest of the gear is - all together.

Did you see this former Agon thread, folks talking about the Holo Audio May DAC by chance? Different thoughts about the results... fwiw. https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/holo-audio-may-dac

And, over at SBAF, some interior pics of the level 3 Holo May DAC, big toroidal transformer and caps inside, nice:
https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/holo-audio-spring-dac-level-3-kitsune-tuned-...

Best of luck on the new R2R Ladder DAC journey.  All personal preference of course.
Having both types can be fun too. 

I’m right now listening to my Gungnir prior to receiving the Benchmark and wondering why I’m seeking a new DAC.  Honestly, I’m loving the sound right now.  The DAC 3B is arriving tomorrow and we’ll see if I made a mistake. .  But the upgrade bug bit me.  I can always return the Benchmark if it doesn’t improve things.  But then there’s always break in time needed, so it’s not so simple..

@rvpiano, I received my DAC3 HGC last week. There is nothing lean about this DAC. Very full sounding throughout the audio spectrum. I was a little concerned about many folks writing about how “bright” the Sabre DAC chip can be. Not so for my system. It is extremely clear, detailed and smooth. I can listen for hours and no fatigue. Let’s not forget about the bass...OH the bass!!! The best I have heard in my system. Tight and detailed. I actually had to redial in some of my sub settings and now it’s just bliss.

I stream via a Bluesound Node 2i into the DAC 3 HGC and out to a Luxman LX-380 tubed integrated amplifier. My speakers are Paradigm Prestige 95F. I plan to eventually upgrade my streamer and cables/interconnects. I have been very happy with this DAC so far. It outperforms the DAC in the Node 2i by a significant margin.

I look forward to your impressions. Happy listening!

I forgot if the DAC3B required much burn-in but the AHB2 amp required hardly any hours to sound it's best. I have had 2 units to compare.

There are 2 things I did to make my DAC3B sound like a superstar. The first was to buy the Benchmark HPA4/LA4 preamp. A very nice improvement with the awesome preamps volume control.

The second thing I finished yesterday is described in the thread that I updated with a post.
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/room-correction-roon-rew-room-eq-wizard

I am shocked at the improvements. It cost me $700 + $100 for a microphone. 

I am just laughing at the improvements. Heck, why spend more on a DAC this is end game stuff.