Benchmark DAC3 robust playback independent of digital source/cabling


I upgraded from DAC 2 to DAC 3 recently.

The specs on the DAC 3 speak for themselves. I don’t know of anything that measures better.

The sound is as clear, detailed and as transparently neutral as it gets with exceptionally low noise floor (blacks are black). If anything it is a little forward in the mid range compared with most other DACs but despite the detail there is a nice analog smoothness to everything. The bass is noticeably articulate but that requires a high end speaker to be heard clearly. Very Important: You must use the DAC 3 XLR direct to your power amp and speakers in order to maximize the benefit of the performance of this DAC - passing through a preamp is not going to improve things and very likely will degrade SNR and performance.

Recently I was able to try a bunch of configurations to try to see if USB cabling or a digital bridge could make a difference. I have heard and confirmed that USB cabling, coax vs optical, and different sample rates and formats can and does affect audible performance of OTHER modern DACs. I suspect jitter is still the problem as well as sample rate conversion methodologies implemented in many DACs - even those with the latest and greatest DtoA chips - and these limitations result in audible differences with various digital cables and source sample rates.

I wanted to test the Benchmark DAC 3 to see if the sound could be audibly affected by changing cables or reclocking or sample rates. I compared Coax to Optical to USB at various sample rates - nothing nada - absolutely no difference in sound. I also tried a Singxer SU-1 on loan from a friend - the Singxer took USB from may MAC Mini and converted to Coax - again absolutely no audible difference. All this is despite the optical coming straight out of the Mac Mini output jack - probably quite jittery compared to the Mac Mini feeding digital USB to a Singxer SU-1 with a coaxial connection to the DAC. Nevertheless the DAC3 faithfully converts digital to analog flawlessly and identically no matter what digital signal is feeding it. (Provided the digital be it USB or optical or coax is bit perfect)

I was very surprised that a variety of Roon converted sample rates also sounded identical. I believe this is because the DAC3 upsamples to the GHz range (for picosecond timing adjustments all done digitally) on Benchmarks proprietary dedicated digital circuits prior to feeding the Sabre chip a digital down sampled (from GHz) 211KHz signal.

So there you have it. The Benchmark DAC 3 that I own reliably converts all forms of digital over a variety of cabling and does this perfectly and identically. Testing was through lengthy listening and A to B instant switching from one digital input to another (RoonServer running on my MAC Mini can deliver multiple digital feeds via different paths to practically any DAC)

It is the consensus here on audiogon that most DACs (as reported here in countless cable threads) undoubtedly require an expensive digital USB bridge to clean up a jittery signal or special cables (Coax, optical or a USB) and may sound best on a particular digital input vs another. A particular cable vs another.

Conclusion

The Benchmark DAC 3 I own does NOT REQUIRE anything at all to sound perfect with any digital input - a direct connection from my MAC Mini sounds as good and perfect as thousands of $ of cabling/bridging.

So if you are OK with the sound of the DAC 3 then my experience is this DAC is a worry and trouble free solution to a perfect listening experience every time with no band aids.













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Showing 2 responses by abramsmatch

Am currently trialing a dac 3 and head to head against my Aqua La Voce S2, I will say it is a very very close race so far indeed! Anyone considering a dac 3 should definitely give it a listen.  (I also own a Schitt gungnir multibit and prefer the Aqua).

I got the DAC 3 to try because the stereophile review in the recent issue said he couldn’t hear any difference at all between the Benchmark and his 6 thousand dollar PS Audio Directstream with latest software no matter how hard he tried.
   I’ve always wanted to hear what all the fuss was about with the PS dac (darko says it beats my Aqua etc) so i figured if he heard zero difference after trying really hard, this would be a cheaper way to do so:)

Preliminarily i’m very impressed. (hey if this is what a PS directstream dac sounds like i’m impressed!)  Didn’t expect to like Benchmark products due to hearing about ‘brightness’ with dac 1 and my general distaste for “pure math” type design;) (i.e. if it sounds terrible to me but measures well  then you’re measuring the wrong damn thing:)
  But i have to say, it’s actually tonally close to the Aqua with maybe slightly more detail. Super black background. Very dynamic.  Detailed but not annoyingly so. Definitely not bright by any stretch.  Maybe in my system somewhat the opposite actually!  It’s preamp function is really excellent as well and it’s headphone amp definitely gives my pricey rig a very close run for its money!  Too close maybe. 
 In sum, not sure which dac i’ll keep and i thought sure I would as usual immediately prefer the Aqua.  I’m even considering keeping both. That’s high praise from me. The Dac 3 so far is no joke. At least, i’m not laughing now (especially cause i might have to part with 2K for it:( 
Hi there. Just for clarity- it’s true i definitely feel the usb input on the gungnir is not as good as with a good converter like the F-1 or PUC and the BNC or rca inputs! But Schitt seems to agree as they offer an upgraded usb input now:)

But on the Aqua, not only is the (older) usb input (also they offer an upgrade now) not as good as with a converter- the RCA and XLR inputs on the dac sound strikingly different! With the XLR input sounding more expansive and easeful whereas the rca input makes the Aqua sound to my ear more like the Gungnir multibit- accurate perhaps but not as expansive and sweeping and tonally ‘relaxed’.

Now with the Benchmark DAC 3 so far, i definitely think the USB input is closer to when i use a converter but i haven’t switched back and forth enough times yet to be sure. In a couple switches though i’ve been impressed it hasn’t seemed to lose top end detail or bass which is maybe what the schitt loses when using the ‘older’ version of the usb input.

No getting around it though- so far the DAC 3 really is superbly musical to me and not just a clinical or sterile piece of gear. My preference tends to lean toward the slightly ‘warm’ side of things also (just like my personality! :) I’ll try and update here as it goes.

Fyi the headphone amp i use with the Gungnir (i do prefer speakers though) is tubed and the Benchmark as a headphone amp/dac pairing is very close sonically to the schitt/tube amp combo - read: a touch a warmth maybe but no loss of detail or punch. Impressive. Honestly i really thought i’d stay away from Benchmark because of the ‘measurements are everything’ philosophy but that stereophile review swayed me to try it. So far glad i did! Now we’ll see which dac ‘wins’ if any:)