I totally agree with Almarg and Mapman comments. I think many of the latest DACs sound fantastic and differences may be splitting hairs and largely down to personal taste. I would only say that if you happen to like the sound of the upsampling methodology and analog output circuitry of the DAC3 then you have what I suspect is a rather robust and worry free playback solution for a variety of digital formats, sources and cabling.
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.
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.
Showing 17 responses by shadorne
@dlcockrum I did not do a careful comparison of the DAC1 when I got the DAC2 a few years ago - they were in two systems in different houses. A month or so ago, I compared all three side by side - new DAC3 vs DAC2 (2 yr old) vs DAC 1 (10 year old). In that comparison DAC2 and DAC3 were very close but I found the lower noise floor of the DAC3 made an audible sense of blackness that was surprisingly significant even though the presentation was very alike. As for DAC1 - it was totally smoked by both the DAC2 and DAC3 - the audible improvement in the clarity of the bass and upper treble was enormous in either of the newer DACs over the old DAC1. The difference made me suspect that after 10 years some of the caps in the old DAC1 were reaching the end of their life (DAC was on 100% of the time in my old setup). I have recapped electronics before so I am familiar with the change that fresh caps can bring to a 10 year old component and the DAC1 had linear power supply that ran very hot indeed - much hotter than the DAC2 or DAC3 switched Mode power supplies. What I reported in the DAC3 review above was confirmed by the owner of the Singxer. Furthermore, as I have posted on other Audiogon threads, I have heard myself the benefits that a Singxer audio digital USB bridge can bring to certain DACs or setups. Conclusion Not all DACs are as robustly immune to cabling or digital sources as the Benchmark DAC3. Many DACs benefit from jitter treatment/reclocker or special cables. So I do not dispute what others have found with their own fixes for their DAC. I also might be incredibly lucky and the DAC3 and Mac Mini I happen to own are just naturally free from any degrading artifacts like jitter to begin with(somehow I doubt this). |
@james_w514 I use it exclusively for two channel digital music and switch it to HT bypass when I want to watch a movie or play some vinyl through my Onkyo DSP. Definitely not ideal for vinyl - it would be nice if this DAC had a phono input but Vinyl is not a priority for me. If you can't use the DAC3 XLR outputs directly and have to pass to another preamp then part of the benefit of this device is lost. |
Dave, The DAC3 is neutral and detailed with performance specs that are far are beyond anything else I am aware of. If that is what you mean by unmusical then musical would be a less accurate presentation but with warm laid back engaging desirable coloration. This musicality aspect of audio is a personal preference. What is musical to one may be mushy muck to another and vice versa. Benchmark claim the DAC3 rejects jitter very effectively and my findings suggest this to be true. Therefore, unlike most other DACs, this device does not need ancillary devices to fix, correct or minimize errors in digital conversion to analog. Benchmark have gone to great effort to design a robust jitter rejection methodology - so it is hardly surprising if I confirmed it does what they say it does. Stereophile have confirmed also the outstanding performance of Benchmark devices as well. |
Dave, Good for you. Experiment and report back. I don't deny significant impacts. I recognize that audio reproduction is still extremely unreliable and frustrating in how poorly many devices are conceived and built. If it were even remotely reliable then a particular CD would sound quite similar on any device and people like Ed Meitner would not have built a career and reputation correcting errors that countless other designers had missed. |
@kijanki The analog output stages affect the sound. Even if digital is perfectly accurately converted to analog there is still the analog character of the op amp or discrete circuits. So there are always some differences between devices. I can't help with that except to recommend an audition. If you like the kind of detail and superb accuracy that allows you to hear exactly how Steely Dan has been somewhat "airbrushed" or over-processed in sound then this type DAC is a good choice. Like a precise high resolution TV you start noticing CGI and digital transmission/compression effects more easily and for some that level of resolution can totally frustrate the enjoyment. |
@kijanki Please report back your findings once you receive the DAC3. The nice thing about this DAC is you can A to B very easily between its USB, optical and Coax inputs. (Switching takes only a few milli-secs - so this DAC allows for proper A to B comparisons whereas other DACs take time to sync or produce spurious effects while they sync to a different source. I was only confident in my reported findings because I could A to B instantly. Relying on audio memory is NOT something I trust to discern small differences) |
@kijanki Simply use a mono 1/8 TS cable for 12V trigger. The problem is your Rowland. I have a NAD power amplifier that won’t trigger with a stereo TRS 1/8 cable and I had to buy on eBay a mono 1/8 TS cable (not easy to find in stores). Not sure why there should be a contact problem - most likely Roland and NAD must use a stereo female receptical and wire the ring as the ground and leave the sleeve as floating. This means a stereo cable won’t pass the ground to other devices which use the sleeve as ground (sleeve ground is standard practice). No contact in the ground means open circuit and 12 v trigger won’t work. https://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/application_notes/155807879-benchmark-bi-directional-12-volt-trigge... |
@kijanki Good that you like the sound. I totally agree with what you are hearing vs DAC1. My shock was that I heard improvement over the DAC2. I think the bass is definitely cleaner but overall across the spectrum the entire noise floor is way lower and consequently there is an incredible amount of additional detail that is now audible vs DAC2 or DAC1. (YMMV - my speakers play extremely loudly yet still remain -70db in mid range 2nd and third harmonic which is like a microscope on details in recordings) I think the new ESS chip has a lot do do with it. Benchmark already make very low noise market leading analog designs and the latest switched Mode power supply in DAC2, DAC3 and AHB2 amp has taken the noise floor lower and way beyond anything else on the market currently. However, I suspect the older ESS chip in the DAC2 was limiting the ability to hear the full extent of the analog performance. I have heard the same ESS chip in the Gustard X20 Pro and it sounded great. I would definitely recommend this for those looking for a much cheaper option than the DAC3. (For myself the lower noise floor, jitter rejection methodology and proven reliability of Benchmark is worth the extra cost) |
@mmrkaic Tests done with my setup were not blind as I did them alone. However I had my findings checked and confirmed by another audiophile. I can hear subtle differences in most DACs but often so subtle on good quality DACs that I would not easily pass a blind test but often enough that I hear differences when switching A to B quickly. The multiple digital inputs on the DAC3 and its ability to switch in milliseconds allowed what I would call conclusive results that proved to me that all digital inputs and digital cables sound the same with the Benchmark DAC3. This is to be expected as the manufacturer has devoted a huge amount of effort to designing a device with outstanding jitter free performance. If I had heard differences I would have been disappointed and would have already replaced the DAC3. I demand that components perform reliably and to a high degree of accuracy or they are gone. Listening was done on ATC EL150ASL speakers - the DAC XLR output went straight to the speakers. These speakers are neutral and have distortion levels on par with most electronics and the ability to play loud enough at extremely low distortion to place a "microscope" on sonic detail. |
@abramsmatch I read of your struggles with the gungnir and finding different sound when using different digital inputs. In fact this digital cable input issue matches what I have read anecdotally here many times and even heard myself on other systems. It seems a common problem with jitter being the most likely culprit. I would be interested if you can hear a difference on the DAC3 using different digital cables/USB/coax/toslink - switching sources is so fast it is easy to compare. As mentioned above, I could not hear a difference on any of the digital inputs of the DAC3 even when a USB bridge like the Singxer SU 1 was inserted in the chain. Perhaps Jim Austin's finding that he could not hear a difference (DAC 3 vs PS Audio Directstream) is how it should be with Class A+ components designed rigorously for high fidelity. (rather than a euphonic tube approach which is engineered for a desired sound) |
@abramsmatch Nice clarification. I think I have said this before - there are only subtle differences between high quality DACs. I am willing to be honest enough to admit my tin ears would have trouble to identify blindly differences with any degree of reliability but with quick switching I can sense subtle things. Whichever you prefer will be right for you and any choice you make does not diminish the other DAC. Most modern DACs are exceedingly good compared to a decade ago. To me the most striking audible difference about the Benchmark DAC3 is the crystal clarity or blackness - the musical minute details stand out NOT because of emphasis (there is nothing forced - the DAC sounds as relaxed as the best analog) but because the background or noise floor seems to be so much lower than anything else I have ever heard. This means minute low level timbral details are suddenly audible or revealed when in the past they were not. I cannot emphasze enough the importance of listening to this DAC directly with XLR balanced into your power amp and how important it is to use the attenuator jumper pads to ensure the volume level remains between 11 and 3 at loud listening levels (to get the full benefit of the THD+N and SNR market leading specs) |
Just another update to my findings about Benchmark DACs. I recently tested a Schiit Eitr placed in between the Benchmark DAC 3 and the MAC Mini. On the DAC 3 I switched between two identical simultaneous digital inputs (courtesy of Roon) - one optical direct from Mac Mini and one Coax digital from the Schiit Eitr bridge. The result is absolutely no audible difference in sound at all. Nill, nada, Zilch ...absolutely nothing. The Schiit did NOTHING for Benchmark. Conclusion is that Schiit does absolutely nothing for a high quality jitter rejecting DAC like the Benchmark DAC 3. Interestingly, with other DACs that were tested the Schiit Eitr made a HUGE DIFFERENCE! Conclusion 1) The majority of DACs do a lousy job of rejecting incoming jitter whether it be USB or other inputs. 2) An audio bridge (like Eitr) and/or fancy cables are necessary band-aid fixes for the majority of DACs. 3) Benchmark and possibly a handful of other recent DACs are finally able to fully reject jitter and finally sound very like vinyl WITHOUT band-aids. |