To simplify or go old school... Looking at the new Benchmark Dac 3


My current dilemma is as follow. I have a love my Audio Research equipment (VT100 amp and LS8 pre amp) but due to the cost of re-tubing the amp I recently purchased a PS Audio stereo Stellar amp. I still have the VT100 and one day I do hope to re-tube it. I've put in some new tubes in my Audio Research LS8 pre-amp. Currently I am using a PS Audio Nu Wave DSD dac for my computer using J River with my Flac collection. I also have a Cambridge CXC CD transport that also plugs into my PS Audio dac. The pre-amp is the LS8 and my amp is now the PS Audio Stellar stereo amp. My speaker are Martin Logan Prodigy.

The question is,do I simplify and just by a Benchmark DAC 3 and run it into my PS Audio Stellar and just get rid of all my tube equipment? 

Thanks

gtamara
My guess is that you will miss that tubed sugar... I would keep the tubed preamp and add the Benchmark DAC 3... What did you re-tube your LS8 pre with given your ML Prodigys?  I put CIFTEs in my Prima Luna pre and damn my ML ESLs sing...

You could run a tubed pre or the SS Benchmark pre and have the best of both worlds...

That Benchmark DAC 3 might need some tubed sugar to knock the digital edges off... ;^)
This thread involves 100% guesswork.

my cynical suggestion: buy a DAC3 used for $1600 or so.
if you like it, then Keep it, if you don’t, then sell it for $1500 in under 24 hours.
Forget the  DAC 3 because you are already at Simplified and check with AR support for recommendations.
The current AR gear has more modern function. (VT 80)