which bang for the buck DAC?

There seems to be a big follwing with the Bencmark, but an used bechmark usb would set me back 1000 bucks. Tough decision.

That is because it is good value even at that price. You get a great headphone amp as well as a solid preamp. The Benchmark is of a precise nature rather than some warmer flavors that are available, however, perhaps the biggest advantage of the Benchmark is its reputation for jitter immunity - practically speaking (if you believe all the claims and reviews) it means you no longer have to worry too much about the source quality or cabling to the DAC (so it removes unknowns - just plug and play - no worries). The biggest drawback is perhaps the precise sound which some people really don't like (I suspect they prefer a more organic, rich and less detailed sound that can really help make a bad recording sound its best and less like a recording).

I own both a DAC-1 and a DacMagic. The DacMagic is used with a digital piano, but I briefly snuck it into my stereo (temporarily replacing the Benchmark) just to see how it sounded in comparison. A quick take:

Both are very good sounding, but they sound quite different from each other. Shadorne calls the Benchmark "precise" which is fair enough, although "lean" might be more usefully descriptive. The defining characteristic is "less" energy in the upper bass "warmth" region. Many folks would say less is more (accurate) in this instance. The DacMAgic is notably fuller and richer here.

An speaker analogy might be old Merlin versus old Sonus Faber. (Bear in mind that the distinctions between these DACs, though quickly apparent to me, are subtler than those between the speakers I mention.) A lot will come down to personal preference and system matching. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend either piece, but you should know which tree you prefer to bark up. In any case, if your taste/system can accomodate the tonal signature, the DacMagic is a great value.

Good Luck

Marty

Wow, you guys are great! You are right - there are no reason to break the bank on cables but no reasons to skimp on them neither. Any suggestion for a decent USB cable? BTW, my Krell 400xi is connected to the dynaudio s3.4.

Thanks

Benchmark "precise" which is fair enough, although "lean" might be more usefully descriptive

I agree. Good point.

Something to keep in mind about the PSA DL III is that it uses no op-amps in the output stage. Instead, PSA uses a 100% class A discrete FET output stage (most DACs in this same price range utilize an op-amp based output stage). Whether or not, this is why the DL III sounds so good, I don't know. It does sound good though, and the Cullen Stage IV modified version sounds even better.