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Finding a little warmth from Benchmark1 USB DAC

So I've always appreciated a relatively dry sound from my audio equipment, and abhored the sound that tubed equipment yields. I started the hobby when I was in high school by getting a pair of Dynaudio Contour 1.8 mk IIs, and wound up with a Krell 300il (identical to the 400xi)last year. I just finished off my "system" after buying a Benchmark 1 USB DAC, that I am connecting to an older iMac that has my music collection in a lossless format.

My issue is that while I adore the setup's overall resolution and pinpoint accuracy, it's producing a very lean sound that is a bit bright, and stark for my tastes. My favorite listening setup was a Levinson 383 integrated hooked up to Dynaudio Special 25s. The Dynaudios had spectacular resolution and neutrality, while the Levinson was able to give a substantial, slightly darker sound that was not overly rich (like tubes can be for me).

So my question is, with the way I've framed things above, are there suggestions for interconnects or equipment that will find that balance for me? I feel like my existing components have potential, but it's just too much of the analytical sound.

As an aside, I tried the Benchmark with my brother's S3 B&W 801s and Audio Research gear, and it wasn't bad at all.
velociti
thedautch
329 posts
 
For me, USB cables made an enormous difference with my Benchmark USB DAC. I first tried the supplied USB, then switched to a Kimber Kable ($40 slight improvement) and then went to the Locus Design Axis ($550).

The Axis has improved things by several orders of magnitude, particularly in the midrange (more liquid and yet more precise), bass (more oomph and very tight), and timbre (a bit more crisp). The area in which it hasn't helped as much is separation of instruments, which is why I'm upgrading to Locus' $1150 Nucleus USB.

Yes, I know that's a lot of cabling relative to the hardware. Yes, I ignore normal rules about applying x percentage of overall costs to cables and no more. But INMO, my gear has sounded it's best when I've had it pretty much fully loaded (I'm also using a Furutech power cord and Kimber Select KS-1036).

In any event, the result has thus far been so impressive that I far prefer this iTunes-based system to my living room big rig. I'm hoping the Nucleus makes the experience positively sublime.

YMMV (duh), but I hope this has helped somewhat.
etbaby
138 posts
 
If you are using a USB cable to link the Benchmark from your computer the USB cable is the problem. Spend $29 and get a one or two meter run of Belden Gold series USB cable. This will solve your problem. The Belden Gold series is one of the few USB cables that is correctly designed and implimented. I have tried the Kimber (better but still terrible sounding) and the Axis (better but over priced). The belden will do the job until some high priced alternative comes along.

Another option is to replace the standard power cord with the $99 Shunyata Venom cord. This also tame the Benchmark's brightness.
richlane
167 posts
 
Hi Velociti,

I have a Benchmark DAC1 also, I think it's a remarkable sounding DAC and actually it's what lit a fire under me to get back into the hobby after many years of complacency with digital, however in my opinion, it is a bit on the cool, dry, and analytical side, therefore system matching is imperative.

The Krell also has great resolution and transparency, however it is also a bit cool and dry, so I think that these components are not complimenting each other very well.

I believe the reason that you like the Benchmark on your Brothers Audio Research Gear, is because his equipment is warmer sounding to begin with. I would probably recommend a used Bel Canto DAC3 which I think will be just the ticket for what you're looking for. It is a little warmer, and more musical than the Benchmark, while maintaining resolution and transparency. I know this makes sense, because that's what I did, and I was very happy with the improvements.

Rich
mb9061
137 posts
 
Funny that you like a dry/revealing sound yet you find the Benchmark too glaring and bright, that says something about that particular DAC. I owned a Benchmark USB DAC1 for close to a year and tried everything under the sun to tame it. I prefer a neutral/slightly warm sound though and I like tubes.

I agree with the two posts before mine in that USB cables can help quite a bit. A ridge street poiema may do the trick as it seems to have a smoother top end and tames some brightness (w/o spending $500-$1,000 for a USB cable). Power cords do a lot for this DAC as well (I eventually paired mine with a Shunyata Python Helix). The DAC is so revealing that it responds to just about any tweak you might try.

Another thing I tried that helped were Hi-Fi tuning fuses.

You may want to try the Bel Canto DAC3. I had one after the DAC1. It was still too bright/forward for my taste, but the DAC3 is a slight bit darker/polite in presentation in comparison to the DAC1. Though you'll need a USB converter as it doesn't upsample to the extent the DAC1 will.
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