Benchmark DAC setup questions

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  • MarkR
    Member
    • Jan 2005
    • 88

    Benchmark DAC setup questions

    I picked up this little beauty a couple of days ago and it really has made a big difference to my Philips 963sa, at the moment I have it hooked into my Rotel 1055 HT reciever which is not ideal for 2ch music I know but it has enabled me to do some direct A/B comparisons as I have the multi inputs connected as well.

    I want to try using the Benchmark as a pre-amp and hook it up directly to my Rotel RB1080 but I understand the output level may run too high for most consumer model amps, how important is it to have the output level adjusted accordingly and what is the purpose, is it to protect the amp from damage or does it help improve the SQ if the output is correctly matched to the amp?

    Also I understand that 'generally' balanced connections do not offer much of an advantage over unbalanced, however with the Benchmark there are possibly advantages, can anyone confirm this for me as I have balanced inputs on my 1080 so this is an option.
  • whoaru99
    Senior Member
    • Jul 2004
    • 638

    #2
    Originally posted by MarkR
    I picked up this little beauty a couple of days ago and it really has made a big difference to my Philips 963sa, at the moment I have it hooked into my Rotel 1055 HT reciever which is not ideal for 2ch music I know but it has enabled me to do some direct A/B comparisons as I have the multi inputs connected as well.

    I want to try using the Benchmark as a pre-amp and hook it up directly to my Rotel RB1080 but I understand the output level may run too high for most consumer model amps, how important is it to have the output level adjusted accordingly and what is the purpose, is it to protect the amp from damage or does it help improve the SQ if the output is correctly matched to the amp?

    Also I understand that 'generally' balanced connections do not offer much of an advantage over unbalanced, however with the Benchmark there are possibly advantages, can anyone confirm this for me as I have balanced inputs on my 1080 so this is an option.

    I think the output level adjustment is mostly so that one can get better use of the volume control range. If the output is really high, then you have very little range to adjust the volume control since it would be already very loud at a low position on the volume control.

    Not likely anything would be damaged - except maybe your ears or speakers if you started off thinking the volume was going to be lower than it actually was.

    I used a DAC1 for three weeks both into another pre-amp and directly into a power amp. The output on the DAC1 seemed just about right for my tastes with no adjustments. Depending on the situation, the DAC1 volume typically ranged from 1/4 to about 2/3 max when connected directly to the amp. I was using RCA connections though, not XLR.

    The Benchmark does have XLR/balanced outs as you indicate, but if I remember correctly, the Benchmark rep told me the unit is does NOT have fully balanced circuitry.

    BTW, I returned the DAC1...
    There are some things which are impossible to know, but it is impossible to know which things these are. :scratchhead:

    ----JAFFE'S PRECEPT

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    • MarkR
      Member
      • Jan 2005
      • 88

      #3
      Thank you, after going over the manual a couple of times during the weekend I thought this might be the story, but it's reassuring to understand.


      BTW, I returned the DAC1...
      Ok I'll bite, I still have the dealers demo unit on approval and I have'nt pulled the trigger yet so I'm happy to hear what you think.

      Comment

      • whoaru99
        Senior Member
        • Jul 2004
        • 638

        #4
        I think the DAC1 is a fine piece of gear and if I had some spare cash, I'd have probably kept it just because I like gadgets and this is definitely a good one. However, after doing the in-home audition, I think I can find sound good enough/equally as satisfying to me for less $$.

        The DAC1 provided perhaps the most "pure" sound I've ever heard from my system, but by the same token I thought it sounded just a little cool/clinical.
        There are some things which are impossible to know, but it is impossible to know which things these are. :scratchhead:

        ----JAFFE'S PRECEPT

        Comment

        • ThomasW
          Moderator Emeritus
          • Aug 2000
          • 10934

          #5
          I've used a DAC 1 for more than a year, and plan to buy another as soon as Santa stops by. It's better than the built-in DACs in my $3200 CDP ....

          IB subwoofer FAQ page


          "Complicated equipment and light reflectors and various other items of hardware are enough, to my mind, to prevent the birdie from coming out." ...... Henri Cartier-Bresson

          Comment

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