Anyone else heard the Benchmark DAC1?

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  • JonMarsh
    Mad Max Moderator
    • Aug 2000
    • 15259

    Anyone else heard the Benchmark DAC1?

    John Atkinson has belatedly delivered on the promised followup review of the DAC1 in the May issue of Stereophile. He reports that he wishes hed gotten to it much sooner, once he actually heard it in his system. He found it compares closely with his reference ML 30.6, which while still available sold for around $17K. I've been waiting for this follow up from him for sometime; I think it's going to push me into a decision. ;^)

    The bench test results for the DAC1 were impeccable; very good analog and digital performance, including excellent low level linearity, very low jitter, and pretty much a complete absence of signal correlated jitter.



    The analog section of these babies has to be pretty stout, because the standard configuration for studio use has -20dBFS at +4 dBV; full output will clip many consumer preamps, so there are internal jumpers to scale back 10dB or 20dB. Low level linearity and noise were excellent. It incorporates a NFB headphone amp with volume control using BUF634's, which can be switched into the main outputs to give a direct preamp with gain control function for driving power amps or monitors direct.

    Another review recently posted online compares it favorably with a Levinson 390S, the owner of the Levinson and the owner of the DAC1 finding it more truthful and transparent- but that's only a $6700 CD player/processor.

    At about $975, could be a real bargain. Now where's that piggybank of mine?

    Regards,

    Jon
    the AudioWorx
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  • aud19
    Twin Moderator Emeritus
    • Aug 2003
    • 16706

    #2
    Enquiring minds want to hear more :P Keep us posted on any futher info Jon :T

    Jason
    Jason

    Comment

    • dave
      Senior Member
      • Aug 2003
      • 434

      #3
      That's a great unit, I have'nt had a chance to hear one yet, maybe that will be the plan for the weekend.


      Regards, Dave...
      Dave...

      Comment

      • David Meek
        Moderator Emeritus
        • Aug 2000
        • 8938

        #4
        Jon, I'm very much interested in your opinion on how it stacks up against our venerable Musical Fidelity A3.24. Especially with them having fairly similar price points.
        Last edited by David Meek; 06 May 2004, 00:01 Thursday.
        .

        David - Trigger-happy HTGuide Admin

        Comment

        • JonMarsh
          Mad Max Moderator
          • Aug 2000
          • 15259

          #5
          Well, I'll tell ya David, part of why I've been very interseted in the DAC1 is because it uses the AD1896, which is in a new generation of asynchronous sample rate converters. It's a pretty big step up from the venerable but buggy Crystal CS8420. The 8420 is used in a number of products out now, including many MF model, the A3.24 included.

          I got an 8420 eval board a year ago, and was evaluating that for my own designs, and pretty much came to the conclusion that for the level of effort I was putting into other aspects of the design, I wanted to look at the AD1896 and the pin compatible units from TI/BurrBrown.

          Re the DAC1, some info from the designer...

          - It uses AD1853 DAC ICs in a mode that achieves 115 dB stopband attenuation

          - It operates AD1853 at constant 97.65625 kHz sample rate, regardless of input input sample rate, thus shifting the transition band higher (with input sample rate of 48 kHz) than with a sampling rate of 48 kHz would do

          - At 96 kHz input rate the fixed clock it only gives DAC1 a transition band shift of c. 860 Hz upwards, still enough to eliminate most transition band problems

          - DAC1 uses a FIR low pass filter to incoming PCM stream (before AD1853) with a passband at 44.29 kHz and stopband at 53,37 kHz (achieving 125 dB attenuation) (this is in the AD1896)

          - It claims to eliminate almost all transition band effects (including AID aliasing intermodulation distortion effects) for signals with input sample rate of 96 kHz or less. For 192 kHz the data is downsampled to 96 kHz and processed from that.

          It's a very clever design, IMO, because it uses a high enough fixed sampling rate to achieve wide analog response (48 kHz), but optimizes the stop band rejection and aliasing distortion- the DAC chip has over 20 dB better rejection of aliasing products in this mode, compared with 192 kHz sampling, and transistion band artifacts are sitll minimized by using a fixed sample frequency slightly higher than 96 kHz. This is pretty common to 24/192 DACs, and is due to limitations in the available processing power for the FIR filters when running at the higher clock rate.

          At this time there are no consumer un copy protected 192 kHz sources, but this unit can work from pro non-copy protected sources, with the only "drawback" that it down samples to a mode which gives "only" 48 kHz analog bandwidth, but 20 dB better aliasing image rejection. I think that's a sensible tradeoff.

          The low level linearity, drop in noise floor for 24 bit inputs, and overall measured performance in the May issue are SOTA. I don't recall ever seeing better; I'm going to have to check my Stereophile "archives" as well as those of Stereophile online. It clearly matches or bests many other rather expensive DACs. Rather expensive being $5K to 17K in price...

          That said, the only "inexpensive" DAC which matches or comes close to the DAC1 in measured performance in various areas is the MF A3.24. While not as low in jitter, and wtih a 24 bit input noise floor that's representative of about 19 bit resolution vs. 20 bit for the DAC1, the MFA3.24 is an excellent unit, only slightly more expensive, and much more widely available for audition or purchase, as the Benchmark DAC1 is only sold through Pro dealers and online.

          Regards,

          Jon
          Last edited by JonMarsh; 06 May 2004, 13:09 Thursday.
          the AudioWorx
          Natalie P
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          Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
          Just ask Mr. Ohm....

          Comment

          • aud19
            Twin Moderator Emeritus
            • Aug 2003
            • 16706

            #6
            Sounds cool! :P (Now if I only understood half of what you wrote there... ) :rofl:

            Jason
            Jason

            Comment

            • JonMarsh
              Mad Max Moderator
              • Aug 2000
              • 15259

              #7
              yeah, I shoulda used more pictures. :W

              By the weekend maybe I can update that with some graphs from data sheets and what not which would better explain it...

              The really important graphs are in JA's review in Stereophile, and that's copyrighted, so I can't just borrow those! 8O


              Regards,

              Jon
              the AudioWorx
              Natalie P
              M8ta
              Modula Neo DCC
              Modula MT XE
              Modula Xtreme
              Isiris
              Wavecor Ardent

              SMJ
              Minerva Monitor
              Calliope
              Ardent D

              In Development...
              Isiris Mk II updates- in final test stage!
              Obi-Wan
              Saint-Saëns Symphonique/AKA SMJ-40
              Modula PWB
              Calliope CC Supreme
              Natalie P Ultra
              Natalie P Supreme
              Janus BP1 Sub


              Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
              Just ask Mr. Ohm....

              Comment

              • Brandon B
                Super Senior Member
                • Jun 2001
                • 2193

                #8
                What would be a worthy, yet similarly priced transport to pair this with, IYO?

                BB

                Comment

                • JonMarsh
                  Mad Max Moderator
                  • Aug 2000
                  • 15259

                  #9
                  That's a very good question....


                  Some listeners and testers report "audible" differences between different transports with this DAC, but is it placebo affect? Differences in error correction? Jitter?

                  Benchmark's data shows that even with horrendously jittery sources, testing with an Audio Precision shows no residual jitter affects on the output. They claim this result due to their "Ultalock" technology which isolates the digital reciever interface totally from the master word clock. (well, let's get real; it's ADI's technology in the AD1896, and Benchmark's very good implmentation of it, driving AD1853 multi-bit delta sigma converters.)

                  Ponder this: fed from a toslink (optical SPDIF) source from a PC, John Atkinson measured nearly state of the art performance in the DAC1 ouptut- 128.5 picoseconds of jitter, and none was data related.

                  Let's compare that with some other units.

                  ML 360S; $ 6,700
                  driven with Lambda transport, 156 pico seconds
                  driven with PC toslink, 212 pico seconds

                  Carey Audio CD303 with upsampling, $3,000: 312 pico seconds;

                  Nagra DAC, $12,000
                  driven with Lambda transport, 140 pico seconds;
                  driven with PC Toslink, 333 ps.

                  Weiss Medea DAC, $9,800;
                  driven with Lambda transport, 140 pico seconds
                  driven with RME PC Toslink, 143 pico seconds

                  Theta Digital Gen VIII DAC Processor, $10,000
                  driven with Toslink, "Jitter Jail" turned on, 180 pico seconds

                  Esoteric DV 50 CD player, $5,500, 495 pico seconds

                  Krell SACD Standard player, $4,000, 195 pico seconds

                  dCS Verdi+Purcell+Elgar transport/player combo- price? If you have to ask, you can't afford it- over $30,0000 - 147 pico seconds

                  Ayre CX-7 CD Player, $2,950; 159 pico seconds

                  Ayre D1 DVD player, price $8,000 as reviewed (has video, audio options)
                  415 pico seconds

                  MSB Platinum DAC, $3,995;
                  Driven with Lambda transport, 197 pico seconds;
                  Driven with RME PC toslink, 572 pico seconds.


                  Based on published data, the Benchmark DAC1 may have the best transport jitter rejection available at any price. So, you might not be able to hear a difference in it between a Toshiba $60 CD player and a Sony SCD-1 used as transport. HOWEVER, there is an anecdotal body of evidence that suggests that differences in error correction behavior between different transports, as well as ability to read different CD media, is also a source of audible differences. So, maybe something more than a $60 DVD player is advised as a transport.... step up to the high end, use a Onkyo or NAD CD player! :lol:

                  Regards,

                  Jon
                  Last edited by JonMarsh; 11 May 2004, 00:21 Tuesday.
                  the AudioWorx
                  Natalie P
                  M8ta
                  Modula Neo DCC
                  Modula MT XE
                  Modula Xtreme
                  Isiris
                  Wavecor Ardent

                  SMJ
                  Minerva Monitor
                  Calliope
                  Ardent D

                  In Development...
                  Isiris Mk II updates- in final test stage!
                  Obi-Wan
                  Saint-Saëns Symphonique/AKA SMJ-40
                  Modula PWB
                  Calliope CC Supreme
                  Natalie P Ultra
                  Natalie P Supreme
                  Janus BP1 Sub


                  Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
                  Just ask Mr. Ohm....

                  Comment

                  • JonMarsh
                    Mad Max Moderator
                    • Aug 2000
                    • 15259

                    #10
                    BTW, Doug Sax, of the Mastering Lab, has bought four of these to use in his new surround sound mastering facility. Hmmmm. He's got pretty dang good ears; interesting.

                    ~Jon
                    the AudioWorx
                    Natalie P
                    M8ta
                    Modula Neo DCC
                    Modula MT XE
                    Modula Xtreme
                    Isiris
                    Wavecor Ardent

                    SMJ
                    Minerva Monitor
                    Calliope
                    Ardent D

                    In Development...
                    Isiris Mk II updates- in final test stage!
                    Obi-Wan
                    Saint-Saëns Symphonique/AKA SMJ-40
                    Modula PWB
                    Calliope CC Supreme
                    Natalie P Ultra
                    Natalie P Supreme
                    Janus BP1 Sub


                    Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
                    Just ask Mr. Ohm....

                    Comment

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