Benchmark DAC-1 [复制链接]

上面许多评论都是著名混音师的评价.例如Doug Sax,许多Jazz发烧片都是他混音的.

好东东,不知要多少钱?

美金975，RMB据说8K多。

One of my regrets in moving away from the Los Angeles area has been leaving behind a wonderful group of audio enthusiasts. We would meet at my home once a month to hang out with new audio toys. It was cool to share thoughts about the gear and to introduce each other to new stuff. I thoroughly enjoyed the friendship, camaraderie, and genuine understanding that we had. After all, audiophiles are a strange bunch. Just try discussing how the midrange of your new CD player is so much smoother and more organic sounding with your coworkers when you meet at the water cooler! If you've tried, you probably watched them scatter back to their desks. All this time you thought it was because you were the boss! With Los Angeles and Orange County traffic as horrible as it is, it's no surprise that not many of my audiophile friends make the one-and-a-half-hour drive to hang out anymore.

While I still miss my audio buddies, a new door was recently opened to me by PFO's editor in chief, Dave Clark. He mentioned that fellow PFO reviewer Jeff Parks lived within a stone's throw of my new home. Jeff called me out of the blue one night to introduce himself. Just knowing that there was someone else in the area that shared my interest in audio was a shot to the arm, so I invited him over. Since his CD transport was in the shop for upgrades, he asked if I would be interested in reviewing the Benchmark DAC1 that he had for review but was temporarily unable to use. I recalled reading positive things about this budget-priced DAC, and since I like to focus on getting the most performance for the least amount of dough, Jeff did not need to work hard to get me interested in reviewing the piece.

The Benchmark DAC1 is a two-channel, 24-bit/192 kHz, upsampling D-to-A converter featuring the company's UltraLockTM technology. UltraLockTM is a very low jitter conversion clock. Low jitter is essential for accurate 24-bit audio conversion. Most converters use a single-stage Phase Lock Loop or PLL circuit to derive their conversion clocks from AES/EBU, Wordclock, or Superclock reference signals. Single-stage PLL circuits provide some jitter attenuation above 5 kHz, but none below 5 kHz. Unfortunately, digital audio signals usually have the most jitter at 2 kHz. As a result, these converters only achieve their rated performance when driven by very low-jitter sources, through very short cables, and are unlikely to achieve better than 16-bit performance.

Better converters generally need a two-stage PLL circuit to filter out more jitter. Theoretically, a two-stage PLL can remove enough jitter to achieve accurate 24-bit conversion, but in reality, since not all PLL circuits are created equal, many do not remove enough low-frequency jitter. Another weakness of two-stage PLL circuits is that they often require several seconds to lock on to an incoming signal, and may fail to lock when jitter is too high or when the sample frequency drifts. UltraLockTM converters offer 100 percent immunity from interface jitter under all operating conditions. They easily exceed the performance of two-stage PLL converters, and are free from their slow-lock or no-lock problems. UltraLockTM technology also isolates the conversion clock from the digital audio interface clock. For further information or comprehensive specs, refer to Benchmark's website.  

Benchmark is best known for their gear for recording professionals, and one look at the DAC1 reveals that it is designed with the recording engineer in mind. The $975 unit has an unassuming black metal chassis with an aluminum faceplate that has rack mount holes. It is not beautiful looking, but it is functional. In the front, there are two headphone jacks driven by Benchmark's HPA2TM high current headphone amplifier, which is capable of driving a variety of headphones while delivering less than 0.0003% distortion. On the far right is a gain control for the headphone jacks. The unit is designed to interface directly with power amplifiers and powered studio monitors, without the need for a preamplifier. If you flip a rear-panel toggle switch to the Variable position, the same knob can be used to control the output level of the balanced and unbalanced analog outputs, also in the rear. The DAC1 has three digital inputs (balanced XLR, BNC coaxial, and optical) that can be selected by flipping a toggle switch in the front of the unit, next to blue and red LEDs that signal the unit's status. There are also two 10-turn calibration potentiometers that are accessible from the rear panel with a small screwdriver. The trimmers provide 2 dB of adjustment per rotation, with a total range of +9 to +29 dB. Rounding out the rear panel is a 15A IEC inlet, which allows experimentation with aftermarket power cords.

I compared this little $975 DAC to my Perpetual Technologies front end with the P-1/A interpolation and upsampling engine feeding my ModWright Level II P-3/A 24/96 DAC, both powered by the Monolithic P-3 power supply and connected with Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy I2S interconnects. This setup costs nearly three times as much as the DAC1. I hooked the DAC1 up to my Audio Alchemy DDS-Pro transport with Argent Audio Jaden Signature digital coax cable. For the analog outs from the DAC1, I used my new reference interconnects, the CryoTweaks Silver Reference MkIIs, terminated with the new WBT Nextgen plugs. Since the DDS-Pro has a separate I2S output that is only compatible with my P-Tech setup, I was able to compare the two DACs by connecting them to separate preamp inputs, then simply turning the selector switch back and forth. The one thing that made the comparison a little difficult was the fact that the P-1/A reduces volume by 6dB to give it the necessary headroom for its speaker correction software, so I had to adjust the volume to ensure that I was listening at the same levels.

At first listen, the Benchmark DAC1 amazed me. Everything about it was better than my P-Tech setup! It had better resolution, better bass, better dynamics, better air, and it sounded more open. I was shocked. I did not think the Benchmark would deliver the same level of performance for a third of the price. I was also running the P-Tech setup in I2S format, which is supposed to be superior to any other digital format with respect to jitter. While the DAC1 was not a huge step beyond my P-Tech rig, it was noticeably better, and because of its price I decided to sell my digital gear and reduce the number of boxes from three to one. Because the Benchmark has a volume control, I also began wondering if I could eliminate the preamp from the signal chain, but while the preamp section in the DAC1 is pretty good for the money, it could not compete with my Aragon Aurum. Although running the DAC1 directly to my amplifier did increase the transparency and openness of the sound, the soundstage suffered without the Aurum, and the background was not as black. Piano notes sounded hard and icy, and bass notes were lacking in control. The preamp section of the DAC1 is not poor. In fact, it compares favorably to some preamps I have owned in the past, some of which cost more than the DAC1.

During this period, my P-1/A was in the shop getting new speaker correction software installed for my Onix Reference 1s. I was kindly loaned the P-1/A with which I made my first comparisons, which had a beta version of the software that I discovered had some issues only after my own P-1/A was returned. Compared to my updated P-1/A, the DAC1 no longer held the upper hand. Thoroughly confused, I decided to start over, and removed the P-1/A in order to compare only the two DACs. I still used the digital coax from my transport to feed the DAC1 and the I2S output from the transport to feed my P-3/A, as this enabled me to again plug each DAC into its own preamp input and achieve direct comparisons by toggling between the two inputs.  

This time, drawing a conclusion was much more difficult. The two DACs sounded so similar that hearing a difference was nearly impossible. It was so close I had to enlist the help of my wife, who concluded that if she was not critically listening, both were equally enjoyable. Only after listening intently did she draw the same conclusions that I had drawn earlier. It is important to note she had no knowledge of which DAC was being played—they were referred to only as source A and source B.  

I switched back and forth numerous times before determining that the P-3/A had a slight upper hand in clarity, separation, soundstage depth, background noise, naturalness, and bass control. The DAC1 was a bit splashier, a bit colder, and a bit sloppier in the bass. The DAC1 again sounded more open in the highs. The fact that the Benchmark's sound was so close to that of my reference DAC is remarkable, since the P-3/A is not only more expensive, but uses a superior, low-jitter I2S format. This would certainly support Benchmark's claim that the DAC1 exhibits extremely low jitter.

Next I reconnected my P-1/A with the latest speaker correction software. The P-1/A further eliminated some of the digititis that was present before. Out of curiosity, I decided to try the P-1/A with the Benchmark DAC1. I did not feel that the Benchmark benefited in any way. If anything, I felt that it sounded more constricted. Some of the sparkle and life had been sucked out of it.

While I am not a big headphone fan, I experimented with the DAC1's headphone output and my Sennheiser HD535s. My experience with headphones, aside from my own, is limited to the Sennheiser HD-600s, the AKG K1000s, and a Stax rig that I heard at CES. Compared to these, my Sennheisers driven by the DAC1 lacked body and emotional engagement. I do not know whether this is due to my headphones or the amp built into the DAC1. Of course, the headphones and headphone amps I heard at CES cost substantially more than the DAC1 and my Sennheisers.

Benchmark has produced a fabulous product at an astonishing price. Considering that I had to strain mightily to hear differences between it and my reference digital front end, which cost nearly three times as much, speaks volumes about the DAC1's value and performance. Finally, the built-in headphone amp and volume control eliminate the need for a preamp for those on a tight budget. Bravo to the DAC1 for setting a new benchmark! Fown-Ming Tein

FOWN-MING TIEN'S SYSTEM:

LOUDSPEAKERS
Thiel CS 2.2

ELECTRONICS
Aragon Aurum preamplifier, EVS volume attenuators (12 position), and Jeff Rowland Model 10 amplifier.

SOURCES
Audio Alchemy DDS-Pro CD Transport, Perpetual Technologies P-1/A Upsampler/Interpolator, Perpetual Technologies P-3/A DAC w/ModWright Level 2 mods stacked on PandaFeet sorbothane vibration dampers powered by Monolithic P-3 power supply, Pioneer DV-AX10 UDP for DVD-A and SACD.

CABLES
Onix Statement speaker cable, CryoTweaks Silver Reference MkII interconnect, Argent Jaden Signature RCA interconnect, Aural Thrills WBT Gold digital coax interconnect from CD-T to P-1/A, Revelation Audio Prophecy I2S cable connecting P-1/A to P-3/A, Onix Statement power cord, Onix Statement 1 power cord, Eichmann eXpress6 RCA interconnect, and Eichmann eXpress6 AC power cable.

ACCESSORIES
Tice Power Block power conditioner, Hubbell 20A hospital grade outlet, Bedini Ultra Clarifier, Auric Illuminator Optical Playback Resolution Enhancement, and Quantum Symphony Pro, Black Diamond Racing cones Mk3, Polycrystal amp stands (2).


I like to shop at the Nordstrom Rack. I love getting a good price on good stuff. It makes me feel like I'm living as large as anyone else, even if my pocketbook suggests differently. Who doesn't? In truth, some of the clothes are made specifically for the Nordstrom Rack, and have never seen the light of day at the mother store. When it comes to audio, everyone wants to think that their system gets them as close to the original event as the most expensive gear, and that the only difference between their components and the big-buck ones is fairy dust. This brings me to the Benchmark DAC1. Is this Stereophile Class “A” product as good as other Class “A” products?

Fown-Ming Tien wrote the initial review of the DAC1, and rather than recap the details of its construction, layout, etc., I will talk about how it sounded, though I will say that the unit was built to professional standards and operated without a glitch. I heard the DAC1 in a few different situations, in comparison to my Audio Note 3.1x as a stand-alone player, and with both the 3.1x as a transport and a CEC TL1 transport. Regrettably, I did not have any audiophile-grade digital cable, so I used a cheap digital cable from Radio Shack terminated with BNCs with the Audio Note, and with the Benchmark I used an RCA interconnect to the CEC. If that botches this review for you, so be it. That's what I had on hand, and I'm not sure the Benchmark boys and girls give much credence to audiophile cables anyway. Near the end of my time with the DAC1, I took delivery of new speakers, the Ensemble Figuras that I enjoyed so much last year. They are less full sounding than my previous reference speakers, the ATC SCM 35s, though they are more detailed and more refined.

Benchmark claims very high jitter reduction, which means that the transport should make no difference to the sound, but the transport did make a difference. I preferred the cleaner, sweeter, and more detailed presentation of the CEC'd Benchmark. My first impressions were of an amazingly transparent sound. Vocals were in the room, with no extra fat, no microphone feed, nothing, just voices. It was very exciting, and the imaging was stunningly precise and three-dimensional. It clearly embarrassed my Audio Note player on those fronts. The bass was also faster, tauter, and more detailed, although not as textured as the Audio Note's. The top end seemed more extended and detailed than my reference player's.

Out of the box, the Benchmark DAC1 was clearly a player that I would happily and easily recommend. Familiarity bred a deeper, less impressionistic appreciation. The sense of midrange transparency remained, as did the imaging and detailing. However, with the ATC speakers, what emerged over time was that the excellent transparency of the midrange was not matched by the transparency of the bass and treble. Fairly or unfairly, the disjunction of bass and treble from the midrange made the mids stand out as artificial rather than organically related to the frequency extremes.

The DAC1 is ruthlessly revealing. It's a just-the-facts-ma'am product and, at least for me, was not a conveyer of emotion. It delivered the news, for better or worse. Are you looking for a suave DAC? I wouldn't suggest the DAC1, but if you want to know what's on your CDs, the DAC1 should be on your list. Keep in mind that the $975 DAC1 was being compared to a $2895 all-in-one player, and against several other more expensive CD players, including Ensemble's Dirondo/Hi-DAC combination. The Ensemble combo's seamless integration made its transparency bracingly lifelike, but the Benchmark's frequency disjunction made it seem a little odd. The Benchmark DAC1 proved an excellent performer, but with shortcomings. At one-fifteenth the price of the Ensemble duo, I'd still recommend it for the right system. Ultimately I preferred the Audio Note 3.1x for its more integrated, organic sound. It also gave a better sense of the musical message. Though it fell short on the imaging front, the 3.1x simply sounds more like what I want.

With the Ensemble Figuras' leaner tonal balance and greater transparency, the DAC1 sounded a bit bright and grey. The sound was again more analytical than emotive. As with the ATCs, there was no grain or grit, but the DAC1 with the Figuras was a harder recommendation.

The Benchmark DAC1 is a great performer at its price point. Its midrange is close to the best I've heard, and its bass depth and treble extension are good, though not as transparent as the mids. That the DAC1's bass and treble don't match its midrange may not be important in systems with modest speakers and amplifiers. In such systems, the DAC1 will be the class president. Larry Cox

DAC1
Retail: $975
LARRY COX'S SYSTEM

LOUDSPEAKERS
ATC SCM 35.

ELECTRONICS
E.A.R. 509 amplifiers and E.A.R. 864 preamplifier.

SOURCE
Audio Note CD3.1x CD player.

CABLES
Ensemble Dynaflux and Calrad balanced interconnects. Speaker cables are either Ixos 6003 or Belden 1219A.

ACCESSORIES
API Power Pack. BDR cones.

中国哪里可以买到？

Raxel大大，出个比较测试报告伐？？眼热哦，只用来放MP3和APE。。。。。。。。。。

听台湾的一些同好说：Perpetual P3A比Benchmark DAC-1要好不少，价格又便宜：）有机会要一起比较下

另外对以下这台WEISS的评价也颇高[upload=jpg]Upload/200552717163155424.jpg[/upload]
转studioversion：
Features: Inputs:
There are three digital inputs on XLR connectors, and one on Toslink (optical). The accepted sampling frequencies are 44.1, 48, 88.2 and 96kHz. AES/EBU signals on a single connector are used. Each XLR input is actively routed to a corresponding XLR digital output, allowing monitoring at multiple stages in a digital studio setup.

Synchronization:
Several signal reclocking schemes are combined for extremely high jitter attenuation, making the DAC1 virtually immune to jitter over a very wide bandwidth.

Converters:
The correlation technique (using two converters per channel) which was already successfully employed in the ADC1 gives the DAC1 an edge over other D/A converters with equal wordlength and sampling rate specifications, resulting in improved SNR and THD.

Outputs:
The discrete Class A outputs have a virtually zero Ohm output impedance, but still can drive large loads without stability problems. Output levels can be set between -infinity and +27dBu. The outputs are symmetrical, but do not have any sound degrading servo mechanisms built in. For asymmetrical operation only one leg of the XLR connector (plus ground) is used.

Remote:
By hooking up an analog potentiometer or fader to the remote connector, the output level can be remote controlled. This level control happens in the digital domain. The input source selection can also be remote controlled.

Frontpanel Elements:
Four switches for input selection
Four LEDs for sampling frequency display (44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96)
Three LEDs for input wordlength display (1..16, 17..20, 21..24 bits)
One Emphasis LED
Two 25 turn trim potentiometers for fine trimming the output level


Backpanel Elements:
Three digital inputs on XLR
One digital input on Toslink
Three digital outputs on XLR, buffered from XLR inputs
Two analog outputs (channel 1,2) on XLR
Output level range switch (high / low) Remote connector with the following signals:
Power supply to external faders
Tapers from two external faders
four input selection switches
four LEDs for input selection switches

这是在台湾相当少见的瑞士Weiss DAC 1

如果说DAC数字声感太重

那您肯定没听过Weiss的DAC

Weiss的特点是温厚却不失解析

完成度一样很高的DAC

在家用市场并不多见....因为长相不够Hi-End的关系(不够美)

不过这是见人见智的东西

当然分辨率往上比是比不上DCS的955

不过......Weiss在国外pro studio Eng.的眼中是和Manley,Focusrite同等声音级数的东西

以上所言为同行前辈所言之大略
[upload=jpg]Upload/200552717172939544.jpg[/upload]

RAXEL兄了解否？

它的说明书里面说了,去到192KHZ的话建议用同轴,下星期去与朋友的Sonic Fronter 比一下..哈哈.

DAC1 Pro-Audio User Comments


The DAC1



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Doug Sax said, to a common friend: "This box sounds absolutely delicious."

Doug Sax, owner of seven DAC1s, has been the Mastering Engineer for artists such as Chet Atkins, Phil Keaggy, Leo Kottke, Diana Krall, Barry Manilow, and so very many others.  Here is a list of Doug's projects, and here is an overview of Doug from GRAMMY.com.


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"The Benchmark DAC-1 is quite simply, the best D/A converter I have
ever heard. It displays superb stereo imaging and clarity across the
whole audio spectrum. It is now an essential component in my monitoring
system"

Mick Glossop
Recording Engineer for Van Morrison, Frank Zappa, and others.

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"I found the Benchmark DAC1 incredibly transparent sounding. It made my mastered 16-bit CDs sound more like the original 24-bit master recordings full of rich detail, wide stable stereo imaging and a clear high end. As an invaluable production tool, I use the Benchmark connected to my CD player's digital output to evaluate my mix dailies at home."

Barry Rudolph
Recording engineer/mixer for Pat Benatar, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hall and Oates, BB Mak, The Corrs and Rod Stewart.

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"The DAC1 lets me hear what's really going on in my mix."

Michael Wagener
Recording Engineer for Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Janet Jackson, etc.

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"If there's one thing I look for in a converter besides amazing sound, It's reliability. The no compromise quality and simplicity of the DAC1 makes it my first choice, it's magical. Working on deadlines for artists such as Counting Crows, Sting, and Enrique Iglesias you can't risk digital surprises. The DAC1 is my rock."

Sebastian Arocha - Morton
Producer
(Counting Crows, Enrique Iglesias, Sting)
ROCASOUND LA

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"After I set up the DAC1 I played some program that I had recently mastered. I was very impressed. Music that I was intimately familiar with sounded cleaner, more detailed with less haze.

I then set up an A/B situation with our in house D/A's.
The DAC1 held its own or beat them (one unit cost almost 10 times more).

Next I set up the DAC1 as the front end of my analog processing chain. Playing a digital source (Audio CD, DAT, ProTools files) it seemed to make my analog gear sound sweeter, more like coming from an analog source.

The DAC1 will now be used as the front on every project I master when using analog processing. Now I need another one to use as my main monitoring D/A."

Joe Yannece
The Hit Factory Mastering Studios NYC
Mastering Engineer for
Clay Aiken's Measure of a man

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Dear Allen,

I have spent the last few months with my new DAC1 in the post production studio and on location recording classical and jazz.  It is simply astonishing!  The clarity and detail is unrivaled in my experience.  What I am most grateful for is that I enjoy listening to music through the DAC1 so much more.  Because the converter is so pure and precise, music just has more impact - the natural colors and textures are more intense and pleasurable without the artifacts of inferior design.

I'm sure all this is no surprise to you but I felt the need to thank you and ask when the A-D converters based on the same technology are arriving?  I have enclosed a few favorite CD's.  The were produced by my friend and colleague Adam Abeshouse who has started the Classical Recording Foundation, a not-for-profit which provides grants and awards to artists to record projects with cultural and historic significance.  I hope you enjoy the CDs and again Bravo!

Best Wishes
Silas Brown
Legacy Sound
New Rochelle, NY  10801

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Mr. Burdick,

I've had your DAC-1 installed in my system for a little over a month now, and let me just say, I don't know how I ever got along without it.

The DAC-1's sound is effortless. Details that would be masked by a lesser D/A, leave the DAC-1 without the slightest bit of strain. The audio sounds true, and doesn't qualify as "hyped". These qualities make for a perfect front-end to my monitoring system.

There is no doubt in my mind that the DAC-1 raises the bar at which all future digital conversion will be judged. I can't wait to see what's next...

Sincerely,
Gary Longest
MortarWorks Mastering
ph: 804-615-6957
www.mortarworks.com

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After running in the Benchmark Media DAC1 for a few hours, I started listening and was immediately struck by the liveliness of the music and the cleanliness of the sound: there were real spaces between the instruments and between the stopping and starting of the notes; I was stunned by how 'dirty' and hash all other DACs I've had in the system sounded in comparison.

I wanted to play one CD after another, a phenomenon that has never happened before with digital (as it does with great analogue components), even with ultra expensive DACs.  Even an expensive Perpetual Technology up-sampler/DAC was beaten for purity of sound, dynamics and sheer musicality. (It costs three times as much here).

This DAC simply gives you access to the signal and hence the music - I actually heard musical detail (i.e.. actual notes!) that I had not heard before on CD's which I have played hundreds of times as part of my speaker designing. It is super clean but not sterile, and because of this you hear more of the signal.

Dynamics, both macro and micro (esp. micro) are stunning - every little nuance in articulation is reproduced, as it is with a high end analogue source. Bass is lean and tight, midrange is liquid and refined, the treble is bright and utterly natural.

I have even stopped using my HDCD DAC because the Benchmark sounds better, even though the signal is not being HDCD decoded; this is a first!

I have played this DAC to friends, colleagues and customers who know my reference system very well and they have all commented on how it has been transformed; and they all want a DAC1. An outstanding product that I consider is a must in any high end CD system.

Mike Kontor
NotePerfect Loudspeakers
Australia
www.noteperfect.com.au

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The DAC1 is brilliant!

I recorded the SU Wind Ensemble last night, with my usual matched pair of B&K 4003's, Millennia pres (need 130V), your AD2402-96 at 24/96, and drove my Hafler/Westlake combo with your DAC1.

I have reached my recording nirvana, the place where I can't discern any fault in my signal path. My system sounds as if I have the mic pres plugged right into the power amplifiers. How liberating to be able to concentrate on microphone technique and not worry about any other part of my chain imparting it's own sound to the recording.

James S. Abbott
Audio Engineer
Syracuse University
jsabbott@syr.edu

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Your products have always been an amazing purchase "bang for the buck". Remember the old comment your Grandma might have made: Sweet Meats come in Small Packages"? That's how I feel about the DAC1. An amazing device, in such a small package. BUT, then again, when you understand the basics of ANALOG, you realize that most of this is not "rocket science", and those that try to make things overly complicated tend to screw up more than they fix.

From a quick look inside (while I was there setting the level jumpers), It was immediately obvious, that you have one key thing solved that so many people miss. You started out with a GREAT power supply design, and that one thing alone does more to create great sounding gear than anything else. The reality that I've always believed, is that power supply IS the key to the sound. If the power supply has garbage coming out of it, that garbage will be in the output. All the output signal, is a modulated representation of the signal input to the front end of the device, and if the power is bad, you'll never have great audio.

I've heard lots of different converters in my life… I know what I hear, and the DAC1 is as good or better than the Prism DA-2 is/was. Different speakers, different room, but that's my opinion.

Glenn Meadows – Mastering Engineer
Founder/Former owner - Masterfonics studio – Nashville, TN/Moderator of Mastering Forum

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"The Benchmark is a killer! I've only had it plugged in for a few hours, and gain-matched to the ($4500) Weiss and my TC and the Benchmark sounds:  

1) spacious (excellent width and depth)  

2) clean  

3) robust  

4) solid  

5) pure

It sounds like it costs more than $2000, not $975, and the differences, gain matched, to the Weiss, are hard to quantify. The Benchmark has many qualities that make it very attractive, a "sweet" quality with excellent depth. On a very close A/B, the Benchmark appears to have a tiny bit more ambience than the Weiss and a hair more of a U shape field, but the Weiss has a tetch more "clarity" and definition. It is not a win-win situation by any means. I've NEVER heard a $975 DAC that sounds as good as this Benchmark. It has definitely established a new price/performance ratio. I've never heard a $2000 DAC that sounds as good with jittery sources. None, period."


Bob Katz - Mastering Engineer
Digital Domain
www.digido.com
(from the Mastering Webboard)

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These comments are compiled from postings on the Gearslutz Forum operated by Julian Standen


This thing has outrageous bass reproduction and as good a sense of image and depth as I have ever heard including vinyl.

One of my frustrations has been that I hadn't been able to get the kind of low-end out of my pair of Hafler 9505s as I had been getting using an old Eagle audiophile amp yet the top-end was lots more open with the Haflers. I've tried every kind of buffering, transformers, you name it, every tweak in the book. I've got to tell you, with the DAC1 low end from the Haflers is no longer a problem! I'm back to being on the edge of too much bass just like I was with the Eagle.

I also love the fact that there is a switch that selects between mains off, mains through the front panel volume control and mains through some trim-pots. This means I can calibrate the trim-pots to the level I want as an acoustic reference for critical listening and yet I still have a volume control when I want it or just a headphone amp. I had no idea from the literature what a great monitor controller this thing makes. My only minor complaints are that the volume control isn't detented, there's no mono switch and the fixed/variable/off switch is on the back.

As monitors get closer to being really accurate as opposed to hyped, the sound has a way of really snapping unambiguously into focus. I began using high resolution monitoring to check my work at home beginning around 1968. I haven't stopped learning how to improve both my work and my monitoring yet. Several of my friends feel the DAC1 is a contender for the best D to A converter at any price and it's certainly the best I've had in my system.

I'm using Duntech Sovereign speakers powered by two Hafler 9505s. These are now fed directly by the DAC1. Cables don't seem to be that big a deal with it compared to other DACs and preamps I've used. I'm using a couple old 20 foot Monster mike cables and the imaging is awesome while using the same cables was a total mess with a different D-to-A.

They're going to be selling a whole LOT of these as the word gets out!

Bob Olhsson
Mastering/QC Engineer
Bob Olhsson Audio
Nashville, TN 37209
http://hyperback.com/olhsson.html
mailtolh@hyperback.com

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There was many unexpected difficulties at us with the DHL and customs house. But at last (1/17/03) the DAC1 has arrived to me!

I should tell, that it was the huge pleasure for me, when I have heard how the DAC1 sounds. I and my friend never heard anything similar. I think the DAC1 compare on sounding to converters of "Prism" and "Weiss"! And, of course, this device sounds better, than "Apogee PSX-100" that I wanted to buy earlier. Now I know that my studio sounds as one of the best studios in Russia. If I will be going to buy the ADC, I will buy only yours. Many thanks to your company and you personally!

And now, about some details of DAC1. Excellent sound, perfect design, powerful, crystalline - sounding amplifier for headphones, thought over and flexible system of jumpers and additional adjustments - almost everything ideally (for me)...

Many thanks to you!
Best regards,

Vsevolod Chtcherbakov
Composer, arranger, programmer
Rostov Region, Russia

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I received my DAC1 last week (in Brussels, Belgium, for sure the first one here?) and I am impressed every day. There is a blatant improvement over my normal DACs (Mackie-Soundscape32 digital editor/recorder), I even posted it on our Soundscape forum in a 44.1 v 96 K discussion, with the argument that the improvement I hear with the DAC1 is maybe bigger than switching from 16-bit, 44.1K to 24-bit 88.2K !

... the results are great : more 'space', the natural acoustic breathes more, tonally less clouded, less aggressive yet more dynamic - it just sounds more 'live'. (the use of compression gets even more intolerable...)  As is written in the accompanying (Benchmark) letter, there IS something missing in the lower midrange, but surely nothing that is meant to be there! I'm quite sure this improvement translates to the upper and lower regions as well, could I say it sounds more like, hm, analogue ? It's very much like the difference I heard at an SACD demo, maybe we don't need a new standard after all?

If you want to decide from this that my previous DACs really stink, well hm - come to think of it - compared to the DAC1 maybe they do ... But in reality they are not bad at all (compared to real world DACs).

I am getting the feeling that I will have to save up the money to get the 8ch AD converter.


Yannick Willox
Acoustic Recording Service b.v.b.a.
Brussels, Belgium

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I found the DAC-1 to be smooth, sweet, analytical, and musical yet detailed enough to reveal problem areas in a recording. This means that no ear fatigue takes place during a long period of time. I consider this a big bonus in a long and tiring mastering session. I believe that this is a rare quality in a D-A converter and it comes very high in my priority list. Usually converters at this price range are forward, bright, edgy and they make you want to turn the volume down. On the other hand there are also at this price range converters which are smooth and sweet but not detailed enough to reveal musical information of inner detail in an instrument's timbre.

I was extremely impressed with the ability of the DAC-1 to resolve performances with complex soundstage passages. Its soundstage transparency is excellent. I could easily pinpoint the instruments' timbre and location within the soundstage. This is again another one of the qualities that are very high on my priority list for a converter. Usually at any price range digital reproduction units tend to blur the soundstage. With the DAC-1 the "blanket" is off.

... I consider myself fortunate enough to sit back, relax and enjoy a piece of music which is something that I haven't done in a long time. Usually when I try converters from other manufacturers and at various price ranges, after 10-30 minutes I want to turn the volume down. This didn't happen with the DAC-1.

For the qualities that I was looking for, the DAC-1 compliments my mastering setup perfectly.

Regards,
Sakis Anastopoulos
Mastering Engineer and Owner
Digisound Mastering
Australia
http://www.digisoundmastering.com

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I've been listening to the DAC-1 today on some recordings I made a few years ago, and I must say I am impressed with the DAC-1. It's actually quite remarkable in my opinion, dramatically better than any stock converters I've heard on typical pieces of gear: PT, L2 D/A converters, digital mixers I've used, whatever. The detail and upper range clarity of the DAC-1 is truly noticeable. Stereo imaging is excellent. I know my recordings very, very well and it was like listening to them all over again fresh. My recording engineer will be in for a session in about a week, so I'll be interested in his take on the DAC-1, but it's not like I need confirmation.

I hope you guys are working on an ADC-1 of similar quality that will fill up the 1/2 rack space next to my DAC-1.

Albert Potts

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Get the DAC 1 and connect direct to your power amp and use the attenuator that's built onto the front of the DAC 1. I have a unit in for evaluation right now and it's soundstaging is huge. So far I shot it out against the HEDD 192, the Apogee PSX100, The Troisi (built into the Dangerous Monitor), the Masterlink 9600, and the L2.

I have a group of engineers and producers coming in this weekend to hear the unit and do an informal shoot out. I can tell you this, it's not going back. Nothing has made my B&W's sound so effortless. Every other converter pulls the soundstage in, some just a bit and at first it seems like there is slightly less bass or low mid, but that's really not the case. As I listen more and more it's really a lack of grunge.

This unit delivers what I would call tight bass which being a bass player myself, I love. The fact that you can hook it up directly to the power amp is icing on the cake.

Larry DeVivo
Silvertone Mastering, Inc.
Saratoga Springs, NY
www.silvertonemastering.com

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Oh, it's wonderful. I'm very happy with it. It makes me regret not having installed it sooner.

I had been using my Yamaha 02R's monitor section for monitoring D-to-A work and the difference in definition is remarkable. I can hear subtle changes in processes and processing which escaped me before. Beautifully made, too.

It's a great unit.

Thanks!!
John

John Etnier
Studio Dual
http://www.studiodual.com

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Well, my first response was a cautious optimism; am I really hearing such a marked improvement or is it just in my head? Now, after using it for some 20 hours of sessions, I'm convinced. What I'm hearing is really great.

Words? Sweeter and more sense of the sound stage. And on a minor note, the range of the front gain control is very good, especially when combined with the 20 db pads.

I'm really happy with it.

Thanks again.

Steve Paglierani
West Haverstraw, NY

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Alan Mirikitani at Dawghouse Recording Studios in Burbank CA here.

Received my DAC1 today, plugged it in in about 30 seconds (no hassle with clocking issues) remember the days when you just plugged something in to see how it sounded? Turned it on, and the quote for the day from all the engineers was "OOOH MY GOD!!!!!!!" (that's a GOOD thing by the way!). A fan for life.

Alan Mirikitani aka (BB Chung King)
www.buddaheads.com
studio-owner, musician, producer

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"The biggest problem that I am having with the DAC1 is that it has become a time bandit - forcing me to re-audition many of my recording projects to hear what I have been missing.  I have so many other things to do today, and have been unable to leave the editing suite since we talked earlier.

All of my recording work is on-location classical music, using tube mics, and the very best equipment available.  What is particularly satisfying is the reward of hearing more of the subtleties and resonances of the various instruments and the nature of the reverberation characteristics of the halls that I work so hard to capture."

Steven Lewis
Classical Recording Engineer
Chicago, IL

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We purchased your DAC1 in October and find it to be outstanding.

In fact, it's extra detail and very even tonal response surprised us when compared to listening to the output of our high quality British workstation.

In view of this, we have re-mixed and re-balanced several recent projects here after hearing what was really on tape.

We purchased this unit to use in our portable recording package, but once we heard it in our studio we couldn't part with it.  Now I'll have to buy another for the remote unit.

Thank you for an invaluable tool.  How do you do it?

Cordially,

Hudson Fair
Ealing Mobile Recording, Ltd.
Classical Specialists in Chicago

ffrr1@attbi.com
http://groups.msn.com/cottageofsound

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I think you have a winner on your hands

I have had my DAC-1 for about 4 hours...These are my initial feelings on the unit after listening to multiple CDs.

extremely musical
extremely detailed
accurate
clean
effortless
warm
good sense of space
good sense of depth

I am hearing things on ALL my CDs that I never heard before. It is almost scary!!!!!!

My room sounds like it was enlarged by 10 feet behind the speaker.

The operators manual is nicely done and very informative as is the letter from the President

My hat is off to the team that developed this. They should ALL be given BIG FAT raises IMHO...

I found three problems in my monitoring setup that were masked by the way I had things routed in the old setup. They were very easy to fix but you have to be able to hear the problems first before you can do anything about them. I now go from digital to the inputs of my Bryston 4B amplifier. About a year ago I had asked my acoustician, Don Mitchell, if he could get me closer to the music in my room. He did amazing things to my room but when it was all said and done there was one final step I was missing. I believe the DAC-1 is the final step.

The DAC-1 really cleaned up my monitoring setup.

Can't wait for the A to D to come out.  More to come...

Thomas W. Bethel
Managing Director
Acoustik Musik, Ltd.
Oberlin, OH
http://www.acoustikmusik.com

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Got it yesterday. I love it. No problems setting it up. I do a lot of "woodshedding" on my instrument, which is a pedal steel guitar. And I do it nowadays by opening a session in Pro-Tools and going thru my Neve to my external A-to-D, then out the digi 001 converters to my Mackie HR624 monitors.

I can SO hear the difference when I play, using the DAC1 to hear that last stage that I'd been missing. I can't wait to start recording again, using this. Couple questions, do I need to register it for a warranty? (currently, no - Ed.) I see there's no on and off switch so I plug it in last, after I've turned on the monitors. To sum up, it reminds me of the first time I used my new A-to-D and noticed the difference over the A/D conversion in the 001. This was that same kind of jump. It makes the whole thing more enjoyable. thanks - Rich

Richard Weiss
Woodland Hills, CA