Interesting read about PC/USB/BitPerfection/Benchmark DAC1

[soundcheck]

Hi folks.

I just ordered a Benchmark DAC1 for testing purposes.
During internet research around this DAC I came across this thread:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=225363&page=2

Some of you might know the tread. I did not.

It's very long  - still I presume it'll keep you awake - I guess you'll like the
discussion because it is also very much related to bitperfection, PC asf..

Let's conclude upon it later on. I am looking forward to it.

Have fun.
\Klaus

[Gerner]

Cheers Klaus

Oh...interesting stuff, except for the Benchmark it self.

Had it runnig here. Sorry it didn't stay for long. (Few hours)

Gerner

[soundcheck]

I'd really like to hear if the TAS1020 and the DAC prevents from audible jitter effects.
Would be fun to hear XX and other players playing equally bitperfect. (as they claim)

Beside that I'll test the active monitors (K&H 100 and Adam P11A) in fully balanced  with the DAC1

Of course I also give the DAC1 a chance to beat my DDDAC.

Finally I'll give some Linn 24/96 classic material a try.

Reasons enough to have this little piece at home for 30days.

One thing for sure this bloody PCM27XX series ( used in DDDAC and a lot of other DIY NONOS DACS as USB2I2S interface) is when it comes to jitter sensivity
extremely poor.
It can just get better- jitterwise. I hope. Soundwise -  let's see.

\Klaus

[Gerner]

Fair play Klaus...

Keep us up-dated.

Gerner

[soundcheck]

Hi folks.

First off all the good news.

We were not wrong.
These folks from Benchmark and similar might do measure bit-perfect streams.
Somehow they are still things they can't measure - as it seems.
XX-XP engine 1 sounds already clearly better then JRiver with KS. 
According to Benchmark there shouldn't be a difference assuming Windows is correctly configured.
I assume I managed this. So - Peter keep going.

Second I tested the small Klein&Hummel 0100 against the Adam P11A. 
The P11A IMO is much better. It plays crystal clean lots of ambience.
The bass is much better. Stage is deeper and better structured. Less distorted.
Timbre is much better. Asf.
There is a PWM-amp inside the PA11 which makes of course a huge difference
compared to traditional AB-amps as they used it in the K&H.
Of course it's also hard to challenge the ADAM ART ribbon tweeter. It's really nice.

For my desk though they are a bit big. Anyhow they are smaller then the Emes
Black I had here for testing over the last two weeks.

If I compare them I'd say. The Emes is also performing quite well. The coax in the nearfield
delivers a much better soundstage then the Adam and it plays somehow more coherent .
Of course highs and timbre are much  better with the P11A.
So - I'll give the P11 some days to break in. It might improve on the cohrerence.

The Benchmark does have issues. It seems to play with the original usbaudio.sys only.
The asio.de driver doesn't recognise the DAC and under Unix I also have an issue to get
it working. The TAS1020 is not really a standard interface chip.
SO XX is the only option for the time being to get quality sound out of this DAC.
Soundwise the DAC delivers real nice sound in my particular office setup.
It sounds just neutral.

During the next weekend I'll  compare my DDDAC to the Benchmark.

That'll be it for now.

Cheers
Klaus 








 



 

[PeterSt]

Hi Klaus,

I'm on page 11 in that thread and tend to believe nothing more is coming of "our" importance in the next 40 pages ?

[xp9433]

You were going to compare with the DDDAC

Were you saying in your intial impressions that the Benchmark would not be a match for XXHighEnd engine #3?

Thanks
Frank

[soundcheck]

Hi.

Today I challenged my DDDAC.

I tweaked the Benchmark DAC1 quite a bit.
- MainsFilter
- PowerCord
- 0db setting
- 3A silver fuses (!!!)
- Shaktis on the DACs
( Still far less then I tweaked my DDDAC )

It was a bit tricky to integrate the DAC into my fully integrated system.

I think the DAC1 is doing a great job. It shows slightly more details then my DDDAC.
But lacks a bit of transient response and depth in the soundstage.
(I guess these issues have been improved by Empirical Audio mods)
On complex pieces you hear the typical "mains" effect. I havn't heard a system
driven by mains-power delivering the natural softness and relaxing atmosphere
of a battery-driven DAC. You can listen to it for hours. 
The seperation with the DDDAC is also clearly better.

Bottom Line:
The DAC1 is a real good device especially when looking at the pricetag for a commercial product and the features
it delivers.
If tweaked a bit more, driven in balanced mode and a  battery,  I'd expect a real tough game for my DDDAC.
For the time being the DDDAC stays in the chain.
I guess a standard DDDAC ( and also other DACs out of the 154x  NONOS family) would have a hard time
to beat this device.

I tested the USB-DACs on XP-XX-Engine 1 and Linux-Brutus with my Thinkpad T60P - Voodoo IC Cables - Monster Ultimate USB

Cheers
\Klaus
 



 

[SeVeReD]

- Shaktis on the DACs

Not commenting on the review, which I'm sure you have a good handle on.  I've had 3 of those shaktis stones hanging around for a while now, but I've never found them to do anything but mess up my system, (well I had them on some bass amps where I couldn't really tell if I liked em or not, I thought I did maybe,,,, but I see they're not even there any more).  Y ou tried the dac without I'm guessing?  Anyway, be careful what you throw them on.  I'm still waiting for the component they might help. heh
edit
Only reason I say be careful with those shaktis is because I wasn't.  I put em on a cdp, and two amp transformers and let em sit there for a couple months before I really evaluated what they were doing.  I have to be careful because I can like music coming out of just about anything, and it's not until I go back and forth (which I pretty much don't like to do) that I find one is better than the other.  When I was using em, especially on smaller equipment like dacs, I found them to make the sound uneven,,, messing with dynamics, squelching here, spilling there.

[JohanZ]

Hi Klaus,

Today I challenged my DDDAC.

Which version of the DDDAC1543 do you use? How many TDA1543 chips did you use in your DDDAC configuration?

Regards,

Johan

[soundcheck]

Hi Klaus,

Today I challenged my DDDAC.

Which version of the DDDAC1543 do you use? How many TDA1543 chips did you use in your DDDAC configuration?

Regards,

Johan

Johan.
The USB interface is not the latest. The DAC-Towers are the latest. I run 24Chips, Tent Clock, BG non-polars, Northstar NSB 90 Battery, precision resistors, no outputcap, Riken resistors on the output, .....


@ Severed

 Just to mention it: I built the whole chain by myself , I developed my own PC (Linux) setup and player --- AND STILL --- I am using Shakti-Onlines at several places in the chain!!! I do not intend to discuss Shaktis here. 

Cheers
\Klaus

[vojin]

Hi,

I am the owner of the DAC1 that Gerner tried. I like the little machine very much, but I am considering going to battery PS. Haven't found anything on that topic on the Internet. Has anyone tried it? Does anyone intend to convert to battery? etc...

Regards to all ,

Vojin

[Gerner]

Hi,

I am the owner of the DAC1 that Gerner tried. I like the little machine very much, but I am considering going to battery PS. Haven't found anything on that topic on the Internet. Has anyone tried it? Does anyone intend to convert to battery? etc...

Regards to all ,

Vojin

Hi Vojin

I do not know anyone who tried this, but I can tell you that there might be a call for different voltages in the HW parts inside the cudy DAC. That means a lot of redesign and a complex battery feeder....I think.

Look at the TD+ which is operated with four individual batteries each dedicated for each their task.

Come over for a coffee...hehehe


Gerner