Recommendation for DAC needed.

@stevehardy1 
 
Paul McGowan still recommends preamps, so...

The PS Audio Directstream with Snowmass is thinner sounding in the lower mid range than the Benchmark DAC 3. Directstream is also less forward sounding and yields less of a wall of sound and consequently more soundstage depth. Benchmark DACs can be a little forward or aggressive sounding, especially in the lower mid range (think chesty vocals for males).

Both DACs have comparable detail and resolution but the Benchmark is more raw and lively (front row) while the PS Audio is more refined (think row 5-10) The detail and liveliness of the DAC 3 can be exciting and exhilarating but also at times distracting. The politeness of the PS Audio Directstream is enjoyable as recording artifacts are less emphasized but on some recordings it can seem a wee bit reserved at times.

Both are excellent sounding. Bass quality is equivalent and excellent. Treble is smooth and analog like. Benchmark is like a microscope on the recording and you notice more often that you are indeed listening to a recording - warts and all. PS Audio Directstream is more laid back or “musical” but without losing any detail.

The difference may be down to the very different output stage. Benchmark is active op amp while PS Audio is a transformer output. The active op amp of Benchmark is very powerful and dynamic - transients stand out. The transformer output in the PS Audio Directstream may be the key to its smoothness.

Take your pick. Both are excellent. Either could float your boat.

I prefer a good preamp even if the Benchmark has a built-in analog preamp and despite ridiculous claims that the PS Audio Directstream doesn’t need an analog pre-amp. (Digital volume control is rather limited in range before performance suffers severely due to SNR and linearity)

@shadorne 
 
Digital volume control is only an issue with 16Bit DACs, 24Bit should be not audibly difference than analog volume controls, and for sure 32Bit.

@mzkmxcv  

It doesn’t matter how many bits. The problem is at the analog conversion stage. The analog signal will become so small as to drop close to the noise floor of the output stage of the DAC. An analog volume control reduces both signal and noise together. A digital volume control only reduces the signal level.

@shadorne

A 32Bit DAC will have a noise floor of ~ -192dBFS. Meaning even if you turn the volume down from full scale to -40dBFS (much quieter than what we listen at), then the noise floor has risen to -152dBFS, still better than 24Bit.

Like I said, it’s a non-issue with 32Bit.

Its even more of a non-issue with say an ESS 9038, which has access to its internal pathway and decreases the noise floor just like an analog volume control (down until it hits its own noise floor of course). Good DACs have been able to do this for >5yrs.