DAC with a Balance Control - Does on exist?

Of course, Benchmark makes a DAC now that has volume and balance, so if you like your Benchmark, that would be my suggestion. Rwwear-- Re why anyone would want a balance control--any small differences in speaker efficiency (between two speakers of same model etc), any differences in room layout--asymmetries--any slight channel inbalance in the electronics--these all contribute to the need for a balance control "even" in a "high end system". Not to mention mismatched or poorly balanced software selections.

The Pure Music playback software has a balance trim control.

I certainly understand that the balance could be slightly off in a system but it's so easy to move your listening position or adjust your speakers til correct. Even the best balance controls add distortion to your system unless done in the digital domain and then only when done with high resolution devices.

Why balance controls? I think this is summed up nicely by Anthony H. Cordesman in an old Stereophile review from 1987.

"No serious audiophile is going to be so much of a purist as to eliminate the balance control, simply because so many recordings have slightly unbalanced channels. Since the balance control acts as the "imaging control," and minor adjustments are essential to getting the proper spread and depth of instruments from right to left, no halfway decent system can do without one. Only an audiophile content with a system that never had proper musical focus could bear to listen to music without at least occasionally adjusting system balance." - Anthony H. Cordesman, from an old Stereophile review from 1987.

http://stereophile.com/content/mod-squad-line-drive-passive-preamplifier

I think this is still true in our digital age.

Tarsando, you wrote: "Benchmark makes a DAC now that has volume and balance"

Do you know the model number?

Regarding the "Why" do I want a balance control the quote by Daverz summarizes the reasons perfectly. I am picky and I want the sound positioned precisely.