Benchmark dac - why such diverging opinions?

One proverb of audiophilia is you MUST listen for yourself. If you only go by a review, or someone elses opinion, then you are about 50/50 chance of not liking it.
I have done it myself on a DAC. So i am no exception. i returned an expensive DAC as it was no better than my old DAC, in my system.

Also, different folks have different priorities. Some want certain parts of the sound perfect, and will allow others to be not so great with no comment. and natually, those parts are different for different folks.
Some reviewers should bother to tell the reader thier bias.

Like my bias is the upper frequencies. they have to be perfect, clean, clear, great tone... all else is less important to me than that. So if it is good, with a really great top end, i love it. If the upper frequencies are not there, no matter how perfect the rest, it sucks IMO.
And i hate any sort of bloat in the lower frequencies..
Perhaps this helps you understand.
Different folks listen for different stuff. and listening for yourself is EVERYTHING.
Bar that, just buy used, try it, and pass it on if it is not for you..

Any component with an audiophile audience will draw a wide range of responses. You can find critical commentary on just about anything (Wilson speakers, anyone?)

Why worry about it? Either your system does what you want it to do, or it doesn't.

The reviews which are done by 'professionals' very rarely if ever criticize or give a negative review of anything they review. That is why many of us do not put much if any stock in the reviews or the resulting listening comparisons. The most glowing reviews also seem to consistently come from the publications that accept advertising and receive their income from said advertisements. Can you put two and two together? It is a symbiotic relationship. Has been and will continue to be.

The same, unfortunately, can be said for many hobbies that have trade publications that do reviews of products.(autos, computers, home improvement tools, photography, etc). Everything gets 4 or 5 stars and we all know that is a bunch of crap!

Marketing and sales keeps everyone employed...its part of the business model IMO.

I also auditioned a Benchmark HDR at home several months ago. Like a lot of people, I found it too lean in the mid-bass, and while the treble was impressivly extended, I found I didn't really like the sounds that were revealed "way up there" (I believe in a live situation that extreme treble frequencies never make it to the ears. I remember a cartoon showing two audiophiles walking out of a concert and agreeing, "Not enough treble!".) I did like the exceptionally clean and bell-like midrange. Also the sound was very immediate and "quick". I really wanted to like it more because it's such a cool piece of gear, but it's not really how I want to hear the music.

Maybe it's an issue of "you can't handle the truth!" Maybe all the other equipment I like is plump in the mid-bass and rolled off on top. Quite possible given that I gravitate towards tube gear.