I've compared the Benchmark to the Apogee Mini-DAC head-to-head. The Benchmark was extraordinary, so detailed it was the musical equivalent of watching bodybuilders ripped for competition.
That is "lean" indeed! FWIW - a DAC needs to integrate with the speakers.
JeanLuc,
What kind of midrange do your speakers have? Is there a dip in the midrange - especially important to check off axis reponse? If there is then you might not appreciate a lean sounding DAC like the Benchmark, as it will just recess lower mids further making the presentation all articulation - all bones and no meat so to speak.