Benchmark DAC1 auditions out there? latest model

If you have never heard a world-class DAC, then you will likely be enamored with the Benchmark. It's all a matter of point of reference. I have spent years perfecting DAC designs and so my standards are very high. The Benchmark does have excellent high-frequency dynamics, extension and focus. Most stock DAC's do not deliver this. In fact it is usually just the opposite. The midrange and bass is decent, but the highs are just not accurate.

I was hoping when I received the first Benchmark, that it would be DC-coupled, but alas, there is a capacitor coupler consisting of a SMT electrolytic and a SMT ceramic cap. I was able to tune-out the DC offset and eliminate this however.

Steve N.
Manufacturer
Empirical Audio

Not exactly. Are you saying that John Atkinson, John Marks, et al, have never heard a high end dac? Or that many of the posters on this forum haven't either?. On the contrary, John Atkinson specifically mentions comparisons with Mark Levinson 30.6, Theta Generation VIII, Wadia 27x, Musical Fidelity TriVista. And the Benchmark receives high marks, even in the company of such esteemed equipment. And there was never a mention of the negatives discussed above.

I'm certainly not saying this. I'm just saying that John has never heard my reference DAC's. I spoke to him about this once. I've heard many of the "esteemed equipment" that you mention. Very nice, but all of them could benefit from mods IMO (and not necessarily mine). Here's why:
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue15/modsnugent.htm

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Manufacturer

Steve, I just read your article. Very well written. One thing I'm having a hard time believing though, is that the designers of high-end DACs don't know this stuff. The Benchmark is definitely designed to a price point, so I can see how it could be improved. But the Meitners, dCSes, Wadias, etc. of the world don't have that restriction on their high-end gear. Are you saying the designers of high-end DACs don't know what they're doing? If you were to market a cost-no-object DAC you designed from scratch would it benefit from mods?

Are you saying the designers of high-end DACs don't know what they're doing?

No, some of them are very competent circuit designers. What you must understand is that there are some very difficult areas of design, such as power delivery, grounding and shielding, wire technology, ESD and EMI. In these areas there are very few experts, even in big industry. I'm talking IBM and Intel. How can you expect designers in small audio companies to know this stuff?

If you were to market a cost-no-object DAC you designed from scratch would it benefit from mods?

Probably if someone identified a higher performing part, it would benefit from replacing that part - a capacitor or op-amp for instance. Also, I am an expert in the esoteric areas that I mentioned above and in the article. I have not spent 30 years designing discrete analog circuits. You dont have to throw a stone far to find one better than me. John Curl certainly can do a better job of designing an amp than me. Even in op-amp design I'm no expert. Industry experts have seen more circuits and solutions than me. For instance, how to do the I/V conversion from the DAC. I only know what I have seen. I'm no expert on this.