Benchmark DAC2 500-14800-100 2-Channel Digital Audio Converter

Customer Ratings:
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $1,995.00
Today's Bonus:

• Quad 32-bit balanced D-to-A conversion system
• Native DSD Conversion
• 1 x USB, 2 x S/PDIF, 2 x Coaxial, and 2 pairs of analog inputs. Balanced XLR outputs, and 2 pairs of unbalanced RCA outputs.
• Asynchronous Multi-Mode USB 2.0 - 192kHz/24-bit
• Ultra Lock 2 Jitter Attenuation System

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By most accounts I am a budding audiophile therefore I do not have prior experience with DACs of any higher quality than what is in your run of the mill Apple "i" products. I spent a few weeks researching numerous DAC products and I finally decided on the Benchmark DAC2 HGC as a result of all of the rave reviews and it's ability to natively decode/playback DSD recordings. Yes it's completely true listening to the HGC is a "mind blower". It took all of of a few seconds to realize I had never heard the level of musical detail/imagining/accuracy and approximately 1 minute to decide the DAC2 HGC was "a keeper" even at $2K. I am staggered by the amount of musical detail/accuracy I failed to hear prior to my purchase. 3 weeks after my 1st listen, I continue to discover all of the unlocked musical details and beauty "buried" by inferior DACs. On the negative side, I am now able to clearly discern quality differences between iTunes purchased music (256 Kbps) and music ripped from my CDs (lossless). Maybe Apple will wake up soon and offer lossless purchases/downloads. Nonetheless, the enjoyment gained by my purchase of the DAC2 HGC is so compelling that I felt I needed to write this review my first. All of my testing has been done with: Wadia 170 iTransport ipod dock, iPod classic and Audio Technica ATH-M40fs headphones. Thus far I have not experimented with DSD material that is next after I build a system that is worthy of my DAC2's performance/quality which is now WIP..

Buy Benchmark DAC2 500-14800-100 2-Channel Digital Audio Converter Now

Extremely transparent, detailed, crisp and articulate. I'm hearing new detail in music. Be sure to configure for USB 2.0 (default is 1.0) for higher than 16/44.1 resolution files.

I read that 4 ESS Sabre Reference DAC IC's are used, which affords class leading linearity and lower RMS noise. As well as that Benchmark Media Systems has developed advanced jitter reduction, DSP and power supply technology.

This DAC has higher measured performance than much more expensive products and might sound as good, or better. It replaces the already excellent (much lower cost) Cambridge Audio DacMagic Plus Upsampling DAC ($600), in a USB based home audio system.