A no frills design that faithfully delivers exactly what is provided in the digital data at it's input. Sounds just wonderful thank you!

Output voltage may need taming in some applications. Not pretty in an audiophile sense. It could have be reengineered to fill an attractively designed box with lots of stainless steel, quarter inch thick face plate, weighing in at 35 lbs and called the Benchmark Pleiades Signature, and priced at $10K. But it failed in this regard..

I purchased this DAC for mastering digital recordings and for critical as well relaxed music listening. To put it succinctly, if you want to capture exactly what the recording engineer captured during the master session, the Benchmark is for you. If you are looking for a sound that deviates from this baseline in anyway, for good or whatever, look elsewhere.

Jitter is absolutely mitigated in the Benchmark. There are no humps in response, no experiential distortion, it is phase correct, and dynamics are as they are in real life. Sorry, but it doesn’t get much better than this unless you spend a magnitude of 10 greater than the Benchmark DAC1.

Does it sound any better than a good CD player in this same price range? Differences may be barely perceptible as compared to a Rotel, Rega, or Cambridge. However, more money spent doesn’t really buy truth in fidelity. It’s just the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve reached the limit of a technical achievement within the confines of sound reproduction in the home environment. It’s sort like the difference between driving a Corvette ZO6 and a Bugatti Veyron on suburban streets.

Customer Service

I received immediate response from Benchmark on all application questions. Up there with Bryston in customer support.

Similar Products Used:

Wadia, Theta Gen, Apogee, dCS (all used but not owned)

Strong bass, very clean midrange, headphone jacks.

Highest frequencies are cut off, I know because my speakers have a -10DB response rated out to 120Khz, the Technics leaf tweeter.

The Benchmark is a unit with the high powered headphone jacks, which should come in handy, but the sound is not as good as I was lead to believe. The bass is tight and deep, the midrange is unbelievably clean, but the problem is with the highs. There is a lower treble bump followed by a rapid roll-off. The only good part is that older recordings (> 30 years old) sound a little better, but newer ones are awful. I had to quit using it after about 2 weeks when I kept thinking something was missing, and it was !!! I went back to my Entec number cruncher 205.2, because it doesn't chop off the higest frequencies, even though the bass is not as tight.

Similar Products Used:

Aragon D2A2, Entec number cruncher 205.2.

System includes:
Aragon Aurum pre,
Aragon 8008BB power,
Straightwire Virtuoso balanced interconnects,
Staightwire Rhapsody 2 speaker wires,
Technics SB-10 speakers,
Sennhieser HD600 headphones.

Easy to listen to lyrics.
Neeto Factor.

There are much better values out there, especially when you add in the extra cost of an additional power cord and an expensice Digital Cord. (Both of which I consider necessary to optimize the sound.)

I was just reading a letter to Soundstage in which someone expressed dissapointment at not hearing any differences between the Benchmark DAC1 and his new Cambridge audio player. I also own the Cambridge Azur 640 (Ver 1) and the Benchmark.
One thing which was immediately noticable with the benchmark as compared with the Azur was that I was having a much easier time hearing and discerning vocals. I don't listen much to voice modulated instruments, but they leave slightly more signatures.
On the downside the overall clarity of the music is not much better than the Azur. I don't think I would have paid the slightly hefty price for the Benchmark based on blind testing. Recently I bought a Yamaha Natural Sound DVD player with analog and Digital outputs for CD. While the analog out is not as detailed as the Azur and it is less good as a transport for the DAC, it is more easy to listen to and has a high S/N ratio so it sounds as clear. A little more detail is discernable on the DAC1, but most of it doesn't leap up at you.
There are currently probably better monitary values in a $1000 CD player than in a $1000 DAC. Separates aren't always better with low level signals because low voltages can be lost in the transfer to the processor. Many will strongly disagree with me here, but this is my review and not yours.
Listening fatigue is not a big issue, especially compared with the Azur, but this may be because I use a fully tubed preamplifier.
Digital cables make a large difference in the quality. I use the Kimber/ Illuminations D 60 silver cable. It's better but adds another $300 to the price. Add in the price of a good power cord and the total cost is more near $1500. Isolation/ vibration control improves the sound a little.
Here's a listing of my equipment.
Cambridge Audio Azur 640 (Ver 1)
Antique Sound Labs 2006 Tubed preamp
2 amps Parasound Halo A23
Speakercraft BB275
PS Audio Power Plant 500
Cables mostly silver or silver plate - BetterCables Blue truth - 2
Kimber Silver Streak
Cardas 300B
Power cables mostly PS Audio Preludes
Dedicated outlets

Anyway, diatribe asside, I'll give this DAC Four stars for quality and three for
value.

Similar Products Used:

CD players - Cambridge Azur 640, Yamaha Natural Sound

Getting very close to analog, not just in smoothness but in reproduction of timbre and effortlessness.

None compared to anything I've heard under $3K (or more)

I recently upgraded from a Creek CD50 MkII (a player that has received quite a bit of good press) to this DAC. I'm now using the Creek as a transport with an entry-level Monster Toslink cable.

Well, I can honestly say I wasn't quite prepared for what I would hear. When plugged in the DAC1, my first impression was that the music sounded fuller and more relaxed without any apparent loss of clarity. A definite improvement, I thought, but worth the money? After about 30 minutes of playing different recordings, however, it became clear that my system had just entered a different class altogether.

So what's so different? I will attempt to describe it in Audiophile lingo.

First and foremost, the timbres of instruments have become much more realistic. I've begun to marvel at all the different sounds I'm hearing. It's not that a pleasant tonal coloring has been added to everything but, rather, that all the instruments now display their unique tonal qualities much more clearly. Cymbals, for instance, now sound natural and distinct, whereas before it seemed like every cymbal I heard in every recording was the same crash cymbal. Also, voices are beautifully full and distinct now and guitars all sound different, according to their type and the way they've been miked.

Secondly, the instruments are now much more coherent. The resonance of an acoustidc guitar body, for instance, can now be heard in between notes. There is actually a lot less silence in most of my CDs than I previously thought.

Thirdly, the soundstage is now huge and completely transparent. It's no longer as if individual instruments and voices are competing for space. Things just appear effortlessly in the soundstage and I can now actually hear through instruments and voices, not just around them. Room reverberation generally sounds more natural and not etched or canned.

Fourthly, the attack and decay of notes is smooth and natural now. No more over-emphasized transient attacks which cause fatigue and obscure other sounds or notes.

And finally, there is not even a hint of strain, blurring, distortion or compression in dynamic passages. I keep bracing myself for nastyness when there is a crescendo in the music out of habit. But I'm pleasantly surprised time and time again by the way everything not only holds together but does so without any apparent effort.

All this sound familiar? Like vinyl, perhaps? Yup, getting pretty close.

Is the DAC1 perfect? I doubt it. There always seems to be room for improvement in the audio world. But this product is superb value in the obscenely-priced world of hi-fi. It isn't just entry-level high end, it IS high end. I can't help but wonder sometimes how much the hi-fi industry has been fed over the last 20 years or so by the simple fact that digital playback has, by and large, sucked. "Here, try this speaker cable. It will bring some life back into your system. No? Well maybe it's your power cords. Here, try this one - its on sale for $999" Etc.

This is a great day for digital audio. Practice is finally catching up with theory. And exceptional gear is starting to become possible at $1K instead of $10-20K.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Owned: Creek CD50 Mk2, Rega Planet 2000 and Cambridge Audio CD4 and D500

Detail
Warm but controlled bass
Headphone Amp
Useable as a Preamp

If there's a better DAC out there in the $200 to $1000 range I'd like to know what it is. Honestly, this is good enough that I don't think I'll be playing the upgrade game again anytime soon.

I bought this to replace my M-Audio SuperDAC. I tried the Benchmark out with my Sennheiser HD650's and my M3 headphone amp from Rockhopper Audio. The headphone outs on this are actually quite good. It does, however, sound a bit better with a dedicated headphone amp. I would agree with all the prior positive comments -- detail, warmth, good bass.

Now, recently I decided to use the DAC1 in place of my preamp. It's hooked up to a Threshold T-200 Class A amp. I can say this is the best I've ever heard my system sounding. My prior Sony Receiver (with Preouts) and my old Conrad Johnson PV-5 preamp cant compete. Neither can my digitally connected Panasonic SA-RX70's.

I would heartily recommend that you try connecting your DAC1 directly to your best power amp.

Customer Service

I had to get a new fuseholder for the back. I was dealing directly with Benchmark. After they understood my problem they sent me the needed part within a week.

Similar Products Used:

M-Audio SuperDAC
DA-converter from M-Audio Firewire Sound Card
Sony ES Receiver used as DAC/preamp
DVD-Audio capable Toshiba portable LCD

Unbelievable control of bass Has all the detail that's ALL the detail

Too cheap for idiot audiophiles to rate. Stick to your naim and mark levinson you shallow something-wits.

I cannot really add to the reviews what have come before - and won't try to. All I'll do is confirm it - the detail is maximum and it's ALL there. It's so good it's made me sell my beloved Sugden a21a to get a power amp to shorten the signal path from the superb Dac1. It's the best dac out there at any price point - just get it.

Similar Products Used:

Moodlab Nos Dac.

Detail, transparency, powerful bass, dynamics, small size, build quality, comparatively low price

None

Having had the Benchmark DAC1 for 8 months, I am still amazed everytime I use it. I originally purchased the unit because of the superlative reviews, both pro and audiophile, including the Stereophile Editor's Choice award. And, I must agree with the reviews. There is tremendous detail, transparency, dynamics, and musicality across the entire audio spectrum. I did not expect the extended and dynamic bass but it is there. Music has a vibrancy that is addicting, so much closer to the real thing. The unit totally blew away my prior dac, an MSB Nelson link with upgraded power supply (no slouch in its own right), not to mention several other CD players. A friend of mine had just bought a new highly-regarded $2,000 well-known-name CD player but when he heard the Benchmark he put the other unit up for sale! The difference was very pronounced. I have to agree with reviewers who felt that this competed favorably with the big names in the $5,000 to $10,000 range such as Wadia, Theta, even Mark Levinson. I never was about to spend that kind of money for digital and therefore felt I was relegated to second tier units. Not with the Benchmark, a true first class unit. I am actually grateful to Benchmark for making such a fine unit at a real world price. BTW, if you have a need to contact Benchmark with a question, they are excellent-- super helpful and friendly-- a real high-end company. Also, the headphone amp is great and the volume control enables me to bypass the preamp. And the small size means it can be put anywhere, even next to a computer. Well made too. I couldn't be happier with it.

Similar Products Used:

MSB, Classe, Sony, Arcam

Very very musical, Nice & clean vocal, beautiful inner details, excellent soundstage and good separation. Base is nice deep and punchy. Comes with XLR, SDPIF and RCA as well. It has a volume conterol, so one can also use it without a pre. system.

No remot. very small so you can not show up.

This review followed by the upper one that I wrote before. After having Dac1 for a few days and I think break in period is over now, I am finally writing this reviews on Dac 1. First of all the people out there spend so much money to buy expensive CD Player or DAC to support CD Player just to get the sound like it was recorded in a recording studio, which is in other word in 24 bit resolution. Our CDs support only 16 bit, so to get the sound into 24 bit people spend so much money and many exclusive brand (like Audio Aero, Wadia etc.) with high price tag. Now, Dac 1 has done a wonderful job to do the up sampling right with no problem at all and in fact it is doing that better than many and I said again many of very expansive CD Player and DAC in the marker now. Do not just take my word for it, please go and audition one before you are ready to spend so much money to buy a expansive CD player or DAC. It will upgrade your current CD Player to a different level that you will even think off. First think I notice that it has more high frequencies, more air, wide presentation, that was missing from my system. the spatial information is as good like never heard before. the resolution is so outstanding good, that you can hear a *lot* of things never heard before in your best known cds. I would have never believed that there is so much music and information on the CDs. Please do note that my system consists following equipment before Benchmark Dac1 : CD Player : Marantz SACD Player SA 8400 Pre: Kell KSL 2 Power: Adcom GFA 555II Speakers: Dynaudio Audience 70 Speaker Cable: Occos Interconnect: Slinkylinks Digital Which I consider a fairly good system and I was also getting decent sound out of it, but after installing Dac 1, then I noticed that what I was missing from some days now. The music is now so live and full of details. The huge smooth soundstage make you listen to music all day long. It has completed my system. Before that I was thinking of buying a good cd player or a good (expansive as well) power amp., but now I do not think I need to upgrade anything in my system anymore. All my cds are now sound great. Some of them I have already gave up listening because of poor sound quality, but even them now sound great. I don’t know why but it is happening. After installing Dac 1, I feel like I am no longer in my room, I am in a recording studio listening music from a original source. It is that good. I am not a sound engineer but to feel that you do not need to be a sound engineer. Another huge thing I do not understand all the Dacs out there is huge and big, I wonder what they put in there, junk? I wonder. If Dac 1 can manage to give you a decent sound with a small unit then why all the big name company making their product so big, is it, in that way they can charge you big money. So please before your next upgrade, go and listen to Dac1 first and then decide whether you need to spend 3K or 4K or you simply need 1K (Dac 1). Thanks to Benchmark for a wonderful product with a very little money. Please do remember that big money is not always necessarily means big sound. Bappy.

Similar Products Used:

Very confuse if any company can make a similer product with this similar price range I wonder.

Clean and detail sound. Black background with almost no distortion.

Very small.

After reading all the reviews from different audio magazine like Stereophile, Pro Audio etc. I have decided to buy Dac1 and I did. I am writing this reviews out of the box experience. First of it is a very small unit and looks very simple but elegant. Now about sound, it is very clean and detailed, mid is high and tight and smoother base. I am hearing now some of the instrument that did not it was there. Nice vocal and lower end is just right. Overall it is a very nice and clean sounding DAC that money can buy. I know there are many Dac that cost much much more than this one and fortunately I have tried some of them three times than this price range but they did not sound even near to it. It is a excellent buy if you are using a CD Player less than 5K. My System: CD Player: Marantz SACD 8400 Pre: Krell Ksl 2 Power: Adcom 555II Speaker: Dynaudio Audience 70 Speaker Cable: Occos Interconnect: Slinkylinks Before buy a expansive Dac please do go and audition Dac1 first. Good luck. Bappy.

Similar Products Used:

Do not know.