[340519]

what's top right amp?

The icon audio hp8 mk2.

 

[Baten]

The icon audio hp8 mk2.

Looks quite nice

 

[340519]

Looks quite nice

It's great and it sounds fantastic.

 

[barbz127]

I've read the dac3 is very revealing of source; has anyone tried any of the various DDC's on the market with the dac3 and can share any thoughts on any changes?

Thankyou

 

[Kozwoz]

I've read the dac3 is very revealing of source; has anyone tried any of the various DDC's on the market with the dac3 and can share any thoughts on any changes?

Thankyou

I've used the DAC3 HGC everyday for close to 4 years and this is a good opportunity to share my thoughts on this thread which seems to have gone cold a long time ago. I still have a love hate relationship with it but can't really live without it and the way it represents music. I find it brutally honest whether that's something you want or not is for you to decide but personally I find it addictive as somehow it always feels closer to the truth or I'm hearing a truer representation of source and material. It's an incredibly capable and powerful device but don't let anyone fool you in thinking it doesn't have a particular sound - which I realise goes against Benchmarks design ethos. Chord Hugo might edge it out ever so slightly purely in the way it sounds and how music is represented but the DAC3's more powerful XLR outputs really makes it shine much brighter in certain settings. It's variable gain is definitely a feature although a bit of fiddle to access internally. It will allow you to run the pre-amp functionality closer to 0 gain and although variable gain is basically found in many other similar devices I've yet to find another device that sounds so consistent and exceptional between these settings whilst sacrificing basically nothing audible.

On the one hand it allows for a greater level of system matching but I would still recommend careful system matching with the DAC3 because you'll want to control how everything else sounds apart from it. The DAC3 sounds exceptionally clean to me in regards to it's very black background and the way it portrays music. The black background feels almost like a sound characteristic which is fairly noticeable to me compared to other devices. At the same time poorly recorded music will be exposed in every respect you can imagine and it shows you the limitations of other hardware you use with it - so beware. This is a serious piece of kit and it carries a hefty price tag compared to other capable devices but none which sound or function quite like it. Although I appreciate you can come close to the DAC3 for a lot less now in this hobby but you pay what you get is still true here.

I think I could talk about the DAC3 all day. It's had a fundamental impact on the way I perceive and understand music that's its probably indirectly shaped who I am even though I realise that might sound too profound but with so much use over so many years... I'm talking 8 hours a day most days for years due to the fact I also work with it as a sound engineer and its a device I've learnt to trust but rarely now fight it for how meticulous and impeccable it can be - which took a long time for me to mature to realise what it was really doing under the hood. I realise my thoughts are purely subjective but I have to admit the DAC3 sets a certain standard by which I judge all other sound reproduction which is one of greatest compliments I can give it. It is also something that contradicts itself by design - it clearly strives to deliver music in the purest form but this in itself has a particular sound and I'm not sure Benchmark will ever truly admit it as they like to believe DAC3 is free of colour but that's not my interpretation, actually the opposite it has a very particular sound and you should choose it based on taste and the way it reproduces music.

Not sure if I've encouraged people to buy it or the opposite but those are some my thoughts, some of which are clearly biased and I hope some that are not. Ultimately I would never sell it or trade it and I'm certain I would buy it again if I had to despite the ridiculous cost - frankly it's very expensive but none like it so not sure how to justify things which is worrisome. I cannot say it's overpriced but theres now a lot competition at this price point and some devices could suit your needs better and even perform audibly better to your ears but I really believe the DAC3 is nearing that limit of what is possible to extract from music. There are device that can do more but we're talking silly money for marginal improvements - but each to their own in this particular respect. Let me know if theres anything specific you want to know and I can share my thoughts... if not excuse me for waffling on. I wish this could of been a proper review but i'm not sure I would fair well.

Just want to add that there are certainly things I would change about the DAC3 from a user interface and functionality point of view and I could be very critical of a few things but I would change nothing at the expense of the sound. Design is bit outdated but ultimately the sound is it’s primary concern which I will always respect and admire. Different devices will come and go but the DAC3 I believe will continue to stand the test of time and regardless of what comes after it it will continue to be one of the jewels of the audiophile world for what it sets out, strives and succeeds in achieving. Benchmark clearly have a deep rooted philosophy based on what it means to be true to source and this is always apparent on every listen. To change the sound would mean changing what Benchmark believe in as they’ve approached every one of their products with this mindset.

Shoutout to Rory at Benchmark for helping me understand this product better over the years and I do encourage people to read more about the real science and technology that goes into making the DAC3 on their website which they're very transparent about unlike some other manufacturers which is refreshing. You can then begin to better understand why it was designed to sound the way it does.

 

[barbz127]

I've read the dac3 is very revealing of source; has anyone tried any of the various DDC's on the market with the dac3 and can share any thoughts on any changes?

Thankyou

Any other thoughts about using a DDC with the Dac3 or any comments on any perceived differences between using the USB and coaxial inputs on the Dac3?

 

[tesarpa]

I noticed exactly zero difference between MacBook, Raspberry Pi, Sonnet Hermes, Allo DigiOne, ProJect StreamBox Ultra with DAC3. In opposite to that, there are differences with my other DAC, Schiit Yggdrasil.

 

[Kozwoz]

Can't speak for coax but there is a difference between line in and usb input. The RCA line in sounds more analogue and will inherit characteristics from the source. The digital and analogue sections of the DAC3 are separate. USB sounds more digital but only relative to line in - it sounds tighter, faster and sharper transients. Whereas I find the analogue section more musical, fuller and at times more powerful - this is especially true if you're using the headphone amplifier and I feel you can drive headphones better with line in. Of course it depends what you're feeding the DAC3.

 

[KING DRANZER]

I have Monoprice THX-AAA-788 I have using it for a Year as I have the two Analog inputs populated from my Gaming and Movie needs of 7.1 surround. I have Sennheiser GSX 1200 Pro plugged in and the THX-AAA-788 being ADAC does nothing much to the signal and delivers the 7.1 surround audio. I was planning to test the new headphones and check how they handle the surround. What I initially did was to plug the GSX 1200 Pro directly to HPA4 and was fine with it. But then the person who owns this stack asked me to plug the GSX into DAC3 RCA Input. When I did I was left speechless. I was surprised why no one discusses its ADAC capability. DAC3 literally cleaned it and boosted the clarity. I even plugged it directly to PC Headphone output to test the noise but result was same as plugging directly into AMP had that noise when volume dialed up but when passed through the DAC it went down by a lot. I thought DACs usually don't have effect on Analog input. Is it specific to this DAC or even other DACs on lower budget range which support analog input do the same.

Is it same for other dedicated DACs with Analog Input. Because my Monoprice THX DAC/AMP has no effect on Analog input.

 

[bvhme]

The brightness on the LEDs on my DAC3 B is driving me insane, they are so bright, especially at night. I can dim the light on my HPA4 to be useful at night but not the DAC3. The stack is next to my screen so it's quite distracting. I love the look of these two together though.

Is there anyone here that has an idea how to tame the intensity of these LEDs?

 

[tesarpa]

I used LightDimm stickers.

 

[465176]

Any word on a Benchmark DAC4 yet? I think Dac3 is coming up for 5 years old now (time flies!). Sound wise it’s still highly desirable and competitive of course, but ergonomically it really could do with a thorough refresh by now. Particularly more accurate control of the volume range, a refresh of the front panel led system (any chance we can move away from cold laser intense blue, and move to amber or something warmer?) and perhaps the jumper adjustments moved to either the front or the back panel etc. Modern competitors are offering more for less (i.e. RME, Okto etc), with similar or better technical performance, so it’d be nice to see a new DAC refresh from Benchmark. Currently deciding between another Dac3, or pushing the financial boat out for a Chord TT2. Just want to make sure a DAC4 isn’t waiting in the wings too

 

[Michalmk6]

Any word on a Benchmark DAC4 yet? I think Dac3 is coming up for 5 years old now (time flies!). Sound wise it’s still highly desirable and competitive of course, but ergonomically it really could do with a thorough refresh by now. Particularly more accurate control of the volume range, a refresh of the front panel led system (any chance we can move away from cold laser intense blue, and move to amber or something warmer?) and perhaps the jumper adjustments moved to either the front or the back panel etc. Modern competitors are offering more for less (i.e. RME, Okto etc), with similar or better technical performance, so it’d be nice to see a new DAC refresh from Benchmark. Currently deciding between another Dac3, or pushing the financial boat out for a Chord TT2. Just want to make sure a DAC4 isn’t waiting in the wings too

I bough a Benchmark HPA4 amp about a month ago. I was also thinking about upgrading my DAC (I've been using a Chord 2Qute for the last 5 years.) I asked Rory from Benchmark the same question, just to be sure if the DAC3 B would be an upgrade for me and if maybe a new DAC4 was on the horizon.

That's what he said.
"Yes, I believe the DAC3B would be an upgrade. The files your are playing doubtfully are not higher than 24/192. Upsampling the file to 356 or whatever is not going to make it better. We feel that 24/192 is outstanding and higher than that is marketing. Same with DSD64 (which is SACD file). Much of DSD128 on up is simply upsampled DSD64 files. If one truly has DSD128 or DSD256 files, use Roon to convert to PCM. It will still be hi-res and sound excellent."

And that's his short answer to my question if there would be a DAC4 in the near future.
"Not to my knowledge."

I'm still strongly considering the DAC3 B as my next DAC because I've read a lot of great things about the HPA4/DAC 3 combo synergy.

 

[OCC7N]

Benchmark folks are obsessive about hiss, so I am not surprised. Their AHB2 power amp is famous for being the quietest power amp on earth.

I got my DAC3 HGC delivered yesterday! And as I suspected, the hiss I was having through my J2 is completely gone! Bravo Benchmark.

Listening impressions, as I expected, extremely clean, super neutral, what I expect from my DAC. The thing is so tiny (compared to other TOTL DACs) I can literally set and forget. Very happy so far.

how do you like the DAC3 HGC? Is the headphone output powerful enough?

 

[MacedonianHero]

how do you like the DAC3 HGC? Is the headphone output powerful enough?

Depends on what you're looking to power? For most headphones, absolutely.