[etc6849]

Wow! Hopefully it has an AES input (I see D1-D4 on the front) because I bet a few of those together would make for an impressive home theater setup fed from a 8 or 16 channel RME AES PCI-E card.

Head-Fi readers are the only ones that know right now, but feel free to share it. I can't say any more right now. When I can, you will see it here first.

 

[YooperAudio]

Having just bought both a DAC3 HGC and an HPA4 in the last 2 months (along with a couple o' AHB2s), I can only hope that this new streamlined DAC is just a DAC3 with no volume control, no analog input, and no HP amp, and that otherwise it is EXACTLY, 100% the same DAC as my DAC3 (in terms of performance, circuitry, back panel, etc.). If it's got any degree of enhancement/improvement/etc., over my DAC3, I'm gonna be a bit sad. I can handle without any issue having a great DAC3 where I don't use the HPA2 HP amp, or the volume, or the analog inputs (all of those can just improve general usability with other gear, and enhanced resale should I do that in the future). But if the new DAC itself is improved over a DAC3, and significantly lower cost, without the features I don't need anyway, I'm disappointed.

 

[manzano804]

Hi , everyone . I would like to know if some DAC3 owner is using it with Audirvana Plus . I will appreciate some help sknce i am having some issues.Better a PM to not derail this thread
Regards

 

[Tobes]

Hi , everyone . I would like to know if some DAC3 owner is using it with Audirvana Plus . I will appreciate some help sknce i am having some issues.Better a PM to not derail this thread
Regards

If you haven't already got a response I'm using a DAC3 with Audirvana 3+(3.2.10) on a Mac Mini running High Sierra - no issues here.
PM me if you like.

 

[Tobes]

Did this post somehow get inserted into the thread - I don't recall seeing it earlier?
A mock up teaser or likely how the final product will look? If the latter it appears likely a DAC3 variant given the 4x max rates and single rate DSD(?).

 

[jsiau]

Having just bought both a DAC3 HGC and an HPA4 in the last 2 months (along with a couple o' AHB2s), I can only hope that this new streamlined DAC is just a DAC3 with no volume control, no analog input, and no HP amp, and that otherwise it is EXACTLY, 100% the same DAC as my DAC3 (in terms of performance, circuitry, back panel, etc.). If it's got any degree of enhancement/improvement/etc., over my DAC3, I'm gonna be a bit sad. I can handle without any issue having a great DAC3 where I don't use the HPA2 HP amp, or the volume, or the analog inputs (all of those can just improve general usability with other gear, and enhanced resale should I do that in the future). But if the new DAC itself is improved over a DAC3, and significantly lower cost, without the features I don't need anyway, I'm disappointed.

You won't be disappointed.

 

[YooperAudio]

You won't be disappointed.

YAY!!

 

[jsiau]

Here is a sneak preview of the new DAC3 B product page. We haven't announced this yet, but we want to Head-Fi users to see it first!

We will be showing a bunch of these at RMAF! Shipping October 22.

https://benchmarkmedia.com/collecti...mark-dac3-b-digital-to-analog-audio-converter

 

[Mudshark]

Hi John, thanks, very cool.

 

[Tobes]

Here is a sneak preview of the new DAC3 B product page. We haven't announced this yet, but we want to Head-Fi users to see it first!

We will be showing a bunch of these at RMAF! Shipping October 22.

https://benchmarkmedia.com/collecti...mark-dac3-b-digital-to-analog-audio-converter

Nice one!
Benchmark seems to be particularly prolific at the moment - noticed the LA4 preamp is also being released this October.
For headphone enthusiasts the HPA4 remains the no-brainer though, as you get a state of the art HP amp with separate attenuator for $500.

 

[Tobes]

Double post - sorry.

 

[Tonybo]

I expect the DAC3 B will sound better than the HGC by virtue of the removal of all the extraneous circuitry, servos etc and the interference they would create inside the enclosure . Looking forward to it!

 

[YooperAudio]

I expect the DAC3 B will sound better than the HGC by virtue of the removal of all the extraneous circuitry, servos etc and the interference they would create inside the enclosure . Looking forward to it!

I wouldn’t expect that, especially since John Siau and Rory Rall have said just the opposite. Do you have some specific insight into this, or do you just suspect they’re ignorant of something, or being disingenuous?

 

[jsiau]

I expect the DAC3 B will sound better than the HGC by virtue of the removal of all the extraneous circuitry, servos etc and the interference they would create inside the enclosure . Looking forward to it!

The DAC3 B is built on the DAC3 HGC circuit board. We have eliminated the headphone amplifier, the analog inputs, one set of analog outputs, the volume control knob, the volume motor drive circuits and a couple of LED indicators. None of these items are in the signal path of the DAC3 HGC, so the DAC3 B has exactly the same signal path as the DAC3 HGC. I should also point out that the volume control motor drive circuits draw no power when the knob is not moving. Likewise, the headphone amplifier, draws very little power when idle. Consequently, the power supply loading is identical when both units are running at the same output volume level (DAC3 HGC in HT mode).

We would not be honest if we were to claim that the DAC3 B sounds better than the DAC3 HGC. It sounds exactly like a DAC3 HGC, because it is a DAC3 HGC (with a few missing parts that were never in the signal path).

 

[YooperAudio]

The DAC3 B is built on the DAC3 HGC circuit board. We have eliminated the headphone amplifier, the analog inputs, one set of analog outputs, the volume control knob, the volume motor drive circuits and a couple of LED indicators. None of these items are in the signal path of the DAC3 HGC, so the DAC3 B has exactly the same signal path as the DAC3 HGC. I should also point out that the volume control motor drive circuits draw no power when the knob is not moving. Likewise, the headphone amplifier, draws very little power when idle. Consequently, the power supply loading is identical when both units are running at the same output volume level (DAC3 HGC in HT mode).

We would not be honest if we were to claim that the DAC3 B sounds better than the DAC3 HGC. It sounds exactly like a DAC3 HGC, because it is a DAC3 HGC (with a few missing parts that were never in the signal path).

Excellent. What I figured. Thanks!