Benchmark DAC2 HGC - interesting settings discovery

Hi everyone,

So I have been running my Benchmark DAC2 HGC direct into my ATC actives using XLR's

The blurb on Benchmarks' site (and most of my usual chat site haunts) mentions the use of attenuator pads at the XLR outputs to help reduce voltage for overly sensitive power amps.......(or in my case 1V sensitive active speakers) when using the DAC as a DAC/PRE.

The upside being that setting the attenuator pads to -10 or -20dB would enable a wider range of Digital VC use.
Apparently Benchmark like the VC to be at least 11:00 or higher to ensure full DR and keep well away from the noise floor.......plus less "bit stripping" etc.....

Upon receipt of my used one fairly recently.......... I opened her up and set the jumpers to -20dB which allowed me to reach 12:00 on the VC (which was very loud!!!)

Everything sounded great and it was a clear step up from my OPPO 105 (not a very fair contest but anyway)

Here's the interesting bit..............

After listening this way for a few months I recently came across a few old threads on a couple of other sites that mentioned the previous model DAC1 and the sonic benefits of disabling it's XLR attenuator pads by setting them to "0dB"

I realised that I had simply never tried this with mine as I had "assumed" that I was already optimised.

You guessed it..............
NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING WITHOUT HEARING IT FOR YOURSELF IN YOUR SYSTEM!!!!!!!!!

As soon as I made the change the instant improvements in SQ were clearly obvious..........

Soundstaging........imaging.........detail..........EVERYTHING just got a LOT better!!!!!

This Thread is simply to let anyone using their Benchmark as a DAC/PRE who may not have tried this before a heads up.
And also for those that have to post their experiences whether they are using a DAC1, 2 or 3.

For me..............Even though I now can't get past 10:00 on the VC I won't be going back as the end result simply KILLS what I had been listening to.........and at a total cost of NOTHING...................LOL

5 mins taking off the lid.......... setting the jumpers............ and sticking lid back on!!!!!!!!!........DONE

I hope other fellow Benchmarkers have a similar experience to mine as I am currently a VERY HAPPY CAMPER!!!!!

Looking forward to reading your responses.....thoughts.....further advice.....anything.

 

I'm using a Benchmark DAC1 HDR and will defenitly try this!

Thanks for the heads up!

 

Hi - I am using DAC3 HGC and recommend it strongly if you are in for transparency, details and pure music. This DAC can produce over 12.5V on the XLR at Odb jumper setting. If you are using a non-professional AMP, it might clip and you might hear very harsh, thin and fatiguing sound. Its very important to match the DAC's output to the AMP. No doubt at its highest setting you will hear some very fine details at low volumes.

 

Linger63 may I ask which ATC's actives you have? I'm thinking of pairing a benchmark dac3 DX with either atc scm20 asl pro mk2's or atc scm19 aslt v2's. Curious what your findings are.
Greetz from the Netherlands

 

Hi,

They are in my Equipment Profile......ATC SCM 70ASL 25th Anniversary.

FWIW I have since moved on to an OPPO 205 through an ATC CA2MK2 Pre.

Your Benchmark DAC3 should sound great as a Source but (unless you attenuate) possibly a bit hot as a Pre.

IME things sounded better with no attenuation but you lose volume control headroom and need to watch out for clipping..........(see ssnkssnk's Post above)
As my ATC 70 ASL's have a 1V input sensitivity having an ATC Pre in between worked better for me.


Anyway.....Good Luck.

 

What about trying an audio transformer to lower the gain? Would something like the Decware ZBit work? But one that does XLR to XLR instead of XLR to RCA. Transformers like that do change the sound a bit, but the result can be more transparent and less destructive than resistors and other options.

I'm not an audio engineer. So I don't know if a transformer type thing would work in this situation or not. Just a thought that came to mind while reading this thread. I'm currently looking for an XLR to RCA transformer, which is why the transformer was on my mind.

 

First of, thnx for your response, much appreciated. It seems I am not allowed to view your Equipment Profile Very nice speakers. Are they like the scm50’s only then with a 70litres enclosure? Also very nice choice that ATC CA2MK2 Pre. How does it compare to the benchmark? I don’t understand what you mean with ‘hot as a pre’ though? Ssnkssnk mentioned hooking it up to a non pro amp but aren’t the amps in the atc scm20 asl pro mk2 professional grade? And therefore a good match for the benchmark allready ?

 

I think most studio monitors should be robust enough to handle "unmodded" Dac1/2/3 as a preamp. I have a Genelec "2.1" system (7360A to Dac3's balanced outputs and G Fours to 7360A's analogue xlr's) connected to DAC3 HGC and the speakers sound "rude" just like they always have with other sources, thanks to the neutrality of Dac3. Still, this Dac/amp is clearly the best one I've ever used with these speakers, detailed, three-dimensional, controlled. However, it's not a setup suited for loudness-mastered records

Can you be specific? Could it possibly be because of "psychoacoustics", i.e. a preference for loudness? Benchmark recommends that we use the attenuation pads because the device will then measure optimally because of better signal-to-noise ratio, but I wonder if those differences are audible.

 

No I don't think so........we were aware of that.......so all comparisons were made with matched SPL's.

Benchmarks recommendations only refer to the device acting as a pre which many users may not be doing anyway.
I still stand by my opening Post (from 2.5 years ago) but have since moved on and IME.......in my system.......adding a pre gave an even better result.

 

That's what I have experience also.

I generally like the 'less is more' philosophy but I think the best test instruments are one's own ears.

 

I find that using the -20dB output option on my Direct Stream DAC compromises its sound as well.

 

Interesting.

Now wondering just how widespread this may be between DAC brands!!....
Guess it only matters if you have too much gain and don't wish to add a pre though.

I know that some power amps offer adjustable gain.....usually a couple of settings to choose from.....
......which could help in avoiding any heavy attenuation of the DAC's output level.

 

We share a similar philosophy.
I started out thinking......one less component and one less set of cables MUST help.
But my ears instantly preferred the SQ with a pre in the mix.

Of course results could be totally opposite in any other system.......... so no set rules!!!!

 

Exactly. Kudos to you.