2 channel system advise.

Compared to what's coming out these days, the DAC-1 is getting long in the tooth. The Sept. issue of Stereophile did a comprehensive review of the Musical Fidelity V-DAC mk ii and--decoding via asynchronous USB--jitter was pretty much non-existent. I'd never seen test result plots like that, and this on a DAC at a list price of $379. It should sound even better with the Pangea power supply upgrade package.

John Atkinson's conclusion after running the tests was:

The Musical Fidelity V-DAC II may be affordably priced, but its measured performance is almost beyond reproach. Extraordinary!

The only observation that I'd share is in regard to the DAC-1. It's got a specific sound (transparent, but lean) that many love (including me...in the right system), but it is not for every taste . Moreover, ultimate satisfaction for many folks who do like the DAC-1 will still be system dependent.

Further, if you do decide that you like the Benchmark sound, you might consider the DAC-1 Pre, which adds a pre-amp section to the DAC-1 for an additional $400ish and would allow you to skip the X-10 and pocket the difference.

Just FYI.

Marty

I have heard the Mani's but not driven by Pass Labs. However, Pass Labs is good stuff and can easiy drive the Mani's. Sounds like a good match to me...

Synergy is a word used to make people buy more/new equipment. What other reason could a body have for replacing perfectly good equipment. It's all nonsense.