It would be interesting to hear the Parasound against the Benchmark Dac1. I haven't heard the Benchmark in years, but I think they are similar. The ZDac is very detailed and clean, almost clinical to my ears. The knock on the Benchmark was that it was very accurate, but didn't capture the "soul" of the music. I have a sense that the Parasound is more 3 dimensional, but I wouldn't trust my sonic memory to compare the two. I do feel comfortable to say that if you like the Benchmark's presentation, chances are you will also like the Parasound. It has that kind of flavor. The ZDac is clearly a great value, but I decided not to keep it.
And opinions/experience w/Parasound ZDAC?
I am currently use the Vdac as a temporary solution in my system, and my local store has the new ZDAC in stock. I can't find any reviews of it online, perhaps because it is so new. Does anyone here have a listening experience with it yet?