Benchmark DAC1 auditions out there? latest model

Anyone compare the Benchmark to the ACK?

Redkiwi,

Why do you want to tame the hype? Its not hype if the statements are true. (Properly set up) this dac is a stones throw (with a good arm) from the most realistic sounding dacs out there. I know of a gentleman who has sold his DCS set-up @ nearly $20k and has had a few bybees added to a few locations inside the dac-1 and he says it is 95% of his (former) DCS. A friend who is a major audio manufacturer and I agree that there are only a couple of areas where the dac-1 falls slightly short of the very best he has ever heard... In overall smoothness and expansiveness. I have spent time with the Forsell turntable and several $10k + dacs. The Benchmark deserves every bit of high praise it is getting. The Benchmark did not sound refined or engaging for a few weeks. But between break-in and allowing it to have the same level of cables as you would put with the best in the world this dac-1 is all the things I've heard and more. Including smoothness and a you are there expansiveness. Even though these two areas fall slightly short of the very best I've heard. And as far the ack dac comparisons there is no way a broken-in, properly set-up benchmark wouldn't sound MUCH better. Just a side-note... I didn't buy my benchmark dac-1 because of the high praise. I bought it because an industry friend that I trust said that it sounded nearly as good as his Audiomeca dac at 7 times the price... before the benchmark was fully broken-in! With my dac-1 there is no "up-front" presentation or "ever so slightly brash" sound whatsoever. It has one of the most out the box sounds I've heard. Tremendous layering and depth. I've had mine for a couple of months and it has astonished everyone who has heard it.
I don't think the dac-1 is hyped. I think its at least as good as the reports and with the addition of a few bybees in the right locations its easily one, if not THE best dac value ever. The Lavry Blue becomes irrelevent because how many people are going to completely change there equipment (to balanced) for a dac. So much for value.

Hi, I have a Benchmark DAC1 and a pair of Bybees at hand. I have pretty soldering skills so what are the best places to add this Bybees?
By the way I´m absolutely shocked with the sound quality of this Dack and I´m pretty familiar with some of the very best DACs and players out there (Lindemann, Meridian, Audio Synthesis, Dcs, Mark Levinson among others)

Thanks in advance.

After_hours, I agree with your assessment totally, as per my posts above. I would love to know what transport you are using. I'm thinking of an upgrade from my lower-priced Sony SACD/DVD player. Any suggestions?

Also, I'm wondering if maybe some of the other posters have possible transport issues (even though the DAC1 should minimize differences between transports). Your experience with transports would be most helpful. Thanks.

bauhaus_2116,

The mod is done by a gentleman who manufactures his own electronics... not Empirical, and consist of 6 or 7 bybees and some rewiring, bypassing and parts improvements. But 70% of the improvement he says comes from the bybees alone. As the dac has all surface mounted parts it is not recommended that you attempt too much. There is one area that you can easily (with some skill) place a bybee in that is one of the most important spots for bybees in regard to dacs, right at the digital input. The reason it's easy to install is that the input isn't mounted directly to the board. There is actually a wire (the only one in the dac) that goes down to the board that you can cut and install a bybee in the middle of. The other locations include power supply and output but this requires some serious understanding of the circuit.
I am planning to send my dac to him to have several of these mods done. But since you've got a bybee and some skill, place it at he digital input and let know. Be careful, I doubt the warranty will be honored if its apparent you've been in there mucking about. I know there are different bybee devices and there is a specific one he likes at that location but I'm not sure what it is. No doubt though that any of them would yield some improvement.