Berensford DAC

My new Beresford TC-7520 with upgraded Opamp just arrived last week and that, coupled with a new Sennheiser HD 380 Pro headset, makes an excellent combination. The frequency ranges are similar and the sound is great. Perhaps it will get even better after an extended burn-in period. At $324 including the upgrade I don't see how you can go wrong. I'll bet that the final outcome of this combo is that the main system with the big monos, etc. won't get fired up nearly as often!

My jury is out. I think it sounds pretty good. But I don't think I have adequate amplification for the speakers I am using, and that is not allowing me to take the full measure of the DAC, hence no follow-up on the DAC from me yet. I'm need to deal with the amplification first.

There are a few people who have this DAC here in New Jersey, but mostly the 7510. One local modder loves it as a platform for mods, of which he offers several levels, topping out at around $850. I have heard a fully modded 7510 in both my own home (system in my profile) and at a really high-end demo including ASL electronics and Reference Grand Veena speakers. I also heard about, but did not attend, a comparison in a high-end rig between the modded 7510 and the top-of-line MSB DAC. According to people who were there, the modded Beresford compared well (overall, NOT just for the money!) to the MSB (although the MSB owner has not decided to sell his MSB and buy the modded Beresford. IMHO, it offers excellent detail, soundstage, dynamics and extension at both ends. While it is very smooth sounding, I did notice a very occassional bit of glare iin the upper-mid/lower treble range (a range to which I am overly-sensitive to any emphasis or distortion). While this may not have been due to the Beresford necessarily, it was consistent both times I heard it. Note: Everyone who has owned or modded this DAC has told me that burn-in time, especially for the stock unit, is extremely long, at 100 hours or more, before the unit loses a nasty digital brightness.

Any more recent experience from anyone with the Beresford? It's on my short-list of DACs, along with the Dacmagic and V-DAC.

The fact that it is also a headphone amp is attractive. But what about sonic impressions?

-P

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/frr.pl?rdgtl&1241970644&read&3&4&

Thanks guys, I just ordered one. I'll let you know what I think.

I just submitted a mini-review of the TC-7520 in this forum if interested. -gg

The C/P value is much better than benchmark dac1!

Mezzrow -- thanks very much, very helpful.

--dan

I have a Beresford (TC-7510, not the newer model with usb) and, IMHO, it is a great value for the money. Solidly built, nice, detailed sound, and the inputs, outputs and volume control make for a lot of flexibility in a system. Also has a headphone jack, which I have not used. I am extremely impressed with it.