I chose to stay out of the 'debated sonic signature of the Benchmark' altogether... without auditioning it first. the feeling I got about it by reading posts and reviews indicated to me it might not be for me. eg., above... "transparent or dry and analytical"...
Transparency is fine, especially with sources, and in fact, throughout a system, yet without the emotive infulence of nuances and subtleties true music reveals, I'll not be enjoying it for long. Been there and done that and won't do it again.
I did opt for another popular brand, the BC DAC3. It's attributes in my system, were very positive, and I enjoy immensely what it allows the system to become. I did try several power cords on it, and several digital & analog cables, along with various isolation devices, and power filters.
What works best in my rig is having the BC D3 power fed by a RSA Haley, using a Shunyata taipan Helix feed cord, and placing a Voodoo tesla II pc as the BC D3's immediate pc... the best digital cable I found was a Stereovox XV2. Under $500-$600 used, it's hard to beat!
Analog ics for it IMHO are either Synergistic Research tesla series, Acoustic Refs, Nirvana SX Ltd., or at times HT Magic IIs... pretty much in that order as well.
The analog outs feed via SE a Thor TA 1000 MK II. Usually. Which in turn drives either an Odyssey Stratos sE SS amp, or a pair of Dodd 120 MK II tube amps... I say usually as the BC D3 does a very good job as a preamp, negating the Thor.... though the influence of the Thor is hard to stay away from for long.
Source/drives for the BC D3, range in audio excellence from the SCD XA 777es, Dell PC via USB, and then whatever, thereafter. Oppo, carosel, etc.
Good luck.
Transparency is fine, especially with sources, and in fact, throughout a system, yet without the emotive infulence of nuances and subtleties true music reveals, I'll not be enjoying it for long. Been there and done that and won't do it again.
I did opt for another popular brand, the BC DAC3. It's attributes in my system, were very positive, and I enjoy immensely what it allows the system to become. I did try several power cords on it, and several digital & analog cables, along with various isolation devices, and power filters.
What works best in my rig is having the BC D3 power fed by a RSA Haley, using a Shunyata taipan Helix feed cord, and placing a Voodoo tesla II pc as the BC D3's immediate pc... the best digital cable I found was a Stereovox XV2. Under $500-$600 used, it's hard to beat!
Analog ics for it IMHO are either Synergistic Research tesla series, Acoustic Refs, Nirvana SX Ltd., or at times HT Magic IIs... pretty much in that order as well.
The analog outs feed via SE a Thor TA 1000 MK II. Usually. Which in turn drives either an Odyssey Stratos sE SS amp, or a pair of Dodd 120 MK II tube amps... I say usually as the BC D3 does a very good job as a preamp, negating the Thor.... though the influence of the Thor is hard to stay away from for long.
Source/drives for the BC D3, range in audio excellence from the SCD XA 777es, Dell PC via USB, and then whatever, thereafter. Oppo, carosel, etc.
Good luck.