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DAC Measurements vs Actual Experience

I have spent the last two days evaluating which of these two DACs I will be keeping:
1) Benchmark DAC3
2) PS Audio DirectStream

I'm foregoing the use of a dedicated preamp; the chosen DAC will serve that purpose.* 

I had read up on the technical side of each of these exhaustively before purchase. For those of you who aren't familiar, the Benchmark DAC3 measures quite well in every category. The PS Audio DirectStream, on the other hand, not so much. In fact, Audio Science Review places these two near opposite ends of its SINAD (signal-to-noise-and-distortion) list with the PS Audio being positioned near the bottom. Stereophile also provided measurements in their review that painted the PS Audio in an unfavorable light. 

And yet the DirectStream is proving to provide a sound that is more, dare I say, musical. It's a bit more relaxed, sounding a tad reserved in comparison to the DAC3, and the presentation of 100 Hz and lower seems to be slightly vague, but it's also less edgy, possessing a better soundstage, and is overall ever-so-slightly more enjoyable. So what am I doing wrong?

* Is it worth considering putting a dedicated preamp downstream of the DAC3 in hopes of gaining a more favorable sound? 
sixfour3

Showing 1 response by charles1dad

charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,234 posts
 
Sixfour3, 
You have come to the point of recognizing that what measures well doesn't ensure sounding well. Conversely sounding well doesn't necessarily correlate with measuring well. IMHO listeners are in the long run much better off choosing audio components that sound best to 'their own ears. It doesn't matter what others may think or hear differently than you. It's purely subjective.  Just be happy and select what you determine to be the better sounding more satisfying component. 

As this thread has clearly demonstrated people are simply going to disagree on how a particular audio component sounds. Some posters here find Benchmark to sound excellent and others aren't impressed with them by any measure. In my own encounters with this brand's products they struck me as clinical/analytical/sterile. If you find the P.S,Audio DAC more enjoyable and engaging,  trust your own ears. I wouldn't obsess over the measurements at all.
Charles 
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