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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
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
4,135 posts
 
Dac measurements can e Misleading for there are different methods to measure  and will not dictate final Sonic outcome 
one Expert inthe field most will not know unless into audio for awhile is Mojo Audio . Ben Hand builds all his dacs uses all the best quality parts ,power supplies maybe the most overlooked aspect in digital 
and uses Classic 20 bit Multibit  Analog devices Dacs.Worlds best  Bellison regulators Femto clocks ,Descreet opamps most Donot,and a bunch of other. things I donot understand unless you are a digital engineer.
one thing for sure his new EVO dacs  Excellent by any standard are modular To upgrade if better components are available in the future ,have a 45 Day audition, moneyback guarantee and 5 year. Warranty.
roberttdid
534 posts
 
I expect that only the assembled product is "hand built" by Ben, much like every other product in a chassis that is not built in high volume. I certainly hope he does not hand build his PCB boards. "Hand Built" and electronics are two things you really never want to hear in the same sentence. It is not a good combination.
frederick21's avatar
frederick21
49 posts
 
HPA4 / DAC3 HGC / Audeze LCD-4 owner.

I'm  done. 

Well, almost, my Audio Sensibility signature XLR (which Benchmark recommends, XLR connection not the specific cable) arrives next week.

My Sennheiser 800Ss were too sterile and lacked bass.  Swapped for the LCD-4.  Then, to fully take control of them, the HPA4.  Perfection.  

Many of the harder to listen to and skipped tracks from earlier I now listen to.

My own 2 cents.
yyzsantabarbara
4,811 posts
 
@frederick21 I have the HPA4 + DAC3B with Meze Empy and I got some incredible headphone sound with them. Better than with my second Bryston BHA-1 headphone amp. I also use all XLR (Benchmarks) and yesterday ordered the Benchmark AHB2 amp to get my 2 channel up and running again. The preamp section of the HPA4 was also great with my old Class D amp, the the AHB2 will take it to a different level.

I do plan on buying a Denafrips Terminator Plus with the GAIA digital-2-digital converter to mix it up from the all Benchmark sound. The GAIA will allow multiple DACs to receive a cleaned up digital stream.

BTW - I bought the LCD type XLR cable for my Empy from WyWire. It is called the Platinum and is on sale now for $400 (5 feet). It is a fantastic upgrade over stock.
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