Greetings,
I have been using the DAC integrated in my Parasound P6 pre-amplifer - which uses an ESS Sabre ES9018K2M DAC chip. I am upgrading my preamp to one that does not have a DAC in it - so I now need an outboard DAC. I am hoping whatever I get will offer better sound quality than the DAC used in the P6.
I am trying to decide between three outboard DACS - The Bryston BDA-2, Luxman DA-250, or Benchmark DAC3.
The reason I chose these three are because 1) They are all in my price range, which must be <$3,000 out the door; 2) They have the connectivity I need - XLR outputs, at least 2 TOSLINK optical inputs, and at least 1 RCA Coax digital input (interestingly, these requirements weed out most DACS, even some highly regarded ones).
My thoughts on these three:
- Bryston BDA-2: Pros - the Bryston brand - they have such an outstanding reputation for quality. I'd love to own something from Bryston. Other DACS in their lineup - such as the BDA-3, do not have the inputs I need, plus they're out of my price range. Con: The BDA-2 was designed about 8 years ago - which is an eternity in anything involving digital. The AKM DAC chip in the BDA-2 could be outdated, but on the other hand, I know there is a lot more to audio quality in a DAC besides which chip is used. I communicated with Bryston about my concern - they said the newer BDA-3 and 3.14 would sound better, but not by a large amount. They said they kept the BDA-2 in the product lineup for people like me who need the different connectivity options it provides over their newer models.
- Luxman DA-250 - this is priced about the same as the Bryston. I don't know anything about the DAC chip it uses (Texas Instruments PCM1795). I know that Luxman supposedly has a good reputation for quality, but I do not know how it stacks up against the Bryston. A dealer that sells both the Bryston and the Luxman said he preferred the Luxman, but did not say why.
- The Benchmark DAC3 says it has an ES9028PRO D/A converter chip. This appears to be a slightly upgraded DAC chip from the one in the P6. This unit is a bit cheaper than the above two. The case looks a bit flimsy compared to the above two models, especially the Bryston, but I have not seen one in person.
As I am not totally knowledgeable on DACs, I am seeking information as to which of these three would offer the greatest improvement over the DAC in my P6. Which of the above would you prefer, and most importantly, why? Note that I prefer to buy new - I know I could get these used, but would prefer to buy new.
Thanks very much for any thoughts, considerations, and opinions you might have.
