Hi Rez digital to Benchmark DAC?


Hi folks - question for benchmark dac users.
I have a cheap universal player and am wondering if anyone has paired one with a benchmark dac. I know that benchmark is pcm only but it supposedly will handle up to 24/196. Has anyone found a way to feed it 24/196?
thx!
jimmy3993
ok, so no point in 192. how about 96?
Kana813 -
The reason is that (as always) I am trying to get the best sound that I can within my budget. I have a benchmark already. I thought that it would be interesting to feed it dvd-a somehow. Dosent look like there is a way to do it.
I have spoken with ps audio and do have my eye on the pwt and pwd but they really are out of my price range. The write ups on the ps audio site are very well done.
Why sent the Benchmark DAC 24/192?

"regardless of the original sample rate of the data, converts it to a datastream sampled at 110kHz."

See:

http://stereophile.com/digitalprocessors/108bench/

The PSAudio PWT can output up to 24/192, see:

http://www.psaudio.com/ps/products/description/perfectwave-transport?cat=audio
If you want to fed a 24/192 signal to your DAC, no transport I am aware of will do that. You have to use a server based system, with a really good audio card that offers digital out. see the lynx studio TWO card (google).
24/176.4 and 24/192 do sound noitceably better than 24/96, and way, way better than standard RBCD.

The SPDIF spec (RCA coax cable) was never intended to handle the ultra high res bit rates and sampling rates. You need AES/EBU double wire double speed for that (digital XLR cable).
Sleepy -
Interesting...
Better than redbook via what kind of playback? I still prefer the Ayre cx7e's redbook to wav files via the benchmark but I would love to assemble a computer based front end that would outclass it.
I'm feeding a Squeezebox 2 to my Benchmark DAC-1. With the latest firmware, the Classic Squeezebox and Duet models will handle 24/192 and 24/96 files by downsampling to 24/48, which, via the Benchmark, still sound significantly better than Redbook CD. Only the Slimdevices/Logitech Transporter, some Linn DS players, and ?? others, can natively handle 24/96 or 24/192 streams. I'm not sure which of those include digital outputs, but at their price points, it's would probably be moot to then feed those streams to a Benchmark, or another outboard DAC.
I've used my Benchmark with a variety of transports, cheap DVD based, CD based, PC, PC toslink output, etc.

I think the problem will not be can it handle 24/196, but where to find a player that will OUTPUT 24/196. Is there any music available at that resolution? I think HD tracks dot com does 24/96. Either way, the DAC1 will resample ANY input to 100KHz if I remember correctly.