Interesting observations. Was your Wyred DAC2 the most recent version (SE, DSD, with Femto clock) or was it the original version introduced at least 5 years ago?
Perfectwave PWD MKII, Benchmark DAC2, Wyred DAC2
I just obtained a Benchmark DAC2 and am really impressed by the transparency, clean, open kids, and solid bass. I use XLR output (hooked up directly to amp) and had to adjust the attenuator jumper to -20db to match the gain on my amp. In my setup, I rank these three in the following order, based solely on sound quality.
1) Perfectwave PWD MKII - best DAC among the three, does everything well. I specially like the solid bass, buttery smooth midrange, and transparency. I could listen for hours and not get ear fatigue.
2) Benchmark DAC2 - not quite as good a midrange as PWD MKII, but very close. This DAC is very versatile with analog input, excellent headphone jacks, and DSD capability.
3) Wyred DAC2 - warm sounding and detailed, but not as transparent as the other two. I was already happy with this DAC before I obtained the Benchmark. And I may just keep it for my third system. It's still an excellent DAC.
1) Perfectwave PWD MKII - best DAC among the three, does everything well. I specially like the solid bass, buttery smooth midrange, and transparency. I could listen for hours and not get ear fatigue.
2) Benchmark DAC2 - not quite as good a midrange as PWD MKII, but very close. This DAC is very versatile with analog input, excellent headphone jacks, and DSD capability.
3) Wyred DAC2 - warm sounding and detailed, but not as transparent as the other two. I was already happy with this DAC before I obtained the Benchmark. And I may just keep it for my third system. It's still an excellent DAC.