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PS Audio? Rega? Benchmark?

Not getting much action on my BAT 300X-SE so I may have to keep it (Life's a BITCH!).
I'm very excited about the current state of "affordable" redbook digital so I'm seeking opinions regarding:

-PS Audio Digital Link III
-Rega Saturn (or Apollo)
-Benchmark DAC (now with USB input)

Mainly interested in the musicality among these three.
Faithful detail retrieval, imaging and accurate soundstage are also paramount.
Recent TAS article says the Digital Link III makes redbook issues sound "essentially equivalent to their SACD counterparts".
I'm intrigued.
128x128dweller

Showing 3 responses by dweller

dweller's avatar
dweller OP
3,752 posts
 
Would like to hear from people using any of the three in an all-balanced system and their results.
dweller's avatar
dweller OP
3,752 posts
 
Barrelchief:

Any progess on this?

Thanks

Also, are there NO Rega Saturn users out there with an opinion?
dweller's avatar
dweller OP
3,752 posts
 
Oneafter909: Interesting observations.

I was trying to buy a Data Link-III but PS Audio is backlogged until late May so I canceled.
Did you try the DL-III in balanced mode?
I've heard glowing reviews from the press and 'Gonners for both Benchmark and PS Audio units.

Maybe you and your friends are just very tough customers (a good thing).

I'd go for the Saturn, as I'm sure it's a marvelous player, but the $2000 price range kind of makes me dizzy at this point in time. I'm trying to tread water until the first HDMI 1.3 A/V players, which also upsample CD and have balanced outputs, hits the market (not too much to ask?).

Thanks for the input.
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