The best sounding DAC regardless of price
Have you heard about the Benchmark DAC1, it is a regarded as the best DAC regardless of price. It has very little 'sound' of its own"; "startling clarity from top to bottom of the frequency spectrum, high resolution that revealed great detail and always provided a tremendous sense of space, and cleanliness without any of the hash or edginess that are often associated with lower-cost digital."
Now it is available on demo at the MAD showroom in london see www.madengland.com and book an appointment. Also it is on sale at our e-shop with 30days home trail. The greatest news is it is on special offer @ just £750 plus a free MAD MySweety Cable worth £249. We are the only Hi-Fi dealer selling the DAC1 in the UK
The Absolute Sound "Best Disc Player" 2008/2009
The Hi-Fi News 2008 Outstanding Product
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Listen and the Music will Engage You
"Holds Its Own in Cost-No-Object Set-Ups" -- Hi-Fi News
The Benchmark DAC1 PRE is a reference-quality stereo pre-amplifier, headphone amplifier, and computer audio playback device, incorporating the 24-bit, 192-kHz DAC1 digital-to-analog conversion system. With the DAC1 PRE, the music engages you with a stunning delivery and breathtaking realism.
"The DAC1 PRE sounded so silky… that one could imagine it as the heart of the ultimate 'second system' for the study or bedroom. Which is not to say that it can't hold its own in a cost-no-object set-up," raves Ken Kessler in the July 2008 issue of England's Hi-Fi News magazine.
"Dead Quiet"
The Absolute Sound magazine rated the Benchmark DAC1Pre as the "Best Disc Player" in the Winter 08 / Spring 09 issue. "Although not strictly speaking a CD player, Benchmark's DAC1Pre combines digital to analogue conversion from either a computer (USB) input, or digital input from a disc transport, with a volume control and a line-level analog input… The unit is dead quiet, and offers ultra-low perceived (and measured) distortion."
"Excellent... at Any Price"
"The Benchmark DAC1 PRE is not only an excellent device for the money; it is excellent compared to anything that I have encountered at any price," marvels Robert E. Greene in the August 2008 issue of The Absolute Sound magazine. "To my mind, it is the beginning of a new era in audio, in which the regeneration of the recorded signal has become a solved problem."
The DAC1 PRE is the culmination of years of high-precision analog and digital audio circuit design. Benchmark has achieved unprecedented sonic purity in their audio systems through an intelligent engineering philosophy -- establish a pristine analog delivery path and eliminate digital distortion artifacts. The DAC1 PRE continues this tradition of excellence.
Balanced Outputs Included
With six stereo inputs and four stereo analog outputs, the DAC1 PRE anchors expansive media systems and provides a pristine audio path from source to amplifier. The six stereo inputs include an analog input, a USB computer input, an optical input, and three coaxial digital inputs. The output section includes stereo XLR balanced, RCA unbalanced, and two headphone jacks driven by Benchmark's HPA2 0-ohm headphone amplifier.
Acclaimed DAC1 D-to-A Conversion System
The superior performance of the award-winning DAC1 has made it the 'Benchmark' of D-to-A converters. The DAC1 PRE gracefully merges the DAC1 conversion system with elegant analog circuitry, Benchmark's HPA2 0-ohm headphone amplifier, and essential features and functions.
Jitter-Immune UltraLock Clock System
Benchmark's proprietary UltraLock clock system achieves an unprecedented immunity to jitter. Many modern (and expensive) converters suffer from significant jitter-induced distortion. If jitter is not effectively addressed, a converter will generate non-musical sideband tones and digital distortion. Benchmark's highly-regarded UltraLock clock system ensures that jitter is never a problem, even under extreme conditions.
Even in the presence of extremely high input jitter, no jitter-induced artifacts can be detected on the outputs of the DAC1 PRE (using state-of-the-art testing equipment by Audio Precision). UltraLock will block more then 12.5 UI of jitter (@ 1 kHz). With the UltraLock clock system, the D/A conversion-clock in the DAC1 PRE is totally isolated from the clock of the digital audio source. The UltraLock clock system easily outperforms most well-designed two-stage PLL designs.
AdvancedUSB Audio Technology
The USB interface of the DAC1 PRE operates with Benchmark's unique AdvancedUSB technology. Unlike many USB equipped D/A converters, Benchmark's AdvancedUSB technology supports 24-bit audio at sample rates up to 96 kHz without the installation of any drivers or other special software.
Benchmark's UltraLock clock system isolates the converter from the high levels of jitter that are found on USB interfaces. AdvancedUSB responds automatically to sample-rate changes to bypass the operating system's sample-rate conversion. The DAC1 PRE achieves transparent, audiophile-quality playback through a true plug-and-play solution.
It is very important to have a 24-bit USB path, even for 16-bit playback, because digital volume controls and other DSP functions can increase 16-bit audio to 24 bits. If a 16-bit USB interface is used, up to 8 bits of each digital audio sample will be truncated resulting in significant, non-musical digital distortion at audible levels.
Audio streamed via USB is subject to significant amounts of jitter. The AdvancedUSB interface utilizes the UltraLock clock system. Consequently, the performance of the USB input is equal to the performance of the other inputs, regardless of the jitter present. The DAC1 PRE is natively compatible with Windows Vista/XP/2000 and Mac OS X. As a native device, there are no drivers or other software required to install or configure.
HPA2 Headphone Amplifier
The DAC1 PRE includes the HPA2 -- Benchmark's signature high-current, 0-Ohm headphone amplifier. The HPA2 is arguably the ultimate reference headphone amplifier. It will deliver the full rated performance of the DAC1 to the headphones. The HPA2 maintains less than 0.0003% THD+N under a full load from two sets of headphones. The DAC1 PRE has two 1/4" headphone jacks on the front panel.
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