![]() The DAC2's digital processing is also claimed to have 3.5dB of digital headroom when fed a signal of 0dBFS. Benchmark claims that the DAC2 HGC is a full 10dB quieter than the DAC1. First, it converts digital signals with four 32-bit ESS Sabre DACs run in balanced configuration. The DAC2 HGC offers two new features that should improve sound quality over Benchmark's older DACs. And one of the coaxial digital inputs can be configured to act as a digital pass-through. These lead to three analog outputs, one balanced and two single-ended. ![]() The DAC2 has two pairs of analog inputs, whose signals remain wholly in the analog domain from input to output (more on that later). While the DAC2 HGC has a lot of inputs, I miss the DAC1's balanced AES/EBU input and its BNC connectors for the S/PDIF inputs, all of which I used. ![]() To play DSD or 192kHz files, a downloadable driver is provided for Windows computers, and the DAC2 must be set to USB 2.0 mode. If you play only 24-bit/96kHz files via USB, no extra drivers are needed. The USB input works in asynchronous mode and will operate in either USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 modes. The DAC2 HGC has five digital inputs: USB, two optical, and two RCA coaxial. Except for the last, all of these functions can also be handled via the included remote control, which I found elegantly simple in design, layout, and function. The front panel also has buttons for Power, Dim/Mute, Input, and Polarity, a motorized Alps volume pot, and two ½" headphone jacks. While I can usually hear when a hi-rez file is being incorrectly truncated or decimated, checking the LEDs on the DAC2's faceplate reassured me that I was indeed hearing what I was supposed to be hearing. These are invaluable tools, especially when your digital front end is a computer and you want to know if you've configured your audio settings correctly to play hi-rez files. First, the front panel boasts sample-rate and word-length displays. The Benchmark DAC2 HGC ($1995) has a number of features not included in its older siblings. ![]() So when I had the chance to listen to Benchmark's new DAC2 HGC, I was very curious to hear where it fit in Benchmark's impressive lineage. I found the DAC1 HDR to offer slightly better, smoother sound than my DAC1. They released the DAC1 PRE, which added an analog preamp, then the DAC1 USB and the DAC1 HDR, which improved the volume control and used higher-quality op-amps. Keeping up with the times and the needs of the digital marketplace, Benchmark has steadily improved and added to its original model, the DAC1. I also wanted a component that could play data from a silver disc and work with my computer—which I saw as the future of the digital front end. I produced recording sessions, and needed something that could play high-resolution files through my headphones. I bought my original Benchmark DAC1 ($995) because I was an up-and-coming musician who didn't have a ton of cash but who knew what high-quality audio was supposed to sound like. Sure enough, in 2013, the standalone DAC-preamp has become an integral part of the audiophile world, and no company has led the way to the high-quality DAC/preamp/headphone amp as confidently as has Benchmark Media. In his review of the DAC3 in the November 2007 issue, John Atkinson quoted my comparison of it with the Benchmark DAC1, which I called "the Swiss army knife of audio" and "one of the only future-proof source components you can buy these days." In 2007, I spent time with Bel Canto Design's e.One DAC3 D/A processor.
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