ANALOG vs DIGITAL - Ultra High Fidelity Magazine

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This is the second time we’ve reviewed a Benchmark product, or perhaps the third. In UHF No. 75 we reviewed the original DAC1, and we expressed considerable enthusiasm for it. In the next issue we reviewed it again, but this time as a headphone amplifier (perhaps you’ve noticed the twin headphone jacks). Once again, we were enthusiastic, giving it a second-place finish against an expensive competitor. Now comes the Benchmark DAC1 HDR, which looks quite a lot like the earlier one (which remains available), but which adds two major features. For one thing it has up-to-date chips, with the 24-bit/192 kHz resolution you expect today. For another, it’s not only a converter but also a preamplifier. Check the rear view on the next page, and you’ll see that one of its half dozen inputs is one for an analog source. Ready for the best of both worlds? On our cover you can see the HDR along with its handsome remote control, which reveals how much thought has gone into the creation of this well-built unit. Here’s but a single example. We initially assumed that the button marked “dim” referred to the brightness of the display, but wait a minute — there is no display, apart from six blue LEDs which indicate the selected input (they all light 34 ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY <strong>Magazine</strong> Listening Room Benchmark HDR up only when the unit is muted). So what does “dim” mean? Push it, and the preamplifier dips in volume to a preset soft level. The HDR remembers your selected soft level, too. Push the “mute” button, and the volume dips smoothly to your selected “dim” level, and then goes to zero. All preamplifiers should work like this. Do you suppose Steve Jobs was moonlighting? There are two possible ways of thinking about the HDR. Yes, it’s a DAC with an integrated preamp, but then again you can think of it as a preamp with a built-in DAC. Oh, and don’t forget that built-in headphone amp too. Benchmark Media claims that its unique circuitry can deliver jitter-free output even from a source that contains jitter. It also claims to deliver jitterfree 24/96 kHz performance via USB. We continue to consider USB to be a convenience, to be used when no other connection is available, but Benchmark is not just throwing it in to fatten up its feature list. Note that the USB circuit in our reference converter is very much an afterthought. Did we mention that the HDR has no display beyond the six blue LEDs? That means it won’t confirm the resolution that it is operating at. Plenty of other DACs have the same omission, and some users won’t care, as long as music comes out the other end, but we’re insecure, and we would like to be able to keep an eye on the odometer. At the rear of the unit is a switch labelled “fixed” and “variable.” That of course refers to volume. In “fixed” mode, it bypasses its volume control, and in that mode the HDR is just a DAC, albeit one with multiple inputs. In “variable” mode it can be used as a full-blown preamplifier. It was obvious that we would have to try it both ways. Initially, then, we used the “fixed” setting, and set out to discover whether this DAC1 is good enough just as a DAC. We had of course reviewed the older unit, but since then our own reference system has improved considerably, as has digital technology in general. We selected several CDs and listened to them using our Linn Unidisk 1.1 player as a transport, with an Atlas Opus digital cable from the Unidisk’s digital output to the coaxial input of our Moon 300D converter. We then substituted the DAC1 HDR for the Moon, and listened again. This comparison minimized the variables, since we used exactly the same cables, including the power cable, on both converters. Our first selection was the Pauline Viardot-Garcia art song Haï Lully, from soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian’s Analekta album (AN 2 9903). This is an especially terrific song from a great recording. If we bring it along when we’re touring a show, we are beset by people wanting the CD number (we just gave it to you, above). Both our reference converter and the Benchmark did well with it, but, as often happens, the two renditions were not the same. Detail was certainly not lacking, though Gerard thought the words (which are in French) were slightly clearer with the reference. Bayrakdarian seemed to be at a certain distance from us, and yet we could hear her breathe between phrases. The near-silences at the ends of syllables remained gorgeous. “Everything is lighter and brighter,” said Toby, “and the piano has less
weight.” But the piano nonetheless maintained a wonderful limpidity (there is no other accompaniment, nor is any needed), and the image was perhaps even better, if that was possible. You may notice something unusual about UHF’s equipment reviews, the Crosstalk section. We have long done our reviews with a panel, typically of three reviewers. The main article is based on the consensus of the panelists. But what happens if we don’t agree? In our unique Crosstalk section, each panelist gets the chance to give his/her opinion, to add a nuance to the article, or even to disagree with the others. There is no pressure to conform. And why should there be? Readers tell us they like to see some disagreement. If we can disagree among ourselves, they can disagree with us too. And that’s good. To read the rest of this article, you can order either the print issue or Maggie’s electronic version. We continue with what looks like Latin, but it isn’t. Of course the paid version is uninterrupted! Re facin henis nisl iustrud enim aute duis dignisc iliscipissi. Tum veliquat ulpute dolore volore facipsum esequat. Ut lan veliquat praese facilit lutpat nibh euguero ea feuguer suscing enismod dolorero odiamco rtiscil lamconsequat wismod modion vel ulputat. Utpation utpat augait am, core tisi. An hendreet nonsenim dit, ver sustrud dunt utet autem quam, sis augue magniam consequat adipis adiam, consed te ming esent loborper iure commodio commodit lum zzriure vullumsan henim iustin utatum vel ilis aut loborperilla feum do odolore commodolore dolore dolesto eu feu feu feuipsu scipit ad molorem ex ero odolobore dolobortie digna conullaor si bla consecte et exerit lum alismolore ming esent vullamc onullan henisl ute core vent volor si. 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Duis ad dolor adiam Summing it up… Brand/model: Benchmark HDR Price: US$1895 Dimensions: x cm Inputs: Analog, TOSLINK, coaxial, USB Outputs: coaxial, XLR Most liked: Outstanding performance on several levels Least liked: No readout of signal resolution, trade-up policy that discriminates against Canada Verdict: Three boxes in one, each one worth the cost quatiscidunt praestie er ametummod tat. Agna feuipisl essequis accum in utat. 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Lorem eum iurer iure tatue modigna feugait eros nisl utatum ip el ex eu feui eu facipsusto ea faccums andignis dit illaore do odit ilis dipit do euis eui te feugait niamcom modolor perilluptat. To commy nim iustio duipis num nostrud magna facip euis exerosto dolor sequipit augait lor se commodo lobore dolore conse conumsandit aliquisci tet lore tio eugait ad magnit utpat la feum nisl exercil lutatio consed tatem zzrilit aliquam quat utpat wisit praestie feuisim num do od exer augait duisse et lumsan etuercilisit nonsectet wissi blamcon utpat verostio et wisi tetueros nos autat lutat prat, commy nullamet adip esto delis dignisl dolorpe rcilis eum eu feu feugiam zzrit utat, con elenisi. Commod dolestrud te te euis alis niamconsed eummod te tet ing exerili quatummod dolute tem zzrit at alit, ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY <strong>Magazine</strong> 35 Listening Feedback Cinema Room
Page 1 and 2: No. 91 CAN $6.49 / US $7.69 ANALOG
Page 3 and 4: Issue No. 91 Cover story: It’s sm
Page 5 and 6: DOG-EARED MAGAZINES ARE WRONG! And
Page 7 and 8: I was quite impressed with Paul Ber
Page 9 and 10: the original models — true? I can
Page 11 and 12: An hendreet nonsenim dit, ver sustr
Page 13 and 14: Duissi exerat, quis nos nulla feugu
Page 15 and 16: nonullam il et, quipit in ea faccum
Page 17 and 18: TAVES did, however, run into a prob
Page 19 and 20: utatue consequat. Cil et veraessisl
Page 21 and 22: seemed as if the music was elevated
Page 23 and 24: singers use that. And it’s the fi
Page 25 and 26: Music and memory Is there such a th
Page 27 and 28: velendre er ing euis nonulla faccum
Page 29 and 30: sion. The dead time could be used t
Page 31 and 32: The people at Reference Recordings
Page 33: The Firebird ballet sounded disturb
Page 37 and 38: Get UHF from Maggie on your desktop
Page 39 and 40: conullaor si bla consecte et exerit
Page 41 and 42: THE ACOUSTIC COLLECTION: This is th
Page 43 and 44: significant. Besides, we were reluc
Page 45 and 46: Products of special value, at The A
Page 47 and 48: speakers like those is not what the
Page 49 and 50: to the Red Book CD standard. The na
Page 51 and 52: Music was evident. “I picked up t
Page 53 and 54: INTERCONNECTS ATLAS NAVIGATOR Oxyge
Page 55 and 56: UHF14 POWER BAR Most power bars kno
Page 57 and 58: ed pepper to its music. Felix Hell
Page 59 and 60: We Get Requests (CD) An amazing 196
Page 61 and 62: There is lots of nostalgia in pop m
Page 63 and 64: them what should have been a rendez
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Page 71 and 72: their church services. For them, an
Page 73 and 74: How to Sing the Blues Most Blues be
Page 75 and 76: unconvincing in the second. And —
Page 77 and 78: “Blu-ray Essentials” label, wit
Page 79 and 80: Apple to the rescue? With the TV bu
Page 81 and 82: Blockbuster Canada, which is of cou
Page 83 and 84: Why do UHF readers start reading th

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