ANALOG vs DIGITAL - Ultra High Fidelity Magazine

Listening Feedback Room
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It wasn’t quite a surprise that the Benchmark
HDR could not quite beat either of
our reference components, if only because
their respective prices are disproportionately
greater, but it gave it its best shot. And it sure
didn’t disgrace itself.
And it’s a bargain for a reason that might
not be obvious at first blush. If you buy a top
grade preamplifier and a top grade DAC in
separate boxes, not only will you be paying
for the boxes and their respective power
supplies, but you could wind up connecting
them together with a cable that costs like the
entire Benchmark HDR!
I spent some time — more time than I
had intended — listening to this beautiful
product in Vegas a year ago. I enjoyed it
tremendously then. I enjoyed it no less once
it arrived here.
A bargain on more than one level.
—Gerard Rejskind
The converter in this device extracts
detail to an exceptional degree. My atten-
36 ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine
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CROSSTALK
tion was drawn to string vibrations, throat
sounds, vocal inflections, bass detail, the
subtle differences between the tones of wind
instruments and much more. On Haï Lully
there was a little less weight to the piano and
the voice was slightly brighter, but detail
restitution is one thing that sets apart a great
system from an ordinary one. If yours needs
more, you should hear this DAC; it may be
just what you want.
That was my impression when listening
with the reference preamp, which, I cannot
forget, costs twelve times the price if you
cost each half of the HDR equally. When
you hear the HDR’s DAC through its own
preamp instead, the unit becomes a great
bargain, with little of its detail lost and the
liveliness of the music unchanged.
There is other equipment, all more
expensive I’m afraid, which supplies a larger
image and a greater sense of musical flow, but
if you own this Benchmark, you may never
feel the need to invest.
—Toby Earp
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Pssst... (glance left, glance right) ... Want
a terrific DAC for free? Here is what you can
do.
When you decide to upgrade your
preamp, get this Benchmark, and the DAC
is yours as a bonus. How do you know when
you need a better preamp? Not simple, since
we may feel that the path to improvement is
a new DAC. At Benchmark they must know
better, since they offer a double improvement
with this unit. So when you feel the urge for
a new DAC, think of a new preamp too.
But hey, don’t take my word for it, ever.
Hook this unit in, and,while you’re at it try
the preamp section instead of yours. Hear
the difference. You’ll know if that is what
you need.
That’s how good I believe it is, as a DAC
and as a preamp. It won’t make your power
amp sound better, but your speakers will.
They are the ones that sing your tunes. You’ll
probably sit a while longer in front of them.
And exhale.
—Albert Simon