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DAC to suit Benchmark HPA4 and AHB2 Setup

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DubbyMcDubs

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Hey - some of us like no-frills appearances. I don't need my gear to look like something out of a sci-fi movie (ahem...chord...). ;) I generally pick black finished because they're less flashy.

Now I just have to find a good enough looking rack mount PC case to go along with the stack... Media PC needs a new home. Current case doesn't fit well in a rack mounted shelf.

I use this case in my HT rack as a file server, using the optional rack brackets.

https://www.pccasegear.com/products...M_EBuIOCTDl6PCR7aDIFI0VkSUZFQ-mRoC8ygQAvD_BwE
 

doug

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If you’ll be using the HPA4 and 1 or 2 AHB2 amps, the DAC3 at least deserves a shot. They all work very well together for me. And their 30-day trial makes that easy.
 

digitalfrost

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I use SoX VHQ linear phase 99 passband to resample to 64x when scanning for the peaks withfoobar2000's replaygain scanner.
That's some impressive overkill right there. How can I set this up? I looked in the ReplayGain scanner settings but I didn't anything about resampling.
 

Crazy_Nate

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I use this case in my HT rack as a file server, using the optional rack brackets.

https://www.pccasegear.com/products...M_EBuIOCTDl6PCR7aDIFI0VkSUZFQ-mRoC8ygQAvD_BwE

I wish I could add some rack ears to my case. I'm running a Silverstone GD04 crammed onto a shelf. With fan filters, it kinda interferes with the shelf (just a hair too wide, but I can make it work...just can't get it out without taking the shelf out). Upgrading to the GD10 or GD09 would be nice if the ears and rails all work out.

If you do get all Benchmark components we'll have just about the same setup (DAC3B + HPA4 + AHB2 on the way for me). But maybe it's more common than I think...despite being expensive, it's fairly cheap compared to most high-end audio stuff.

I was strongly considering the Element X, but I ended up going with the DAC3 since it was a bit cheaper and I wouldn't use the extra connectivity stuff (also, in the US, I think the Benchmark warranty / support is very good). FYI, Soundnews has a direct comparison between DAC3 / Element X / Mytek Brooklyn / X-sabre Pro:
 
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DubbyMcDubs

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I wish I could add some rack ears to my case. I'm running a Silverstone GD04 crammed onto a shelf. With fan filters, it kinda interferes with the shelf (just a hair too wide, but I can make it work...just can't get it out without taking the shelf out). Upgrading to the GD10 or GD09 would be nice if the ears and rails all work out.

If you do get all Benchmark components we'll have just about the same setup (DAC3B + HPA4 + AHB2 on the way for me). But maybe it's more common than I think...despite being expensive, it's fairly cheap compared to most high-end audio stuff.

I was strongly considering the Element X, but I ended up going with the DAC3 since it was a bit cheaper and I wouldn't use the extra connectivity stuff (also, in the US, I think the Benchmark warranty / support is very good). FYI, Soundnews has a direct comparison between DAC3 / Element X / Mytek Brooklyn / X-sabre Pro:

Thanks for the video link. I have checked that one out.

I am not sure the Benchmark stuff is really that well known. Everyone in HiFi circles here has never heard of it. If it wasn't for ASR I would be looking at other brands. Can't wait to hear it!

As for the GD10, the rack ears work very well. I use them without a shelf to support and it works nicely. I do have a pretty light PC inside which is a passively cooled ITX board, SSD's and passively cooled PSU.
 
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DubbyMcDubs

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22EA7BE8-147E-4A54-A6C2-FEE8CF505A09.jpeg

:):):)
 

Crazy_Nate

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@DubbyMcDubs Wow, congrats! Looks great in black. The mill-work is pretty slick.

I think I need to call Benchmark. Kinda wondering if my order is going slower with all the rack-mount faceplates. It's been about a month.
 
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DubbyMcDubs

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@DubbyMcDubs Wow, congrats! Looks great in black. The mill-work is pretty slick.

I think I need to call Benchmark. Kinda wondering if my order is going slower with all the rack-mount faceplates. It's been about a month.

Thanks, mate. Very lucky that the Australian distributor had stock.

I’ve only had a chance to listen to the DAC3 with the HPA4, using my HD6XX’s, but it’s magic!
 
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DubbyMcDubs

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So I've had a chance to listen to the whole setup. Pretty bloody amazing. I will be keeping the whole rig, including the DAC3 B. The streamlined integration between all the components is too nice to ignore so I wont bother with another brand DAC. For streaming duties I used an old RPi 2 and installed RoPiee as a Roon endpoint, which saves $$ vs getting the Matrix Audio streaming DAC combo.

The only unfortunate part is that it's indicated to me that my headphones and speakers are not really doing this thing the justice it deserves. I think I can get a bit more out of it when I can get around to upgrading those. Having said that, the M106's and HD6XX's still sound awesome.

I will be taking all the Benchmark stuff over to a mates place to compare it against his Gryphon separates system + Salon 2's, which is approx 10x the overall cost. It will be very interesting to see how that goes. The key outcome of that, for me, is to determine if the upgrade to Salon 2's would justify the additional cost (chances are they will).

For anyone on the fence about going down the Benchmark path, don't hesitate. They do a trial period to test it out in your own home, so take advantage of that so you are not rolling the dice like you would be buying from a HiFi store. Also, their customer support (both Benchmark mothership and Australian importer) are second to none. The pre and post sales support is amazing. They were happy to accomodate ordering customer length cables, at very reasonable prices, and also sorted out an issue with the preamp within minutes of me informing them, and caused no inconvenience to me whatsoever. World class.
 

ex audiophile

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So I've had a chance to listen to the whole setup. Pretty bloody amazing. I will be keeping the whole rig, including the DAC3 B. The streamlined integration between all the components is too nice to ignore so I wont bother with another brand DAC. For streaming duties I used an old RPi 2 and installed RoPiee as a Roon endpoint, which saves $$ vs getting the Matrix Audio streaming DAC combo.

The only unfortunate part is that it's indicated to me that my headphones and speakers are not really doing this thing the justice it deserves. I think I can get a bit more out of it when I can get around to upgrading those. Having said that, the M106's and HD6XX's still sound awesome.

I will be taking all the Benchmark stuff over to a mates place to compare it against his Gryphon separates system + Salon 2's, which is approx 10x the overall cost. It will be very interesting to see how that goes. The key outcome of that, for me, is to determine if the upgrade to Salon 2's would justify the additional cost (chances are they will).

For anyone on the fence about going down the Benchmark path, don't hesitate. They do a trial period to test it out in your own home, so take advantage of that so you are not rolling the dice like you would be buying from a HiFi store. Also, their customer support (both Benchmark mothership and Australian importer) are second to none. The pre and post sales support is amazing. They were happy to accomodate ordering customer length cables, at very reasonable prices, and also sorted out an issue with the preamp within minutes of me informing them, and caused no inconvenience to me whatsoever. World class.
thanks for sharing, wonderful setup that I've been looking at myself. I just purchased the Element i and was surprised to see that it does not have a digital out. I may be incorrect but it would seem that you would have to bypass your DAC3B if you were to purchase a Matrix streamer.
 

Siwel

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You'll like the Revels. They're hard to beat in most domestic environments. Congrats. Nice stack!
 
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DubbyMcDubs

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thanks for sharing, wonderful setup that I've been looking at myself. I just purchased the Element i and was surprised to see that it does not have a digital out. I may be incorrect but it would seem that you would have to bypass your DAC3B if you were to purchase a Matrix streamer.

Thank you.

With yourn Element i, I see on the website that it has a coaxial digial out? You could feed that into the Benchmark DAC, however depending on the performance of the Element i you could just use it as the DAC in that setup.
 

ex audiophile

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Thank you.

With yourn Element i, I see on the website that it has a coaxial digial out? You could feed that into the Benchmark DAC, however depending on the performance of the Element i you could just use it as the DAC in that setup.
Lol I thought it was an output also ( it isn’t labeled). It is an input however. The element DAC is excellent so you could go directly to an HPA4 or LA4 with the analog outs.
 

¥€$

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Hey - some of us like no-frills appearances. I don't need my gear to look like something out of a sci-fi movie (ahem...chord...). ;) I generally pick black finished because they're less flashy.

Now I just have to find a good enough looking rack mount PC case to go along with the stack... Media PC needs a new home. Current case doesn't fit well in a rack mounted shelf.

I've always subconsciously expected the "rugged" gear to sound better, if it's good enough for pros then it must be more than good for homes.
 
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