Upgrade from Benchmark DAC1

[whatmatrix]

Hi ASR,

I've been using Benchmark DAC1 for 10+ years. After seeing so many new products in ASR, I feel like I want to try better measuring products. I see that DAC1 is a mid-level product for both DAC and headphone amp part. I'm looking at $400-$800 range.

My current setup is

DAC1, fed by the optical out from a desktop PC.
Genelec 8010A
Sennheiser HD650 and LCD-2 for night time listening.
(considering HifiMan Arya for upgrade)

I would like to have a single volume knob for both speaker and headphone. For example, if I use Topping D50 and Archel 2 Pro, I'd be using Topping's volume for the Genelec. When I'd want to listen to headphones, I'd set 100% volume for Topping and adjust the volume in Archel 2 Pro. That is what I like to avoid.

A very high-end setup would be Benchmark DAC3 + HPA4. HPA4 can control volume for both speakers and headphones. However, It's out of my budget.

Dx7 Pro also fits my requirement. Though, I'm not sure its high headphone output impedance is okay with HifiMan Arya.

Any comments are welcome. Thank you!

 

[Purité Audio]

I would look at RME’s ADi series, packed with useful features and superbly engineered,
Keith