Yes me. First post here and a bit unsure if I'm in the right place. Yes the Benchmarks are 2 CH but my system is basically MC. Well here goes anyway.
I guess many would regard me as "over the top" to have two Benchmark DAC 1's
http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/dac1/ modified by Empirical Audio
http://www.empiricalaudio.com/.
So how did this come about?
Well, in the home office here (I'm retired) there is a highly modified Denon 3000 CDP, an excellent upgrade done by Soundlabs Group in Melbourne
http://www.soundlabsgroup.com.au/ a Plinius 8100 integrated amp and a pair of modified 3 way speakers, so some time ago I set out on the upgrade path to improve the sound of the music from CDs in this system. First try was a used Audio Note 1X Signature DAC which is very good but, having read the rave net reviews by some on the Benchmark DAC 1 I decided to give one a try. Yes, the music did sound better.
But having experienced the huge uplift in sound quality because of the excellent work done by the Aussie Soundlabs Group in modifying CDPs, and reading the negative reactions of some on the internet boards to the Benchmark, it seemed a feasible idea to see if it could be modified. After some net research I made contact with Steve Nugent
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue7/empiricalint.htm to arrange for his “Turbomod” and the installation of a Superclock3. This posed a minor problem as I was already enjoying the Benchmark DAC 1 in the office system and did not relish being without it for too long. So I opted to purchase another and have it delivered direct to Steve for modification.
It eventually arrived here and the improvement was so good it outshone the much cherished Meridian 861 v4 on 2 CH. The soundstage, the resolution and improved bass was stunning. These comments were echoed by members of the Melbourne Audio Club a couple months ago when they auditioned it in a couple of “DAC shootout” sessions at the home of the President.
In fact the Steve Nugent modified Benchmark DAC 1 was so good it had to go into the main system here for CDs. But then it also uplifted the sound from the Sound Labs Group modified laserdisc players (most of the LDs here are operatic, ballet etc so are musically inclined) so a digital switcher was required. After some net searching I zeroed in on the 4 input remote controlled INDAY DA4X-R
htpp/:www.inday.com
and had it sent to Steve for scrutiny. Just as well, as upon close inspection Steve was unimpressed by the amateurishness of the circuitry so did a rebuild for me.
However the unmodded Benchmark DAC 1 was so outshone by the modded unit, it had to be upgraded. So a few weeks ago it went to Steve for turbo modding + Superclock3, BNC/Transformer & replacement of the ICs with OPA-627's – even more upgrades than the first unit. It and the switch arrived yesterday so is now installed in the main system. The excellent digital cables used are 2m Quantum Dynamix
http://www.htcustomcables.com/coaxial%20QUANDYN.htm and they add to the nightmare tangle of cables. The remotely controlled & modified INDAY brings the total of remotely controlled items to 20 in this complex audio-video system. Fortunately all are controllable using a programmable Home Theatre Master 700 with macros making multiple switching possible at the press of a button.
So how does the latest modified DAC 1 sound? Using it the musical reproduction is even more stunning than with the other DAC 1. Yesterday afternoon I spent 2 hours wallowing in the superb sound. The resolution, the bass extension, the soundstage, the ….. exceeds anything I ever heard via analog here, and that was using the highly regarded Koetsu Onyx Platinum cartridge. Real goosebump stuff. No hint of digititis in the form of hardness, grittiness etc and a VERY seductive air around the instruments. It rivals SACD and probably makes it a redundant format. Fairly obviously, to me, the problem all along with redbook CD standards has been the reproduction, not the format.
I've now reinstalled the first turbo modded Benchmark DAC 1 back here in the office. It is hard to put the finger on exactly what is better about the music reproduction using the Steve Nugent modded DACs. With them the music is just so much more appealing and listenable. Some sort of "X" factor which makes all the difference between reproduction which sounds very good and reproduction which is seductively beautiful. The Steve Nugent modified Benchmark DAC 1 achieves the latter with goosebumps.
While the second unit was away I had the Audio Note 1x Signature DAC here in the office but found I was listening to CDs here far less and some days listened to none at all. Now the turbo modded Benchmark DAC 1 is back in place here, as before it left, there will be a lot more music played. And I guess that is the acid test.
Many audiophiles find it difficult to accept that their player and DAC could need modification and appear to waste dollars on cables, amps, speakers etc "upgrading" when the same or much less spent on the front end would yield far better results. I’ve posted about this often and have an essay on modifications at
http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/digital/messages/106559.html My mantra is "Garbage in -> Garbage out" and the mods Soundlabs Group did to my players and those done by Steve Nugent performed for me on the Benchmark DAC 1’s here proves that in spades.
For the curious, the main system for CDs here is –
Highly modified by Soundlabs Group Marantz 17S1 SACD player (digital out) -> switcher -> Steve Nugent modified Benchmark DAC 1 -> Plinius 16L preamp -> Plinius SA250 III -> electrostatic speakers (about to be replaced by Sound Labs “Majestic” units)
This is not the end of the sound path, because a second output from the preamp -> Meridian 861 processor -> 7 amplification channels of centre, side, rear & sub for synthesised surround sound, the level of which can be independently adjusted for subtle ambience if required (it usually is advantageous). The centre, side and rear speakers are also electrostatic speakers and all this feeds into a pentagonal shaped room with vaulted ceiling so no two opposite surfaces are parallel.
Over 60 years ago my first experience of recorded sound was via cylinders on a wind up Edison phonograph. From there to 78s, to LPs, first only mono, then stereo and now to CDs, DVD-A’s & SACDS has been a long haul. I detested the sound from digital sources for over 15 years but now realise that it was the fault of the playing gear, not the format itself. BUT, there are not many, if any, CDPs & DACs out there that would not benefit from the magic wand of modders like Soundlabs Group and Steve Nugent at Empirical Audio.
Initially a sceptic about modifying components, I’m now a passionate advocate so this post is to let you all know what good things are possible from a digital format which has been justifiably criticised ever since its introduction.
John
