This takes the gain control attenuator out of the equation completely, which is how most recording engineers use a DAC. Home Theater Bypass is a mode that sets the pass-through gain to unity. According to the company, the 4:1 redundancy lowers noise and distortion to industry leading levels. Additionally, conversion is handled by four balanced 32-bit chips. The DAC2 HGC maintains at least 3.5 dB of headroom throughout the conversion system, which precludes it from clipping. Those familiar with Nielsen and Lund's AES paper on 0 dBFS+ levels (and if you're not, you really should change that) know that the converted analog output can still clip on playback, even though the digital source material may never exceed 0 dBFS, because of inter-sample peaks in the reconstructed waveform. Foremost in my mind is the DSP that promises 3.5 dB digital headroom beyond 0 dBFS. Inside, Benchmark made many electronic updates, including a noise lowering, distributed power regulation system.Ī few things are brand-new technologies. These include visual indicators for sample-rate and word-length additional analog outputs and digital and analog inputs digital pass-through native DSD conversion polarity switch asynchronous USB 2.0 and more.
Most of the new features were requested by DAC1 users. Popular features from the DAC1, such as dual headphone jacks and front-panel gain knob, remain unchanged. The review unit came with a detailed user manual, which is both appreciated and worth bonus points given the lack of attention some venders place in this area. Included is a sturdy, metal, remote control, which can be useful, especially if you place your converter away from your gear - say, closer to your power amp. Benchmark offers multiple racking options for curmudgeons like me. Physically, the unit is a half-rack design, which I disdain, but location engineers love. I won't cover all of the updates as some have minimal application in our workflow ( e.g., remote control voltage). Consequently, the DAC2 HGC is designed to serve the needs of both industry segments.
Benchmark Media Systems is a company that straddles the audiophile and recording markets. It features more than 15 enhancements, so we were excited to use this unit. The DAC2 HGC is a followup to the popular DAC1.