![]() The benchmark had me toe tapping to the “ chicka-wow-wow” rhythm. Immediately impressed with the “grunt” of the HPA2 amp section, I moved on to my all-time favorite Red Hot Chili Peppers song – their cover of Stevie Wonder’s “ Higher Ground”. The DAC3 HGC nailed it and kicked with the authority that I've often found lacking. The big bass drum kick that anchors this track has left me disappointed on other systems and pairings. With that in mind, I started my evaluation with the Black Keys’ El Camino album and their track “Sister”. I don’t go for the typical audiophile fare of classical, chamber music or slow jazz. (Note that ALL of my testing was done via the USB input, I did not use the other digital inputs or the analog inputs.) After configuring the correct USB mode (more on that later) and swapping to the OEM single-ended cable on my LCD-3’s I jumped into my evaluation playlist. I unboxed the DAC, tossed the manual and remote into the corner and connected my laptop to the USB input. I’m not one for burning in new components for 100 hours – I like to tear open boxes in a fit of instant gratification. After reading his article I better understood the approach he used in Benchmark’s HPA2 amplifier design. John Siau, Benchmark's VP & Director of Engineering, makes a compelling argument why you won’t find balanced headphone connectors on their products. I have a balanced Moon Silver Dragon cable for my Audeze LCD-3’s that I’m rather found of. Initially, the absence of a balanced output dismayed me. The front of the DAC3 HGC offers dual ¼” single-ended headphone outputs. ( Though it is a bit odd to have a DAC3 on your desk and drivers & dialog boxes that say a DAC2 is connected.) The underlying ES9028PRO chipset is the big difference in the new DAC3 – everything else is pretty much the same. The HPA2 amplifier section is the same design that debuted in the DAC1 circa 2009. They have the same controls, features and operation. They use the same chassis/casework, but with different labels. The older Benchmark DAC2 and the new DAC3 are practically indistinguishable visually. My goal was to evaluate the DAC3 HGC serving in two roles – both as a standalone DAC and as an integrated all-in-on DAC/AMP combo. This review focuses on the DAC3 HGC model with the integrated HPA2 headphone amplifier. DAC3 HGC – An extra $300 ($2,195) gets you the same DAC plus an integrated HPA2 headphone amplifier.DAC3 L – This model offers analog only output, without headphone amplification and retails for $1,895.The Benchmark DAC3 is available in two different configurations: ![]() In short – it's everything you like about the DAC2 only mo’ better.
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