[decooney]

UPDATE#2, Day2 with Benchmark DAC3 B -


The DAC3 B is extremely open and transparent. Amazingly so. All else is good, but now I’m focusing on what is/not there with midrange and a bit of a lack of midrange warmth I’m normally use to hearing with all of my other sources. Trying to figure out why, is it just me.

-Bass: Suepr fast, tight, clean. Amazingly accurate. No bass bloom as a result. No bass signature otherwise.
-Highs: Amazingly smooth, clean, open. Very-Very-Very transparent. Never heard more open or smoother highs before. No discernible signature otherwise.
-Midrange: nice, clean, super flat. Lacking some midrange warmth IMO. The midrange is there, but lacking vibrance so far with this brand new DAC.

Note: I’m using Cardas Golden Cross RCA interconnects. One of the smoothest and warmest RCA interconnect cables Cardas ever produced. What’s strange is I do not notice the cables as much now. I'm super familiar with swapping these cables in over the years to tone down certain details on some bright components. What keeps me interested right now in this new DAC3 B is the rest of the spectrum (excluding a lack of midrange warmth) is the fact that everything else comes through, amazingly so. It’s really interesting. It's as if i'm having to adjust my own thoughts of what it should sound like.

CONFIRMED:
If you like super open, super transparent, added depth, but don’t mind a little forward sound now too, this DAC3 B unit covers all of that and then some.

Hmmm, however I'm scratching my brain with a new question going on inside my head now as I let this thing burn in some more. Maybe a tad smoother Day2.

Do I need to re-learn how to listen to my music all over again because now I’m hearing it the way it’s suppose to be? (flat, clean, open, transparent, detailed, now lacking some lush warmth?)

Oh, one last thing... on some recordings voices come through like never before. It's all there, some times it feels like it's "too much" voice if that does not sound crazy. I'd like to see voices set back just a tad more. Right now it's a little more "in your face" on some voice tracks where the voice is really well recorded.

Again, is this how it's supposed to be?