Did some listening at a friends house last night. Interesting observations.
what we did.
a NAD cd player, dont know what model.
digi out to the Sony 3000es (in two channel mode, no DSP)
digi out to the Benchmark DAC-1 > analog out (high end ICs) > Sony 3000es
Sony:
digi into the sony sounded as good as I expected. Comparred to the Benchmarks signal, ...it imaged much tighter, imo. But that was about the only thing I could really notice in the favor of the Sony.
I thought it sounded more detailed, the other listener thought it sounded "bright".
Benchmark:
signap path here is PCM into the DAC1 > analog out > analog in on the sony > conversion to DSD and then on through the sony's S-master chip / gain structure..yadda yadda yadda.
Comparred to the sony, the sonic "footprints" were not as localized. W/the Sony, you could say "I hear the guitar right there.." and actualy point to a single spot. The benchmark through more a space for the images. Made them a little fuzzy.
However, the tonal balance of the benchmark was MUCH more pleasing to our ears than the Sony. Way more bottom end punch, fat mid-bass and a rich and a lush sound to everything that the Sony just didn't render.
Hmmm....
Cavet...
we didn't listen any longer than about an hour. And I left the gear there for my buddy to listen to at lenghth and let it grow on him.
Speakers were ok, but definetely the weak link here. Still, we got two very different sounds out of each D/A (sony's and the DAC1), so they were capable of showing us something different between the sources.
I know the Sony boxes sound great. And we know that they excell in the imaging/soundstage dept. However, they are certainly not the last word in tonal balance and general "pleasing sound".
In my system at home, i love the sony. When I get it back I"ll have to snag the benchmark and do some extended listening in my own environment w/gear i'm familiar with. I think while I was so amore'd w/the sound characteristics the Sony was giving me, I completely lost sight of the things that it does not produce. More listening is in order.
Topic: Benchmark DAC-1 and the Sony str da3000es (Read 1780 times)