I've gotten more mileage into the unit now and can give a better account of its signature. This unit is very detailed with excellent resolution and extension. It turns on a dime but reveals reverb trails nicely. It doesn't seem to add color to the instruments and subtle changes made to your mix are easily discerned. Overall it will provide a clean, razors edge, view of your recording that will draw you into the music while laying bare all aspects of the recording. It does not romantize your recording but rather gives you a very clear picture of what's there, warts and all. For me, that's a good thing. I like to add my own sugar to my coffee. For that duty I would rather leave the sweetening to my preamps or amps.
Bass is well extended and punchy. It is not bloated nor does it leave notes hanging, thus blurring them together. Each bass note can be discerned from the other when there is a run or walking, or if the kick is layering, and or doubling.
Vocals are revealed for what is on the track, making it easier to identify the mic used or type of environment the track was recorded in.
High frequencies are one of its many strong points. Rides, Hi-Hats and Crashes are all revealed for what they are. Overtones and primary notes from instruments are there in their full glory.
This is an honest tool that will play back what is on your tracks. It comes in a sturdy, well constructed package, has gobs of inputs and output and does its job in first class, workman like fashion. However, for someone looking for a DAC that is more like a crayon this is not for you. It will not make your recordings more romantic or fix problems elsewhere in your system. For that you will have to shop elsewhere. But for someone who is looking for what it brings to the table, this might be the unit for you and now that Benchmark has released the DAC2 these are going for a great price on the used market. You can even buy a refurbished unit from Benchmark at a greatly reduced price with a warranty.