Reference Performance

The DAC3 delivers outstanding musical detail and precise stereo imaging. It employs an advanced high-headroom digital filter design and a high-sample-rate Asynchronous USB Audio interface. All inputs are fully isolated from the interface jitter by Benchmark’s new UltraLock3™ jitter attenuation system. Internal digital processing and conversion are 32 bits, and this processing includes 3.5 dB of headroom above 0 dBFS. This headroom prevents the DSP overloads that commonly occur in other D/A converters. Four balanced 32-bit D/A converters are summed together to create each balanced analogue output. This 4:1 summation provides a 6 dB noise reduction and gives the DAC3 industry-leading performance.

Volume Control

Any practical audio system will need a volume control. These days, most audio devices use digital volume controls. These controls place significant demands on the quality of a D/A conversion. An internal D/A converter that starts with the equivalent of 14-bit performance may only deliver 12-bit performance at typical volume-control settings.

In contrast, the Benchmark DAC3 D/A converter uses a motor-driven 32-bit digital volume control driving a 32-bit D/A conversion stage. This combination delivers true high-resolution audio performance over a wide range of volume settings.

Hybrid Gain Control

Benchmark’s unique hybrid volume-control system delivers maximum performance from analogue or digital inputs. A single motor-driven knob controls the volume of the analogue and digital inputs, but the two types of inputs are handled very differently:

• Digital inputs pass through the 32-bit digital volume control.

• Analogue inputs pass through the traditional analogue volume control.

• Both share the same knob.

This hybrid approach eliminates all unnecessary A/D and D/A conversion steps. Analogue inputs see an entirely analogue path to the outputs. Likewise, digital inputs see an entirely digital path to the 32-bit D/A converter.

Hi-Fi Preamplifier

The DAC3 includes the input selection, volume control, and output buffering functions of a traditional hi-fi “preamplifier”. Like a traditional preamplifier, the DAC3 is specifically designed to drive power amplifiers, but the DAC3 carries this concept to perfection. The high-current output stage of the DAC3 can be programmed to match the input sensitivity of your power amplifier. This unique feature optimizes the interface between the DAC and your power amplifier, giving you the highest possible system performance.

The DAC3 provides the cleanest, most direct path to your power amplifier. No additional “preamplifier” is required or recommended unless your system includes a turntable. If so, your phono preamplifier should be connected to one pair of analogue line-level inputs.

In any system, the most transparent performance will always be achieved when the DAC3 is connected directly to a power amplifier.