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May 25, 2010 - 5:41pm
#1
CEntrance DACport, Benchmark DAC1
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Competitive, yes, with sweet highs, especially considering its price. But as I said in the review, the Benchmark's LF was superior in terms of slam and weight. Whether that matters will be a personal choice.
John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile
Granted measurements are not always indicative of final sound quality but out of curiousity I compared the Stereophile Measurements of the CEntrance DACport to another USB-only DAC, the Ayre QB-9;
Correct me if I'm wrong but after comparing their respective "Measurements" sections, it appears to my untrained eye that the DACport in most ways measured as well and more frequently superior to the QB-9???
At $399 that CEntrance DACport IS quite the bargain!!!
I have been using one of these for a while now. I had posted comments on it earlier. It is a great product. The sound through my AKG 701s is fabulous.
What makes it extra special is the fact that it is so small and draws it's power from the PC. I can listen to music on my laptop wherever I am. I travel every week and it goes with me. At home, I just grab my laptop and park out wherever it is convenient.
Nothing but praise for it.
That's interesting you mention the 701s. I have a good friend that was a big music lover but has had waning interest lately and wasn't sure why. I told him it was using his phone and cheap ear buds to listen to music! Sucks the life out of any recording!
The K701s (or 702s) and the CEntrance DACport was the combination I think I'm going to suggest to him. For around $700USD you can get hi-end sound for not an unreasonable amount of money.
Which is another example of wonderful budget-conscious solutions to audiophile needs.