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In 2007, I spent time with Bel Canto Design's e.One DAC3 D/A processor. In his review of the DAC3 in the November 2007 issue, John Atkinson quoted my comparison of it with the Benchmark DAC1, which I called "the Swiss army knife of audio" and "one of the only future-proof source components you can buy these days."

Sure enough, in 2013, the standalone DAC-preamp has become an integral part of the audiophile world, and no company has led the way to the high-quality DAC/preamp/headphone amp as confidently as has Benchmark Media. I bought my original…

Description: D/A processor/preamplifier/headphone amplifier, Digital inputs (switch selected): 1 USB, 2 optical, 2 coaxial. Input sampling-frequency range: 28–210kHz (coaxial); 28–96kHz (optical); 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192kHz, plus DSD (USB). Jitter-attenuation method (all inputs): Benchmark UltraLock2. Analog inputs: 2 pairs on RCAs. Analog outputs: 1 pair balanced on XLRs; 2 pairs unbalanced on RCAs; 2 headphone outputs on ¼" jacks. Power consumption: <0.5W idle, 12W typical program, 15W maximum.
Dimensions: 9.5" (249mm) W by 1.725" (44.5mm) H by 9…

Analog Sources: Clearaudio Ovation turntable/tonearm with Talisman V2 cartridge.
Digital Sources: Benchmark DAC1 HDR; Hewlett-Packard EliteBook laptop running JRiver Media Center 18; Bel Canto Design DAC3.5 VB Mk.II D/A converter & CD2 CD player & VB1 power supply; CEntrance DACMini CX.
Preamplification: Clearaudio Basic+ phono preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Rogue Audio M-180 monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Revel F208.
Headphones: Sennheiser HD600.
Cables: USB: Cardas Clear, DH Labs. Digital: Silver Sonic D-110 AES/EBU,…

I examined the Benchmark DAC2 HGC's electrical performance with Stereophile's loan sample of the top-of-the-line Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 "As We See It"). The DAC2 HGC's performance via its USB port was tested using my 2012-vintage Apple MacBook Pro. Apple's USB Prober utility identified the Benchmark as having the Product String "Benchmark DAC2 USB Audio 1.0" or "Benchmark DAC2 USB Audio 2.0," depending on which mode the DAC2's USB input had been set to. The Benchmark operated with the preferred isochronous asynchronous…

That sounded like a DAC I needed to review, but it wasn't until July that…

Description: Remote-controlled, upsampling, stereo D/A processor with volume control. Digital inputs: 1 AES/EBU on XLR, 2 S/PDIF on coax, 1 S/PDIF on TosLink, 1 USB 2.0 on USB type B connector. Analog outputs: 1 pair balanced on XLRs, 1 pair unbalanced on RCAs. Compatible sample rates: 44.1–192kHz, AES/EBU, S/PDIF coaxial and TosLink; 44.1–384kHz, DSD64 (2.8224MHz), DSD128 (5.6448MHz), USB. Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, 0.1dB. Channel separation: not specified. Dynamic range: 130dB ref. 0dBFS, 20Hz–20kHz, A-weighted. THD+noise: <0.00015%, 20Hz–20kHz at…

Analog Source: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply, Linn Ekos tonearm, Linn Arkiv B phono cartridge.
Digital Sources: Marantz Reference NA-11S1 media player; Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP universal player; Apple 2.7GHz i7 Mac mini laptop running OS10.7, iTunes 10, Pure Music 1.89, Audirvana Plus 1.5.10, JRiver Media Center 19 for Mac; Benchmark DAC2 HGC, NAD M51 D/A converters; Ayre Acoustics QA-9 & Benchmark ADC1 USB A/D converters.
Preamplification: Channel D Seta L phono preamplifier, Pass Labs XP-30 line preamplifier.
Power…

I used Stereophile's loan sample of the top-of-the-line Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 "As We See It") to examine the Auralic Vega's measured behavior. I used my 2012-vintage Apple MacBook Pro to examine the processor's performance via its USB port. All measurements were taken with the Vega's volume control, which operates in accurate 0.5dB steps, set to its maximum of "100."

Apple's USB Prober utility identified the Vega as having the Product String "AURALiC USB Audio 2.0" and the Manufacturer String "AURALiC," and…