Getting audio out of your digital system is just as important as getting it in

   As we’ve moved our studios into the digital world, most of us have focused on the front end of the equation — getting the best possible converters we can for translating audio from the analog to the digital world. In many cases the other end of the chain seems to have been ignored or to have taken second place in importance.
  But recently several companies have introduced high-quality digital-to-analog converters (DACs) intended to bring the analog output of our digital systems up to the level of the input. Among these new offerings is the Benchmark DAC1, a half-rack unit that comes in at an affordable price. More than just a straight-ahead converter, the Benchmark offers an array of useful features inside its compact enclosure.
   The back panel contains three sets of stereo digital inputs: AES/EBU (XLR), coaxial (BNC, but an RCA-to-BNC adapter is included), and TOSlink (optical). A front-panel switch lets you select among the input options. Also on the back panel are balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA outputs; both are active simultaneously. Rounding out the back panel is a standard IEC power cable connector (no wallwart), and a two-position switch for setting output level. In the top position, the output level is fixed and calibrated using 10-turn rear-panel trim controls. In the bottom, variable position, output level is governed by the front-panel volume knob. Rounding out the front panel are the three-position input selector and three LEDs indicating power, clock error (or no signal), and the presence of a non-PCM signal such as Dolby AC3. In addition, the front panel has two 1/4-inch headphone jacks whose level is controlled with the variable gain knob. Note that there is no power switch; you’ll need to plug the DAC1 into a power switch if you want to turn it off.
   The presence of the output level control knob and headphone jacks takes the DAC1 from being a straight-ahead converter, and turns it into a useful “back-end,” especially for a DAW-based studio. 

Simply connect the outs of the DAC1 to your speakers, without need for a volume control box or for the small mixer many studios use for monitor control. Plus, having multiple switchable inputs lets you easily A/B and reference sources, and you can monitor with headphones right off the same box. I hooked up the DAC1 to the AES out of my Pro Tools rig, as well as the optical out of my CD player and the S/PDIF out of my MasterLink. Being able to jump between the digital sources, listening to all of them through the same converters, and minimize circuitry by also controlling volume from within the converter was beyond convenient, it was a joy!
   The DAC1 also has other features, such as jitter reduction and automatic de-emphasis for consumer digital signals — I found it worked very well on my home stereo rig. It can accept and automatically lock to sample rates ranging from 28 Hz to 195 kHz, and has 24 bits of resolution.
   But none of that would matter if the DAC1 didn’t deliver sonically. And it does, in spades. It has an open, present sound, with smooth, even, highly detailed top end, and full bass. Its dynamic response is exemplary. In other words, the DAC1 sounds great. I highly recommend this box.