DIGITAL TO ANALOG AUDIO CONVERTER

Benchmark DAC3 HGC – Digital to Analog Audio Converter

Sonically-Neutral Studio Monitoring

Benchmark converters are designed to be sonically neutral. This sonic transparency is absolutely essential in the studio monitoring chain.

Benchmark converters have become a standard fixture in many of the world’s finest studios.

Bring the Studio into Your Living Room

When Benchmark’s professional converters are used in hi-fi applications, studio-quality sound can be enjoyed in a home environment. Enjoy pure music without any coloration from the electronics. Hear the music exactly the way it was heard in the studio, and exactly the way the artists intended.

Discover the natural, uncoloured, analog sound of Benchmark converters.

High-Headroom DSP
Nearly Exclusive to Benchmark
Provides 3 dB Headroom Above 0 dBFS
Prevents Clipping of Intersample Peaks
0 dBS+ Intersample Peaks Often Occur 100s of Times per Second
Prevents Short Bursts of High-Amplitude Distortion
Not Available on Most Other D/A Converters
May Be the Single Most Important Difference
Linear-Phase Filters
DAC Reconstruction Filter has a Linear Phase Brick Wall Response
Accurately Reproduces the Original Analog Waveform
Preserves the Analog Waveshape Through Multiple A/D and D/A Conversions
Waveform Integrity is Extremely Important for Studio Applications
Delivers a Studio Experience to the Listening Space
The “Custom” Filters Found in Other DACs Change the Analog Waveform
HPA2 Headphone Amplifier
Low THD+N – Below the 0 dB SPL Threshold of Hearing
Near 0-Ohm Output Impedance for Tight Control of Drivers
No increase in THD when Driving Loads as Low as 30 Ohms
Drives Two Sets of Headphones Simultaneously
One Headphone Jack Mutes the Line Outputs
Hybrid Gain Control (HGC)
Motorized Volume Control
Single Knob Controls Digital and Analog Inputs
Digital Inputs are Controlled in the Digital Domain
Analog Inputs are Controlled in the Analog Domain
This System Avoids Conversion of Analog Inputs
Remote Control Rotates the Volume Control Knob
Studio or Hi-Fi Output Levels
High Signal Levels can Increase the System SNR
Studios use Levels that are 10 dB Higher than Hi-Fi Levels
The DAC3 Balanced Outputs Can be Configured for Studio or Hi-Fi Output Levels
All Benchmark Products use Studio Levels Internally
In an All-Benchmark System, Every Balanced Interface Operates at Studio Levels
Jitter-Immune UltraLock3™ Clock System
Removes Jitter From the Digital Interface
Keeps Jitter-Induced Distortion 140 dB Below the Music
Jitter-Induced Distortion is Held Well Below the 0 dB SPL Threshold of Hearing
Immune to the Jitter Induced by Long Cables
Immune to the Jitter Induced by Low-Quality Transports
Immune to the Jitter Induced by USB Interfaces

The DAC3 HGC includes Benchmark’s HPA2 0-Ohm Headphone Amplifier which easily drives difficult headphone loads.

DESIGNED, ASSEMBLED, AND TESTED IN THE USA

This Benchmark product was designed, assembled, and tested in the USA using USA and imported components. Most major components are made in USA.