That Atty thing looks interesting. Do you have more info on it?
I was considering the SPL controller. Should be fine device. Me hopes. :O)
Ok, the comparison. You got me into a real task. It took some time.
It showed to become a quite critical trial, had to even close the windows as at that time in the evening a calm background yet through the Sony 7506 shells has been too much for that. Next thing to realize was how I for the first time really badly desired to have high end speakers. ( If only they had arrived yet! Was awaiting them for any day now, guess they will be delayed.)
From first trial I had an impression, but you don´t trust it.
Justified so, cause as you know we cannot print a sonic impression for more than 2 seconds. You can by help of experience sort of build memmory bridges I assume, but I´m no Bob Ludwig. The mess was that I had to plug around two TRS and one XLR, on top of that the DAC1 sits under a big device and it is a bit fiddly to get the male out from its back.
The routing BTW was Lynx digital out ( unfortunately I have only one digital out, don´t have its AES/EBU addon ) into either convertor ( DAC1 set to "callibrated", naturally ), both analog outs into patchbay and from there into standalone headphone amp.
I was listening to a two track with drums and rattle. And the results seemed very interesting. The DAC1 seems to have a punchier bottom than the Lavry. It can make your diaphragm flutter more. And while I guess it shouldn´t be it appeared like it was a milli tad louder. You could had even thought it sounded better. Yes, I think it could fool you and make you believe it was better sounding.
However, it appeared to me like it had a bit less of upper lows and lower mids which made made it sound more huge in a ( putative ) way. Like if the holler between the hights and the big bottom made it spacey or something. Really, very good sounding.
But when I switched back to the Lavry while noticing the smaller bang in the bottom I heard more mids, you could tell that there had been parts of the picture missing in the DAC1 image.
The Lavry contained more from the kick beaters smack and brought in more body of the hihats plate.
But, as it took me almost 10 seconds to switch between the convertors I felt not sure about the perception and after about about 15 switches decided to just record the results and compare them track by track.
So, feeded the convertors outs into the Lynx and recorded the return.
As source this time I took a classical guitar track accompanied by bongos and rattles.
That made things much better to compare. Just a click and there you were.
Again, the DAC1 sounds damn good without a question, but when you switch to the Lavry suddenly the chirrup of the bongos pops out, dark tones seem to get a subtle layer more meat, the guitar gains overtones and starts to sing, the whole thing comes more upfront and the top sounds more like analog. The image has more depth.
The revelation was thrilling fun. Me and myself seem curiously touchable by sonics and beauty can make me a wimp. I almost cry. he he he
We need a blush icon here.
But Jules is too busy.
All this however meant as nuances, like say the difference between 2 times great and 3 times.
In fact I must and want to congratulate Benchmark for what they achieved with that apparatus. It seems like the makers succeeded in tweaking the max out of what they put together, like they really maxed out optimally, emphasizing what makes the main or most impressive spots in the spectrum and allocating the deficiencies very, very tasty.
That intelligently made device arrays itself in such a grandious way that I can absolutely see how listeners could find it even preferable to the Lavry.
But it isn´t.
The Lavry is just one thing: Beautiful.
The DAC1 is a terrific option however for whenever the Lavry is not at hand. A very well made product and a definite bang for the buck.
Ruphus