Benchmark DAC1 Gotham GAC 4 Ultra Pro Symposium Roller Block Jr Sparkler S503II

Click pic to enlarge. iFi Zen Blue atop Benchmark DAC1; to the right Sparkler CDP with supporting device underneath. I must say very clean pic!

Letter from Hong Kong (20-5): Going Somewhere? Eric L Soldiers On

Editor: As usual, Eric muses a little on his HiFi Journey, then reports on some recent acquisitions and activities.

HiFi Listening vs Photography - Their Different Natures In my seemingly endless Quest for HiFi Nirvana, I have gone through many cycles like a Sine Wave. I had even taken a hiatus; after I cooled down, I sold my whole system. Although sometime later I was to rekindle my interest and start from scratch again, during the interim I actually was never uncomfortable nor felt something was missing, especially when I was focusing on street photography some 3 years ago. The reason for my love of photography is that I can actually share my work easily on public media. About a year later I became more serious and even had my first personal photo exhibition. Although I was almost always alone when I was shooting, somehow being a HiFi hobbyist feels much lonelier. You can post on I.G the photos of your system, but you cannot actually let the audience hear exactly how good it sounds, nor can you wear your stereo system around your neck to show off to others (Yeah, you can boast on the forum or to your friends). Just like now, we are trying so hard to describe by means of static words the sensation of listening!


Sine Curve Phenomenon During the past 6 months, I have been on the uphill limb of the Sine Curve again and who knows when I would reach the peak! So far I'm experiencing a joyride and, like many others, am enjoying the usual pleasure and pain in seeking the Holy Grail! Nirvana or Hell, what the Hell! As long as I'm truly enjoying the moment, getting there is half the fun, and there is still a long way to go!

Spending Limit Looking back, I have never spent more than USD 2k for a single purchase; in fact, most of my purchases cost less than 1k or even much less. I always think, with sufficient know-how and knowledge, one can identify bargain products with PPR that are way off the chart and build a system which can best many "exotic" systems costing 5, 6, even 10 times the price! This Principal I also apply to my other hobbies, like photography, wine tasting and fine dining! I have never had great lust for 3-Star Michelin Restaurants; instead I become ecstatic if I can find a hole-in-the-wall eatery which serves a hearty and delicious meal with an affordable price tag!

Recent Additions
I had finally given up on my faulty pair of 47 I.C. After all the frustration it had given me, I bought a new pair for around 100USD and a pair of Gotham GAC4 Pro for less than 90USD. Yes, I did order the NOS Lite DAC AH that has an underground reputation. Unfortunately, as I was ready to pick it up, the shop informed me that during testing of the unit, noise was detected and they had to reorder another unit from Shenzhen for me..During the waiting period, I also picked up a first generation Benchmark DAC1 for less than $200USD ! If it proves not to my taste, I can still use it as a headphone amp at the office!

Source On AirMac: Youtube; On Huawei P40+: Tidal, MOOV and Youtube (somehow Youtube did not click with the phone...); loads of old CDs, some almost 30 years old.

Bluetooth Streaming
1) Cheapo BT unit H10U thru GAC4 Pro
2) Zen Blue/Benchmark DAC1 combo thru Belden Cable
3) Zen Blue/Lite DAC AH (to be acquired)
4) Meitner MA-1 (on my wish list
CD Playback
5) Sparkler Audio S503II thru 47 Lab cable
6) Sparkler Audio S503II/Benchmark DAC1

Amplification icOn4 passive line amp, 47 Lab Gaincard single PSU (can convert to twin Power Humpties). Loudspeakers my most trusted Dynaudio Crafft monitors thru Mogami speaker cable. Super tweeter (on my wish list)

Supporting Devices Symposium Rollerblock Jr. Taobao 3 piece supporting base (amazing hifi improvement at the expense of slight inherited edginess).

In the meantime, I had convinced my friend Kwong to purchase the 47 lab Cable Kit since he plans to upgrade his amplifier to bi-amp his system . Hope Kimura san is healthy enough to accept the order since I heard his health condition is not great lately...

Interim Report Card -- Ta-da!
First of all, I no longer believe in a full mark, as I believe there is no perfect scoring system that can assess sound [Ed: see Footnote 1]. It is highly subjective, especially since nowadays all music is based on 0s and 1s, an absolute mystery to me. However, let's say if the performance of the Sparkler S503II by itself scores 75/100, then relatively speaking (correlate with numbered list above):

1) 70
2) 60 ( ZB/DAC1 sounds less involved compare to rest of the combinations and, despite having tried many permutations, I have to admit that I haven't got a clue).
3) TBA
4) still dreaming
5) 75 Top scoring! (the Sparkler CDP running thru 47 lab cables sounds the best in terms of musicality, PRAT, timing and rhythmic progression. Detailed yet delineated; although intensity is on the light side it is still very acceptable).
6) 67 (the Benchmark DAC1 adds more flesh to the music. Without A/B, it is a very respectable combo. But once I start comparing to the standalone S503II, I quickly notice the relative deficiencies in attack, PRAT and timing. The S503II standalone is a rare gem, hence the score spread. Benchmark DAC1 was a legend in its own time, well regarded and rave reviewed, claimed to be a Goliath; its descendants are still well regarded. Well then, S503II is the Giant's slayer's slayer!)[Ed: see Footnote 2]

Interim Verdict
A word on the little miracle H10U plus GAC4 Pro (1). I don't know whether it's due to both my P40+ phone and the H10U being well run in, or the addition of the new Gotham GAC4 Pro cable, the whole performance has been taken to another level: great instrument separation, attack; although the PRAT is still slightly short of (5), the difference is small enough and totally acceptable. The performance is respectable, and Tidal music streaming is so versatile. Every time I play this combo, I'm in awe of the outcome; I suspect the GAC4 Pro is doing a lot of magic here [Ed: see Footnote 3.] Truth is, I have absolutely no problem with listening to this combo with Tidal choosing songs from female singers for me: Katie Melea, Mary Black, Patrick Barber, Laura Fygi, Sarah Brightman, Diana Krall, Sara K, Stacy Kent, Sophie Zelami, Cassandra Wilson etc etc. And I can easily immerse in the music like a fish in water! That says a lot as I'm usually quite picky and my mind reacts immediately if I sense something I don't like. That says a lot! Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for another device which can dethrone this little gem!

Honorable Mentions:

a) Symposium Rollerblock Jr Placed under the S503II, it stabilizes the soundstage and cleans up the display [Ed: amazing effect on the display!] without sacrificing any of the musicality. It is definitely an essential kit.

b) Taobao 3 pcs isolation kit For less than 20USD, it works wonders, improves the overall sound performance by 20%, especially in clarity and information retrieval. There is a trace edginess which is absolutely tolerable, even if it may not suit all setups (I would imagine it works really well on tube gears).

So much for now. I can't wait for my 47 lab and GAC4 Pro cables to fully burn in, and for the Lite DAC AH to arrive; until then, stay tuned and adios!

Editor's Footnotes: [1] I applaud this way of thinking when it comes to scoring. A dire contrast would be the scoring used by the audio magazine I most detest: Taiwan's Audio Art magazine, which also operates a large netzine, www.audionet.com.tw. Except for the brief reviews, this magazine scores every piece of gear for what it deems as the10 most important audio parameters. Every piece gets at least 9 10's and at most one 9. Many get 10 10's. So the Bar Graphs look like the worst of the Loudness War - no waveform, just a solid rectangle. This magazine reviews tons of (mostly) German gears that I deem worthless (and crazily overpriced). Yes, I have heard a lot of these in HK. This magazine is so beautifully printed and with great production values; unfortunately it seems the values of the writers are completely misplaced and corrupted by its commercial success (they also produce the largest Taiwan Audio Shows, one f the most important in the world; [2] I have heard in detail the original Benchmark, not a bad DAC, and it is also precisely its somewhat literal manner that stopped me from acquiring one to try; [3] The GAC Pro is a relatively new series that is a bit different from the classic GAC series. I only have the GAC-1 Pro and it is excellent! All Gotham cables excel in PRaT.