Initial impression: I've just received the exaSound e20 MkII DAC and I've been extensively comparing it against the Benchmark DAC2. The Benchmark is a very fine DAC with solid build quality, but to my ears exaSound performs better in almost every way.
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For Immediate Release
exaSound Audio Design announces the immediate availability of the e20 Mk III - the first high-end DAC capable of achieving DSD playback at sampling rate of 12.288 MHz (DSD 256+). This is another world's first for exaSound. The e20 Mk III predecessor, the e20 Mk II was the only consumer-oriented DAC capable of achieving DSD 256 at 11.2896 MHz. The e20 Mk III goes to the next level by introducing three new DSD modes that cover the 48 kHz family of sampling rates: 3.072 MHz (DSD 64+), 6.144 MHz (DSD 128+), and 12.288 MHz (DSD 256+).
The Benchmark was solid, but, to my ears, the Exasound was better in most every way: more dynamic, more liquid and more detailed.
exaSound Audio Design announces today’s launch of the e20 Mk II - the first high-end DAC capable of achieving DSD playback at sampling rate of 11.2896 MHz (DSD 256).
exaSound's DAC’s have always stayed ahead of the curve, and the latest e20’s DSD 256 capability not only goes beyond the capabilities of all other DAC’s on the market today, it is ahead of current recording technology. This ensures that audiophiles will be enjoying studio master files the way they were recorded – without down-sampling or down-conversion – well into the future, without equipment upgrades.
In addition to offering the highest digital audio resolution, the e20 DAC has jitter, distortion and noise levels that are vanishingly low, creating an astonishingly clean and analog-like sound – the difference is obvious, even with an ordinary CD. Detailed measurements, specifications and subjective impressions are available at exasound.com.