Maybe yes maybe no…my experience with Canare or Mogami stuff is it sounds kind of veiled
It certainly is possible and Benchmark’s offerings are Canare.
On the other hand, almost everything we listen to was recorded, mixed and mastered with Canare, Mogami, and Belden at least at some point. It all should sound veiled. 
Ok, my ears and head are officially spinning!
Hyperbole, yes, but it’s been an intense few days, trying the DS in every configuration relevant to my situation, needs, and associated gear. Thanks again for all the supportive replies . . .
Cutting to the chase, I will sell the DS, stick with my Cambridge 840c, and figure I’m as close to 44.1/16 greatness as realistically possible. It’s been a terrifically informative journey, and while I have tremendous admiration for the PSA team’s work here, I can’t justify such an expenditure after the two units finished in pretty-much a photo finish tie.
So, what did that last bit of testing involve? Ran the PWT to DS with Mapleshade HDMI (significantly bettering the el cheapo I’d first used), then balanced with Benchmark to my Anthem (no way to bypass the pre). Listened mostly to Clapton’s live MTV (“Unplugged”) disc and Loreena McKennitt, “Nights form the Alhambra,” a stunning piece of acoustic work. I paid particular attention to how both DACs portray piano and strings, mostly guitar and cello/bowed bass. To my ears, my 840 gives those guitar plucks a tad more “pluck” – easier for me to hear whether the instrument is finger or plastic-picked. Singing voices, too, showed a bit more definition with the Cambridge, but admittedly lacked the DS smoothness, too. In the end, many might term my system “bright,” but to me, it sounds as close to live as I guess I’ll get. And since my listening is usually limited to no more than 30-40 minutes at a sitting, fatigue isn’t usually an issue.
Maybe my Cambridge has a better DAC than its price-point would indicate. I know that Analogue Devices makes scads of products, but did notice somewhere that the new, highly regarded Berkeley Labs Reference DAC uses the same AD 1955 part that’s in the 840; I won’t make too much of that, but it’s an interesting coincidence at the very least.
Oh, and I should point out that I did try headphones late in the day, and there, the differences were even tougher for me to pinpoint, and I won’t even guess what that adds up to. At any rate, using the phones didn’t give either DAC a clear-cut victory – either.
Maybe I’m finished??
Thank-you once again for your comments!
Ron
I think this is a wise decision. The DS is probably not for you.
+1. It sounds like you gave the DS every chance you could give it in your system. Sometimes it doesn’t matter if it’s more expensive; that doesn’t always mean it will be a better choice for a particular person in a particular system.
Hi Ron,
When I first auditioned DS (30 days trial period - no obligation, no question asked return) it had to compete with my Naim CDX2 and Naim nDAC1. And to be very frank, DS was nothing better (in leaps and bound as you found) compared to that combo. But again the Naim CDX2 + naim nDAC1 is a 10k worth system with all signature traits of the Naim sound.
Then over the period of time (a week or two may be), DS grew on me. I started hearing the difference. And in my ear that difference was not in the details, dynamics, sound stage, clarity etc; but in the magical Analogue like reproduction of the sound. Naim has everything in it - details, sound stage, punch, PRAT as they say. But DS was much ahead in making the final sound more analogue like. So eventually I kept the DS (the Naim combo stayed too) .
So in my opinion, the reason you are not missing anything (or getting any difference) is probably because you are not looking for that mystic ‘Analogue’ flavor in the sound from a digital reproduction (which many of consider as pinnacle of good reproduction from a digital media). You are probably happily settled with the typical quality of the sound of a good digital reproduction with lots of details, dynamics, clarity, sound stage etc. I’m not saying DS is bad in all these but where I found it really excels over my Naim combo is in the overall Analogue presentation. So if you are not really chasing for that holy grail of ‘Analogue’ like sound from a digital reproduction DS very well may not be an improvement over your CA840.
And surely end of the day, as everyone else said here, what matters is whether you as the listener like the final sound or not in your music room. The cost or brand of the equipment does not matter.
My 0.002 cents only.
Regards,
Sourav
Congratulations on reaching a solid, well-reasoned and experiential decision.
Cambridge has long performed beyond its price point. It makes perfect sense you are pleased.
Sourav,
I kinda wish I’d heard from you many, many posts ago! (Just kidding, and not demeaning all those who have already chimed-in)
Your take on my situation makes plenty of very good sense. I gave up vinyl decades ago and got used to the CD sound in its infancy. Sure, much is pretty crappy, but with some careful picking and choosing, I’ve managed to amass a nice collection of decent-to-great sounding discs. And because I am a frequent concert-goer (singer/songwriter, rock groups, small classical ensembles . . .), my frame of reference is that “live sound”, the stuff of the club or hall. Many of my CDs are mighty close, at least as played on my fairly detailed, analytical system.
So, seeking that analogue aspect was never my goal – although I can understand why many, many audiophiles tread that path with a passion.
Your comparisons of the Nain and DS gear ring true and will help me to re-focus my search for that last bit of improvement. In all likelihood, I’m right where I want to be – right now.
You eloquently struck an audio nerve; thank-you for sharing those observations!
Ron
All that matters is that you are enjoying your system. Just what the gear is that accomplishes that is your personal choice and it sounds like you have chosen well.
Exactly. Spend the money saved on more music (concerts or recordings).