Set-up and installation
Contents
The B.M.C. Audio Ultradac replaces a Benchmark HPA4 and Sonnet Morpheus in the reference set below:
- ATC SCM19 V2 monitors
- IsoAcoustics Aperta decoupling
- Benchmark AHB2 power amplifier
- NAD M50 streamer/cd transport
We connect the B.M.C. Audio Ultradac balanced (XLR) to our Benchmark Audio AHB2 power amplifier. The source – our NAD M50 – is connected with AES to to the Ultradac. Sleek and simple. Fewer components and fewer cables. Less is more, right? It’s only the second time (the first time was with the Sonnet Morpheus) that we go directly from the ‘dac’ to the AHB2 without getting a feeling that something is lacking. Keep in mind though that you can’t connect analog sources to these dacs!
Other speakers used are the Elac Carina BS 243.4 and the Vienna Acoustics Haydn Jubilee.
Ultrasound
Let’s see which keywords we see on our notes. Precision, clarity, resolution, depth, insight, tonality, texture, realism, information, accuracy, definition, silence and emotion. That’s quite a few! Have we forgotten one? Maybe, but we don’t feel like we’re missing anything when we’re listening through the Ultradac. The full bandwidth is being used, so to speak. The detailing is excellent but at first hearing this doesn’t stand out.
The Ultradac puts a warm blanket over the music without sacrificing transparency. This is not a dac that wants to impress immediately but one that slowly crawls under the skin. Or under the ears if you will. The Ultradac is a ‘musical’ device by which we mean that the thing makes music, lots of music. We’re immersed in every album that passes by and we stop our critical listening. The level across the board is extremely high and nowhere does it fall short. The Ultradac is a revelation and one of the best available in this price range!