FOLLOW UP REVIEW

So it's been almost a year since I wrote my initial review of the Benchmark DAC1 / AKG K701 Setup. A lot has changed in that time: I've switched from being a Financial Controller to Lecturing Accounting at my old University, I've changed Country (again), moved on to a new relationship, and gone from Financially stable to broke to financially stable again... But the one thing that hasn't changed is the DAC1 / K701 Combo (well not significantly anyway - I bought another external hard drive and now use the original as a backup for my music collection, and I bought a proper digital cable - Audioquest VDM-X).

By now the Headphones and the electronics are properly burned in (assuming you believe in burn-in) and I've had more than enough time to become familiar with the sound of the setup.

So to get to the real question: after almost a year am I still enjoying the DAC1 / K701 Combo? As I listen to "These Streets" and "It's a Pity" By Tanya Stephens (Reggae) I remember why I got into this hobby in the first place.... it's all about the music... and I've long passed the stage with this combo of listening for subtle details, soundstage, PRAT, dynamics or any other audiophile terms... I just listen to whatever song I feel in the mood for and really enjoy it...

When I initially bought this setup I intended for it to be a stop gap until I could afford a high quality 2 channel rig (with floorstanders)... Now that I'm finally in the position to buy such a setup, I can't seem to pull the trigger... I'm just not willing to put the DAC1 / K701 into a secondary system... I'm sure one day the upgrade bug will grab me by the ankles, hold me upside down and shake the money out of my pockets... but right now I'm enjoying listening to music more than ever, and I honestly can't think of a better recommendation than that...