Audio Application Notes
Secrets Q&A with John Siau of Benchmark Media Systems
Secrets contributor Sumit Chawla recently caught up with Benchmark’s VP and Chief Designer, John Siau to get a little more in-depth on several subjects.
Q: "Benchmark is one of the few companies that publishes an extensive set of measurements, but you also balance that with subjective testing. Can you talk about the equipment, the listening room, and the process for subjective testing?"
Q: "Was there ever a time where you learned something from a subjective test that was not captured by measurements?"
Q: "You conducted some listening tests to determine whether distortion in the “First Watt” was audible. What test material did you use for this, and what did you find?"
Q: "The AHB2 amplifier incorporates THX Audio Achromatic Amplifier technology. When and how did the partnership with THX come about?"
Q: "Linear power supplies have been and remain quite popular in high-end devices. You favor switch-mode power supplies. When and why did you make this switch?"
... and more!
Benchmark ... The Measure of Excellence®
A benchmark is a standard or point of measurement to which other things can be compared.
As our name implies, we are committed to excellence. Our products often define the current state-of-the-art in terms of audio performance.
Benchmark products are designed and built by audio enthusiasts. We are musicians, audiophiles and audio professionals who are passionate about audio quality. We also are passionate about the durability and build quality of our products. Most of our products are designed, assembled, tested, and shipped worldwide from our headquarters in Syracuse, NY, USA, where we have been for over 40 years.
Our goal is to build top-quality sonically-transparent products that you will enjoy for years to come.
- John Siau, VP, Benchmark Media Systems
History of the AHB2 Power Amplifier
The DA101 - Inspiration for the AHB2
Over 33 years ago (in 1983), Benchmark's founder, Allen H. Burdick, began building analog audio distribution amplifiers for television networks. This application demanded an audio amplifier with a very wide frequency response, very low noise, and very low distortion. The Benchmark DA101 distribution amplifier had a 160 kHz bandwidth, THD+N of 0.00044%, and a SNR of 130 dB, but the power output was only about 40 watts in bridged mono.
For many years, we used our distribution amplifiers to drive the speakers in our listening room. We couldn't buy an amplifier that came close to the performance of our distribution amplifiers, and Allen had often talked about building a bigger amplifier that could match the performance of the DA101.
In 2011 we began to talk about making Allen's dream for a power amp a reality. The goal was to meet or exceed the performance of Allen's DA101, while scaling up the power by a factor of 10.
- John Siau
The A.H.B. Story
A.H.B.
The AHB2 power amplifier is named in honor of Benchmark's founder, Allen H. Burdick. Allen had a life-long passion for audio, and became one of the leading innovators in the pro-audio industry. Allen was a perfectionist and a prolific engineer. Most early Benchmark schematics bear the initials A.H.B.
Allen's DA101 distribution amplifier helped define the performance goals of the AHB2 power amplifier. The result is an amplifier that Allen would have been proud to call a "Benchmark".
In loving memory of Allen H. Burdick (June 29, 1942 - September 27, 2013).
- John Siau