DAC2 HGC Review - John Gatski, Everything Audio Network
DAC2 HGC - "Silky Smooth Sonic Signature"
"Those who are used to the tight, bright and hard edge of the previous generation of DACs will be tickled by the DAC2 HGC’s silky smooth sonic signature."
"The DAC2‘s audio performance is stunning — in that it projects a smoother texture, with increased accuracy in the bass and mid-frequency soundstage. But the top-end is full of energy and detail. Usually, a DAC’s subjective improvements are subtle, but the DAC2 HGC’s audible improvements are obvious on first listen."
"Benchmark has ensured compatibility with DSD by adding the DoP-decoding capability. Through computer software player programs, such as Pure Music, JRiver and Audirvana, computers can relay the DSD-on-PCM signal to the DAC2 HGC."
- John Gatski, Everything Audio Network
Read the full review →Also in Reviews
CAF 2025 Best of Show - Krix Home Theater - Powered by Benchmark
"The setup used ... ten Benchmark AHB2 amps, and a Storm Audio ISP Elite 24 MK3 surround processor."
"The system delivered serious punch and clarity."
"During the car chase and gunfight sequence from No Time to Die, the Krix setup managed to convey the intensity and scale of a far larger theater—tight, immersive, and controlled. Proof that with the right engineering and setup, even a small room can deliver big-cinema energy."
- Brian Mitchell, ecoustics.com
AHB2 - Stereophile 2025 Recommended Component - Power Amplifiers
AHB2 - Receives Stereophile's Top Rating for Power Amplifiers
"An extraordinary amplifier."
- John Atkinson
"Much more apparent low-level detail in already-familiar recordings"
- Kalman Rubinson
KRIX 11.6.6 Home Theater - Powered by 10 Benchmark AHB2 Amplifiers - CAF 2025
"The final visual and audio results in this room were indeed spectacular."
"Complete and total immersion, with clean, clear sonics that were not fatiguing at all."
- Carlo Lo Raso, SECRETS of Home Theater and High Fidelity