"The best 'budget' system at the show, this was a tough one since almost every system at the show had one component that ended up breaking it from this budget category. Some 'inexpensive' systems broke the $10,000 mark on power conditioning alone. Thus, my favorite true sub $10,000 system was a great offering from Benchmark Media Systems, at just $7,500 dollars for a very capable system cables and all, this system takes the cake. You can see more details about the sound in the Day 1 write up. $7,500 gets you punchy musical bass, great tonal accuracy, and endless upgrade paths within the system with very capable components on all sides."
- Rick LaFaver, Enjoy the Music.com
"I love, I love, I love my Benchmark AHB2 power amps!"
- Theo Nicolakis, Audioholics Online A/V Magazine
Theo uses a pair of AHB2 power amps in bridged mono (480 W into 6 Ohms) to drive a pair of Revel Ultima Salon2 loudspeakers ($20,000/pair). This is his reference amplifier-speaker combination.
Find out why Theo loves his AHB2 power amplifiers:
"The Benchmark Hi-Fi Stack ..."
"Find a Better Hi-Fi Stack! Double-Dog-Dare you!"
- Ron, NewRecordDay.com
Jay discusses the sonic tradeoffs between transparency and the sound of tube-induced distortion. He describes how his tube amps may make poor recordings sound enjoyable while the AHB2 reveals all.