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AHB2 - Driving Martin-Logan ESL 11A Electrostatic Speakers
DAC3, AHB2, ESL 11A - "Something a Little Different, and Highly Enchanting"
"The folks from Benchmark and Martin-Logan teamed up to do something just a little different, and entirely enchanting, in the Jackson Room!"
"Multi-channel bliss with the Martin-Logan ESLs driven by an all Benchmark system."
Benchmark and Martin-Logan System at Capital Audiofest, 2017
- 3 Benchmark DAC3 Converters
- 5 Benchmark AHB2 Power Amplifiers (Bridged Mono Mode)
- 5 Martin-Logan ESL 11A Electrostatic Speakers
- 2 Martin-Logan Balanced Force 210 Subs
"The resultant sound was extremely clean and fast, surprisingly dynamic, and the space, as you'd expect with good multi-channel, was get-up-and-walk-around through. Well done!"
DAC3 HGC
AHB2 Power Amplifier
Martin Logan ESL 11A
"I'm not clear what sources were used, but by using three DAC2 HGC DACs ($2,195 ea.), to feed five Benchmark AHB2 amps (which I reviewed back in November of 2015), each configured as a monoblock ($2,995 ea.), they drove three Martin-Logan Impression ESL 11A's ($9,995/pr.) across the front, and a pair of ESL X's ($4,000/pr.) for rears. Supported by a pair of Martin-Logan Balanced Force 210 subs, ($2,995 ea.) everything was connected with Benchmark cables."
"The resultant sound was extremely clean and fast, surprisingly dynamic, and the space, as you'd expect with good multi-channel, was get-up-and-walk-around through. Well done!"
- Greg Weaver, enjoythemusic.com
Read the full AHB2 review at Enjoy the Music.com →
Also in Reviews
AHB2 - A-Rated Recommended Power Amplifier - Stereophile
AHB2 - Receives Stereophile's Highest "A" Rating for Power Amplifiers
"Benchmark's AHB2 makes use of THX Corporation's Achromatic Audio Amplifier (AAA) technology, in which a low-power feed-forward amplifier drives a low-bias class-AB output section."
- Stereophile, 2023
"Much more apparent low-level detail in already-familiar recordings" - Kalman Rubinson
"A tonal balance that sounded more 'right' than any of [the other amps on hand]." - Kalman Rubinson
"An extraordinary amplifier." - John Atkinson
LA4 - Class A Recommended Preamplifier - Stereophile
LA4 - Receives Stereophile's Highest "Class A" Rating for Preamplifiers
"Benchmark's usual approach to design is to out-spec the competition, and so it is here. Like other Benchmark equipment he has tested, the affordable LA4 challenged the resolution of John Atkinson's test instruments, with 'superb' channel separation, 'extremely low noise, and virtually no power-supply-related spuriae.'"
"Benchmark's LA4 is the widest-bandwidth, widest-dynamic-range, lowest-noise, lowest-distortion preamplifier I have encountered." - John Atkinson
"In his listening room, Kalman Rubinson compared the LA4 to a cable—and couldn't hear any difference. He concludes, 'the LA4 is probably the most transparent and revealing audio component I've ever used. It does not seem to leave any fingerprints on the sound.'"
- Stereophile, 2023
DAC3 - Class A+ Recommended Processor - Stereophile
DAC3 HGC, DAC3 B - Receive Stereophile's Highest "Class A+" Rating
"The DAC3 B is a stripped- down, lower-priced version of the DAC3 HGC, which omits the headphone amplifier, balanced and unbalanced analog inputs, volume, mute, and polarity controls." - Stereophile
"The DAC3 was all about depths, in several respects...I heard deeper into the music."
"All I can say is Wow!"
- John Atkinson
"In a Follow-Up, JCA wrote of using the Benchmark processor with the same company's AHB2 power amp—a combination of high source output voltage and modest amplifier gain that he describes as 'optimal for minimizing noise and distortion' —and reported hearing 'richer and more interesting' reproduction of very subtle details."
- Stereophile