AHB2 Review - Jerry Seigel, 10 Audio - "Perfect 10 Award"
AHB2 - "I Purchased the Review Sample"
"The Benchmark AHB2 is a very fine sounding, easy to live with, zero-maintenance power amplifier that has enough power for most systems. If more power is needed, two amplifiers configured for mono can provide it."
"The decision to purchase the review sample and make the Benchmark AHB2 a new, long term reference took over a month of listening and comparisons."
AHB2 - "Instantly Grabbed the Audio World's Attention"
"The Benchmark AHB2 solid-state stereo power amplifier immediately grabbed the audio world’s attention about 7 years ago when it was introduced."
"There are already a number of reviews, so the purpose of this one is to add another data point, another reaction to add to the knowledge base of this remarkable amplifier."
"Just looking at the amplifier’s diminutive size of about 11 inches wide, 3.9 inches high, and 9.3 inches deep, and 12.5-pound weight will not prepare one for the quality of performance delivered by the nicely finished package."
"The key to the small size and weight is the “tightly regulated resonant switching power supply”, which is claimed to be over 90% efficient. A switching power supply does not require “big iron” power transformers and large capacitors."
Not Class D
"One might well assume that due to these specs the amplifier is some kind of Class D “digital” tech. Not so! The amplifier has a low-bias bipolar class AB output stage which produces far less heat than most other amplifier bias schemes, especially those with high bias Class A output stages."
THX-AAA Technology
"Other significant technologies include patented THX-AAA feed forward error correction. This is critical to the excellent sound of the amplifier as it eliminates crossover distortion, the common bane of push-pull amplifiers."
"Immediately upon cuing up the first musical selection, it was perfectly obvious that the AHB2 has outstanding extension in the upper treble, seemingly unlimited. In this regard, the Benchmark amplifier should be compared to excellent Class A or AB amplifier technology."
"The AHB2 lacks the characteristic, almost subliminal harshness in the upper frequencies that is observed in some push-pull amplifiers, but absent in single-ended amplifiers."
"The overall sound is very true to the recording with regular 'virtual reality'-like experiences. These last for long periods of a listening session, not just as a momentary feeling of great sound. This is due to the exceptional linearity across the musical spectrum. The coherence and resolution of all sounds - which have stunning low level resolution - is special, encouraging the listener to maximally enjoy a musical performance."
"Sound Stage is 3D, Large and Stable"
"The imaging and sound stage is 3D, large and stable. It is a simple exercise to point a finger directly at a performer, even when several are present in the recording. The sonic image is remarkably focused and apparent."
"The Benchmark AHB2 is a very fine sounding, easy to live with, zero-maintenance power amplifier that has enough power for most systems. If more power is needed, two amplifiers configured for mono can provide it. The decision to purchase the review sample and make the Benchmark AHB2 a new, long term reference took over a month of listening and comparisons."
"The outstanding musicality of the Benchmark AHB2 takes some time to convince the listener of its wholly musical presentation. This subtle excellence assures long term satisfaction."
- Jerry Seigel, 10 Audio
Read the entire review at 10audio.com →
AHB2 - "Perfect 10" Award
Also in Reviews
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"A Damn Good, No-Frills Digital Converter"
"Benchmark Media Systems’ no-nonsense approach to all things audio is rare today."
"Uniformly Good"
"This is a DAC that’s uniformly good at everything. It resolves well, has good imaging properties."
"It makes a balanced, honest sound that allows you to sit and listen to music for hours. That is what makes Benchmark’s products consistently popular with audio engineers. You don’t want ‘bright’ if you sit at a mixing desk 10 hours a day. "
"Leave No Trace"
"It also has the latest version of Benchmark’s jitter attenuation system (UltraLock3) and doubles down on the digital demon with its multi-mode asynchronous USB system."
"Benchmark also uses the distortion compensation facilities built into the ESS chip to reduce second and third order distortion."
"The net result is a DAC that delivers lower distortion, lower noise, less passband ripple, faster signal switching and locking onto signals and a more linear frequency response."
"The Benchmark Media Systems DAC3 B is very much in the ‘leave no trace’ school of good audio."
- Alan Sircom, hi-fi+
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2024 Nominees
- Benchmark Media DAC3 B DAC, $1895
- Bricasti M3 DAC, $6000
- Bricasti M19 CD-SACD Player, $10,000
- T+A DAC 200, $7620
- Weiss Engineering Helios DAC, $21,995
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The Bricasti M3 is a great example of that performance in a $6,000 DAC."
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LA4 Review - Mike Prager, FutureAudiophile.com
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"What Makes the Benchmark LA4 Preamp So Special?"
"A high-quality volume control is much of what makes a superior preamp shine, and the Benchmark’s volume control is outstanding. The Benchmark LA4 uses a bank of precision resistors switched by gold-contact relays to set volume in 256 steps of 0.5 decibels each."
"If accurate reproduction is your wish, you won’t find a preamp with meaningfully better objective performance than the Benchmark LA4, especially one made in the United States at anything near the LA4’s price."
"Very few preamps at any price reach the LA4’s level of objective performance."
"On the subjective end of things, the Benchmark LA4 preamp puts the lie to the old audiophile myth that neutrality means clinical, cold, or sterile sound. Instead, here neutrality means musical, involving sound, with precise, stable imaging, a sense of space (if one is on the recording), and exceptionally truthful timbres."
- Mike Prager, FutureAudiophile.com