AHB2 Review - Mike Prager, Future Audiophile
"For years, the audio world acknowledged one main contender (at least at sub-five-figure pricing) for the quietest, cleanest, most neutral power amplifier around. That was the Benchmark AHB2, whose specifications are still, for all practical purposes, unsurpassed, even by today’s excellent Class-D amps."
Is it still the amp to beat?
"The amp is compact, runs cool, and is supported by an established US manufacturer. Is it still the amp to beat?"
"A lot has changed since they were launched, but this is our task and it is going to be fun …"
"Years ago, I was among those who believed that further lowering the distortion and noise specs of top audio amplifiers was pointless. But when I heard amps with ultra-low noise and distortion, I instantly loved the sound. Less irritation coupled with more detail have become big factors in my audiophile enjoyment."
What Makes the Benchmark AHB2 Stereo Power Amplifier So Special?
"Two remarkable things about the AHB2 are its relatively high power output, especially in mono mode, and its vanishingly low noise and distortion. Once you have heard a high-powered, ultra-clean amplifier, it’s hard to go back."
"Clean and uncompressed peaks can take the roof off a performance and move it into a freer, more open space."
"When you use an amp with low noise and distortion, imaging and soundstaging are clearer, instrumental timbres truer, voices more natural, and previously fuzzy lyrics snap into focus. This is absolutely addictive."
"I used two Benchmark AHB2 amplifiers as monoblocks in my reference audiophile system, with its multiple subwoofers disconnected, so the AHB2s played the entire frequency range. As always, I listened to a wide variety of music, including pop, rock, jazz, blues, classical, and bluegrass. I also briefly tried the AHB2s in combination with Benchmark’s own DAC3B and LA4 preamplifier (review forthcoming). In comparison to my reference Apollon amplifiers with PuriFi 1ET400A Class D modules, the AHB2s were a bit more relaxed in the treble"
"On every track, I enjoyed the unforced detail and clarity of the Benchmark AHB2s."
Final Thoughts on the Benchmark AHB2 Power Amplifier …
"10 years after its release, the Benchmark Media Systems AHB2 stereo power amp is still a standard-bearer in clean, neutral sound in the audiophile world."
"Although there are less expensive power amps with ultra-low noise and distortion, the AHB2 will be a compelling buy for many picky audiophiles."
Besides its superlative sound with an apparent touch of warmth, the amp offers design by a storied, well-established firm, a five-year warranty, excellent customer service (if you ever need it)."
"I greatly enjoyed having a pair of AHB2s in my system – their purity, neutrality, and seemingly unlimited power provided a clear window on the music and a lot of joy."
"I especially appreciated the AHB2’s smooth, well-integrated treble, free of splashiness or grain, and its natural reproduction of the human voice."
- Mike Prager, Future Audiophile
Also in Reviews
AHB2 Review - Constantine Soo, Dagogo
"The AHB2 bridgeable stereo amplifier ... was the topic of a recent discussion between American electrostatic panel speaker manufacturer Sound Lab’s president, Dr. Roger West, and me."
"In our discussion, he related his highly positive experience in driving even his largest, $55k Majestic 945 panels with the $7,000 pair of Benchmark Media AHB2 monoblocks, along with the $3,050 LA4 Preamplifier and factory XLR cables."
"Dr. West described the AHB2 as a class AB design using “feed-forward distortion reduction [thus removing] any possibility of pushing the margin of safety of a standard feedback loop, used in most amplifiers, into an unstable oscillatory mode.”"
"He further shared with me that “this is of most concern on powerful musical transients. The distortion of the amplifier in the balanced mode is astonishingly low even at just below the clipping level of 380 watts.”"
"The prospect of the AHB2’s specified distortion level of 0.00015% or lower when at full volume is comical at first glance, but upon actual audition the impact of the achievement is very audible from medium-high listening levels and upward."
"It was unlike any other sub-$20,000 amplifier I have auditioned."
"My audition of the Benchmark Media AHB2 amplifiers underscores the reason Dr. West is so taken by it, and confirms the design is best described as a watershed moment in the high-end audio industry."
- Constantine Soo, Dagogo
DAC3 Review - Jerry Del Colliano
"Benchmark is a stalwart brand in pro audio, but has carved out a very respectable niche in the audiophile world with their diminutive but powerful components."
"The audiophile world sometimes looks to the professional audio world for enlightenment, especially on the digital side of things, and Benchmark Media is one of the companies that we put high on a pedestal."
"They are hardcore digital engineers freezing their asses off in upstate New York as they come up with some pretty innovative ways to get your varied digital sources sounding as much like the master tape as possible. Thank you for your service, gentlemen."
"If you really want to hear what your music sounds like in today’s streaming-driven world, this might just be the DAC that you need to test out."
- Jerry Del Colliano, Future Audiophile
DAC3 & AHB2 - System Review, Trevor Butler, The-Ear.net
"I began with the DAC3 HGC and AHB2 powering the glorious Morel Avyra 633 three-way floorstanders."
"This pairing created a full-bodied sound which brought the recording to life."
"Notable from the off was the bass from the DAC3 HGC and AHB2."
"Wow! It was deep, tight and conveyed a real feeling that the electronics were in charge of the transducers."
"Involuntary foot-tapping confirmed the timing ability and the overall presentation was spot-on, the Benchmark electronics created a fluent sound across a vivid soundstage; performers evident both tonally and spatially in an easy-to-believe presentation that brought the performance close."
"The Benchmark’s ability to retrieve deep-down detail and display it so well across the soundstage, with accurate positioning and convincing layering, made for a glorious re-creation of the recordings."
"To my mind the AHB2 is an amplifier with no obvious characteristics of its own: the level of transparency is sublime."
"Above all, the improved transient response performance stood out in a presentation that was not only lively but incredibly fast and revealing. The attack and decay displayed was awesome and not something I expect at this price point."
"The Benchmark DAC3 HGC and AHB2 are cracking products, sonically superior to a lot that’s available and well priced."
"They are superbly designed and built to an extremely high standard."
- Trevor Butler, the-ear.net