Benchmark at CAF2016 - Art Dudley, Stereophile

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DAC2 and AHB2 - "Open, Colorful, Well-Balanced, and Immediate"

"I loved the open, colorful, well-balanced, and immediate sound of this system."

DAC2 HGC

Benchmark AHB2 Power Amplifier

"I was happy to have finally heard the Benchmark AHB2 power amp that Kal Rubinson and so many others have raved about."


CAF 2016 Benchmark AHB2 setup"The courage to play banjo music: that's something the lucky showgoer encounters only in those rooms whose sponsors know—really, really know—that their systems won't make a horrid, clattery, barbed-wire-on-glass mess of it. The people representing Benchmark Media Systems electronics and Studio Electric loudspeakers had such confidence, and it was not misplaced: I loved the open, colorful, well-balanced, and immediate sound of this system—and I was happy to have finally heard the Benchmark AHB2 power amp that Kal Rubinson and so many others have raved about. Also in the system was the Benchmark DAC2 HGC DAC/preamp."

 

Studio Electric Studio Two loudspeaker"Special mention is due the Studio Two loudspeaker ($7500/pair with stands) from Studio Electric, a company I wasn't familiar with before CAF 2016. This deep-boxed speaker combines an 8" woofer with a 1" compression driver that's loaded with a MacPherson horn. The manufacturer's specs include a 6-ohm impedance and a sensitivity of 93dB. I was very impressed."

- Art Dudley, Stereophile

Read the entire show report →

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Benchmark LA4, DAC3 B, and AHB2 on a rustic wooden rack.