DAC2 & AHB2 Review - Gary L Beard, Positive Feedback
AHB2 - "Could be Your Last Amp"
"It could well be the last amp you'll ever own. Yes, it is that good."
"Benchmark Media Systems Pro-centric products tout exceptional specifications, and their AHB2 amplifier--developed in tandem with engineers from THX and using their patented HX Achromatic™ Audio Amplifier technology—uses some rather unusual patented designs to get to those remarkable spec numbers. Personally, I do not subscribe to the "specs are everything" idiom, nor do I believe that just because a uniquely designed piece of gear uses a phalanx of "new" circuit methodologies that cross against the grain of normal, they are somehow better or worse than everything else available."
DAC2 - "Slathered in Near-Universal Praise"
"The Benchmark AHB2 is a very good amp, and the DAC2 is a very good DAC—it's no wonder that they have been slathered in near-universal praise."
"Between the two, there is a dizzying array of protective circuits, connections, and set-up choices; and both have been engineered to replay the truth and nutin' but the truth. And when discussing the two as a system, the Law of Diminishing Returns quickly comes into play, as these two partners in musical misbehavior sound great together and cost less--with Benchmark cables included—than my Pass XA 30.8 amp alone. To be sure, my reference Pass is a fantastic amplifier, but the AHB2 has its own charms that I found played to my own listening biases."
The Sound of Two Benchmarks
"Listening to the BM system gave me many goosebump moments with its rhythmic drive and transparency to the source. The pair display excellent treble extension, wonderful midrange, and deep, well controlled bass. The presentation is spot-lit, precise, even delicate at times. I've often heard the term "lit-up" used to describe the sound of audio components—the BM system has this wonderful quality. I suppose this is a result of a very resolving upper-midrange, because I do not detect any unnatural boost of this "presence" range. The system, and especially the AHB2, is very dynamic—and there is a lithe airy quality to the amp too—until hammer comes down. Boom boom, baby… take that, says Stanley Jordan! There is incredible separation of instruments and voices, and the system is so quiet, at times, on older stereo material, it seemed as if only one speaker was hooked up! The DAC2 HGC is not quite as dimensional as some DACs I've heard, but depth is quite good, and staging is wall to wall. Here is the best part; the AHB2 and DAC2 HGC convey naturalness that is unexpected, with subtle harmonic overtones that make music and voices come alive. They both have a musical presence that never failed to pull me in to the musical story, causing abrupt outbursts of enthusiastic, yet ill-advised, singing."
"Yep. Good stuff, those BM boys."
- Gary L Beard, Positive-Feedback
Also in Reviews
Benchmark System Review - Ricky Dasler, Living Sound, New Zealand
"With over 40 years as an audiophile and more than half those years as a hi-fi retailer, I feel I’ve finally put together a stereo that ticks all my sonic boxes. Those being in order of priority, dynamics, scale, tonal accuracy, fatigue free resolution and soundstage."
"For the last 25 years I’ve been fortunate to have a dedicated listening room. I use acoustic treatments from Real Traps, Vicoustic and Primeacoustic."
"My Benchmark components consist of the DAC3 B (connected to a Naim NDS streamer), LA4 line amplifier and two AHB2 power amplifiers run in bridged mono mode. All cables are Benchmark too."
"The Benchmark gear in my system has brought what I have wanted in my list of sonic priorities as listed above and then some. They have delivered way beyond what I thought could be possible in my system in my room."
"I’m delighted and stunned daily as my vast music collection comes to life on a whole new level."
- Ricky Dasler, Living Sound, Nelson New Zealand.
Benchmark Converters at Abbey Road - Geoff Pesche
"What are the Latest Advancements in Mastering?"
"Geoff Pesche weighs in on how the mastering team at Abbey Road Studios achieve first-class results." - Mix with the Masters
"The biggest sonic improvement in mastering in the last 5 or 6 years is D/A and A/D converters and that's very very important - what you have at the front and the back of the chain."
"We use fairly new Benchmark converters front and back."
"Abbey Road like a uniformity between the rooms so all of the rooms have the same A/D and D/A conversion."
- Geoff Pesche, Mastering Engineer, Abbey Road Studios
DAC3 Review - Alan Sircom, hi-fi+
"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+