DAC2 Award - Stereophile "2017 A+ Recommended Component - Digital Processor"
DAC2 HGC - Stereophile A+ Recommended Component
"Although similar in appearance to previous Benchmark models ... , the new DAC2 HGC uses four 32-bit ESS Sabre DACs, run in balanced configuration, for a significantly lower noise floor; has a new Hybrid Gain Control (HGC) for volume attenuation, which combines active analog gain control and passive low-impedance attenuators in the analog realm with a 32-bit digital DSP gain control for digital signals; and provides front-panel displays for both sample rate and word length."
"It had a pleasantly forward sound, with smooth highs, a solid bottom end, and excellent image separation, said EL."
"JI noted the DAC2's good scale and sense of ambient space."
Also in Reviews
CAF 2025 Best of Show - Krix Home Theater - Powered by Benchmark
"The setup used ... ten Benchmark AHB2 amps, and a Storm Audio ISP Elite 24 MK3 surround processor."
"The system delivered serious punch and clarity."
"During the car chase and gunfight sequence from No Time to Die, the Krix setup managed to convey the intensity and scale of a far larger theater—tight, immersive, and controlled. Proof that with the right engineering and setup, even a small room can deliver big-cinema energy."
- Brian Mitchell, ecoustics.com
AHB2 - Stereophile 2025 Recommended Component - Power Amplifiers
AHB2 - Receives Stereophile's Top Rating for Power Amplifiers
"An extraordinary amplifier."
- John Atkinson
"Much more apparent low-level detail in already-familiar recordings"
- Kalman Rubinson
KRIX 11.6.6 Home Theater - Powered by 10 Benchmark AHB2 Amplifiers - CAF 2025
"The final visual and audio results in this room were indeed spectacular."
"Complete and total immersion, with clean, clear sonics that were not fatiguing at all."
- Carlo Lo Raso, SECRETS of Home Theater and High Fidelity