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  • DAC3 & AHB2 in 5.1 Surround - Kalman Rubinson, Sterophile

    by Benchmark Media Systems November 02, 2018 1 min read

    DAC3 & AHB2 in 5.1 Surround - Kalman Rubinson, Sterophile

    DAC3 & AHB2 in a 5.1 System

    "In my September 2018 column, I wrote of my discovery of miniDSP's U-DIO8, which converts multichannel data fed to its USB port to eight S/PDIF or AES-EBU outputs at resolutions of up to 24-bit/192kHz. Armed with a U-DIO8, you can use three or four of your choice of stereo DAC."

    Mini-DSP U-DIO8

    3 stacked DAC3 HGC units with remote

    "In the course of writing about the U-DIO8, I became attached to using a trio of Benchmark Media Systems DAC3 HGC DACs as part of my review of Paradigm's Persona 5F loudspeaker in last month's issue, and figured that they might benefit from a symbiotic relationship with Benchmark's AHB2 stereo power amplifier, which I reviewed in November 2015."

    "I went commando with the DAC3s directly connected to the three AHB2s. All three DAC3s were set to Home Theater Bypass, and I used JRiver Media Center's volume control."

    "For the first time I can recall, I heard no noise from my system, even with an ear flush against a tweeter."

    Benchmark DAC3 HGC Audio D/A Converter

    "I know that we audiophiles can obsess about small changes and make them seem more important than they actually are, but that's what this hobby is about: Eliminating as many audible flaws as possible, however tiny. In this case, the effect was striking at first listen, and endured through everything I played, even tracks that had troubled me before."

    Benchmark AHB2 Audio Power Amplifier

    - Kal Rubinson, Stereophile

    Read more - "Music in the Round #94", Stereophile →


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    AHB2 - A-Rated Recommended Power Amplifier - Stereophile

    by Benchmark Media Systems September 15, 2023 1 min read

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    AHB2 - Receives Stereophile's Highest "A" Rating for Power Amplifiers

    "Benchmark's AHB2 makes use of THX Corporation's Achromatic Audio Amplifier (AAA) technology, in which a low-power feed-forward amplifier drives a low-bias class-AB output section."

    - Stereophile, 2023

    "Much more apparent low-level detail in already-familiar recordings" - Kalman Rubinson

    "A tonal balance that sounded more 'right' than any of [the other amps on hand]." - Kalman Rubinson

    "An extraordinary amplifier." - John Atkinson

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    LA4 - Class A Recommended Preamplifier - Stereophile

    LA4 - Class A Recommended Preamplifier - Stereophile

    by Benchmark Media Systems September 15, 2023 1 min read

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    LA4 - Receives Stereophile's Highest "Class A" Rating for Preamplifiers

    "Benchmark's usual approach to design is to out-spec the competition, and so it is here. Like other Benchmark equipment he has tested, the affordable LA4 challenged the resolution of John Atkinson's test instruments, with 'superb' channel separation, 'extremely low noise, and virtually no power-supply-related spuriae.'"

    "Benchmark's LA4 is the widest-bandwidth, widest-dynamic-range, lowest-noise, lowest-distortion preamplifier I have encountered." - John Atkinson

    "In his listening room, Kalman Rubinson compared the LA4 to a cable—and couldn't hear any difference. He concludes, 'the LA4 is probably the most transparent and revealing audio component I've ever used. It does not seem to leave any fingerprints on the sound.'"

    - Stereophile, 2023

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    Stereophile 2023 Recommended Component Badge

    DAC3 - Class A+ Recommended Processor - Stereophile

    by Benchmark Media Systems September 15, 2023 1 min read

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    DAC3 HGC, DAC3 B - Receive Stereophile's Highest "Class A+" Rating

    "The DAC3 B is a stripped- down, lower-priced version of the DAC3 HGC, which omits the headphone amplifier, balanced and unbalanced analog inputs, volume, mute, and polarity controls." - Stereophile

    "The DAC3 was all about depths, in several respects...I heard deeper into the music."

    "All I can say is Wow!"

    - John Atkinson

    "In a Follow-Up, JCA wrote of using the Benchmark processor with the same company's AHB2 power amp—a combination of high source output voltage and modest amplifier gain that he describes as 'optimal for minimizing noise and distortion' —and reported hearing 'richer and more interesting' reproduction of very subtle details."

    - Stereophile

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