LA4 - "Joining My Stable of Reference Components"
"Before I dig into the sound of the LA4 it is important to know that it employs a wide bandwidth design. The LA4’s bandwidth is specified at 0.2 Hz to 500 kHz."
"Most of the wide bandwidth designs I have heard exhibit similar characteristics ... a purity in tone with superb timing and speed that is quickly apparent and the LA4 proved to be no exception."
"It didn’t take very long for me to grasp how the LA4 impacted the sound of my system. Replacing the zero gain, output buffered, Denafrips Athena with the Benchmark LA4 yielded a change that was quickly apparent in several areas. Notably were; bass, upper midrange, treble, low-level listening, and the ability to distinguish the colorations of other components that were contributing to my overall sound."
"The top end of this preamp is a pleasure to listen to."
"Acoustic guitar, piano, and harmonica among many other instruments are presented with speed, clarity, and coherency that made them sound more “present” in the room and less like a recording."
"As for the bass, while it seems counterintuitive, I have come to understand that the quality/timing of bass has a huge impact on the quality of the treble. Get the bass impulse response (timing) correct and the treble will open and take on a more natural feel as you listen."
"Indeed, I found the bass response to be some of the most natural I have had in my room and very well integrated with the rest of the music."
"The Benchmark LA4 is simply the most transparent, least colored, and most revealing component I have had in my system to date. I look forward to it joining my stable of reference components. Highly recommended."
- Ken Redmond, The Audio Beatnik
