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by Benchmark Media Systems August 30, 2016
"Used within its 100Wpc rating, this is in any practical sense a perfect power source, with by far the lowest measured noise and distortion of any amplifier currently on the market."
"... if you need more power, buy two and strap them for dual mono at 380 watts a side."
"Either way, power just doesn't get any cleaner or purer than this."
"Neutrality and accuracy are the names of its game ... a sense of being plugged right into the source."
by Benchmark Media Systems July 14, 2016
"I loved the open, colorful, well-balanced, and immediate sound of this system."
"I was happy to have finally heard the Benchmark AHB2 power amp that Kal Rubinson and so many others have raved about."
- Art Dudley, Stereophile
by Benchmark Media Systems June 15, 2016
"AHB2's output power ... easily confirmed the specs given by the company itself."
"Based on this performance, the amplifier seems more than capable of driving difficult loads."
"Damping factor was estimated above 200, therefore, no system frequency response discrepancies, due to loudspeaker's impedance variability, should be expected."
"In distortion measurements, AHB2's behavior was impressive ..."
"The amplifier's spectral behavior does not seem to change significantly with a 4-Ohm load at its outputs."
"This stable and load-independent behavior of the output stage is something not often encountered."
"This performance clearly shows that the Benchmark/THX design approach works ... the result is a power stage with very low distortion, indeed."
"The noise performance of the amplifier was, also, top-class ... there is an apparent absence of noise components from the power supply ... this is a remarkable behavior, especially with the output stage under load conditions ..."
- Dimitris Stamatakos, AVMENTOR.net
by Benchmark Media Systems June 02, 2016
"Benchmark dared to engage their power amplifier project from a different angle, discarding the standard approach ... and certainly succeeded. The theoretical advantages of their choices are both evident in the laboratory and heard during the listening sessions, thus justifying the whole approach."
"Based on a very interesting set of ideas, with a long history but few examples of a practical application, the Benchmark AHB2 could serve as a convincing example of what the future of power amplifiers can be.
"Combine it with a renowned D/A Converter like the DAC2 HGC, and what you have is a top quality system from which only the loudspeakers are missing!"
"Overall, the DAC2 HGC/AHB2 pair is the best preamplifier/power amplifier we had the opportunity to listen to in recent years in this price range."
- Dimitris Stamatakos, AVMENTOR.net
by Benchmark Media Systems June 01, 2016
"Neat in construction, busy in terms of features and small in stature, the AHB2 is quite remarkable in how it goes about its business of delivering music."
"I’ve seldom heard such a balanced, easy on the ear power amplifier as this that also provides tonal accuracy plus an attractive space in the midrange."
"The AHB2 would be an ideal fulcrum to any hi-fi system, acting as the heart around which you can build up your hi-fi chain. It’s dependable and rock solid."
"The perfect heart to any hi-fi."
- Paul Rigby, The Audiophile Man - audiophileman.com
by Benchmark Media Systems May 13, 2016
"Benchmark products ... are made for the professional market (where they are ubiquitous) and designed to the most exacting standards of performance and reliability."
"Within a remarkably short period of time ... my mental processes shifted from comparison mode to enjoying music, all the attention drawn to the source material and the rare sensation of feeling as if I were listening back to the source."
"... the AHB2 gets as high, enthusiastic, and confident a thumbs up as my arm is capable of reaching."
- Paul Seydor, The Absolute Sound, April 2016
by Benchmark Media Systems March 22, 2016
"Class A Recommended Component, 2016"
"More apparent low-level detail" - KR
"In his listening tests, Kalman Rubinson discovered 'much more apparent low-level detail in already-familiar recordings' - a characteristic he credited to the Benchmark's evident noiselessness - and a tonal balance that 'sounded more right' than any of the other amps on hand."
"An extraordinary amplifier" - JA
"In measuring the AHB2 and attempting to confirm its specified very high signal/noise ratio, John Atkinson observed nonlinearities in his testing equipment that 'Haven't affected the measured performance of other amplifiers I've tested, but they were detectable with the AHB2's very low intrinsic distortion and noise.' His conclusion: 'an extraordinary amplifier.'"
The AHB2 shares the elite "Class A Recommended" category with amplifiers costing 10 to 20 times more.
by Benchmark Media Systems March 21, 2016
"... the only amplifier under $3,000* to be given Stereophile Class A status."
"In our review of the Benchmark AHB2, we absolutely loved what we heard. So much so, in fact, that we gave the Benchmark AHB2 our Amplifier of the Year award."
"We weren't at all surprised about the AHB2 receiving that prestigious classification. Rather, what surprised us was that it was the only amplifier under $3,000* to be given Class A status."
"When you're competing against products costing 10x, 20x or more and you're mentioned in the same breath, that's a big compliment."
- Poor Audiophile
* 2015 Prices
by Benchmark Media Systems March 11, 2016
"A precision instrument designed to perform the precisely defined task of reproducing music and sound accurately, which it does to perfection."
- Paul Seydor, The Absolute Sound
by Benchmark Media Systems March 11, 2016
"The Benchmark amplifier is quieter than any other amplifier I am aware of."
"It has noise of around 110 dB down relative to 1 watt, and since it has 100 watts of power, the signal-to-noise ratio that is relevant to resolution is around 130 dB."
"The Benchmark also has extremely low distortion—among the lowest around and surely far below known thresholds."
"The Benchmark can be used in bridged mode, to give 400 watts into 8 ohms (actually 380W is specified). That ought to be enough for most applications except in extremely large rooms."
"The Benchmark AHB2 amplifier is a technical tour de force without any question."
- Robert E. Green, The Absolute Sound, April 2016
by Benchmark Media Systems February 11, 2016
"This amplifier runs like a high-performance sports car. I was amazed at the AHB2’s ability to keep up with dense music mixes and never sound congested or lacking. In fact, this tidy beast produced some of the tightest low end I’ve ever heard in my 2 way speakers. The midrange was articulate and clear with an obvious clarity that bested my current class A/B amplifier. Extending to the high frequencies were equally clear and distortion free, no hype here- just honest clear reproduction."
"Acoustically, the AHB2 performs so cleanly and quietly that it resolves the hall and space between musicians distinctly- something professional engineers and audiophiles can equally appreciate."
"If you are looking for an amplifier that can reveal your source material and DAC without flinching, then the AHB2 is a top choice."
-HIFIQC, February 11, 2016
by Benchmark Media Systems February 01, 2016
"Orchestral dynamics were also well served, as the amp has considerable speed and an ability to deliver serious power with alacrity, and there's no sense of overhang in the bass."
"Dr. Feelgood's 'Roxette' [Down By The Jetty, United Artists] raised the hairs on the back of my neck. The Benchmark has an immediacy that makes for uncanny realism, so a track like this is more intense and vital, more powerful in fact."
"The Benchmark SMS1 had been supplied with the amps with a view of doing a whole system eview, a state of affairs that came to pass with gusto when I discovered just how well the combination gelled."
"The Benchmark pairing proved analytical (in typical studio style) but not dry - just very revealing of recording style and balance."
by Benchmark Media Systems January 12, 2016
"This year ... the Benchmark AHB2’s incredible sound quality makes it a no-brainer for the 2015 Pioneering Design Achievement award."
"Hans reviewed the AHB2 for SoundStage! Access in June, and had read every other product review we published in 2015, and felt that nothing else came close."
- Doug Schneider, SoundStage Hi-Fi
by Benchmark Media Systems January 11, 2016
Benchmark's Jedi, Rory Rall shows a storm trooper the AHB2 power amplifier at the NAMM Show.
Rory then waved his hand and was heard to say; "These are the amplifiers that you are looking for." The storm trooper immediately walked away with a stack of AHB2 power amplifiers.
"There’s a new actor in the high end audio amplification field – THX. The company is a technology spin-off from Lucasfilm, which originated the Star Wars movie series."
"THX has patented a novel amplifier design, THX AAA Technology(TM) and Benchmark Media Systems has turned it into a new power amplifier – AHB2. The design is called Achromatic Audio Amplifier. Achromatic may mean colorless or neutral or without modulation."
"So is there a sound signature to the AHB2? Since THX calls it Achromatic we can assume that they were not aiming for a warm and sweet tubey sound – and this is not what it delivers. The sound is indeed neutral and exact without being sterile or clinical. Colorless? Not really. The amp will send through the sound palette of the source component and disc/file without stripping any color away."
"The AHB2 is so good it will immediately expose weaknesses in your system. It requires a very good pre-amp ... which should output a balanced signal."
"Medals to everyone and a rebel princess to the AAA Technology inventor!"
- Toby Tingskog, dagogo.com
by Benchmark Media Systems January 01, 2016
"You probably know Benchmark for its long-available ADC and DAC units. The ADC1 analog to digital converter has been used by recordists and mastering engineers for years."
"Although many studios, particularly smaller at-home outfits, use active monitors (speakers with built-in power amps) ... almost no powered monitors include really super-quality power amps because of the compromises necessary to fit electronics into a speaker cabinet and meet a price point."
"While many of the active monitors get plenty "loud," they often sound un-dynamic and harsh, at least to my ears."
"I decided to look into modern alternatives to my circa-1980s Audio Design Associates (ADA) FET300 power amp."
"I thought it was the cat's ass and didn't even consider swapping it out, until I started reading descriptions and reviews of the Benchmark amp."
"As soon as I unplugged the ADA amp and swapped in the Benchmark, it was clear how nice it was to hear less fan noise. I cranked up the monitor volume all the way ... and confirmed there was zero hiss, hum, and other power line hash. I put my ear right to the speakers - still dead silent. The ADA is near-silent but not dead-silent."
"I then started listening to music and other audio - projects I recently completed plus favorite albums. I did this for several weeks ..."
"In every case, I heard the amp as essentially transparent - a silent transmitter of musical energy."
"I liked the feature set on the DAC2 HGC enough to buy it for my big listening room, replacing the DAC1 HDR. I bought the AHB2 power amp for my studio and have started filling the piggy bank to buy one for the big listening room."
- Tom Fine, Tape Op
by Benchmark Media Systems January 01, 2016
"If you value the information revealed by measurements, you’ll appreciate the fact that the AHB2 is one of the quietest amplifiers ever made, with a signal/noise ratio of 132 dB."
"As someone who reviews his fair share of extremely high-priced gear, I know that components like the AHB2 strike fear in the transformers of more expensive amps. The question is, how many audiophiles will dismiss the AHB2 because of its low price?"
- Jeff Fritz, SoundStage!Ultra
by Benchmark Media Systems November 12, 2015
"... it was probably the AHB2's low noise level that revealed to me much more apparent low-level detail in already-familiar recordings."
"These surprising and delicious details were evident from the bass up through the midrange and extreme treble, which nonetheless remained silky and diaphanous."
"In addition to quantity of soundstage detail, the AHB2 ... had all the power needed to drive with aplomb my Bowers & Wilkins 800 Diamond speakers to any reasonable level."
"As time passed and I listened more, I grew to love the AHB2's sound, and undertook the rewarding effort of listening through it to as many different recordings as I could. It was a great pleasure, as old friends, some already mentioned, smiled anew."
- Kalman Rubinson, Stereophile
by Benchmark Media Systems November 01, 2015
"Conventionally, it is assumed that the measurement system used to test a product is much better than the device under test."
"However, the Benchmark amplifier's specifications are close to those of my Audio Precision system ... correctly characterizing the AHB2's measured performance would therefore present a challenge. The second and third harmonics lie close to the residual distortion in the Audio Precision's signal generator."
"The Benchmark amplifier has a claimed S/N ratio "approaching 130dB," which, at 6.02dB per bit, is equivalent to more than 21-bit resolution. It is truly a high-resolution amplifier."
"Benchmark Media Systems' AHB2 is an extraordinary amplifier."
- John Atkinson, Stereophile
by Benchmark Media Systems November 01, 2015
"I was admittedly quite cruel with my initial choice of listening material ... Vladimir Homyakov playing Bach organ works on the Eule organ at St. Alexander Church in Cheylyabinsk. Yes, we're going to try playing organ music on a modestly-sized pair of bookshelf speakers! And my jaw dropped. Unexpected depth there is, and natural it sounds too. I was also impressed with the sense of space the system created; it felt uncannily as if I was in the church"
"Benchmark ... has managed an impressive feat. If you want a large-scale yet musical sound but don't have the space for big boxes, they're well worth checking out."
by Benchmark Media Systems October 04, 2015
"The best 'budget' system at the show ... my favorite true sub $10,000 system was a great offering from Benchmark Media Systems, at just $7,500 dollars for a very capable system cables and all, this system takes the cake."
- Rick LaFaver, Enjoy the Music.com