Reviews

AHB2 - "A Bargain for Poor Audiophiles"

"... 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

AHB2 - "2015 Audiophile Amplifier of the Year."

"If you are determined to get the most out of high-resolution audio then you need a system whose optimal performance can bring out deliver the full potential of high-res audio. There is no more compelling case than to anchor a high-res setup with the Benchmark DAC2 and AHB2 combo."

"The Benchmark AHB2 amplifier and DAC2 control of the universally acclaimed Revel Ultima2 Salon speakers and never let go. In fact, the AHB2 allowed the Salon2s to achieve pinnacle performance. The AHB2 isn’t cheap; but its build quality, materials, and astonishing sonic performance are a marvel."

"The AHB2 is an audiophile’s dream and a competitor’s nightmare. For my part, I don’t want my dream with the AHB2 to end."

"Not only does the AHB2 get my highest and strongest recommendation, but it also gets an enthusiastic nod as our 2015 Audiophile Amplifier of the Year."

DAC2 and AHB2 - "Absence of Noise and Distortion ... Beautiful Cloak of Silence"

"It is so incredibly hard to put into words the experience that the DAC2 → AHB2 → Revel Ultima2 Salon setup produced. There was simply no distortion, no noise, just a blank stage. Regardless of genre, vocals and instruments popped to life and they did so with a almost true-to-life 'you are there' feel to them."

"The Salons are some of the most capable full-range speakers on the planet. When paired with the AHB2s in bridged mono, bass notes were the cleanest, most detailed, and most controlled I’ve ever heard out of the Salon2s."

"The delicate notes of violins resonated precisely, perfectly laid out and you were able to discern the tonal character of the strings and the warmth of the violin’s body. The resonant timbre of brass notes was spot on. The entire orchestra came together in a coherent, dynamic whole. If this is high-res music, then I will take it with joy every time. There wasn’t a single note where the DAC2/AHB2 combination didn’t bring out the immaculate character of the Salon2s. Crescendo!"

- The Poor Audiophile

AHB2 - John Siau Explains what's Inside Benchmark's Unique Amplifier

"John is a long-time audiophile. In fact, it was his love of music and audio that originally inspired his interest in electronics and prompted him to pursue a degree in electrical engineering at Syracuse University."

"“It became clear that we would not reach our goals if we designed a conventional power amplifier,” John said. “We realized that we needed to look at some unique solutions. We were very focused on eliminating crossover distortion in the output stage because we felt that this was one of the most important factors in the sonic performance of the amplifier. We began experimenting with ...”"

AHB2 - Laurie Fincham describes the 9-year development of the revolutionary THX AAA technology

"The first thing you need to know about Laurie is that he’s an audiophile’s audiophile. He’s an engineer, music lover, and also a musician..."

"Instead of building upon existing technologies, Laurie and his team decided to design a better amplifier technology from the ground up."

"We didn’t invent or reinvent the amplifier. Instead, we looked at the shortcomings, the physics, and developed a technology to deal with that. We were motivated to do better. We didn’t stop."

“We’ve been working on the amplifier since 2006 ...