When you see the Benchmark name on an audio product you can be assured that the product has been designed to be sonically neutral and transparent. We lead the industry with our wide-bandwidth, linear-phase, low-noise, low-distortion designs. Transparency can be measured and defined by these parameters.
Independent measurements show that our products continue to define performance "benchmarks" for the entire audio industry. Benchmark products are key components in many of the finest recording studios, but they are also found in many high-end home systems. Over the years, many hi-fi enthusiasts have joined our loyal base of professional customers.
Benchmark products define state of the art when it comes to measured performance.
If you are looking for audio products that will change or "enhance" the sound of your music, you have come to the wrong place. If you are looking to add the warm sound of even-harmonic distortion, you have also come to the wrong pace. On the other hand, if you are looking for accurate, clean, and transparent audio equipment, you will enjoy Benchmark products.
If a product is transparent, this will show in the measurements. A product that measures poorly is not transparent. But, a product that measures well is not necessarily transparent.
It is very important to verify transparency by listening. Many times, we have detected problems in listening tests that didn't show up in basic measurements. Usually this was an indication that the measurements were incomplete.
We have learned that if we hear something that didn't show up in the measurements, then we haven't done the right measurements. Over the years, our listening tests have helped us to refine our measurement techniques. We have learned how to detect and quantify defects that were initially revealed by our ears.
When measurement techniques are adequately refined, defects can be quantified and design changes can be evaluated objectively. Measurements then allow us to refine the product until the defect is reduced to inaudible levels.
Transparency is essential in a studio monitoring chain but it is also important in a home listening environment. Transparent home systems can recreate the studio experience. If you want to hear your music the way the artists heard it in the studio, you will need a transparent playback system.
Many audio products are designed to euphonically enhance the sound of a recording. These products produce effects that change the sound in an attempt to improve the sound of a recording at playback. With these effects, the home playback may differ substantially from the studio experience. For this reason, Benchmark products do not add euphonic effects. Our products deliver an accurate rendering of the input signal.
If the entire recording and playback chain is transparent, the listener can be transported to the performance space. This is the magic of music. It is enabled by the magic of a transparent audio chain - from the performance space to the listening space.
Enjoy the magic!