Benchmark AHB2

A

Anatta

New member
Joined
Aug 18, 2013
Messages
334
The Benchmark amp got pretty good reviews. Anyone had a chance to try it?



 
Reviving this old thread rather than start a new one...

Ordered one of these last night. The many stellar reviews and the 30 day trial period made it too tempting. Should have it in a few days.

Will use the balanced pre-out on my Gato integrated to feed the AHB2, but would also like to try a stand-alone pre if I can.

I've been mostly interested in class D the past few years, but this combo of A/B and H seems interesting and is supposed to be pretty efficient.
 
Mrppv said:
Reviving this old thread rather than start a new one...

Ordered one of these last night. The many stellar reviews and the 30 day trial period made it too tempting. Should have it in a few days.

Will use the balanced pre-out on my Gato integrated to feed the AHB2, but would also like to try a stand-alone pre if I can.

I've been mostly interested in class D the past few years, but this combo of A/B and H seems interesting and is supposed to be pretty efficient.
Click to expand...

Why are you interested in class D power amps for?
 
Can't imagine Benchmark gets many of these back after the trial period; mine is staying here.

Lower noise floor, improved bass, and a more three-dimensional sound won me over.

Now I really need to consider a better preamp so that I'm not limiting the Benchmark.
 
Mrppv said:
Can't imagine Benchmark gets many of these back after the trial period; mine is staying here.

Lower noise floor, improved bass, and a more three-dimensional sound won me over.

Now I really need to consider a better preamp so that I'm not limiting the Benchmark.
Click to expand...

Agree with you about the SQ of the ABH2. Benchmark DAC 3 would be the obvious match. Did you get a better preamp?
 
^ Am using an Ayre KX-5 Twenty preamp at the moment. Also tried a Classé CP-800, which I still have. I'm probably keeping the Ayre, but will do another comparison with the Classé before I decide for sure, as it is certainly no slouch and does a lot of things well.
 
I am using a Benchmark DAC3 HGC as my pre-amplifier. So far using it with a SST Son Of Ampzilla II and have a vintage Audio Research tube amplifier arriving tomorrow. I have thought about trying the Benchmark amplifier and maybe will at some point. Maybe eventually as a replacement to the Ampzilla....

I have also considered getting a ARC pre-amplifier and using my Benchmark purely as a DAC and headphone amplifier also...
 
Mrppv said:
^ Am using an Ayre KX-5 Twenty preamp at the moment. Also tried a Classé CP-800, which I still have. I'm probably keeping the Ayre, but will do another comparison with the Classé before I decide for sure, as it is certainly no slouch and does a lot of things well.
Click to expand...

Give the Mola Mola pre a look. SST is good but looks rubbish. Not tried the W4S pre yet supposed to be excellent.
 
Randy Myers said:
I am using a Benchmark DAC3 HGC as my pre-amplifier. So far using it with a SST Son Of Ampzilla II and have a vintage Audio Research tube amplifier arriving tomorrow. I have thought about trying the Benchmark amplifier and maybe will at some point. Maybe eventually as a replacement to the Ampzilla....

I have also considered getting a ARC pre-amplifier and using my Benchmark purely as a DAC and headphone amplifier also...
Click to expand...

Trying out that very combo soon, SST vs ABH2, going to be close. SST should win based on price. Shame SST case is so bad, the performance deserves a better designed box. I would love to have the opportunity of redesigning it. Both really great sounding amps though.
 
Hmmmm... the Ampzilla is not a bad looking case.... and price, well it is considerably more than the AHB2. The Benchmark is $2995 while the SST is $4200.



attachment.php


attachment.php




I guess I do not see a big difference in the looks between the two; if anything I think I prefer the SST.

Love to hear your final results and opinion between the two.
 
alto said:
Give the Mola Mola pre a look. SST is good but looks rubbish. Not tried the W4S pre yet supposed to be excellent.
Click to expand...


Heard good things about the Mola Mola and the case is very appealing, but it's a huge jump in price over what I have. Have been tempted to try the W4S.
 
I am also thinking about going back to the W4S pre-amplifier. Excellent pre-amplifier. I enjoyed it when I had one but I was at the point of just relearning things so I needed to try other things....
 
Perhaps I was being a bit harsh towards the casework of the SST. I just think that for such an excellent sounding amplifier it deserves a nicer case. My main gripe is the cheap plastic volume control knob on their pre/dac. But I think this could easily be retro fitted with a nicer machined solid metal knob anodised black. Very tempted to do this if the SST is a winner, subject to a pre listening shoot out that is planned.

Amp testing is under way. The line up is Hypex NC500 class D mono's, Gato NAP250S Pascal class D integrated (also being evaluated as a pre/dac and power only) , Benchmark DAC3 and AHB2 (both also being evaluated separately using other combinations) and the SST Son of Ampzilla II. I'm hoping that I might also be able to have the SST pre/dac to try soon.

Early indications are that there is a clear winner.

Watch this space.
 
Do you need a pre?

Clearly we are getting better results using the Lumin players (D1and S1) direct to the power amps using their balanced XLR analog outputs rather than going through the pre/dacs of the Gato and Benchmark. Volume controlled from the iPad app. Digital output was tried through BNC to RCA with a cable terminated with female BNC and male RCA. Using a BNC to RCA adaptor did not work due to directionality. I'm going to try the matching SST in a few days, so we will see.

SST vs ABH2

The SST is a lot heavier and twice the volume. It is also more expensive £4,500 vs £3,300 here in the UK. Both are fairly industrial looking the SST only coming in black, the ABH2 available with a silver or black front plate. Both have balanced inputs but the SST also has RCA in addition. The ABH2 has a sensitivity switch on the back.

Music choice ranged from male and female jazz vocal, opera, jazz including live recordings and percussion.

First off they are both excellent amps. On vocal the SST was more palpable. For example on "Holding On" by Gregory Porter it showed more strength and tangibility to his voice. Maria Callas sounded more natural and smoother on "The New Sound of Maria Callas- Madama Butterfly and Carmen".

With percussive tracks such as "Part ii" by So percussion, "Drums" by Percussion Project and "Night Train" by Felix Slatkin there was a bit more space and depth with the SST around the instruments and you could feel the sound of materials being hit/touched/brushed slightly better and not just the sound produced from the instrument alone.

On live recordings the SST had the edge with more depth and openness, noticeable on tracks like "Jazz at the Pawn Shop 2".

To be continued....stay tuned.
 
Last edited:
Excellent comparisons so far. Very intrigued by your results. So far the SST seems to be doing quite well in the comparisons! I know EJ is very proud of what they did with the SST, both to honor James last design but also in finishing development of the amplifier and bringing it to market!

The Benchmark DAC3 HGC does a very nice job as a pre-amplifier going to both my amplifiers; the SST and the ARC classic tube... however I have been told by many people that a separate pre-amplifier will improve my over all performance. I am seriously leaning towards going back to the one I had a little while ago. EJ's other line, Wyred 4 Sound. Their STP-SE is quite a pre-amplifier and seems to be an excellent match to both of my amplifiers. I really enjoyed it when I had one in my system, but I was also at the discovery stage and re-learning this crazy hobby.

So I am leaning towards either the STP-SE or a pre-owned ARC tube... we will see how it all pans out :)....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top