Best Of
Re: Review: Benchmark AHB2 Amp
Well let's see if we can get this thread back on track. These things seem to go sideways at times. LOL!
First off this is not at all about power. In fact I'm giving up a ton of power. The A21+ is rated at 300/500 into 8/4 ohms whereas the AHB2 is rated at 100/190 into 8/4 ohms. One would certainly think this wouldn't be a fair fight. Things can certainly be deceiving though.
To address the HT issue I'm sure my Yammie AVENTAGE RX-3010 AVR can handle my HT needs but I've always had a dedicated 2 channel amp for double duty running my fronts in both HT & for 2 channel.
I purchased the A21+ a few years back to give my Maggie 1.7i's some more juice. I certainly did the trick & kept me quite happy. Now the Maggies have been replaced with JBL HDI 1600 monitors (85db/4ohm). The reason on switching things up is downsizing & wanting to replace the A21+ with a smaller, lighter amp without sacrificing musicality. I did extensive research & took a shot with the AHB2. I never heard one in person & went strictly by reviews & Benchmark's no risk 30 day return policy.
A little about my room (13x30x7) & also I've been in this house since 1992 & the room hasn't changed except for new furniture over the years & always in the same spot so it's safe to say that I know my rooms sonic attributes like the back of my hand. So whenever I would audition new gear it didn't take me long to decipher whether it was a keeper or just a lateral move.
Now enter the AHB2...I had no idea what to expect and was unbiased in my upcoming listening challenge. To be brutally honest I was taken back by the AHB2 & it literally walked all over the A21+! Yes you heard that right, the AHB2 was like David vs Goliath. I was in disbelief at first but needed to validate my listening experience. As good as the A21+ is, & it's one fine amp the AHB2 just revealed things that the A21+ just wasn't capable of.
A few of the AHB2's attributes: It delivered so much more detail in low level listening that I didn't know was there until I actually heard it & this is with music that I've very familiar with. Again scratching my head here with what I'm hearing. The music just sprang to life in ways that were not present with the A21+. There is no sweet spot with this puppy...the sweet spot is now the entire front stage, behind & off to the sides of the speakers, I couldn't believe it. I just find myself enjoying the music so much more now & am totally engaged in ways that I didn't experience with the A21+. Needless to say it's found a new home & I couldn't be happier. If anyone is looking into a new amp I can highly recommend you put this on your list.
Also you can always add another one if you feel the need for more power & run them both as mono blocks. Benchmark designed these to perform just as well in bridged mono as stereo.
Cheers,
Phil
First off this is not at all about power. In fact I'm giving up a ton of power. The A21+ is rated at 300/500 into 8/4 ohms whereas the AHB2 is rated at 100/190 into 8/4 ohms. One would certainly think this wouldn't be a fair fight. Things can certainly be deceiving though.
To address the HT issue I'm sure my Yammie AVENTAGE RX-3010 AVR can handle my HT needs but I've always had a dedicated 2 channel amp for double duty running my fronts in both HT & for 2 channel.
I purchased the A21+ a few years back to give my Maggie 1.7i's some more juice. I certainly did the trick & kept me quite happy. Now the Maggies have been replaced with JBL HDI 1600 monitors (85db/4ohm). The reason on switching things up is downsizing & wanting to replace the A21+ with a smaller, lighter amp without sacrificing musicality. I did extensive research & took a shot with the AHB2. I never heard one in person & went strictly by reviews & Benchmark's no risk 30 day return policy.
A little about my room (13x30x7) & also I've been in this house since 1992 & the room hasn't changed except for new furniture over the years & always in the same spot so it's safe to say that I know my rooms sonic attributes like the back of my hand. So whenever I would audition new gear it didn't take me long to decipher whether it was a keeper or just a lateral move.
Now enter the AHB2...I had no idea what to expect and was unbiased in my upcoming listening challenge. To be brutally honest I was taken back by the AHB2 & it literally walked all over the A21+! Yes you heard that right, the AHB2 was like David vs Goliath. I was in disbelief at first but needed to validate my listening experience. As good as the A21+ is, & it's one fine amp the AHB2 just revealed things that the A21+ just wasn't capable of.
A few of the AHB2's attributes: It delivered so much more detail in low level listening that I didn't know was there until I actually heard it & this is with music that I've very familiar with. Again scratching my head here with what I'm hearing. The music just sprang to life in ways that were not present with the A21+. There is no sweet spot with this puppy...the sweet spot is now the entire front stage, behind & off to the sides of the speakers, I couldn't believe it. I just find myself enjoying the music so much more now & am totally engaged in ways that I didn't experience with the A21+. Needless to say it's found a new home & I couldn't be happier. If anyone is looking into a new amp I can highly recommend you put this on your list.
Also you can always add another one if you feel the need for more power & run them both as mono blocks. Benchmark designed these to perform just as well in bridged mono as stereo.
Cheers,
Phil
pearsall001
5 ·
Re: Realistic Tape Control Center
Nice. Nothing like ol'school analog push buttons...
Just need to find a matching R2R deck to match.
Just need to find a matching R2R deck to match.
xschop
1 ·
Re: Post a picture.....any picture...part deux...
mhardy6647 wrote: »
Still Life with Cat and SPL Meter
Gotta love that.
PS (and in all seriousness) that little stand the R/S meter's on is very cool. Is that bespoke?
Thank you! Yes, it is. Manufactured from 12 gauge solid THNN wire. Viewing angle adjustable, but not infinitely. Many colors avaliable.
Jasper in maintenance mode warming his rump on the Krell. Texas cat loved warmth....
While looking through pics I remember we used to have to cover the tops of the Salk's. Jasper had rear claws.
SCompRacer
7 ·
Re: Review: Benchmark AHB2 Amp
I'm not saying Denon and Marantz receivers won't run a full home theater system, but am saying most receivers alone won't get the best out of the Reserve speakers above a certain point. Pioneer Elite receivers with Class D amps were an exception but the two I still have don't really sound all that great to me by themselves for anything but movies.
Anyway, the main topic here is high quality amplification for stereo listening enjoyment rather than watching a movie in surround sound. I do agree that B&K amplification was way ahead of most because they cared about their customers in that regard. They went out of business not because of their amplifiers but because of not being able to bring their own processors to market and compete. Parasound learned that lesson before it was too late for them. I ran through a few B&K pieces and really enjoyed them but once the company was gone so was my B&K gear.
FWIW, I've been tinkering with home theaters for a bit since I was a youngster back in the days of Dolby Matrix surround in the 1980s. I had an excellent high-current Akai integrated amp back then that broke after a couple years and no longer had repair parts available and the company offered me a brand spanking new comparably priced "home theater" receiver as a replacement. The integrated amp had no problem powering my main speakers and sounded a whole lot better than the receiver and the receiver had a habit of blowing out the tweeters on my speakers. Fortunately just needed a trip to Radio Shack for replacements back then. But, lesson learned long long ago.
Anyway, the main topic here is high quality amplification for stereo listening enjoyment rather than watching a movie in surround sound. I do agree that B&K amplification was way ahead of most because they cared about their customers in that regard. They went out of business not because of their amplifiers but because of not being able to bring their own processors to market and compete. Parasound learned that lesson before it was too late for them. I ran through a few B&K pieces and really enjoyed them but once the company was gone so was my B&K gear.
FWIW, I've been tinkering with home theaters for a bit since I was a youngster back in the days of Dolby Matrix surround in the 1980s. I had an excellent high-current Akai integrated amp back then that broke after a couple years and no longer had repair parts available and the company offered me a brand spanking new comparably priced "home theater" receiver as a replacement. The integrated amp had no problem powering my main speakers and sounded a whole lot better than the receiver and the receiver had a habit of blowing out the tweeters on my speakers. Fortunately just needed a trip to Radio Shack for replacements back then. But, lesson learned long long ago.
Emlyn
1 ·
Re: Going in a new Family Room direction.
Personally I think the Monitor Bronze 7G line looks like simple inexpensive boxes and the C-CAM drivers are either like them or not. If someone already likes the "lively" drivers from prior versions chances are they'll like the updated ones. I wouldn't look below the Monitor Audio Silver line myself.
For white speakers that aren't too expensive I'd also look at Wharfedale Evo and Q Acoustics. Kef, PSB...lots of choices! White speaker cabinets appear to be a popular choice these days.
The Silver line is never out of the question. I like the 300 7g Silvers in that line. It's the sweet spot out of the floor standing models. The 50 and 100 Bookshelf speakers are incredible sounding as well as incredible looking.
They make an Ash finish that is really nice and would work with my New Decor. The White is also nice,they just don't have the awesome wood trim around the Bezel like the Bronze do.
Sound quality wise, the older ones were awesome, I'm a huge Monitor fan. The 7g versions are more refined and sound slightly different. They are more balanced and the clarity is crazy. If you closed your eyes and listened to the new 7g Bronze series, you would be very hard pressed to tell the difference from the Silvers which are a better speaker and much nicer cabinets , a lot nicer actually more high end furniture grade stuff.
mantis
1 ·
Re: The most dynamic, well recorded music you have heard to date....
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
Not actually written or said by Siggy, but attributed to him, it appears, in 1950 in the journal Psychiatry.
Not actually written or said by Siggy, but attributed to him, it appears, in 1950 in the journal Psychiatry.
mhardy6647
1 ·
Re: Power Conditioner recommendations...
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650273773-shunyata-research-triton-v1/?utm_campaign=response-received&utm_source=notification&utm_medium=email
$1100.00 shipped...
$1100.00 shipped...
nooshinjohn
2 ·
Re: Realistic Tape Control Center
^^^ Cool! Nice to see the innards.
... all of the following is strictly my typically ego-centric, as-is meanderings on the topic.
... all of the following is strictly my typically ego-centric, as-is meanderings on the topic.
Got one of those R/S switchboxes, NIB (well, more likely OIB, old in box 
) here someplace (dump find, of course).
You probably know this already, but Sony made some nice ones with big ol' chunky pushbuttons... and of course there's the dBx 200 family.
The latter, at least the last time I looked, can be acquired pretty inexpensively.
I like, and still use, the Azden box I picked up at a fundraiser for a kid's school trip decades ago from the school's photography teacher. He had two for sale; wish I'd have grabbed 'em both!
) here someplace (dump find, of course).You probably know this already, but Sony made some nice ones with big ol' chunky pushbuttons... and of course there's the dBx 200 family.
The latter, at least the last time I looked, can be acquired pretty inexpensively.
I like, and still use, the Azden box I picked up at a fundraiser for a kid's school trip decades ago from the school's photography teacher. He had two for sale; wish I'd have grabbed 'em both!
mhardy6647
5 ·
Re: Power Conditioner recommendations...
Decision made… incoming Shunysta Hydra with 8 inputs and provisions to accept the Typhon add on for additional support if needed.
nooshinjohn
5 ·
Re: The most dynamic, well recorded music you have heard to date....
@mhardy6647 The ones from the 1960's.
Just replayed the Pastoral last night from them. Marvelous.
Yeah, I like that set, too. Recommended to me at Record & Tape Collector, (more or less) right across from Soundscape in Roland Park... a long time ago.
That was a great little spot in those days: Soundscape, Record & Tape Collector, Jay's Smoke Shop (I would puff the occasional cigar in those long-ago times), and Alonso's. And a gas station, one at which I don't think I ever got gas for the ol' Bronco.
mhardy6647
1 ·