Benchmark AHB2 amp - In Home Trial Over...my 2 cents.

pearsall001 · January 7

Let me start by saying that this was not brought on by wanting to improve on my existing A2

1+ amp's performance which is stellar. This was strictly a decision based on my need/want to downsize & what better place to start with than with a 71lb (net) behemoth, (88 lb shipped). A definite back breaker. Ideally, I was looking for a unit under 20lb & also a much smaller physical size. Not a deal breaker but that was my goal.

With a budget of $3-$4K & wanting to buy new the initial search began. I started looking into class D from various companies & in particular amps with the new GanFet technology. I almost pulled the trigger on a Orchard Audio Stereo Ultra 2.5 amp that fit the bill nicely, receives pretty much all glowing reviews & was budget friendly. However, the deal killer was its 1yr warranty. I would expect at least a 3yr warranty from any company that has confidence in its products. If I moved up to their higher end lineup, they came with a 3yr warranty but were not budget friendly. The other issue was to try to find a company that had an in-home trial period with a decent return policy. That was a tough one. Most had a 10-15% restocking fee policy. I could live with that, but it could add up if I tried multiple amps & had to return them. The search continued.

Now enter Benchmark. I always knew about them but never really gave them any consideration. I decided to pull up their website to check them out. I was pleasantly surprised that the AHB2 fit the bill nicely at 12.5lbs net wt & 16lb shipped & fit the budget. I called & spoke w/ Rory about my needs & after a 45min conversation I decided to give the AHB2 a try. Rory said I wouldn't be disappointed. A 30 day in-home trial, no restocking fee, only return shipping if I were to send it back. Very nice.

I received it in 2 days, unboxed it & sat it directly on top of the A21+ which made it easy peezy to switch back & forth for comparison. Nothing else changed except adding in the AHB2. Cables & front end remained the same. Having everything for quite some time I was very familiar with the system's sound signature.

Got 'er all hooked up & ready to rock & roll. Having no idea what to expect I started my first listening session with some smooth jazz from Diana Krall, Nora Jones, Chris Botti just to name a few.

Did you ever have one of those AH-Ha, Holy Sheet moments? Well this was certainly one of them. I know it was my initial impressions but nonetheless everything had more air, a richer fuller sound, a vastly expanded soundstage & imaging. I found it to be very musically transparent & able to reveal subtleties in the music that I didn't pick up on with the A21+. I am very, very familiar with these artists & songs & my doubts were put to rest as my listening continued.

Yes I know, I know you can't come to that conclusion so quickly but I beg to differ on this one. There wasn't a shadow of a doubt that the AHB2 was a different animal all together. And as the days & weeks went by things became quite evident that the AHB2 was going to be a keeper. It just presented music in ways that the A21+ just didn't reveal in my system all the years I had it. That's my story & I'm sticking to it.

pitdogg2 · January 7

Man! I need that Parasound for my 2ch TV viewing.....
Nice review Phil!

audioluvr · January 7

pearsall001 wrote: »

It's so cute!

bcwsrt · January 7

Wittle.

pearsall001 · January 9

bcwsrt wrote: »

Wittle.

That isn't what she said.

Clipdat · January 9

Congrats, Phil! Glad the new Benchmark amp is working out so well for you!

pearsall001 · January 9

Clipdat wrote: »

Congrats, Phil! Glad the new Benchmark amp is working out so well for you!

Hey Drew,

It's certainly getting the job done & then some. I'm just glad that I took a stab at playing around outside the normal box that we're so comfortable in. It definitely paid off!

pearsall001 · January 14

Well it's official the A21+ has been retired. It served me well for the last few years!

Tony M · January 14

This reminds me of the tons of reviewers being blown away by the sound from Golden Ear speakers.

Almost anyone who heard the Triton Ones said they were AMAZED. I am one who agrees.

And these big Tritons only cost 5K when new. Now they're 8K and above.

Now your small Benchmark Amp is getting universal approval, too. It does everything RIGHT.

It's affordable too!

Designers thinking differently about designs have produced the Triton speakers and the AHB2 Amp.

Both WINNERS in my mind.

pearsall001 · January 15

Tony M wrote: »

This reminds me of the tons of reviewers being blown away by the sound from Golden Ear speakers.

Almost anyone who heard the Triton Ones said they were AMAZED. I am one who agrees.

And these big Tritons only cost 5K when new. Now they're 8K and above.

Now your small Benchmark Amp is getting universal approval, too. It does everything RIGHT.

It's affordable too!

Designers thinking differently about designs have produced the Triton speakers and the AHB2 Amp.

Both WINNERS in my mind.

Yes indeed technology is constantly changing with tremendous results. I never had my ears on the Triton One's but definitely had ears on the AHB2 & I can certainly attest to it's outstanding performance. Things are a 'changin for sure.

mantis · January 15

Tony M wrote: »

This reminds me of the tons of reviewers being blown away by the sound from Golden Ear speakers.

Almost anyone who heard the Triton Ones said they were AMAZED. I am one who agrees.

And these big Tritons only cost 5K when new. Now they're 8K and above.

Now your small Benchmark Amp is getting universal approval, too. It does everything RIGHT.

It's affordable too!

Designers thinking differently about designs have produced the Triton speakers and the AHB2 Amp.

Both WINNERS in my mind.

Sandy knows how to make unbelievably good sounding speakers. Still to this day I hold the Definitive Technology Mythos ST towers in very high regards. I have not owned a better sounding speakers no matter what I bring home.

mantis · January 15

Phil,
You know when you know. There is NO time limit when a piece of gear romances you. It can be minutes out of the box and it hits home. It stirs the pot, it makes your knees weak and it connects you in ways well, fill in the blank.

It doesn't take me much time for me to know if I'm gonna like something or not. With amps , it's pretty instant. The first time I hooked up a Bryston amp, I knew I had something in front of me that was very special.

This is the part where you kick back , crack one open and let the wind blow you away.

Good on you my man

pearsall001 · January 15

Spot on Dan it didn't take me long to know that I liked what I was hearing. It was quite obvious right off the bat!

Upstatemax · January 16

I know you were looking at the W4S 1000R's as well, did you ever get ears on them?

Their 15% re-stocking fee is pretty off-putting...

This Benchmark has my interest, like a lot. But if I went with it I'm interested in a monoblock configuration ($$$$) and the balance only inputs would require me to rethink some stuff in my system.

jdjohn · January 16

Hi Phil,

I'm glad that the AHB2 has been a consistent performer for you during the trial period. I personally feel it is a special amp amongst today's options. It is not for everyone. But for neutrality, transparency, and clarity, there is nothing else that compares IMO.

In the end, I think some sort of coloration is desired in playback for most audiophiles, so many folks will shy away from something as pure sounding as the AHB2. The THX technology in this amp may seem like marketing hype, but at the end of the day, I think it comes into play with the overall playback sound of the amp. I'm not educated enough to expound on that any further.

There is often discussion about harmonics (odd, even, etc.) in audiophile forums, and what preamps/power amps add in that regard. But with the AHB2, the only harmonics heard are from what was included in the original recording process (i.e., guitar and microphone amps in the studio or on-stage, etc.)...and whatever a phono and/or line-level preamp adds in a particular system. As always, it comes down to preference and taste.

For even more neutrality and linearity of original recordings, try incorporating a Benchmark LA4 or HPA4 preamp

bcwsrt · January 16

I hear the HPA4 is identical to the LA4 except for the addition of a headphone amp. 😮😝

pearsall001 · January 16

Upstatemax wrote: »

I know you were looking at the W4S 1000R's as well, did you ever get ears on them?

Their 15% re-stocking fee is pretty off-putting...

This Benchmark has my interest, like a lot. But if I went with it I'm interested in a monoblock configuration ($$$$) and the balance only inputs would require me to rethink some stuff in my system.

Yes I was also looking at the W4S SX-1000R monos & I almost pulled the trigger but then that 15% re-stocking fee made me think twice. I understand where the manuf. are coming from with the fee but it boiled down to not wanting to risk it.

What makes you think you might need a pair of them running in bridged mono? Unless you have very demanding speakers & a very large room & play excessively loud (90/95/100db & up) a lot, a single AHB2 will be all you need. I thought the same thing that coming from the A21+ with 300/500w into 8/4 ohm that a single AHB2 at 100/190w into 8/4 ohm would be lacking but that couldn't be further from the truth. It drives my JBL HDI 1600 monitors 85db/4ohm without breaking a sweat in my 13x30x7 room.
Balanced is the way to go for sure but you can always use a RCA to XLR cable. Benchmark sells them on their site.

pearsall001 · January 16

jdjohn wrote: »

Hi Phil,

I'm glad that the AHB2 has been a consistent performer for you during the trial period. I personally feel it is a special amp amongst today's options. It is not for everyone. But for neutrality, transparency, and clarity, there is nothing else that compares IMO.

In the end, I think some sort of coloration is desired in playback for most audiophiles, so many folks will shy away from something as pure sounding as the AHB2. The THX technology in this amp may seem like marketing hype, but at the end of the day, I think it comes into play with the overall playback sound of the amp. I'm not educated enough to expound on that any further.

There is often discussion about harmonics (odd, even, etc.) in audiophile forums, and what preamps/power amps add in that regard. But with the AHB2, the only harmonics heard are from what was included in the original recording process (i.e., guitar and microphone amps in the studio or on-stage, etc.)...and whatever a phono and/or line-level preamp adds in a particular system. As always, it comes down to preference and taste.

For even more neutrality and linearity of original recordings, try incorporating a Benchmark LA4 or HPA4 preamp

Hi Jody,

Yeah it didn't take me long to figure out it was a keeper.

I know what I like about the AHB2 is it's ability to not add anything of it's own into the mix. There is of cource coloration coming from the front end that just sounds right compared to the A21+.

It definitely comes down to one's preference on how much coloration they like in the sound signature. But I can honestly say that my front end has now opened up in ways I didn't hear with the A21+ so I can only assume that the A21+ was adding its own signature into the mix that was masking the full potential of my front end.

pearsall001 · January 16

bcwsrt wrote: »

I hear the HPA4 is identical to the LA4 except for the addition of a headphone amp. 😮😝

Boy! where'd I hear that one before! LOL! Trying to stir the pot I see.

Upstatemax · January 16

pearsall001 wrote: »

Upstatemax wrote: »

I know you were looking at the W4S 1000R's as well, did you ever get ears on them?

Their 15% re-stocking fee is pretty off-putting...

This Benchmark has my interest, like a lot. But if I went with it I'm interested in a monoblock configuration ($$$$) and the balance only inputs would require me to rethink some stuff in my system.

Yes I was also looking at the W4S SX-1000R monos & I almost pulled the trigger but then that 15% re-stocking fee made me think twice. I understand where the manuf. are coming from with the fee but it boiled down to not wanting to risk it.

What makes you think you might need a pair of them running in bridged mono? Unless you have very demanding speakers & a very large room & play excessively loud (90/95/100db & up) a lot, a single AHB2 will be all you need. I thought the same thing that coming from the A21+ with 300/500w into 8/4 ohm that a single AHB2 at 100/190w into 8/4 ohm would be lacking but that couldn't be further from the truth. It drives my JBL HDI 1600 monitors 85db/4ohm without breaking a sweat in my 13x30x7 room.
Balanced is the way to go for sure but you can always use a RCA to XLR cable. Benchmark sells them on their site.

It's entirely possible I don't need them running in bridged mono, but I've also always wanted to throw gobs of available power at my speakers. I could probably pick up one, and then add another down the line, if I decide I wanted "more".

The balance only is only an issue because I run a "dual preamp" setup in my system.

When I'm listening to music, I let my Prima Luna Evo 400 handle preamp duties.

If I'm just watching a show or something, I let my Eversolo DMP-A8 function as a preamp utilizing the ARC input.

To do this, I run balanced between my amp and the Prima Luna and unbalanced between the amp and the Eversolo. Then I just manually choose what input I want active on my amp.

It's not the end of the world, it would just mean that I would be using my Prima Luna 100% of the time. Not a huge deal, but that's a lot more wear and tear on it and the tubes.

The nice thing about the W4S 1000R's, is that they retain a switchable input between balanced and unbalanced.

Emlyn · January 16

The specs indicate the AHB2 is the equivalent of a legitimate high current amplifier almost doubling rated output from 8 ohm loads (100 watts) to 4 ohm (190 watts). I wouldn't see the need to go bridged although I don't think these amps have the same noise drawbacks as usual class AB amps when bridged. I've never been a fan of running amps in bridged mode and felt if I wanted to run an amp that way I'd buy monoblocks instead.

The main difference seems to be no rated ability to drive loads below 4 ohms when bridged but then output exceeds 500 watts into 4 ohms. Quite impressive! And Benchmark isn't playing with deceptive output ratings for marketing purposes.

With good two channel amps I usually pay more attention to the 4 ohm load output capabilities and 190 watts per channel seems like plenty to me. I understand they have a couple of clipping indicator lights on the front just in case.

mhardy6647 · January 16

Class H is a class AB (i.e., higher-efficiency push-pull) variant with variable power supply rails.
Noise spectrum will resemble any 'normal' AB amp, depending upon the bias point chosen, of course.

Soundcraftsmen may not have originated the Class H topology, but they did popularize it.

from a multi-page ad starting on page 71 of https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Archive-Audio/80s/Audio-1986-Equipment-Directory.pdf

Class H is similar to Class G (used by Hitachi, e.g., starting in the late 1970s) but with a more sophisticated power supply design. Class G offered (only) two discrete rail voltages: regular and overdrive, so to speak, yielding a 3 dB power increase.

HitachiSR2004 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

mhardy6647 · January 16

None of which is to say that the Benchmark's not an excellent amplifier.

pearsall001 · January 16

Emlyn wrote: »

The specs indicate the AHB2 is the equivalent of a legitimate high current amplifier almost doubling rated output from 8 ohm loads (100 watts) to 4 ohm (190 watts). I wouldn't see the need to go bridged although I don't think these amps have the same noise drawbacks as usual class AB amps when bridged. I've never been a fan of running amps in bridged mode and felt if I wanted to run an amp that way I'd buy monoblocks instead.

The main difference seems to be no rated ability to drive loads below 4 ohms when bridged but then output exceeds 500 watts into 4 ohms. Quite impressive! And Benchmark isn't playing with deceptive output ratings for marketing purposes.

With good two channel amps I usually pay more attention to the 4 ohm load output capabilities and 190 watts per channel seems like plenty to me. I understand they have a couple of clipping indicator lights on the front just in case.

Here's a few performance specs from John Siau over at Benchmark.

100 w at 8 ohm stereo
190 w at 4 ohm stereo
380 w at 8 ohm bridge mono
518 w at 4 ohm bridge mono

The AHB2 in bridge mono is stable down to 3 ohm & can run all the way down to 1 ohm before going into protection mode. Not too shabby!
It actually has better specs running in bridge mono. 132 dB SNR in stereo & 135 dB SNR in bridge mono. Splitting hairs for sure but still remarkable.

Where most A/B amps aren't designed to handle anything other than a 8 ohm load in bridge mono because of noise issues this puppy just keeps on trucking & runs as quiet as a church mouse. The A21+ was only capable of bridge mono at 8 ohm & was a big No-No at 4 ohms.

THD does not change with loading.
THD -119 dB at full power.

Now I know that a lot of guys don't get too hung up on specs (including myself) but they sure as heck must mean something because with this guy the proof is in the listening!!

Out of curiosity I tried to get the clipping lights to come on just to see how well it could drive my 85 db 4 ohm monitors in my large room. I slowly started cranking the volume up to 100db without the clipping lights coming on. I had to back off the volume because it was just way too loud for me. Even at that volume it was still smooth as glass with no distortion what so ever. So I doubt that I'll ever have the need to add another one.

Benchmark AHB2 amp - In Home Trial Over...my 2 cents.

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