Benchmark DAC3 / AHD2 Combo (with a Goldenear Triton Reference chaser)
3.5 years ago I posted a comparison review of the Goldenear Triton One vs. Reference.
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/goldenear-triton-reference-vs-one-review
My screen name is accurate, so I just checked in here for the first time since then. I noticed that one person had asked me to comment on the Benchmark Audio AHB2 power amp and how it performed. Here you go.
My current system: Roon -> Benchmark DAC3 -> Benchmark AHB2 -> Goldenear Triton Reference. Interconnect and speaker cable are Canare Star Quad from Blue Jeans Cable (indistinguishable from previous Kimber Kable).
My previous power amp was an Adcom GFA 545.
The first thing I noticed when the AHB2 arrived was how small and light it is. When the UPS guy delivered it I was afraid Benchmark had screwed up and accidentally delivered another DAC, but once I opened the package it was indeed the AHB2. The footprint is the same as the DAC (plus the heat sinks on the side) and its only twice as high. My initial impression was “How is this thing going to put out 100W per channel and match the Adcom?”
I was super skeptical about hearing any difference between the amps, frankly. My attitude was that as long a solid state amp was well-made and put out sufficient power, there wasn’t any difference. Who has ever talked smack about Nelson Pass’s Adcom design? They were widely considered your best bang for the buck in the 90’s, which is why I bought mine and loved it.
Well, as soon as I replaced the Adcom with the AHB2, the immediate change was elimination of tweeter hiss with the system at idle. I could now stick my ear right up against the tweeter and hear absolutely nothing. Pulled out my iPhone, opened my NOSH SLM app, and it registered exactly the same 28 dB noise floor whether at my listening position or pressed against the speaker cover. (I was too boneheaded to swap the Adcom back in and measure the hiss.)
Playing music revealed a whole new experience. Improved detail, reverberation tails, soundstage in all three dimensions, more precise rhythmic drive, tighter bass (this surprised me since the T Refs are handling the bass amp duty from about 80 Hz down, but obviously the cleaner signal makes a difference) and heightened emotional engagement. Didn’t notice any difference in the tonal balance.
Reviewers who like the AHB2 tend to describe it as clean, pure, revealing and transparent. Those who don’t like it use the terms clinical and sterile. All those descriptions are accurate. Benchmark is aiming for “wire with gain” and zero editorializing, not euphonic distortion, or ugly distortion for that matter. If you want a “warm” sounding amp, you will not be happy.
Great recordings sound great and crappy recording sound crappy. Just like HD video, higher resolution will reveal flaws that were previously blurred. The Smith’s “The Headmaster Ritual” is one track that I like, but the AHB2 reveals the very subpar, brittle recording. On the other hand, Cowboy Junkies’ “Mining for Gold” is brilliant. The Benchmark/Goldenear combo reveals Margo Timmins’ vocals in stunning purity above the eerie rumble of the Toronto subway beneath the Holy Trinity sanctuary recording space. (If you can think of another a cappella vocal track that benefits from a serious woofer array, please let me know.)
My very opinionated, hyper-critical mother-in-law is a professional pianist, vocalist and teacher (a couple of her students have gone on to successful opera careers in Europe); I sat her down to listen to her favorite piano recording, Glenn Gould’s 1981 “Goldberg Variations”, and she was stunned.
I have not noticed any change in the sound of the Benchmark electronics from burn-in time since original purchase nor from the time I turn them on every day--they sound great right once you power them up. I know this is absolute heresy.
I ain’t gonna lie. I drool over the Magico 2’s; I know there are greater heights of resolution, pinpoint sound staging and bass performance to be scaled, but at an extremely steep price that I’m not willing to pay. However, I have a very hard time imagining that there are better electronics out there. This system generates an amazing sonic experience for $15K. That’s a lot of coin, but less than a fair number of people spend on cables. You’ll be hard pressed to get a better value for your money.
If you are in the market for a power amp, you really should audition the AHB2 and listen for yourself. You might find that the lack of euphonic distortion reveals a greater depth of engagement than tubes or SET designs. Then again, you might not.
Trust your ears.
