Benchmark or McIntosh....

Um,

How big is your room?

Size matters.😁

If the main goal is to drive the monitors you have harder, squeeze more performance out to try and keep up with the rest of your system, sound signature aside, I’d roll with the Mac’s.  If your heart is set on sticking with your current speakers, I’d also look at some other brands, amps.  Krell would come to mind, Parasound is another, brands known to really drive speakers, it’s not just about watts when it comes to how well an Amp drives a speaker, certain brands, designs will drive and control speakers with better results than others.  Mac is one of the brands that routinely is praised for punching far above the wattage rating with most of their models being able to drive the vast majority of speakers to their potential.  The flip side is if you aren’t a fan of their sound signature, it won’t matter that they can drive the speakers.

Don’t sleep on the fact that Mac’s hold their value, you could likely buy used, try them out and if you don’t like them, sell them with little loss, risk.  There are also some online dealers, not many for Mac’s that offer a trial period regardless of brand, you could take advantage of the trial period. 

Maybe a Coda #16 with meters?

Between the brain and the heart, heart always wins in the end. Save yourself some grief and go with Mac. 

With 7 subs, you'll need an eighth to even out the bass for your neighbors in the next town.

I have MC611's and love them. Going on three years now. They are used with the C2700 preamp. The majority of my listening is vinyl. 

95 db?

I wish.

75 db is my "save my hearing" average limit.

7 subwoofers... what for... you'll probably go deaf before much longer so which one you pick doesn't matter. Anything higher than 95db starts moving you towards hearing loss.

McIntosh 100%, build quality, sound, resale, warranty, etc. you won’t regret it! 

A bit more oomph? All these amps are within less than 2 dB of each other and 3dB more than your current amp. A bit is about all you’ll get. All you can get. While you may rightly love your NHTs, you need to take a jump up in speakers to even begin to match up to your subs. JBL 4367s come to mind.

So...you have SEVEN 21" sub woofers in your room and you need a little more "oomph" ???

So...you have SEVEN 21" sub woofers in your room and you need a little more "oomph" ???

Wow! That's a lot of subs.

My only benchmark experiences are with my headphone amp, but I would agree with the general feeling that Benchmark is more about detail and accuracy, while McIntosh is more about midrange and lower treble roll off and liquidity of sound.

I'm more now then ever enjoying amps with warmth and depth and get my details out of my DAC's and tube selection.

So I'd personally go with McIntosh if choosing between just those two, but honestly I think a Parasound JC5 would do it for you.

I absolutely loved that amp and feel it's kinda of a auditory mid ground between those two brands you mentioned.

I am not a fan of MAC and love the AHB2, however, with the NHT, if it is like the NHT 2.9 I owned decades ago, I would take the MAC.

The 3 GAN amps I have owned were not better than the AHB2.

Though they were not the AGD or atmas-sphere

The AHB2 also is not the most powerful, even in mono.  Though I say this and I am looking for a used pair of AHB2's.

7x21”= over 12’.

Dude has over 12’ of subwoofers!

In all seriousness, if I’m you I’d be looking seriously at the GaN amps from the likes of AGD and Atmasphere over either of the two you’re considering as they’d probably outperform both and are upgradable as technology improves.  No brainer I’d think.  Best of luck. 

@roxy54 @stereo5 thank you for the info.  Definitely not wanting to do a Class A toaster in the room. 

Not a joke @soix  . Information gathering and real- world feedback before I plop the money down. Like it said heart wants one,  brain says the other. Assuming that your are also looking at a picture of the room that is very old and nowhere near current.  In think the Salamander stand and the monitors are the only thing left from back then.  Multiple subs help even the bass out in the room, just following the Harman papers and advice from acoustic engineers (Anthony Grimani and others)  for bass management. 

@stereo5 

Mac equipment provides plenty of detail, but not the fake detail which results in brightness.

Based upon my listening experience a lot of audio brands touted for their supposedly “detailed “ sound are instead contrived and artificial in their presentation. In my opinion the antithesis of natural and real. Nonetheless, each individual must listen and choose for themselves.

Charles

Mac equipment provides plenty of detail, but not the fake detail which results in brightness.

This is like asking if you should get a Ferrari or a Bentley and I can’t even believe this question is being asked because they’re polar opposite amps.  If you can’t decide which of these amps is more appropriate for your system and tastes I feel sorry for you — you are truly lost and really need to go out and listen more.  Seven subs???  Your room setup looks like a total mess with speakers crammed in the corners and subs all over the place.  This whole thing just seems like a prank or a bad joke.  Whatever.  Peace out. 

The Macs don't run hot.

@ghdprentice +1 👍

I'd probably lean towards detail,  to be honest. Midrange would be nice.  Bass I have handled (lol!) The monitors cross over at 80, 90, or 100hz depending on the song and setting. I like the size of the McIntosh and the look. They'll run warmer,  which is a minus to me.  The Benchmark is small, but quiet and cool-running. I don't mind the sound being up front or my face. Again,  it's like a concert in here.  Almost a visceral experience. 

You really must listen to them. These guys are on opposite ends of the spectrum. MAC is a powerhouse in midrange and bass, with little detail, benchmark heavy detail.

Both brands have lots of fans and are well respected. While I love the meters and look of Mac (typically women hate the look… not just dislike) the sound… twenty seconds of listening and it gets crossed off my list. Same with Benchmark, for the opposite reason. So, for me, neither.

But I think if you are contemplating both at once… I would find a way to listen to them.

One each in the front Left and Right corner.  One in the back of the theater,  mid-wall. Two on the left mid-wall and two on the right mid-wall. Room is 22x12x7 in the basement on concrete foundation and it will vibrate the floor. 

I’m still trying to understand the (7) 21" subwoofers. Where do you live...in the Astrodome?