@bjcatanzaro Mine is DAC3 + AHB2. I agree - it is as clean as it gets. The only negative part, according to many, is the same thing I praise it for - lack of distortions. Many amps add euphonic second and third harmonics covering unpleasant higher order odd harmonics in the system. It often helps with bright records or hot tweeters. Some people also find Benchmark gear sterile sounding. Either added distortions make sound more dynamic (like distorted guitar vs clean Jazz guitar) or we got used to sound with limited resolution. I remember post when somebody complained that instruments don’t sound together (sound blob?). As Benchmark’s technical director John Siau stated that there is nothing "wrong" with any sound. It is just a matter of taste. He is in "purists camp" claiming, that some instruments won’t even sound right in "warm" system. Piano overtones, for instance don’t follow exact harmonics, because of stretched tuning. Octave higher note is not exactly double frequency. In overly warm system these overtones can "beat" with harmonics making piano sound almost like "out of tune".
Distortion Distortion Distortion
I’ve considered myself a low-to-medium budget audiophile for the past 35+-years. Over these years, while cruising the pages of audio publications (none to be mentioned here), I often read the distortion specification given for various power amplifiers and I’m reminded how critical an issue this once was for my power amplifier selection [back when I was in my mid-forties]. But these days, I am literately forced to over-look distortion -- well, to a point. Why? Well, here’s the bottom line; while attending an audio conference in Southern California (T.H.E. Show) -- pre-pandemic, I sat in on a discussion on distortion. The speaker presented a number of examples of distortion with various audio gear, in great detail, while many in attendance, took notes and calibrated their thinking on acceptable vs. forget-about-it! This is when an audio epiphany rattled my brain when I realized that this was not the critical issue for me any longer. You see, I am now about to turn 81-years of age [Thank You all, I wasn’t certain I’d make to 80 but I have]. Distortion, at 80-years of age, after many years of listening to all kinds of music, often loud, is incidental. I just cannot here the difference in distortion levels and I did experiment with a few different types of amp gear. By 80, the hearing just isn’t as finally tuned as it was at 40. Therefore, I looked at the situation as not needing to spend a great deal of money [as I had in prior years] on gear where distortion was a key criteria [amongst others] -- great, I’m older and now I don’t need to spend as much on a new amp. Ok, so moving forward, I may be contradicting myself but when searching for a great amp & pre-amp combo a few year ago, not that I was looking for the amp with the best [or least distortion specification] but I found that I was really taken by the sound from a Benchmark Media AHB2 power amplified coupled with a Benchmark DAC2 D/A. This is not a plug for Benchmark Media systems, although it may sound like it is, But I should mention, that I learned at a later time, that the AHB2 has the best distortion rating compared to many amps. Anyway, I ended up spending more money than I thought I would need to, despite my thinking previously that I did not have too, but in the end, I am pleased with my selection. Hopefully, even with aging hearing, I can still enjoy great listening time without focusing on distortion.
Sorry for the long write up.
cheers