A friend, whose ears I trust, auditioned the benchmark against multiple other preamplifiers and said that while it is quiet, it is flat and boring and without color. So be warned! I found that to be true with their amplifier as well, which I had in my system and compared to other amps, including Ayre V5xe and pass XA25. The good thing about benchmark is that you can audition it for 30 or 60 days, depending on where you purchase. If you get it, let us know what you think.
Looking for a preamp with XLR connections
Looking for a reference preamp with XLR inputs and outputs. Looking to spend less than 10k, no tubes. Any suggestion? Thought about the schitt Freya+, but audio science review just review it, and the measurements were aweful.
Thank you for your recommendations.
Showing 2 responses by peter_s
@yyzsantabarbara For years I used the Benchmark DAC3/L DAC/preamp with a pair of KEF LS50's and compared a stereo AHB2 to the Ayre V5xe. I preferred the Ayre, I felt that I could see into the music better. The AHB2 was not inspiring to me in that setup or with a pair of Vivid V1.5's. On the Vivids, I much preferred the Pass XA25, as it provided more body to the midrange, which I found to be more flat and less engaging with the AHB2 (run in stereo). I've never heard the AHB2's as monoblocks, though I've read that it offers more headroom. That was my experience. I recently upgraded my DAC3 to a Weiss 501, and while it was definitely an improvement, I'm not sure it warranted 4x the price of the Benchmark. As I mentioned, my info about the Benchmark dedicated preamp is via a friend whose ears I trust - never heard it. |