Q on connecting Benchmark DAC3HGC to AHB2

Assume your CH1 is your left ch and CH2 is your right ch. 

Connect your DAC3 XLR outs to the amp accordingly. 
Use a digital cable, not a regular RCA interconnect, to connect your cd player to DAC3 D3 or D4. 
 

Make sure your DAC3 is set as a preamp. When you set volume control to lowest setting then power it on, the volume control knob should not automatically turn (it will if it’s set to dac only mode).  Read instructions for DAC3 on how to toggle between these two modes. You need the preamp mode if you’re running the DAC3 direct into amp. 

You'll know if the DAC3 HGC is in 'DAC' mode if the 'HT' light on the front panel is lit. Otherwise you'll be OK.

Most likely your DAC3 HGC is also set for unattenuated output when using the balanced XLR connection. (If you've never opened the case to change this setting, then this is the default.) This means the AHB2 sensitivity switch on the back panel of the amp should be all the way down at the 9.8 Vrms / 22 dBu setting.

Thanks Yage…haven’t even gotten to switching anything on yet, just trying to make sure I have the connections correct first.

Thanks Audiophile1, just connecting the amp to preamp was my worry and the rest you said I see in the manuals.

So, I will be using the DAC3 as a preamp (in preamp mode) but I still want to use the DAC in the DAC3….will preamp mode bypass the DAC3 DAC then. I basically want to use both the preamp and the DAC in the DAC3 if that makes sense.

The DAC input selected should determine what analog signal is sent to the amplifier. So if you select USB, Toslink, SPDIF, or analog RCA, that selection will be sent to the amplifier.

BTW  - getting an BM LA4 preamp will make your system even better sounding. Especially at lower volume levels.

Audiphile1, I’m reading up on the difference between RCA cables and digital coaxial cable for my CD player and the article states that it depends on what you are using it for. For video (I don’t need video) it says you must use the digital coaxial cable but for audio you can use RCA cable. I’ve managed to dig around old boxes of cables in the garage and found many that I can’t tell if they are RCA or digital coaxial as there is no mention on the cables I probably have them but I went out and bought a digital coaxial cable.

it’s the weekend now so I thought I’d ask here rather than wait for Monday to contact Benchmark support but….I just realized I have a pair of Kimber speaker cables with spade connectors and went to connect them but - on the amp there is a single prong type connected insert, so that won’t work. However, there is a clear plastic case and I think if I can get that off I can connect the spade connectors, it’s difficult to see if this can work….any ideas. I’ll put another post up regarding this.

So the binding posts on the amp don’t accept spades? Don’t try to get anything off forcefully. Your best bet is to call benchmark unless someone here who owns this amp will chime in. 

Question…have you tried loosening the binding posts? Just unscrew them by hand and see if you can connect spades. They will go in from the bottom. Watch this video at about 5:20 mark he talks about binding posts. 
https://youtu.be/8aeYu4aniQc

@audphile1 

He'd figured out.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/benchmark-ahb2-amp-what-speaker-connectors-are-used

👍 

You will clearly see the slot (16mmx2mm) for spade connection on a black version of the same binding post.

Got it sorted guys, thank you - that slot on the bottom had me lost and with the interconnects inserted I couldn’t see that slot at all. Anyway, I’m having fun today and trying not to disturb the neighbors, big thanks again!