Quandary

You are happy with what you have.  His buisness is to get you to buy new equipment.  You weren’t looking to buy a new amp.  If you spend $300 for an audition, your emotions will effect your perceptions-you will want to hear an improvement to justify the expenditure.

  Then not being able to actually audition the component itself is the icing on the cake.  Monoblocks at twice the power of the stereo amp he wants to sell you.  From what I’ve read of the Tritons they do better with more power.  The difference between 30 and 60 watts is more meaningful than say, the difference between 150 and 180 watts.

  It sounds like he smells blood in the water.  Audiophiles are notoriously gullible, and in view of your 83 years of age he probably figures you are an easier target

Pass on the entire offer.

I think the Benchmark AHB2 amp is lovely. I agree completely with Mahler123. I would just stick with the Benchmark for all the reasons cited. 

I would Pass on any audition with a fee. 

It is very possible you will like the change, but for $300 and not even getting to hear the actual amp you would buy, hard ‘no’. You could probably just order the amp yourself from a dealer that offers returns.

You'd be nuts to spend $300 on an audition! You don't need a new amp. The AHB2 is excellent and competitive with amps that cost way more!

Pass is, IMHO, a very personal choice, and I would never consider it without listening first.  Would I pay for an audition?  No.  Go listen in the store first at least.

There are amps I can recommend unconditionally for all listeners with all systems, and Pass is not one of them.  Requires a special listener with the right speakers.

Wow!   With all the negative commentsI’m probably going to “pass” on the demonstration.

I would not do business with any dealer who made me such an "offer". Period. 

Most dealers will let you borrow an amp for free

As per pass vs benchmark the pass amplifiers are much better sounding the benchmark sound is very analytical

Pass on the Pass.

That dealer would never see a cent from me EVER! His loss.

The$300 fee would go towards the cost of the amp if I bought it.

My 0.0002 cents, an audition that costs more than most people's (not members here) amp/speaker/etc. budget is wild. 

The absolute only way to know and be 100% sure is to hook the amps up to your system and hear it for yourself.  There's no other way.  Now, how bad do you want it?  And how much $$$ are you willing to risk in the process?  No one can answer those questions for you.  Happy listening.    

I think it likely the Pass amp would make a profound impact on your system in a very positive way. It would increase the midrange and musicality by a tremendous amount. Definitely worth the test.

Also, in general the sound character will be almost the same between the recommended amp and the demo amp… although the one recommended might be a tad less slam with a very slightly attenuated soundstage (likely to be very small difference).

Is it worth $300? I suspect it will be. I would guess that if you buy it he should refund the $300. Do you want to be sleping a 90 lb amp around. What does your system cost $30K+? The tax on my speaker wires was nearly $300.

I am really conflicted now. Evidently weak-minded. When I read the negative posts I was all set to ditch the audition. Now that I read positive remarks, I’m not so sure.
I guess I’ll never know until I listen to the Pass sound, even if it isn’t the same exact amp.  If I decide to buy it the $300 will be deducted from the cost.

@ghdprentice 

No offense, but what does the cost of your speaker wires have to do with my situation?

@rvpiano the dealer thinks you're a total idiot.  You can either prove him wrong or confirm his opinion.  You don't have a quandary!  A quandary implies a difficult decision and this is not.

It cost me 300 bucks the last time i wanted to upgrade ( i am a bit foolish) from my vintage sansui alpha to one of  the best pre-amplifier  or tube  headphone amplifier possible...

Alas! i decided to return it after 15 minutes...😊

If you own something good pass the Pass especially if you could loose money ...

Now that I’m listening to more recordings objectively I’m hearing the brightness of the Benchmark sound which could be tamed by Pass.

I have always found the Benchmark amps to be quite analytical. When I had my Triton Ones, I used an Odyssey Stratos amp which at 150wpc and 60 amps of current was a perfect match to the Triton Ones.  I moved on to the Triton Refs and now use a 300wpc McIntosh amp which puts me over the moon.  Not sure you will like having only 30wpc but it will be a better sound than the Benchmark. 

If you're happy with your system now, I'd leave well enough alone.  

As far as paying for the audition, I think everything is negotiable. And I'd rather audition the actual amp rather than it's big brother.

Interesting sales tactic though. What if you really like the 60w monoblocks, would you then buy the 30w amp without hearing it? 

As to the cost of the audition, if $300 is that outrageous in today's market then you should have no trouble finding a Pass dealer to allow you to audition for a lot less. Just remember to factor in delivery, setup, take down and return back to the dealership. 

I would want to audition exactly the amp I was considering buying. No exceptions. And 30 watts and 60 watts might sound very different, that's double the power.

As for paying $300, it might be worth it, this would not be an issue for me.

The Benchmark AHB2 and PASS sounds very different. If your speaker is little bright then the PASS could be better, though I would use a CODA or the KRELL DUO XD over PASS on a slightly bright speaker. I find PASS too warm for my tastes.

I have a slightly warm headphone heading my way soon, the RAAL 1995 Immanis. I have the Schitt Aegir Class A amp, which is similar to the PASS, as my amp for these phones with my tuners. It will not be a great match (just OK), The AHB2 would have been perfect because it can blend into that warmth, unfortunately, I recently sold the AHB2.

BTW - Even though the AHB2 was underpowered for my Yamaha NS5000 speakers with some music. I was able to determine what speaker wires worked the best with my Yamaha NS5000, ONLY with the AHB2. The AHB2 is so revealing that I could hear what each piece of my system was adding positively or negatively. I ended up with the Audience FrontRow speaker cables because those had 0 fatigue or anomalies that I could hear via the AHB2. I now use a CODA #16 amp (and FrontRow) with the NS5000 since it is a better power match. The AHB2 is a great amp.

@rvpiano I’ll going to play devil’s advocate here for a minute…

I want to say that a $300 home audition of an amplifier doesn’t sound that great…on the surface. But consider this - he will bring the amp, set it up, then come pick it up when you’re done with the audition. You don’t have to wrestle a 100lb amplifier into your room, out of the box and into your component rack, then back in the box after you’re done. He charges less than the Cable Company (they charge 5% + tax + shipping…they do apply this amount toward the purchase though). So if he does the same thing, I don’t think it’s ridiculous. 
However, you can pick up this XA30.8 amp used and do all this yourself. Sell it if you don’t like it.
As to sound quality…anything from Pass is more natural and warmer than the Benchmark stuff.
 

Just my thoughts. 

There are some improper 100% Class A amps that run cool, KRELL DUO XD and the Westminster Labs amps. I owned the KRELL and never heard the Westminster Labs. 

To those who say (some in a snarky manner) that I am   being tricked into this purchase by a diabolical predator, let me say I am aware of the seduction.  Nobody is more gullible to suggestion and at risk for deception than an audiophile.  That’s why I created this post, to see what others had to say.  And I must say there are a myriad of opinions. 
 What is driving my interest in now trying out the amp is the posts of those who believe it will make a big difference in my system. It’s enough of a percentage to convince me to at least see what it’s like

If you had determined on your own that it was time to audition a possible upgrade in amplification, would a 88-pound behemoth have made your short list?

@rvpiano I owned XA30.8 and its a spectacular amp. It leaves class A after 30w if your system demands more power and produces over 100w into 8ohm in Class A/B so it has plenty of juice. 
It should be nice with the ribbons in the GE speakers. 

@jasonbourne71 

To suggest that the Benchmark and the Pass will be indistinguishable is just ridiculous….

The OP can buy a pair of Fosi V3 Monos with the 48 volt power supply for $280. They will do 120/240/330wpc@8/4/1ohms. Best bargain in amplification today!

As a manufacturer, I find it hard to think he wants to charge you $300 even if it does go to the purchase price.  Are you buying the amplifier new, used,?  Is he offering the amp at a discount or retail price.

IMO the Pass is a better sounding amplifier that the Benchmark which is about average sounding IMO.  BUT there are better sounding amplifiers than the Pass also.  Not sure about the price point but we offer a pre-production hybrid stereo amp for $6500 100/wpc that we believe is one of the best sounding amplifiers you can hear as a comparison.

Happy Listening.

The $300 fee is ridiculous regardless. Doesn’t seem like someone I would want to deal with. In addition, it doesn’t make sense that you demo one model and buy a different model for your system 🤔. This is like you test drive a BMW 7 series and buy a 3 series without driving it. 

The only problem is he doesn’t have the 30 watt amp in stock but would have to demo the Pass sound with 60 watt monoblocks.

For $300, dealer should at least let you listen to the amp in question.

When I had my Triton Ones, I used an Odyssey Stratos amp which at 150wpc and 60 amps of current was a perfect match to the Triton Ones. I moved on to the Triton Refs and now use a 300wpc McIntosh amp which puts me over the moon

Excellent point. Pass will be better but so could a lot of other amps. If you are on the amp upgrade path, are you willing to "settle" for the first one you hear.

If it was me, I would question how the Pass will blend with the Triton's digital bass amps.

It’s telling that you were satisfied with your system, and he made the suggestion of an audition, not you. My dealer would never charge a fee for me to hear a component that he is trying to sell. Even if you can get by that, you are still not going to know after the audition because it’s not the same component.  You might get some approximation of the pass house sound but the component you’re going to audition will likely sound very different in your system than what he is actually trying to sell you. At a minimum, I would insist that you audition the particular component that is under consideration. 

@OP -  you should find a dealer who will allow you a home audition of the amp for free. Offering to waive the $300 cost if you purchase is a clever sales tactic to subtly pressure you into buying in order to recoup your $300 outlay. In addition, it's ridiculous that he wants to charge to demo an amp which is not the actual model you would be buying. The Pass class A amps have a common sound character but they don't sound identical. However, as regards the comparisons , if you find your Benchmark slightly sterile/mechanical sounding, you will love the Pass. But you would need to hear exactly what you would be contemplating buying. The amps sound good from cold take an hour to warm up and about two hours to sound at their absolute best.

This sounds similar to a senior phone scam. 

About the Pass 30.8: Why not buy it here, used, for $4500 and resell it if you don't like it? The amp is $7.2k new, so you won't lose very much on resale, especially if you bargain a little. 

@rvpiano OK, a little perspective.  Somebody wants to sell you something he doesn't have.  (Alarm bell number one.)  He says he's got a pair of monoblocks at twice the power of the stereo amp he doesn't have and is willing to set those up for you for 300 bucks, which would be credited toward the purchase price of the stereo amp he doesn't have.  (Alarm bell number two.)  Monoblocks at twice the power of a stereo amp from the same manufacturer are very likely going to sound, at least different, and probably better, smoother or more sophisticated than a stereo amp at half the power.  (Alarm bell number three.)  Is this guy's name Trump, by any chance?

Sounds, to me, like you've got the upgrade itch!

Why not tell this guy to get the amp he says he wants to sell you and let you know when he can come by and set that up for an in-home demo, AND FOR A LOT LESS THAN 300 BUCKS!  REALLY!  How much time does it take to swap out two stereo amps?  Whatever in-home demo customer service charge the two of you might agree on should, of course, be credited toward the purchase price of this amp he's so sure you'll like better than yours.  Also, you should insist on at least a couple weeks for this in-home demo time or whatever gives you a good 20 or 30 hours of serious seat-time time with this new amp.  The "deal" he's pitching to you now sounds, to me, like he's really trying to sell you those monoblocks which, I'll bet, are used or demo equipment.

Let conscious be your guide and good luck!

Thank all of you who have taken the time to post and give me doubts about this transaction.  Especially to one who has heard and liked my system.  You all may have convinced me to shun the deal.

Remember this guy is a salesman.  He gets paid for selling things.  Take that $300 and go to an audio show, get a nice hotel room and go out for a nice dinner.  That's something you won't regret.

+1 @oldaudiophile 

I agree with everything he said. The cautions, the proposals, etc. 

@ghdprentice

Sounds like you’ve a lot of time to guess with someone else’s hearing and money. “I think it would likely make a profound”… more guessing, and you suspect… Fortunately for him the majority think the salesman is just that plus a dose of pushy, and is going to move on.
Did the op or anyone request or need to know the tax details on your wires… A comical question do you know or are you related to the blowhard salesman ?

@rvpiano If I had the system you have now and the upgrade itch with 7 or 8 grand burning a hole in my pocket, I'd go out and spend some serious seat-time with a McIntosh MC152 or the MC312.  My guess is the MC152's 150 watts with its autoformer technology would be more than enough power for your Triton 1 and you'd save a couple grand in the process.  The MC312 would be a consideration if you ever planned on upgrading to speakers with less than an 8-ohm nominal load in the future.  One caveat, however.  Your Triton are designed with AMT tweeters.  In my experience, speakers like that sound best when there is a healthy amount of open or empty space behind the listening position or sweet spot, so to speak.  An audiophile friend and I have done serious seat-time with the Triton 2 and the Martin Logon Motion 60XTi and found that a listening position without a good amount of empty spade behind it (e.g.  6' or more - the more, the better - a couch or chair right up against a wall or bookcases or something like that would not be a good idea) leads to relatively intense listening fatigue and very quickly.  Professional reviewers have commented on this, as well.  The sound room or environment is often discounted or outright dismissed as one of, if not THE most, critical components of any sound system.

Good Luck!

What it sounds like is the dealer wants to sell you the more expensive mono blocks by "not having" the lesser amp on hand. 

I CANCELED THE DEMO.

@oldaudiophile 

a listening position without a good amount of empty spade behind it (e.g.  6' or more - the more, the better - a couch or chair right up against a wall or bookcases or something like that would not be a good idea) leads to relatively intense listening fatigue and very quickly.

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.