Dust Settled Consensus- is the Benchmark AHB2 an Audiophile Amplifier?

To be considered high end an amp must be tested and certified by Jay's Audio Lab.

Ah, if only it had blue VU meters!

Guess what? You can have it both ways. Precision from your Benchmark can be colored with euphonic tube like distortion on the days you want it for just a few bucks and a little soldering. 
 

And all the time I thought the purpose of a component was to amplify or pre-amplify without adding or subtracting anything!  What was I thinking? 

No component made is completely neutral from the microphone to the speakers and everything in-between adds or subtracts something, some may do it more than others. Just because a component might measure great doesn't mean it's going to sound closer to real instruments in your room, this would assume that the recording process is perfect and it is not, nor is any of the equipment, so a little color may actually make it sound closer to the real thing.