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

Most here do not realize that everything has a sound.....everything makes a difference.  I have spent over 45 years listening to wires, solder, resistors, caps, damping, shielding, etc into infinity.  You can lose harmonics or add juiceiness, etc. from a solder joint.....a single one.  The measurement people think that as long as it measures flat and has low distortion then it is neutral.  Simply is not the case.  I can take any amp....including the Benchmark and make is sound all over the place by modding it in different ways........and none of these things I do will change how it measures.  Only those that have done these kinds of tests understand this. There are many audio companies that know some or much of what I say.....other companies and designers simply do not believe in parts and execution.  What I believe in is what I BE LIVE......that is, experience.....and in audio that means how it sounds.

I could make the Benchmark amp sound more detailed and more warm and more holographic (more neutral, to me and most).  No problem.  However, it is too dang cramped to work on.  Next!......and now we have a pure digital amp.....so, no need.

Most people who own the Benchmark amps have never heard an amp over $10K.....so they have no reference as to what is possible.  If it beats their current $2K or $4K amp then they think it is perfect.  Sorry......there is a big world out there. When the Hypex NC400 module was first released it became the darling of the measurement crowd "nothing will ever be better".  Well, I modified it with better caps on the output filter (you can look up the sonic results still posted by several people on Audio circle)...and it sounded much better.  So, was it "perfect" before or after I did the mod?  Neither.  Would not want a modded NC400 now.....yesterdays toy.

The guy at 10 audio.com loves his Benchmark.....However, he changed the fuse to a $150 fuse and he liked it much better (still his reference).  I doubt he has ever listened to mega buck amps......but in the price range he plays in (under $7K for an amp).....he likes it best out of the very few he has heard.  If I made a list of possible competitors under $10K.....I would have to type for a half an hour.....he he.  There is soooooo much out there.  Please try the $2000 pure digital amp from Peachtree......sooooo pure sounding....no dac, no analog cables, no preamp, no feedback or non feedback normal amps......less is more....

While I've not heard the amp in question, I'm very familiar with their mic pres. I loved them because they were so incredibly transparent and accurate.

I liked the AHB2 very much when I got it. It was very clear, clean and noiseless, but when the Coda 16 arrived it made the AHB2 sound thin, anemic and lacking weight. I now have tube mono blocks so maybe I like distortion.

The older now discontinued Benchmark mic preamps used discrete transistors.  They now use op amps for most of the analog signal path in their current products.

You can lose harmonics or add juiceiness, etc. from a solder joint

You are absolutely correct (but I’m not sure that helps the person with OCD sleep better at night 😉). Have heard it and fixed it numerous times. It’s crazy what audio improvements can be heard from just reheating solder joints sometimes (even ones that are functional). It definitely helps if you know some basic electronics, and know how to solder, while partaking in this audio hobby.

The measurement people think that as long as it measures flat and has low distortion then it is neutral.

...or, as long as it sounds great to you, it must sound great to the rest of us. Audio reproduction has always been, and will always be, subjective. What sounds good to you, may not sound good to me, and vice versa. It’s as simple as that.