Benchmark AHB2 power amp impressions?

@aberyclark Balanced will give you much lower noise floor and protection against issues of running longer cable runs. RP-7 is fully balanced which means you are getting way lot more than just XLR output.

What is your input to the preamp ?, does the source output a balanced XLR out?. Then you will have a technical benefit. If you can hear the difference or not will depend on many things. But you will get lower SNR, lower noise floor i.e from good implementations.  If you can afford balanced gear and balanced interconnects go for it.

My quick first impression with Benchmark AHB2 after couple of hours listening is that I think I have got myself the first serious HiFi product. Very good sound with my Paradigm Studio 40v3, well controlled across the spectrum, clean. Makes me turn up the volume without fatigue, at this point it seems like my speakers are the limit. I hate to compare with anything at this point without spending more time and doing a proper A/B testing. For such a small and not heavy amp it just makes great sound.

My signal chain is Tidal from Mac -> Audio-gd Master 5(with Dac, in pre-amp/dac mode) XLR out -> Benchmark AHB2.

The speaker cables from Benchmark seem to be of quite high quality. I am using the 10ft NL2 cable to speaker.

Geek101:
Thanks for the info. I wonder if make custom rca to XLR cables (ZU will make them) is a better option than using the adaptors that Benchmark sells?

I have the Star Quads, which I believe that are similar to the BM speaker cables, and have been quite happy. Good to hear you like the BM cables. 

@aberyclark Benchmark also makes RCA to XLR cables : https://benchmarkmedia.com/products/benchmark-rca-to-xlrm-adapter-cable?variant=535865293