I enjoy AHB2, but Paul Seydor in Absolute Sound review of AHB2,suggested it is not an audiophile amplifier:
Because accuracy allied to absolutely reliable performance is the goal of all the Benchmarks, they are not products that tend to attract cults or other sorts of starry-eyed enthusiasts, wholly lacking any of the quirks, foibles, idiosyncrasies, sonic flavorings, euphonic distortions, and so on that characterize the objects of most audio cults. Professionals buy Benchmark because they know the products work and are reliable and accurate—indeed, reference caliber. Music lovers buy them because they are neutral and accurate and thus reproduce the tonal character of voices and instruments correctly (and also, I presume, because they are reasonably priced, most musicians, like most other people, being typically not wealthy). But audiophiles? Well, the longer I’m in this racket, the less I sometimes think I understand what audiophiles really want except that a lot of dallying about with components, equipment swapping, and coloration matching seems to be what amuses them. I’m not sure I can in good conscience recommend this amplifier to them as I am not sure they are in search of what it offers: a precision instrument designed to perform the precisely defined task of reproducing music and sound accurately, which it does essentially to perfection. But to anyone else, the AHB2 gets as high, enthusiastic, and confident a thumbs up as my arm is capable of reaching.
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@yyzsantabarbara Thiel CS3.7 minimum impedance is in order of 2.5ohm (2.8ohm specified, 2.4ohm measured by Stereophile). Driving it by AHB2 in bridged/mono mode is equivalent to driving 1.25ohm speaker in stereo mode. AHB2 is not rated for that and not too many amps can do that.
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Paul Seydor does not listen to reference quality amps. His reference in his review is a Quad 909 and a all tube Zesto amp.....hardly a $200K pair of mono block Boulders or whatever. In order to claim something has zero sound you need to do a straight wire bypass test on it (yes,this is possible with a power amp....however, I know no one who has ever done it except my late friend Sieg Modes....and he did his testing in the late 70s). The Benchmark is not totally neutral....nothing is. Many do not hear the air, space, depth, harmonic rightness, palpable presence and micro detail they get from more expensive amps. For the money...it is really good. However, for even less money the Peachtree GaN 1 digital input class D amp is even better.....because it eliminates the DAC, analog cables, the preamp, normal amp and any feedback whatsoever from the signal path.......less is more. Volume control is done with your choice of lossless digital volume done in software.. Linear amps and analog signal paths are dead! he he. Unless they are Super expensive or tapes. Even tapes or records can be converted to 24/192 with great accuracy and sent to this amp. Of course, tubes and such are always going to be loved....coloration or not.
Everything is synergy. If the original recording is dry....lacking harmonic info....then adding a tube somewhere in the playback chain can make is sound more REAL....no doubt. But if the recording is fantastic and the medium delivering it is fanstastic then having a low distortion playback system will give you a lot of the joy of the original event.
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@kijanki I discussed with John Siau (AHB2 designer) and also Tom Thiel (Jim’s brother) about the AHB2 monos on the CS3.7’s. I do not think you can find more knowledgeable folks on the amp and speakers. Anyways, they said it would work and Tom liked the AHB2 on the CS3.7 (he uses the AHB2 in his work). I also liked the AHb2 on the CS3.7. It really had the best silky-smooth sound. My observations are exactly like that great post on ASR that I linked above.
Review and Measurements of Benchmark AHB2 Amp | Page 5 | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum
However, I disagree with John Siau and Tom Thiel believing the AHB2 monos are a proper match for the CS3.7. For music like Santana’s Soul Sacrifice (Woodstock) the CS3.7 sounded better with a more capable 2 Ohm amp.
@ricevs I had a Peachtree NOVA 150 for a few years and at one time I tested out the preamp section and the amp sections separately. The preamp section was not that good (amp was not bad). Now this is not the same as the GAN amp you referenced but I cannot get my mind to think Peachtree is great after my experience with the NOVA 150.
BTW - what is an audiophile amp? A lot of amps that people rave about are not ones I could ever live with. Nice to hear sometimes but not to listen to every day like I do. For my ears, the AHB2’s are reference level gear, but with some limitations. Like all gear.
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@decooney The Benchmark DAC3B | RAAL-Requisite VM-1a tube headphone amp | RAAL-Requisite SR1a earphones or CA-1a headphones are an incredible combo. The DA3B is magic with this headphone amp. Other warmer DACs, like my Musetec 005 DAC, do not match well with the 7 tubes in this amazing headphone amp.
I am trying to recreate the same level of sound with a future 2-channel system in a decent sized room. It is going to cost me some money to do so but the above sound is the benchmark that needs to be surpassed, and I do not mean the AHB2.
My office system with the KEF LS50 meta and the AHB2 stuff cannot approach the level of sound as the RAAL VM-1a. Even if I spent $100K more on gear for my office system. Room acoustics dictate that it will not sound as good as the SR1a earphones. Now in a bigger room I believe I can get better than the VM-1a + SR1a.
Stereophile will be reviewing the VM-1a and SR1a and likely going to say the same as me.
- AHB2 monos | LA4 preamp | SR1a earphone | RAAL amp adapter box | Musetec 005 DAC is very good. Though not as good as the VM-1a + Benchmark DAC3B.
- AHB2 monos | LA4 preamp | SR1a earphone | RAAL amp adapter box | Benchmark DAC3B is awful.
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