2. amps-preamps
  3. 161097-1604

Some love for the Benchmark HPA4/LA4

Making this thread to show my love for this amazing preamp. Yea, all the use usual descriptions apply. Yadda yadda it is great.

It is 1:15 AM  in the morning and my kid and wife are asleep. I am not cranking it but listening at very very low volume (I have great headphones available but it sounds amazing on the speakers right now).  It is the preamp that is doing the great sound at low volume. I won't get into details., but damn this is something special. I am on my 4 or 5th scotch but do let that cloud your perception of what I am saying. I knows what I am talking about.

You guys going direct to amp from DAC. Put this into the circuit (for $2500) and tell me it is not better.
yyzsantabarbara
adurerca
38 posts
 
Well, this is a timely thread for me as I currently have the Benchmark stack with their AHB2 and DAC3L. I am on the fence about the LA4 as I wanted to minimize boxes and cables. I got the DAC3L in order to have hardware volume control but now I have read in multiple places about how adding the preamp actually makes it sound better. I was totally happy with my Benchmark duo and was in the "no preamp" camp but I am afraid I might have to make it a trio. It never ends.

UPDATE:  Just ordered :O
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,335 posts
 
I’m interested in how dac3 HDC sounds different  with and without the separate Benchmark pre. 
cal3713's avatar
cal3713
1,421 posts
 
@adurerca I ran direct to amp for years. I should have added a preamp earlier. Hope you have the same experience. Please do report back....
adurerca
38 posts
 
@cal3713 I will be back in about a week once I get the LA4 setup.  I tried using software volume control for the longest time but it was not convenient and dangerous if you made a bad slip of the finger to full volume.  Having the DAC3L volume control was such a welcomed relief but I still want to get the best sound possible.
yyzsantabarbara OP
4,912 posts
 
I owned DAC1 years ago (kind of hated it)

DAC2 HGC 
DAC3 HGC 
AHBB2 (sold it)
AGHB2 (bought again but this time with DAC3B and HPA4)

For me the main difference was in the volume. The HPA4 sounds great at every volume level. I listen at low volumes late at night (at least before I bought headphones) and the HPA4 was so much better than the DAC3 HGC volume. I felt I was missing part of music at low volume with the HGC. With the HPA4, I feel I can hear everything, just at a lower volume level.
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