Will the Benchmark ahb2 amp sound better than Parasound hca 1500a?

If you are searching for power the AHB2 may not be what you want. I have 2 AHB2's running in mono on KEF LS50 Meta (overkill but I had monos on hand).

I also have a CODA #16 amp sitting next 2 the AHB2's. I switch back and forth between the amps approx every 2 weeks. The #16 is more powerful in the bass region even though it is not rated that way compared to the monos.

I love the #16 but every time I switch back to the AHB2, I think now that sounds even better. It has a bit more clarity but less bass. A trade-off. I was listening to some music today on the #16 that had a lot of bass. I was thinking that this sounds better on the #16 than the AHB2. It depends on what I am listening to and the power draw of the speakers.

Since you like Parasoud, a warm-ish amp that had a lot of power and is closer to the #16 sound is the Parsound A21+. I would try that with the Maggies before the AHB2.

The only thing is the Benchmark is quieter than the A21+ or my current Parasound. I was told the Benchmark has a really good SNR. 

The only gear that I know of that is quieter than the Benchmark is the Holo Serene preamp which is a bit quieter than the Benchmark LA4 preamp. However, you will not be able to hear the difference since the SNR are so high on both.

I have not read about any amp that approaches the AHB2's SNR. When you hear the AHB2 you notice that it does not sound like other amps. That is why I keep thinking it is my fav amp whenever I go back to it. My use is in a setup that is not overly power demanding, KEF LS50 Meta speakers.

When I used the AHB2 monos in my now sold very hard to drive Thiel CS3.7's. I found that it was still my fav sounding amp on most music except especially demanding music. It lacked that extra grunt that the A21+, CODA #8 (did not have #16 then), KRELL DUO 175XD, and a D-Sonic 83a ... amps all had. I noticed this in the bass region.

I think my Parasound hca 1500a gives the power the Maggies LRS need and the A21+ even better power based on the specs. I just don't see how well the Benchmark will perform given the power and current is much less. 

@aserejeje an interesting observation today.

1. I am looking to move my Lumin X1 DAC only for my RAAL phones connected to the RAAL VM-1a amp. The X1 is incredible with the VM-1a. The X1 on the 2-channel is also great but the RAAL phones are a better musical experience than my KEF LS50’s.

2. I put my brighter Benchmark DAC3B into my KEF LS50 Meta system since it needs to replace the X1. I replaced my Benchmark AHB2 amps with the warmer CODA #16 amp and the brighter DAC3B to see if it would balance out. The sound was good, but the bass was a little shy, but not bad. I have a KEF KC62 sub connected wirelessly via my Benchmark LA4 preamp.

3. I then put back my AHB2 to see how that would work since I had not used the DAC3B on 2-channel for close to a year. I used the DAC3B the past year with the tube headphone amp. The AHB2 and the DAC3B sounded kind of crap, bass shy. Much more bass shy than with the CODA #16 in the mix. Something is wrong.

4. Did some investigation and found that my wireless adapter to the KEF KC62 sub is no longer working. Luckily, I have a very long Benchmark XLR and an XLR to RCA adapter for the sub. Got the sub working again and the sound was glorious again. So I will likely keep the DAC3B on the 2-channel with the AHB2.

The AHB2 sound was a bit cleaner sounding over the CODA #16, but as I said in my past posts, it lacks low end grunt. However, with the KC62 filling in the bass region I think the AHB2 is my best amp.

So for your hard to drive Maggies, you can use a sub to do the hard bass region and let the AHB2’s glory show in the higher frequencies. An amazing amp.

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I should have added that the Audience FrontRow speaker cable I use with the AHB2 is better than the WyWIre Platinum I use with the CODA #16. Unfortunately, it can only work this way. So the AHB2 has a bit of an advantage over the CODA #16.

@yyzsantabarbara I am glad you had an XLR avaiable and got it going. I use my LRS for vinyl only so a lack of sub don't bother me but if it helps if I get the Benchmark that's good. Another option is to get an A21+.

I owned the A21+ and I liked it. I got the CODA #16 indirectly because of the A21+. The CODA #16 is better than the A21+. I am saying the AHB2 under the right circumstances is my best amp.

I've never dealt with XLR connections. My KK DXD12012 subs uses XLR but I have it connected with RCA. Looked up the Coda 16 just to see info on it and it is a nice looking amp but way out of my budget.

Benchmark aside, I started to look at the Hegel line like the H190 or H390 for my Maggies. Many people swear how good Hegel is. Have you ever heard a Hegel in action?