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Bryston 4B Cubed vs Hegel H360 vs Benchmark AHB2

I am likely going to get the KEF Reference 1 for my office at the end of this month. I was trying to convince myself to get something else but I always came back to the KEF Ref 1 for many factors, such as sound, cost, size, ease of setup.

I think the KEF Ref 1 speakers can use a lot of power even though they are rated at 50-200 watts at 8 ohms. My setup in the office will require a few digital inputs  and 1 or 2 analog inputs. 

I have narrowed down my list to the following electronics:

1) Benchmark DAC3 + AHB2 amp(s), I have not heard the AHB2 amp but did own the DAC2 for years and liked it a lot. Only issue with this setup is that I will likely need to get 2 AHB2 amps to get over 100 watts for the Ref 1's.  Anybody with these amps think I need 2 of them for the KEF Ref 1's in an office? I sometimes play music loud but not for long while I work. I would buy Benchmark as new gear.

2) The Bryston 4B Cubed along with the Bryston pre-amp with integrated DAC option. I owned older Bryston gear in the past and one complaint I had was a slightly smaller sound stage. I would buy the Bryston gear on the used market.

3) The Hegel H360. I heard this unit playing KEF Blade 2 at a show and I was pleased with the sound. I loved the sound of the Blades but I may be giving too much credit for the sound that day to the Hegel. Whatever, the case it was an enjoyable experience. I could go used or new with this gear. My concern about Hegel is repair work and reliability. I have never owned Hegel gear but I have read some rants here about Hegel customer service. BTW - Is there a new H390 in the horizon?

All of my choices are in the detail oriented sound camp. This is fine for my office system since I am getting a warmer sounding system later on for the living room. Some variety in systems will keep things interesting.

Anybody have any feedback on the 3 brands I have listed and the concerns I have for each.
yyzsantabarbara
auxinput
2,920 posts
 

In my own personal opinion and tastes, I would choose the Hegel. 

The Bryston amps are very clean and strong, but I think they have a tendency to sound somewhat flat or sterile, so your comment about having a smaller soundstage would tend to agree.  I think the Bryston preamps can be on the bright side in the high frequencies as wells.

I don't have any experience with the Benchmark BHK, but it appears to be similar to a Class D amp type circuit.  Limited listening shows the BHK to be very smooth and clean, but it may not be as engaging (like other class d amps).

I think the Hegel would "sing" the best.  It is definitely high resolution and has a lot of impact.  The only downside would be that you might get "distracted" by the good sounding music while you work in your office, lol.

yyzsantabarbara OP
4,959 posts
 
Thanks for the feedback. 

The Benchmark AHB2 is not a class D but a Class AB and Class H.

"The AHB2 makes use of THX Corporation's Achromatic Audio Amplifier (AAA) technology, in which a low-power feed-forward amplifier drives a low-bias class-AB output section, the latter energized by a system of class-H power-supply rails that deliver power in response to demand—resulting in an extremely efficient amplifier capable of robust power output."

The Hegel and Benchmark are likely my 2 top choices. There are some reviews of the AHB2 amp that have me intrigued. 

I just went to the Benchmark site and noticed they have a 30 day trial for the 2 units I am interested in. Well that answers that. I will home trial these 2 first. 
zufan's avatar
zufan
563 posts
 
I owned the KEF Ref Ones a couple years ago, and sold them as I needed the cabbage. Miss them constantly. Anyhoo, for an office I don't think you need as much power as you think. I had my Sony ES integrated on them, and they kicked. Best I heard them was with an Octave 40 tube amp on loan, almost frightening.
Yeah, more mustard never hurts, but these 1s get hugely loud for their size, and in an office? You should think hard about all the unused mustard that won't be needed.
yyzsantabarbara OP
4,959 posts
 
@scott_w,

Thanks, with that info I guess I can demo just one AHB2 amp in stereo mode instead of 2 as mono blocks with 380 watts at 8 Ohms. Stereo is 100 watts at 8 Ohms. Then both DAC and amp will cost about $5300 new,
yyzsantabarbara OP
4,959 posts
 
I am going to check out the new Bryston gear just so I cover all the bases. The new gear is supposed to sound more mellow than my older Bryston and the used prices of a 4B3 + BP173 is around the $6K range.
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