Benchmark Preamps and Amp - For real?

I heard the Benchmark HPA4 at the Audeze table in the eargear room.  I also heard it in the Benchmark room (floor 6) through closed-back Audezes.  I specifically wanted to hear the Pass Labs HPA1.  Unfortunately, I did, and it was too lifeless to me.  After three hours of back and forth auditioning (including LTA, Chord, Schiit, Woo (my second favorite) and several others), the Benchmark won me over.

aberyclark the AHB2 is better than any class D amp I have ever heard.
It is also beautifully constructed and no doubt will last a lifetime.

@mayordaley

it was too lifeless to me

If you mean not altering the music, then that’s exactly what I want. I don’t want to hear my amp, my DAC, my speakers, my cables, etc., I just wanna hear the music (with DSP to combat room modes). Some people wanna hear their gear, but I’m a eyeglasses > tinted glasses kind of guy.

I mean more in the sense that it did not feel like there was enough power.  Not that I listen at loud volumes, but the energy just wasn’t there.  The Benchmark was similarly neutral, but had enough juice to make things sound more correct than the Pass.  The Pass was designed to have just enough power, but in some cases, it feels lacking in drive.  It would likely match awesomely with the right phones, just not with what I heard it with. 

@mayordaley

My bad, I thought you meant the Benchmark was lifeless by comparison (the same naming scheme threw me off).

The Benchmark headphone amp outputs more than double the Pass Labs’ one (at least into 300ohm), so your assessment has backing.