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All Benchmark System Question

Long time lurker, first time poster. So question relates to my all Benchmark System. I am using the all Benchmark system (AHB2, HPA-4 and DAC 3B with my P3SER’s and loving it most of the time. But if I wanted to add a little more warmth for that 20 percent of the time I think I need to, What would be the best way to do that. My thoughts are maybe switching out the DAC 3B some of the time with an Audio Mirror Troubador, keeping the rest of the system the same. My other, more expensive thought is to leave the DAC 3B and i swapping in the Coda 07x part of the time as I have heard the AHB2 and Coda 07x is a great combination. Obviously that is an expensive fix for 20-30 percent of my listening.
What do you people think?
regg
regg OP
32 posts
 
I may take you up on that. Would you sell the Benchmark system for the all Coda System? Tough choices!
audiosaurusrex's avatar
audiosaurusrex
320 posts
 
I would check out the RME-ADI-FS, great dac with Bass and Treble adjustments. 
yyzsantabarbara
4,808 posts
 
No, my BM stack is number 1. I have taken the BM gear out (moved it downstairs) several times the past 6 months and always missed it. I replaced it with the following.

- CODA CSiB integrated
- KRELL K-300i integrated
- Gustard X26 Pro as a preamp
- D-Sonic amp

Maybe more stuff that I cannot remember. I liked the above stuff a lot and I thought they were great. However, I always missed the BM stack when I did not have it in the office.

The AHB2 is not ideally suited for my Thiel CS3.7 (even in mono). It sounds very nice but a more powerful amp gives a more impactful sound on these specific speakers. So I do not use the AHB2 on the floor standers but I will never sell the AHB2. 

In a few years, when my young son no longer uses the living room for his gear I will put the BM stack in there with a speaker ideally suited for the AHB2.

I agree with you that the BM stack is not great on everything. I blame that on the source music in those cases. However, in that situation I think my hybrid BM + CODA approach works nicely. If I did not have the RAAL SR1a I think the Gustard X26 Pro alone would solve that 20-30% perfectly.
regg OP
32 posts
 
Audiosaurus rex, I have heard great things about the RME dac as well. YY Santabarbara you are absolutely right about the Benchmark Stack. When it’s right it’s transcendent and that is 80 percent of the time. It’s funny, I can pick up a Krell K300i for a good price but I’d have to sell all the Benchmark stuff and I couldn’t do it. Coda is very enticing, but again, I’d have to sell the HPA and I can’t.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,189 posts
 
If 80% of recordings sound really good then you may be hitting the bullseye because some are just not very good. I’d leave well enough alone perhaps unless there is some specific thing on certain recordings of particular interest you know you are missing out on having heard it elsewhere, etc.

I would love to try the all BM stack with my Ohm Walsh speakers. It’s on my audio bucket list of things to try. Anybody out there with that combo?

Maybe  adding a sub properly set up to fill in low end or even with a crossover to offload some work from the little Harbeths would help take things further in the desired direction via addition and tweaking rather than replacement. 

Small speakers can only do so much. It’s pretty much assured you are missing  the lowest octave with any small speaker like that and offloading work from them would probably help them go louder and clearer with less congestion as well. 
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