Dust Settled Consensus- is the Benchmark AHB2 an Audiophile Amplifier?

No component made is completely neutral from the microphone to the speakers and everything in-between adds or subtracts something, some may do it more than others. Just because a component might measure great doesn't mean it's going to sound closer to real instruments in your room, this would assume that the recording process is perfect and it is not, nor is any of the equipment, so a little color may actually make it sound closer to the real thing.

@yyzsantabarbara I have the Benchmark DAC3B but switched it out for the warmer Musetec 005 DAC.

I did a similar swap-out, and agree with @peter_s ’s comments above in similar fashion, applied to the dac as well. Measured extremely well yet boring and un-engaging to listen to. Sent it back. Had 2 dacs since, both way more fun to listen to.

I enjoy AHB2, but Paul Seydor in Absolute Sound review of AHB2,suggested it is not an audiophile amplifier:

Because accuracy allied to absolutely reliable performance is the goal of all the Benchmarks, they are not products that tend to attract cults or other sorts of starry-eyed enthusiasts, wholly lacking any of the quirks, foibles, idiosyncrasies, sonic flavorings, euphonic distortions, and so on that characterize the objects of most audio cults. Professionals buy Benchmark because they know the products work and are reliable and accurate—indeed, reference caliber. Music lovers buy them because they are neutral and accurate and thus reproduce the tonal character of voices and instruments correctly (and also, I presume, because they are reasonably priced, most musicians, like most other people, being typically not wealthy). But audiophiles? Well, the longer I’m in this racket, the less I sometimes think I understand what audiophiles really want except that a lot of dallying about with components, equipment swapping, and coloration matching seems to be what amuses them. I’m not sure I can in good conscience recommend this amplifier to them as I am not sure they are in search of what it offers: a precision instrument designed to perform the precisely defined task of reproducing music and sound accurately, which it does essentially to perfection. But to anyone else, the AHB2 gets as high, enthusiastic, and confident a thumbs up as my arm is capable of reaching.

@yyzsantabarbara Thiel CS3.7 minimum impedance is in order of 2.5ohm (2.8ohm specified, 2.4ohm measured by Stereophile).  Driving it by AHB2 in bridged/mono mode is equivalent to driving 1.25ohm speaker in stereo mode.  AHB2 is not rated for that and not too many amps can do that.

Paul Seydor does not listen to reference quality amps. His reference in his review is a Quad 909 and a all tube Zesto amp.....hardly a $200K pair of mono block Boulders or whatever. In order to claim something has zero sound you need to do a straight wire bypass test on it (yes,this is possible with a power amp....however, I know no one who has ever done it except my late friend Sieg Modes....and he did his testing in the late 70s). The Benchmark is not totally neutral....nothing is. Many do not hear the air, space, depth, harmonic rightness, palpable presence and micro detail they get from more expensive amps. For the money...it is really good. However, for even less money the Peachtree GaN 1 digital input class D amp is even better.....because it eliminates the DAC, analog cables, the preamp, normal amp and any feedback whatsoever from the signal path.......less is more. Volume control is done with your choice of lossless digital volume done in software.. Linear amps and analog signal paths are dead! he he. Unless they are Super expensive or tapes. Even tapes or records can be converted to 24/192 with great accuracy and sent to this amp. Of course, tubes and such are always going to be loved....coloration or not.

Everything is synergy. If the original recording is dry....lacking harmonic info....then adding a tube somewhere in the playback chain can make is sound more REAL....no doubt. But if the recording is fantastic and the medium delivering it is fanstastic then having a low distortion playback system will give you a lot of the joy of the original event.