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

@ricevs I always thought the class-D was a switching amp and not a digital amp.

… Because it converts the digits directly to PWM (analog) then there is no need for a "normal" dac......and, if you use excellent digital attenuation......no need for preamp or other kinds of analog volume controls. You might call it a "power dac"…

^This^ makes it sound like I should not consider using one of these amp if I have a TT and phono stage.

Where does the digital come into this ‘digital amp’, which in the Benchmark literature is referred to as “Class-H”?

There you go......not what I was talking about. The GaN 400 and the GaN1 are completely different animals.....one is analog in with op amps and feedback inside....the other is digital in with no opamps or feedback and not needing a DAC or preamp.  Please.....get this information straight.  As far as I know there are only 3 companies in the workd making "digital" amps......Technics, Lyngdorf and Peachree......The Peachtree amp was just released and has the most simple pure signal path.....we shall see how it fares as more people listen to it.  Please follow the thread on the Gan 1 Beta amp here on Audiogon. 

Class H is not digital......class D is not digital. I already explained that the digital info is turned into PWM inside the "digital" amp....and then into the swtiching class D output stage.

Yes, if you have analog then you need to convert it through a great ADC to make it PCM so the amp will decode it. There are GREAT ADCs out there that do less damage to the sound then a normal preamp and normal amp do. However, most who have a serious record collection will look elsewhere. Most people who own Benchmark amps, etc....do not do analog. I stopped doing analog 32 years ago. Analog is GREAT.....no doubt. Love it.

Class H is not digital......class D is not digital. I already explained that the digital info is turned into PWM inside the "digital" amp....and then into the swtiching class D output stage.

Yes, if you have analog then you need to convert it through a great ADC to make it PCM so the amp will decode it. There are GREAT ADCs out there that do less damage to the sound then a normal preamp and normal amp do. However, most who have a serious record collection will look elsewhere. Most people who own Benchmark amps, etc....do not do analog. I stopped doing analog 32 years ago. Analog is GREAT.....no doubt. Love it.

I thought that this thread was about the Benchmark amp?
Which I think is an amp for people that are driving it with an analogue input.
So it is not a digital amp, and not solely for digital based music.

I think that we took a right turn somewhere.

Perfection and what you hear are 2 different things. It’s an art I’ve come to believe. Looks like a perfect candidate for a tube preamp?