Benchmark AHB2 compared to Rogue Atlas Magnum III

I sold my AHB2 to raise cash to buy an amp for my Magnepan LRS+, a Magtech. That was a great move, but I do miss the sound of the AHB2 with an appropriate matching speaker.

I have a speaker in my Livingroom that the AHB2 would work well with, the Yamaha NS5000. I have a CODA #16 on it now and it blows me away each time I listen. However, I still feel the AHB2 is the best amp I have heard on the top end. With a slightly warm speaker it will be amazing. The plan is to get a second amp for the NS5000 to switch around. The CODA is overall better but the AHB2 is so unique, sound wise. I have a Benchmark LA4 preamp with the NS5000 system.

The tweeters on my NS5000 are made of Zylon as is the mid and 12-inch woofer.

The Energy 2.8 Veritas ( made in ‘94) were made with a complex crossover intended to minimize impedance changes.

They were made with the option for passive Triamping but the manual explicitly says not to use external crossovers and bypass the internal crossover.

They use special house made aluminum mids/tweeters and I have yet to hear anyone say anything bad about them- engineering/design is more important to the sound than the choice of material .

I’ve owned both these amplifiers. I also own a pair of F208s currently.

Unfortunately, I cannot tell you which is definitely the best match because I didn’t own all these items at the same time.

The Benchmark is a vastly quieter amp, for which reason I would be inclined to choose it for the fairly sensitive Revels. It can also reach deeper in the bass, though its midbass output is not as robust as the Rogue’s. The Benchmark is dead neutral with an even-keeled presentation. The Rogue OTOH, is very midrange-forward with most speakers—a more “first row” presentation compared to the typical 4th/5th row presentation of most amplifiers.

With a little patience and a little more money than the AHB2, you can get a pre-owned Coda No.8 which is significantly better than either the Rogue or the Benchmark. The Yamaha A-S2100 also has great synergy with the F208s and IMO is a better amp than the Rogue in most regards.