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Benchmark AHB2 vs Quad artera vs hypex class d

Pjetrof

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If you have the choice, which would you choose and why?
Price not in consideration.
Speakers are Harbeth 30.2
Room is 40 square meters.
Open plan rectangular 10 by 4 meters living-room, dining-room and kitchen.
Speakers on long wall In living-room.
2.5 meters to seating position.
2 meters apart.
Music singer songwriter.
Source only Tidal.
thx in advance for the recommendation.
 

dfuller

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In terms of "I don't want the amp to sound like anything", the AHB2.
 

pozz

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I would buy two Benchmark AHB2s, in bridged mono. More power with less noise.
 

Panelhead

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I when first saw the Quad and it seemed interesting. The other two are very interesting. Never read review of the Quad, seems less capable than the Benchmark or a Purifi amp.
Another amp that looks good on paper is the Denafrips Hyperion. Never seen an owner speak up. Talked to Alvin about the Hyperion and he said the specs are real. I believe him.
 

digitalfrost

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I would buy two Benchmark AHB2s, in bridged mono. More power with less noise.
I agree.

The AHB2 is the best amp you can buy for money, end of story. If the power is high enough for you - and you said yourself price is not in consideration - I don't see why you would not buy AHB2. And if not, you can buy two.
 

DSJR

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I'd suggest that as the Artera power amp is so intimately based on the 606 original and its descendants, that a tech test on any of this amps 'versions' will tell you what you need to know. The Artera is well priced in the UK, it's a reliable design and has no 'nasties' whatsoever. I don't know the other two, so price and availability is probably what you should look at. Modern Harbeths do seem to like 'power' even at lower volumes. Maybe psychological but I do like recorded drum kits if not over produced, to have some dynamics to them...
 

naviivan

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If you have the choice, which would you choose and why?
Price not in consideration.
Speakers are Harbeth 30.2
Room is 40 square meters.
Open plan rectangular 10 by 4 meters living-room, dining-room and kitchen.
Speakers on long wall In living-room.
2.5 meters to seating position.
2 meters apart.
Music singer songwriter.
Source only Tidal.
thx in advance for the recommendation.
doesn’t Alan Shaw use the Quad in his hifi shows?
 

DSJR

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He's gone over to Hegel and it's my hunch this was to silence the audiophile fraternity (criticising Quad as it's so old-hat, or was perceived to be - the 909 when tested in HiFi World magazine surprised the reviewer with how basically 'good' it was). He did try to use an Artera Integrated at a recent UK show but it's suspected he didn't set the gain correctly as he found it underpowered (too quiet?). I wasn't there, so can only offer a suggestin here as there *should* have been enough power for the volume levels they usually play the baby speakers at during a show.

I don't have the money to buy one, but I wonder if a Behringer A800 (well under £200 in the UK) would *really* be any worse subjectively?
 
OP
Pjetrof

Pjetrof

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I have a behringer a800. But when I mentioned that on the harbeth forum, I got told off, also if there was a problem with my speaker I would loose warranty cause using a 179 euro amplifier.
therefore my question. And I have one more candidate quad elite qmp monoblocks
 
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Pjetrof

Pjetrof

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@VintageFlanker i would be jealous ass well.
If I could buy 2.
I took a hard hit when I sold my Accuphase class a.
That was under powering my Harbeths.
I can buy the benchmark and the quad elite mono qmp and the artera for almost the same money.
The qmp and benchmark are demo units, the artera is new.
i thought I was healed... from buying gear after Harbeth and this forum, I bought behringer a800 for 179 euro brand new, but being told off Because I m using to cheap amplifier and reading the thread about benchmark have me in doubt all over again. That amplifiers matter!
 

pozz

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DonH56

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I have a behringer a800. But when I mentioned that on the harbeth forum, I got told off, also if there was a problem with my speaker I would loose warranty cause using a 179 euro amplifier.
therefore my question. And I have one more candidate quad elite qmp monoblocks

I really, really doubt that is true. If you like the sound using your A800, sit back and enjoy it.
 

Ron Texas

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Keep the A800. If you really have money burning a hole in your pocked, Hypex is the best bang for the buck of your choices.
 

kaka89

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@VintageFlanker i would be jealous ass well.
If I could buy 2.
I took a hard hit when I sold my Accuphase class a.
That was under powering my Harbeths.
I can buy the benchmark and the quad elite mono qmp and the artera for almost the same money.
The qmp and benchmark are demo units, the artera is new.
i thought I was healed... from buying gear after Harbeth and this forum, I bought behringer a800 for 179 euro brand new, but being told off Because I m using to cheap amplifier and reading the thread about benchmark have me in doubt all over again. That amplifiers matter!

I had harbeth matched with Accuphase 30w class a and nuprime class d 150w, and kept the class d at the end.
 

naviivan

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I have a behringer a800. But when I mentioned that on the harbeth forum, I got told off, also if there was a problem with my speaker I would loose warranty cause using a 179 euro amplifier.
therefore my question. And I have one more candidate quad elite qmp monoblocks


i read it differently. i think what Alan Shaw was trying to say was that if you damage your speakers if a bad amplifer it’s not covered under warranty. doesn’t matter what amplifer or how much it cost.
 
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Pjetrof

Pjetrof

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i read it differently. i think what Alan Shaw was trying to say was that if you damage your speakers if a bad amplifer it’s not covered under warranty. doesn’t matter what amplifer or how much it cost.

I read it different I try To copy and paste
 
OP
Pjetrof

Pjetrof

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the quote from Alan Shaw

But let's be fair and responsible. Let's set aside all arguments about sound quality and power for a moment.

As I have said before, and strongly echoed by hifi_dave (a lifelong hifi retailer), you have to factor-in after care. An amp that is sold for 179 Euros cannot be built to last. Built to a price point, the procurement department are mandated to shave every cent of the bill of materials as the design engineers use every trick in the book to reduce component count. The attitude is, and this is how consumerism flourishes, 'when it fails chuck it away'.

You have to take a personal view on this. One replacement drive unit in the speaker damaged by a budget amplifier that fails dwarfs the cost of the amplifier. Is that a risk worth running? I'd say no.

Doubly so because to the trained eye, when there is an autopsy on the failed drive unit, the tell-tale signs of amplifier distress failure are unambiguous. So no Warranty cover.
 
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