Benchmark ABH2 Replacement

[pjug]

That's from Stereophile:

Benchmark Media Systems AHB2 power amplifier Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

www.stereophile.com

Maybe I am just totally misreading something. Where do the 48/45/19 come from? (Corresponding to 63Hz/1kHz/14kHz, at 4 ohms)

 

[Sokel]

Maybe I am just totally misreading something. Where do the 48/45/19 come from? (Corresponding to 63Hz/1kHz/14kHz, at 4 ohms)

Yep,I thought the same that's why I searched.
Specially with a Benchmark product it would be odd.

That's from there site:

Audio Myth - "Damping Factor Isn't Much of a Factor"

Myth - "Damping Factor Isn't Much of a Factor" Myth - "A Damping Factor of 10 is High Enough" Myth - "All Amplifiers Have a High-Enough Damping Factor" Where did these Myths Originate? These myths seem to trace back to a well-known paper (PDF) written by Dick Pierce. His analysis shows that a...

benchmarkmedia.com

The numbers shown above does not add up with the actual measurements.

 

[kelesh]

There is no Benchmark ABH2.

 

[pjug]

There is no Benchmark ABH2.

I think I saw that the H should really be a G as well.

 

[pablolie]

I spent over 15 years with an E-306v. It was 1998 edition, and I can't claim it's been anything audible that's driven the evolution of my system. It was space and consolidation conderations. I had both a Benchmark AHB2 and NAD M22. There was no audible difference between any of the three. I tried. But audibly they were all equally stellar. And i have listened to 50k+ stuff. Amps are an area of totally diminshing (more like vanishing) results in a home environment, imo: once you get to that level, you should look into other stuff for any possible improvement.

 

[sam_adams]

There is no Benchmark ABH2.

Benchmark AHB2 Power Amplifier

Benchmark's new AHB2 Power Amplifier - "The Quietest, Cleanest Audio Amplifier on the Planet"

benchmarkmedia.com

 

[pablolie]

View attachment 374011

Benchmark AHB2 Power Amplifier

Benchmark's new AHB2 Power Amplifier - "The Quietest, Cleanest Audio Amplifier on the Planet"

benchmarkmedia.com

The fact it was introduced 10 years ago and they haven't had to bother updating -and still measures tops- reflects how immaterial advancements in amplifier tech are - what matters is the feature set and size that fits you best, once a certain performance envelope has been reached.

 

[DMill]

How can anyone not love an Accuphase amp? Gorgeous, timeless, and great measurements. Truly one of the iconic toys we can afford. Better listening than a Benchmark… You’re gonna get opinion on that. BTW, Benchmark has been going strong since I can remember. I suspect 30 years from now they will still hold a lot of nostalgia and value. Neither brand need apologize for anything.

 

[kelesh]

The fact it was introduced 10 years ago and they haven't had to bother updating -and still measures tops- reflects how immaterial advancements in amplifier tech are - what matters is the feature set and size that fits you best, once a certain performance envelope has been reached.

And also the small, but important technical details such as the availability of stand-alone and rackmount versions - easy to do, yet a powerful choice that can easily make or break a sale.

 

[Doodski]

How can anyone not love an Accuphase amp? Gorgeous, timeless, and great measurements. Truly one of the iconic toys we can afford. Better listening than a Benchmark… You’re gonna get opinion on that. BTW, Benchmark has been going strong since I can remember. I suspect 30 years from now they will still hold a lot of nostalgia and value. Neither brand need apologize for anything.

When a see a nice Accuphase integrated I get that same feeling of appreciation I had in the 70s with the battleship receivers of the late 70s and early 80s.

 

[Timcognito]

What about DSP, do you have it? Yor room may be making a difference. Your Benchmark is a good amp

 

[steve f]

I've owned the ABH2 for the last 3 and half years. It has been the best amplifier I've owned to date and I have been an audiophile for more than 40 years. As we all know it is one if not the best objectively and independantly measured amplifier on the market. It is a neutral amp: Clean, noise free, non-fatiguing and light weight and relatively inexpensive. It sounds neutral with no coloration with an impactful bass and smooth highs. If I had any criticism it's that to me the upper mid-range and lower treble is slightly bright and voices seem more forward than I prefer. But for the size and cost I don't think you can find a better amp under $5k.

So why the replacement? Well I bought new speakers. Then decided to get a dedicated streamer which led to a new DAC and the ABH2 was the only component I had not upgraded. So I decided to audition different amps to see if anything could out perform it. I listened to the Bryston 4B3 which is a very powerful clean sounding amp and while somewhat better in the highs it wasn't enough to make the change. I tried Hegel and even Macintosh which was very nice but the overall sound was a little too mid centric for me. Then I considered the Pass Labs AB amps which were very nice as well but way to large and heavy and to be honest they didn't really sound that much better either.. It was then I decided to audition the new Accuphase P-4600 amplifier. I alway admired this company's products. They are very expensive but I wanted to at least hear one to see what they sound like. After a few demos it was clear to me that Accuphase has a sound and presentation that perfectly matches what I have been striving for these past years. It just had a beautiful presentation that was very different from the other SS amps I had auditioned. And in my opinion one that was noticeably better and more engaging than the ABH2. Soundstage width and depth were exceptional and the midrange and treble were just wonderful. However the price was high. It was the most expensive amp I had considered to that point.

Since my wife past a few years ago whatever plans we had with our retirement fund were gone. That was one of the reasons I originally decided to spend money on an audio system instead. So I decided to get what II really wanted. So after dealing with my guilt ridden extravagance I ordered the Accuphase. It took 2 months to get it as I missed the April shipment from Japan. Accuphase has been designing and offering audio components for almost 50 years and they have limited their product in total to 5,000 units per year. They state that they have no plans to expand production. And that covers their amps, integrated amps, pre amps, CD players, etc. And only 30% of production is sold outside Japan. Anyway not many units of their products get to the US as they are very much in demand everywhere.

During this waiting period I continued listening with the ABH2 and it continued to sound really good in the new system to the point where I started to have buyer's remorse. I started to question my purchase. I had to remind myself of how much I loved the sound of the Accuphase when I auditioned it. Well it finally arrived and I no longer have any doubts it was the right decision. It offers a stunningly beautiful presentation that in my opinon is somewhere between a very good SS amp with smooth highs, impactful bass and plenty of detail and a very good tube amp with a wide and deep soundstage and a slightly warm midrange. Voices are beautifully rendered and upper strings are very smooth. It's a totally relaxed and non fatiguing sound you can listen to for hours. I love it!

BTW the amp is impeccably built. Everything about it is first class with quality materials as it should be at that price.. The attention to detail both in its physical appearance and sound quality is very evident. If you are interested visit the Accuphase Labs website and read about their design and production philosophy. They are a very unique and unusual company especially in the typical corporate climate of continued expansion and growth.

As to specifications the Amp's stated specs are excellent. I run it in it's lowest gain setting with a SNR of 130db. It's dead silent with a black background that's easily apparent whenever there is a stop in the music. I was unable to find any independent objective reviews of the amp and to be honest at this point it doesn't matter. I love the sound of this component and how it has elevated my system. It also shows how difficult it is to better the ABH2. You have to spend a lot more money. So was all the money worth it to me? Well I can tell you I do not want to go back to the ABH2 now. So yes it was as I could afford it. To those who can't or won't spend this type of money on an amplifier you can't go wrong with the ABH2. It is an excellent amp as well.

Anyway that's my story.

I am sorry at the loss of your wife. Mine passed almost two years ago. Apparently we are both doing new stereo stuff since.

 

[bunkbail]

Maybe you have mentioned it somewhere but what are the speakers you're using right now?

 

[pogo]

Where do the 48/45/19 come from?

See here: STEREO-Test
Such measurements are performed with a 1m long cable with a gauge of 1.5 square millimeters, i.e. close to reality, which should also take into account longer cables with higher gauges.

 

[pjug]

See here: STEREO-Test
Such measurements are performed with a 1m long cable with a gauge of 1.5 square millimeters, i.e. close to reality, which should also take into account longer cables with higher gauges.

You should be able to undo that kind of entanglement. But I can't seem to get the Stereo measurement to agree with other 3rd party measurements:

	overall DF	overall resistance (4/DF)	cable resistance (1.5mm^2, 2m RT length)	amplifier output resistance	Amp DF (8R)
AHB2 (63Hz)	48​	0.083333333​	0.0228​	0.060533333​	132.1585903​
Accu (63Hz)	167​	0.023952096​	0.0228​	0.001152096​	6943.866944​

edit: I used this calculator for wire resistance: https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/wire-resistance

 

[Joesax]

As the original poster I would like to comment on the responses.

The inability by some here to even consider that different high quality amplifiers can sound different is puzzling to me. As I mentioned I've been an"Audiophile" for 40+ years and along the way have owned or auditioned numerous components. So I have a very discerning ear when it comes to music and components. I'm also a musician and can hear when recordings and equipment render instruments correctly. Amps in particular do impose their sound characteristics on a system. After a week now of extended listening I can say that the Accuphase amplifier I own is clearly superior to the Benchmark AHB2. I'm intimately familiar with the AHB2 having listened to it intently for the past 3 and half years. Whether you choose to believe that is possible or not is immaterial to me. It has nothing to do with volume matching or any other suggestion. It's just a superior sounding amp. In my system. I say that because it's possible that my system has the resolving characteristics to allow me to hear these differences. Now what is my system:

Harbeth C7ES-XD Speakers
Aurender N20 Streamer
MSB Discrete DAC
Accuphase P-4600 Amplifier
No special upgraded power cords
Fairly inexpensive but quality interconnects and other cables

Each of these components when added improved the SQ. With these components and the AHB2 the sound and presentation was excellent. It is an excellent amp. However the Accuphase has clearly elevated my system to a level I had not thought possible. I wasn't expecting this much of an improvement over the AHB2 but it is easily heard by me and confirms the SQ and presentation I heard in my auditions prior to purchase. Is it expensive? Yes. Is it worth it to me? Yes. I've been re-listening to all of my favorite recordings and am overjoyed with the presentation and SQ. I can't believe how fortunate I am to be able to get to this level of sound reproduction finally after a life long pursuit. So if you have an AHB2 take it to a reputable audio store and compare it to some of the high quality amps from Bryston, Macintosh, Pass and Accuphase and then let your ears decide.

 

[Timcognito]

As the original poster I would like to comment on the responses.

The inability by some here to even consider that different high quality amplifiers can sound different is puzzling to me. As I mentioned I've been an"Audiophile" for 40+ years and along the way have owned or auditioned numerous components. So I have a very discerning ear when it comes to music and components. I'm also a musician and can hear when recordings and equipment render instruments correctly. Amps in particular do impose their sound characteristics on a system. After a week now of extended listening I can say that the Accuphase amplifier I own is clearly superior to the Benchmark ABH2. I'm intimately familiar with the ABH2 having listened to it intently for the past 3 and half years. Whether you choose to believe that is possible or not is immaterial to me. It has nothing to do with volume matching or any other suggestion. It's just a superior sounding amp. In my system. I say that because it's possible that my system has the resolving characteristics to allow me to hear these differences. Now what is my system:

Harbeth C7ES-XD Speakers
Aurender N20 Streamer
MSB Discrete DAC
Accuphase P-4600 Amplifier
No special upgraded power cords
Fairly inexpensive but quality interconnects and other cables

Each of these components when added improved the SQ. With these components and the ABH2 the sound and presentation was excellent. It is an excellent amp. However the Accuphase has clearly elevated my system to a level I had not thought possible. I wasn't expecting this much of an improvement over the ABH2 but it is easily heard by me and confirms the SQ and presentation I heard in my auditions prior to purchase. Is it expensive? Yes. Is it worth it to me? Yes. I've been re-listening to all of my favorite recordings and am overjoyed with the presentation and SQ. I can't believe how fortunate I am to be able to get to this level of sound reproduction finally after a life long pursuit. So if you have an ABH2 take it to a reputable audio store and compare it to some of the high quality amps from Bryston, Macintosh, Pass and Accuphase and then let your ears decide.

What about DSP? Room has the biggest effect on sound. Tuning the system to it will render the most realistic sound.

 

[quattro98]

Enjoy the Accuphase. They make wonderful equipment. At widely varying price points, Purifi, Hypex, Benchmark, Accuphase, and Boulder all make great amps.

 

[Purité Audio]

As the original poster I would like to comment on the responses.

The inability by some here to even consider that different high quality amplifiers can sound different is puzzling to me. As I mentioned I've been an"Audiophile" for 40+ years and along the way have owned or auditioned numerous components. So I have a very discerning ear when it comes to music and components. I'm also a musician and can hear when recordings and equipment render instruments correctly. Amps in particular do impose their sound characteristics on a system. After a week now of extended listening I can say that the Accuphase amplifier I own is clearly superior to the Benchmark AHB2. I'm intimately familiar with the AHB2 having listened to it intently for the past 3 and half years. Whether you choose to believe that is possible or not is immaterial to me. It has nothing to do with volume matching or any other suggestion. It's just a superior sounding amp. In my system. I say that because it's possible that my system has the resolving characteristics to allow me to hear these differences. Now what is my system:

Harbeth C7ES-XD Speakers
Aurender N20 Streamer
MSB Discrete DAC
Accuphase P-4600 Amplifier
No special upgraded power cords
Fairly inexpensive but quality interconnects and other cables

Each of these components when added improved the SQ. With these components and the AHB2 the sound and presentation was excellent. It is an excellent amp. However the Accuphase has clearly elevated my system to a level I had not thought possible. I wasn't expecting this much of an improvement over the AHB2 but it is easily heard by me and confirms the SQ and presentation I heard in my auditions prior to purchase. Is it expensive? Yes. Is it worth it to me? Yes. I've been re-listening to all of my favorite recordings and am overjoyed with the presentation and SQ. I can't believe how fortunate I am to be able to get to this level of sound reproduction finally after a life long pursuit. So if you have an AHB2 take it to a reputable audio store and compare it to some of the high quality amps from Bryston, Macintosh, Pass and Accuphase and then let your ears decide.

It’s perfectly possible for amplifiers to sound different, one of them has to be adding audible distortion, which of course you might enjoy.
The Benchmark measurements are exemplary so either the Accuphase is adding or it is just cognitive bias.
Amir has measured the Accuphase 270 which was rather a mixed bag.

Review and Measurements of Accuphase E-270 Amplifier

This is a review and detailed measurements of Accuphase E-270 Integrated Amplifier. It is on kind loan from our friends at Gig Harbor Audio. It is their demo unit so I have to return it on Tuesday. So if you need something else to be measured, ask right away! The E-270 was released in 2017 I...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Keith

 

[TLEDDY]

. Now what is my system:

Harbeth C7ES-XD Speakers
Aurender N20 Streamer
MSB Discrete DAC
Accuphase P-4600 Amplifier
No special upgraded power cords
Fairly inexpensive but quality interconnects and other cables

Joesax -
please see my ‘tag’ below! If it pleases you, that is all that matters!

May I also extend my condolences on the passing of your wife, a terrible loss.

Tillman