And unusual presentation of the designer of the Benchmark AHB2 to do a teardown of his own amplifier!
Nice insights as he goes along.
Nice insights as he goes along.
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Benchmark AHB2 Teardown
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
He does a similar tear down of the DAC3B, L, & HGC
So I own 3 of these, driving my Salon2/Voice2 LCR in mono mode (yes, I'm a very fortunate person). The low noise and switchable gain were significant in my decision to buy these, but so were Amir's review and Benchmark's straightforward, detailed exposition of the engineering behind the AHB2. If I had been more budget constrained, I would almost certainly have something less expensive and still highly performant - one of the Purifi-based variants, for instance. But it's refreshing to see detailed accounts of what exactly my money pays for and why, and without any reference to magical thinking.
PristineSound
Major Contributor
I met John at CAF last year, he is a very pleasant person to be around. Also he is incredibly humble.
The AHB2 is in my opinion the best power amplifier on planet earth. Yes, you have some Toppings that has lower distortion and noise, but as an overall package, the AHB2 is just a superior amp, from features, capabilities, built, reliability, post-sales support and the whole nine. This is the first time learning that they use two Mu metal plates to shield the stray magnetic field, Mu metal shielding is expensive material, this amp absolutely cut no corners.
Even at $3,500, made in US, this amp is an incredible value.
I am proud to own one.
The AHB2 is in my opinion the best power amplifier on planet earth. Yes, you have some Toppings that has lower distortion and noise, but as an overall package, the AHB2 is just a superior amp, from features, capabilities, built, reliability, post-sales support and the whole nine. This is the first time learning that they use two Mu metal plates to shield the stray magnetic field, Mu metal shielding is expensive material, this amp absolutely cut no corners.
Even at $3,500, made in US, this amp is an incredible value.
I am proud to own one.
ExUnoPlura
Member
Just picked up a pair of 10’ Benchmark SpeakON/locking-banana speaker cables for my AHB2 due to a damaged Audioquest banana connector. They are mechanically great cables and it’s pleasant to know that I am getting improved performance and monitoring by going with SpeakON after 5 years of joy with the AHB2!
Pausi
Member
See, that’s what I would call intelligent design.
PristineSound
Major Contributor
I don't think there will be another amplifier like the AHB2.
The AHB2 has already reached a SINAD below the threshold of hearing even with just tones. And it is bridgeable if you need more than 100w, 380w into 8 ohms to be exact.
There just aren't any more technical achievements to pursue at this point.
And from another video, John said the AHB2 took thousands of man-hours between Benchmark and THX to engineer, and it's unlikely they will pursue another project with this much labor intensity again.
It is remarkable that this amplifier was available over ten years ago. Yes, I own two of them and looking for another 3 when I can find them at the right price.
When I need less power for tweets I currently deploy a Modulus 86. ..that would change, For Sub duty, I need to bridge each unit...so I need two. So looking for another 3 in total.
When I need less power for tweets I currently deploy a Modulus 86. ..that would change, For Sub duty, I need to bridge each unit...so I need two. So looking for another 3 in total.
benchmarkmannen
Member
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John Siau was very recently (14 July 2026) interviewed in a podcast, listen to it here.
I am very impressed by John Siau, Rory Rall and Benchmark's products: An amazing company.
(I have never been working in the audio industry - my forum username was just chosen because i admire Benchmark very much)
I am very impressed by John Siau, Rory Rall and Benchmark's products: An amazing company.
(I have never been working in the audio industry - my forum username was just chosen because i admire Benchmark very much)
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PristineSound
Major Contributor
Paul is slowly realizing technical performance, I think he's got new engineers working for him. Hey is even showing measurements now.
PMG Signature Amplifiers
PMG Signature power amplifiers — four models, one topology.
www.psaudio.com
see_no_evil
Member
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Fantastic company, fantastic products, fantastic videos. Thanks for sharing Amir.
eliash
Senior Member
From an (diy) audio engineering perspective they can really be proud of what and how they designed, hats off!
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Very interesting! This amp is legendary.
By the way, for those who don't know, it's already 10 years old! It went into production in 2016.
By the way, for those who don't know, it's already 10 years old! It went into production in 2016.
It does have a very serious competitor, and in my opinion, it's one of the only Class AB amplifiers with an SMPS power supply that offers fairly similar performance.
Modulus-686 Safe-n-Sane
The Modulus-686 is a 2-channel audio power amp for home stereo and home theatre. It provides 200W into 4Ω at extremely low distortion for the cleanest audiophile sound.
neurochrome.com
Measurements click here
Let's just say he's built like a tank! I mentioned in another thread that the Singxer SA-90 was also a very good alternative
PristineSound
Major Contributor
It does have a very serious competitor, and in my opinion, it's one of the only Class AB amplifiers with an SMPS power supply that offers fairly similar performance.
Modulus-686 Safe-n-Sane
The Modulus-686 is a 2-channel audio power amp for home stereo and home theatre. It provides 200W into 4Ω at extremely low distortion for the cleanest audiophile sound.
Measurements click here
I'm glad you brought this up.
This is what I was talking about, the Benchmark is just a more refined product, trigger control, safety control. Sure the distortion and noise is super important, but having a refined product is also important for practicality.
Absolutely agree, built to last!
One reason why I went with AHB2 was the pure engineering with literally no compromise in its design. It's the way I would build an amp if I could do it all myself. Same for the HPA4 and LA4. These are pure engineering works of art which will stand the test of time because no one else will do the same. Neurochrome takes similar thinking but they take a more practical route....not at the same level though but at an "effective" level. Not many audiophiles understand what these products stand for. Kinda geeky products.It does have a very serious competitor, and in my opinion, it's one of the only Class AB amplifiers with an SMPS power supply that offers fairly similar performance.
Modulus-686 Safe-n-Sane
The Modulus-686 is a 2-channel audio power amp for home stereo and home theatre. It provides 200W into 4Ω at extremely low distortion for the cleanest audiophile sound.
Measurements click here
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