Blind A/B test between (Benchmark AHB2+Topping D90SE/Pre90) and Hegel H190

[don'ttrustauthority]

Have you found long term ownership has given insights you missed during a quick, sighted comparison?

 

[Head_Unit]

Power Cube measurements

I also think clipping happens more often than we think

I can tell you from having done a bunch of Power Cube measurements at a gigantoid autosound company, heck yes! Maybe 1/2 power for some amps? How that translates to home amps...well, some obviously have weaker power supplies than others, so I'd think we'd still find differences. It's one of the frustrations in audio testing:
(1) We know speakers are NOT resistors, and phase angle affects amp output, yet testing is just resistive. Because that's all that's easily practical, I know, yet it's still a big omission.
(2) We know the ear hears in the time domain, and transients are important, yet testing is done steady-state. Even stuff like square waves are done after settled to steady state.

 

[bo_knows]

I kind of expected this to be more or less the outcome based on what I had read here, but still actually sitting there and not being able to tell which is which is humbling.

Yes, it was my first "proper" blind test. I had attempted something like this between two DACs before, but I only matched sound level acoustically with a SPL meter and had to ask my partner to do switches which made it hard to switch as frequently. I still couldn't tell the difference between them either.

As to reading reviews, I am pretty new to this hifi thing and honestly don't quite understand what people say in these audiophile reviews when they describe how something sounds

also I just recorded the peaks of the song using the max tracking function of the SPL meter at 72dB. I think that still sits below 100mW

Please specify what setting (filter) did you use to measure SPL? Was it A or C weighting? This can make a difference in numbers (C Weighting will have a larger number). The 85SPL C weight is a normal listening level for sound engineers. I also listen at this level as well. This level will bring up bass and treble at a more "even" level with the midrange.

 

[Heyu]

I'm on the fence on what to get. I come from Parasound hca 1500a amp looking into the Benchmark ahb2 or a Hegel h190 or h390. Can't decide.

 

[radix]

I'm on the fence on what to get. I come from Parasound hca 1500a amp looking into the Benchmark ahb2 or a Hegel h190 or h390. Can't decide.

What speakers do you have, and what SPL do you listen to, and how far away is your listening position from the speakers? Or another way to ask that, you have a 200 wpc amp @ 8ohm. How loud did you listen to it? the AHB2 is 100 wpc, or 380 wpc mono (need 2 amps).

I, personally, have 2x AHB2 to drive the Revel F228be (90db sensitivity, 8 ohms). I've never seen a clip light. My listening position is about 4m (14') from the speakers. The amps are super quiet.

 

[Heyu]

What speakers do you have, and what SPL do you listen to, and how far away is your listening position from the speakers? Or another way to ask that, you have a 200 wpc amp @ 8ohm. How loud did you listen to it? the AHB2 is 100 wpc, or 380 wpc mono (need 2 amps).

I, personally, have 2x AHB2 to drive the Revel F228be (90db sensitivity, 8 ohms). I've never seen a clip light. My listening position is about 4m (14') from the speakers. The amps are super quiet.

Magnepan lrs, listen at 80ish db and sit around 6 to 7 ft. With the hca 1500a amp I'd listen in the 79 to 85db.

 

[radix]

Magnepan lrs, listen at 80ish db and sit around 6 to 7 ft. With the hca 1500a amp I'd listen in the 79 to 85db.

According to a calculator, for 90 dB SPL with 6 dB of headroom at 2m (6.5ft) with 86 dB sensitivity speakers, one only needs 40 watts. The AHB2 is 190 wpc into 4 ohms, so should be plenty of power with a single amp.

That does not really answer the question, which amp? But it does answer the 1 stereo vs 2 mono.

It looks like the H190 and H390 are integrated amps, so they are not really a direct comparison to the AHB2 which is only an amp.

 

[Geert]

I'm on the fence on what to get. I come from Parasound hca 1500a amp looking into the Benchmark ahb2 or a Hegel h190 or h390. Can't decide.

6k for this?

 

[Chrispy]

I'm on the fence on what to get. I come from Parasound hca 1500a amp looking into the Benchmark ahb2 or a Hegel h190 or h390. Can't decide.

Why would you compare a power amp to integrated amps?

 

[tomtoo]

With that statistics, i would say, get what better looks to you.

 

[Heyu]

Why would you compare a power amp to integrated amps?

I'm not comparing. Just with the amp section for both units I don't know which is better.