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Is Benchmark AHB2 power a good buy for me?

12Many

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I recently ordered one. It is set to arrive Thursday. One thing that appealed to me was that if in the future it does not have enough power (very unlikely for my listening volumes) I can buy another for the other channel. Yes, more expensive to buy two, but hard to find a cleaner amp with that much power. I also like the size and weight. 5 year warranty and you can call the shop and talk to experts.
 

Blockader

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Hi,

I'm looking to drive a pair of 'large' bookshelves - Monitor Audio PL100 Platinums (https://www.monitoraudio.com/en/support/past-products/platinum/pl100/)

I have a Matrix Audio X Sabre Pro MQA DAC into a Meridian pre-amp, streaming music from Roon... I believe I could plug the Sabre straight into power amp, however I do use the meridian for my REL sub output too....

I'm thinking the Benchmark AHB2 power amp will be a great addition, just wondering what others think?

Are there other power amp's I should consider?

Thanks
just get a simple amp, save your money and keep improving your speakers if you want higher sound quality.(buy multiple subwoofers for example) Anything with 85db SINAD Is more than enough.

if you have doubts, try Klippel listening test and see if you can score -69db 3 times in a row with test tones.(extra challenge > try to score -69db with music).

Your speakers are just 2 way speakers(I am assuming you are not using subwoofers), given their size, their IMD during bassy songs and their distortion is too high to allow amps to make a difference in sound quality.

Check IMD measurements of 2 way small speakers in German forums(Germans are very into measuring IMD), you will see that even with signals which have a crest factor of 6db, such speakers have IMD from %1 to %3(depends on their size and woofer design) around 85db.
 
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Kal Rubinson

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As I said in my previous post, it can't be everything that is so good about this amp. As it can't be everything that is good about any amplifier. So how did AHB2 compare? If you do not mind, perhaps you have a link or two to your comparison posts. thanks in advance.
They can all be found here:
 

sq225917

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A friend swapped to one from a pair of nuerochrome 86p bridged monoblocks, (that'd be a 486 if Tom made such a thing). The Ahb sounded ever so slightly more resolved in the bass, otherwise nothing between them, both world class choices.

Plenty of power, no need for a pair unless you're driving massive floor standers in a massive room. The ahb drove my ns1000m to beyond comfortable in a 15 x 12 foot room. I still had 20db left on the pre amp. Gustard a18, topping pre90.
 

Wino

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Bought 2 AHB2s and an LA4 based on the long AHB2 thread and Kal's recommendation. I have no regrets and they handle my Dynaudio 4 ohm speakers with ease. Suggest reading the AHB2 thread.
 

radix

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I have 2x AHB2 + miniDSP SHD + Revel F228be. Excellent sound. I wish it didn't take 4U in the rack, but that's AB. I've never had shutoff problems. The trigger on the AHB2 is great and you can wire it anyway (they are 2x I/O).

If I were to change anything, it would be the SHD (maybe an RME UCX2 + CamillaDSP?), or add some subs now that I'm in a larger room.

As someone else mentioned, you might want to upgrade the speakers first. That might be the bigger bang for the buck.
 

sngreen

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Hi,

I'm looking to drive a pair of 'large' bookshelves - Monitor Audio PL100 Platinums (https://www.monitoraudio.com/en/support/past-products/platinum/pl100/)

I have a Matrix Audio X Sabre Pro MQA DAC into a Meridian pre-amp, streaming music from Roon... I believe I could plug the Sabre straight into power amp, however I do use the meridian for my REL sub output too....

I'm thinking the Benchmark AHB2 power amp will be a great addition, just wondering what others think?

Are there other power amp's I should consider?

Thanks
Few comments I found in the other posts/reviews;


See "Listening In the Country" part.

quoted; "I took the AHB2 along with me for a weekend at our country place, in Connecticut, to see if it would be as successful with my more modest system there. That's where I discovered that my new hero amp wasn't quite perfect. Oh, its power and resolution were still not to be faulted, but through a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 8 speakers, the sound was somewhat hard and thin. Could it have had something to do with the Silver 8s themselves?"

and further; "Again, I would describe it as a loss of warmth and resonance in the fundamentals of their voices. Unfortunately for the AHB2, this loss pervaded the sound of whatever recording I played. I wrote it off as an example of an amp-speaker mismatch."

I read it sounded thin in other systems as well.

Meaning, the amplifier, like any other, has to be matched to the speakers and it does not fit for all. In your case, it may work, or may not. You can only know it when you have it.

On the other board (not by the measurebators), this is the observation someone posted, comparing it to Pass x25 (25 wpc) - quoted; "They represent two very different designs of solid state amplifiers. The AHB2 is very transparent or neutral I would say. It's specification is hard to beat. Pass Labs on the other hand is more optimized with respect to the musical experience. I listened to the AHB2 in my system for a weekend and that was not what I wanted. Now I have a tube amplifier instead. This is in the musicality aspect closer to Pass Labs."

Although the comment is overall positive, this is probably not the amplifier that I would like to have in my system either.

B.W, I don't think Matrix will play well when plugged directly into the amplifier, especially the analytical type like AHB2. It is better to send the signal through some good pre-amp, and only then into the power amplifier. In case of AHB2 - my take - is that it would probably benefit from having a tube amp as a buffer, and not an ss one. Just a thought.
 

HarmonicTHD

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@sngreen
„B.W, I don't think Matrix will play well when plugged directly into the amplifier, especially the analytical type like AHB2. It is better to send the signal through some good pre-amp, and only then into the power amplifier. In case of AHB2 - my take - is that it would probably benefit from having a tube amp as a buffer, and not an ss one. Just a thought.“


This is some utterly bad advice. Or do you have some facts why a tube amp would reduce the signal by a few dB at a certain frequency range to make up for the bright measuring speakers?

In my book - get new speakers or an EQ (and or room treatment).
 
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Freeway

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Few comments I found in the other posts/reviews;


See "Listening In the Country" part.

quoted; "I took the AHB2 along with me for a weekend at our country place, in Connecticut, to see if it would be as successful with my more modest system there. That's where I discovered that my new hero amp wasn't quite perfect. Oh, its power and resolution were still not to be faulted, but through a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 8 speakers, the sound was somewhat hard and thin. Could it have had something to do with the Silver 8s themselves?"

and further; "Again, I would describe it as a loss of warmth and resonance in the fundamentals of their voices. Unfortunately for the AHB2, this loss pervaded the sound of whatever recording I played. I wrote it off as an example of an amp-speaker mismatch."

I read it sounded thin in other systems as well.

Meaning, the amplifier, like any other, has to be matched to the speakers and it does not fit for all. In your case, it may work, or may not. You can only know it when you have it.

On the other board (not by the measurebators), this is the observation someone posted, comparing it to Pass x25 (25 wpc) - quoted; "They represent two very different designs of solid state amplifiers. The AHB2 is very transparent or neutral I would say. It's specification is hard to beat. Pass Labs on the other hand is more optimized with respect to the musical experience. I listened to the AHB2 in my system for a weekend and that was not what I wanted. Now I have a tube amplifier instead. This is in the musicality aspect closer to Pass Labs."

Although the comment is overall positive, this is probably not the amplifier that I would like to have in my system either.

B.W, I don't think Matrix will play well when plugged directly into the amplifier, especially the analytical type like AHB2. It is better to send the signal through some good pre-amp, and only then into the power amplifier. In case of AHB2 - my take - is that it would probably benefit from having a tube amp as a buffer, and not an ss one. Just a thought.

I experienced the opposite. Before I received the ABH2 I worried it would would be 'too' analytical and such what with the high SINAD and all. At first I felt disappointed. It was seemed too warm, too much ambience. I wanted my D amp back.
I have had it since January, listened multiple speakers, nearfield. It's lovely. It's detailed. It's Musical. Top Shelf.
I have been seduced.
 
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antcollinet

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Yes ok thank you. Having spent a few hours researching Class D, I'm now torn lol I also live in the UK so the BenchMark was going to be hand luggage at Christmas lol

I'm liking the look of both the boXem and AudioPhonics, particularly as they are EU based too.
If interested in Hypex, and UK based, check out KJF Audio also. Stockport based.

 

sngreen

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This is some utterly bad advice. Or do you have some facts why a tube amp would reduce the signal by a few dB at a certain frequency range to make up for the bright measuring speakers?

In my book - get new speakers or an EQ (and or room treatment).
I could not agree with you more. Speakers would be the first step, goes without saying, plus the room treatment. Not sure what EQ means, or rather what you mean by saying it.

Re. tube amp, it's just my opinion, as I would not have analytical amplifier paired directly to Matrix streamer that he has.
 

sngreen

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I experienced the opposite. Before I received the ABH2 I worried it would would be 'too' analytical and such what with the high SINAD and all. At first I felt disappointed. It was seemed too warm, too much ambience. I wanted my D amp back.
I have had it since January, listened multiple speakers, nearfield. It's lovely. It's detailed. It's Musical. Top Shelf.
I have been seduced.
Your "wanted D amp back" tells me you probably like electronic music, which is what D (my brief experience was only with NAD M23) are best suited for. So ABH2 could be the best of all worlds for you, provided it also matches the speakers. I would not debate it for a second.
 

sngreen

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HarmonicTHD

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I could not agree with you more. Speakers would be the first step, goes without saying, plus the room treatment. Not sure what EQ means, or rather what you mean by saying it.

Re. tube amp, it's just my opinion, as I would not have analytical amplifier paired directly to Matrix streamer that he has.
EQ stands for Equalizer. Nowadays there are various ways of implementation. Usually people start by measuring the frequency response in their room eg with REW and Umik1. Then define their target curve, derive filters to be put into either a software EQ (eg EQAPO) or hardware EQ (miniDSP or AVRs (Dirac, Audyssey).

See the forum here plenty of info on what is available and might best fit ones needs.
 

antcollinet

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Horn loaded Fostex is a good start. There are plenty of kits out there, also from China.
The link is to a UK supplier of Hypex amps. They also do speaker kits, but that is not the point.
 

sngreen

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EQ stands for Equalizer. Nowadays there are various ways of implementation. Usually people start by measuring the frequency response in their room eg with REW and Umik1. Then define their target curve, derive filters to be put into either a software EQ (eg EQAPO) or hardware EQ (miniDSP or AVRs (Dirac, Audyssey).

See the forum here plenty of info on what is available and might best fit ones needs.
That would be for the movies, but for critical listening .. and then every recording is different .. no, I don't think so. Just would not do it.
 

HarmonicTHD

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That would be for the movies, but for critical listening .. and then every recording is different .. no, I don't think so. Just would not do it.
This is your opinion. Unfortunately it does not hold up to facts and science.

There is much research on this why this is indeed a good approach to music listening. Start here reading through the Reference Library or the Psycho Acoustic section. Or the book of Floyd Toole „Sound Reproduction“.
 
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