I use them on 4 ohm speakers just fine. You can call Benchmark and talk to them about your use case if you'd like. They're very friendly.
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Review and Measurements of Benchmark AHB2 Amp
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BeeKay
Major Contributor
and …… ignored
In electronics design, bridged amps see half the impedance of the speakers. This makes it harder for a bridged amp to run low impedance speakers; the amp may run hot with the extra current push.
In practice, “low impedance” speakers are uneven in their impedance and phase angle, so they are not uniformly hard to run across the frequency range. Additionally, we typically use a lot less power in listening than we think we will.
The AHB2 is fairly bulletproof. I’d have no concerns about running them bridged with the KEF Blade 2 or any similar sensitivity cone speaker. I’d expect them to run a bit hot, so they need to be well ventilated.
From Erin’s Audio Corner:
How loud do you listen to music?
As loud as I want. Of course, that's not a useful answer but I can say that, on occasion, I have played the system very loud just for the hell of it and, on other occasions, I have done so by accident. In no case have I heard anything amiss or lit the lights.
MattHooper
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Hey folks, I have a question.
As I’ve mentioned on the forum I mostly use my Conrad Johnson tube amplification to drive my speakers - among the loudspeakers are my Thiel 2.7 floor standing speakers and currently I’m using my Joseph Audio Perspective2 speakers.
I am able to also easily switch between my Benchmark LA4 preamp and my CJ tube preamp.
Sometimes I play with a solid state amplifiers in my system, often borrowing Bryston 4B3 from my friend. But he sold that a while back so when I want to power my two channel speakers with solid state I hook them up to my old Denon AVR 2809CI av amp which does duty for my home theatre surround system.
So I’ve been listening recently to the Denon / Joseph speaker combo and have been quite pleased. (the sound is tighter and more precise than with the tube gear). I use a Benchmark DAC2L as my DAC for my two channel system. But for convenience I’ve just sent a coax digital signal out of my blue sound node into the Denon so I can stream music from my server.
It makes me wonder what a full Benchmark amp set up would sound like in my system.
I’m not going to be putting out the money for the Benchmark AHB2 amp (I’m keeping a lookout for a cheaper old NAD amp if anything). So this question is purely academic and out of curiosity.
Does anybody here think there could be any audible difference between using the old Denon AVR versus a Benchmark LA4 /AHB2 combo?
The reason I’m asking is that I have generally viewed solid state amplifiers as a solved problem long ago and that one neutral amp is audibly the same as another so long as the amplifier is sensibly paired with the type of speakers it’s going to power. And that beyond that it’s a sort of specsmanship and showing off engineering chops to get the distortion lower like benchmark does.
So do you think that the Denon, (distortion rating 0.05% THD FWIW) is essentially audibly transparent and would be indistinguishable from the Benchmark gear?
If not, why not?
(Currently as I mentioned I’m using the Denon’s internal DAC, so that’s another piece of the puzzle. We could stipulate using the Benchmark DAC for any hypothetical shoot out between the Denon and Benchmark gear)
Thanks
As I’ve mentioned on the forum I mostly use my Conrad Johnson tube amplification to drive my speakers - among the loudspeakers are my Thiel 2.7 floor standing speakers and currently I’m using my Joseph Audio Perspective2 speakers.
I am able to also easily switch between my Benchmark LA4 preamp and my CJ tube preamp.
Sometimes I play with a solid state amplifiers in my system, often borrowing Bryston 4B3 from my friend. But he sold that a while back so when I want to power my two channel speakers with solid state I hook them up to my old Denon AVR 2809CI av amp which does duty for my home theatre surround system.
So I’ve been listening recently to the Denon / Joseph speaker combo and have been quite pleased. (the sound is tighter and more precise than with the tube gear). I use a Benchmark DAC2L as my DAC for my two channel system. But for convenience I’ve just sent a coax digital signal out of my blue sound node into the Denon so I can stream music from my server.
It makes me wonder what a full Benchmark amp set up would sound like in my system.
I’m not going to be putting out the money for the Benchmark AHB2 amp (I’m keeping a lookout for a cheaper old NAD amp if anything). So this question is purely academic and out of curiosity.
Does anybody here think there could be any audible difference between using the old Denon AVR versus a Benchmark LA4 /AHB2 combo?
The reason I’m asking is that I have generally viewed solid state amplifiers as a solved problem long ago and that one neutral amp is audibly the same as another so long as the amplifier is sensibly paired with the type of speakers it’s going to power. And that beyond that it’s a sort of specsmanship and showing off engineering chops to get the distortion lower like benchmark does.
So do you think that the Denon, (distortion rating 0.05% THD FWIW) is essentially audibly transparent and would be indistinguishable from the Benchmark gear?
If not, why not?
(Currently as I mentioned I’m using the Denon’s internal DAC, so that’s another piece of the puzzle. We could stipulate using the Benchmark DAC for any hypothetical shoot out between the Denon and Benchmark gear)
Thanks
MRC01
Major Contributor
Going from tube to transistor (SS) amp can make a big difference that can be audible. Going from a decent SS to a great SS amp (Denon to Benchmark), not so much. Maybe, maybe not. Depends on the speakers and how much power you need.
Can you borrow the amp your friend replaced his Bryston with? Do you have other friends with good SS amps? Local audio club that does equipment swaps / sharing?
Can you borrow the amp your friend replaced his Bryston with? Do you have other friends with good SS amps? Local audio club that does equipment swaps / sharing?
MattHooper
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The Joseph speakers aren’t very sensitive at around 84db, though they are an easy impedance to drive (they work well with tube amplifiers). My Thiels are probably more challenging, but sound just fine with my tube gear.
I am interested in the likelihood of a sonic difference in my system, but also interested in more generally how the Denon would hold up vs the Benchmark in any system, somebody might speculate about.
My pal moved on to a huge Hegel amp… no way I would heave that thing to my house (and I’m not currently in a condition to). Although yes, I would have access to other SS amps probably.
Again, this is mostly an academic question for me at this point, out of curiosity. Seeing what people here think.
MRC01
Major Contributor
And a tuned/prepared listening room, since room modes and reflections do mask/obscure subtle differences.
Roland68
Master Contributor
I can answer this question from my own experience.
You have some listening experience, and you'll most likely hear a difference, but not a big one, maybe just a small one.
With typical mainstream music, and as long as the music isn't the main focus, I wouldn't care at all.
But if I were sitting down to listen to higher-quality music, it would bother me personally a lot.
I'll make a provocative suggestion, in case you haven't already.
Try out a Topping Mini 300, PA5 II, 3E Audio A5, or Sabaj A30a/SMSL VMV A2 (identical, not the Pro version!), and see if you really need more. The latter two might only be available used, while the first three could perhaps be obtained through Amazon with a return policy.
MattHooper
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Thanks for your reply.
At the moment, I don’t have much money to spare. I’m still bemoaning losing out on a local deal for a NAD 2700 amp which would’ve been perfect - cheap and easy to swap in and out of the system.
In past times, I could’ve got a good deal on the AHB2. Would be nice since I already have their pre-amplifier . But even with a good deal, it’s unlikely I can buy one at this point. So again, I’m more curious than anything. Scratching and intellectual itch.
If you can isolate the Denon's amp and use the Benchmarks DAC, the difference in sound between the Benchmark and Denons simple power amp function would be extremely minor if at all. Denos's older AVRs typically shown DAC SINAD issues. Any SQ failure would be due to the Denon amps marginal power supply and the Josephs power hungry 84db sensitive demands.
Roland68
Master Contributor
I understand your frustration; I own a few units from this series myself (2200, 2400, 2600, but also 3100, 3300, 3400). While they offer plenty of power, their sound quality doesn't quite match the amplifiers you mentioned.
A used PA5/II usually costs under €100, and a new Mini 300 is around €140.
As I said, my personal recommendation would be to test them out.
MattHooper
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Wow! You’re certainly the right person to answer my questions!
You know what I don’t think I was quite aware of the Topping Mini ! I just looked at prices and it could be a contender!
My Denon is 115w/channel. The Topping is 140w/4 0hm which sounds good for my Thiels but my Joseph Perspective2 speakers are “8 ohms nominal, 5.5 ohms minimum” and stay mostly above 6ohm
Apparently the Topping is only around 65W at 8 ohm, so I presume I would get less power out of it with my Josephs (which are around 84db sensitivity).
That said, even when I’m listening at my normal levels it’s rare that I go above 75DB.
Maybe I should investigate the topping.
Jimster480
Major Contributor
The Topping sounds like a good option for you, I personally have the Fosi Mono v3's and the Douk G7 and I like both of them. I drive Klipsch RP-8000F II's
Nybto
Active Member
i had a wow moment when my AHB2 was newly installed, replacing a big Parasound HCA2200ii, when I noticed the reduced noise floor as a ring of some sort faded away..
Jimster480
Major Contributor
It is always awesome when you connect a new device and you are wowed by the performance. This is what happened to me last year when testing some RP-8060FA II's as part of a project for me to install new speakers in my church to replace a Peavy setup from the 1990s. The setup has been in the church over a year and people still come upto me regularly to tell me how good it sounds.
A few years ago I replaced a pair of Constellation Centaur Mono with a pair of AHB2s. The Constellation amps are great, yet extremely expensive, big, heavy and heat producing. Power seems limitless, no strain, very transparent. So I was prepared to have to talk myself into accepting an inferior product with the AHB2, but a more practical one. All the opposite. No compromise at all. Equally effortless and transparent. And they are so incredibly quiet. Best amplifier I’ve ever had.
MattHooper
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Just bumping this with another question:
I was asking ChatGPT about this and I wanted some other input. Apparently the smaller cheaper class D amps like the topping mini 300 can in some case is very frequency response with speaker load. Whereas the benchmark amplifier would be load invariant.
ChatGPT mentions that if there was any effect on the frequency response, it would be most likely a possible rise or boost in some high frequencies in my speakers.
Does that make sense?
I’ve also started to look at some comparison amplifiers like the Fossi z A3 (which seems a bit more powerful)
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