SHOULD be the LAST Power Amplifier Audiophiles Buy..."BUT." Benchmark AHB2 Amplifier Review

So today we're taking a look at the Benchmark ahb2 amplifier now this amplifier is special and if you are an audio file depending on the type of audio file you are this may be not only the last amplifier you buy but the only amplifier you will ever need regardless of price [Applause] [Music] now trust me when I say that I have heard a lot of amplifiers that promises transparency detail lowest Distortion possible but there is really no proof when it comes down to it there is no proof other than the fact that you have to listen with your ears well Benchmark is one of those companies that has proved on paper that their amplifier is the lowest Distortion possible with specs to prove it and back it up and the outcome of that product is The Benchmark ahb2 amplifier now the thing that I like about Benchmark is that as a company they are not only relying on measurements but they also do heavy listening tests and they're worse not mine they suggest that impressive measurements do not necessarily guarantee that transparency has been achieved transparency must be confirmed with a listening test and personally I have to fully agree with that and for the longest time I have have been trying to listen to The Benchmark ahb2 in my own system I have heard the ahb2 briefly in other systems here and there but I never got to try my for myself in my system and finally I have bought not one but two and we'll talk about the reason why to try it out in my system and I can't wait to share with you in this video but first let's look at the unit and talk about some wonderful technology that is implemented into this small amplifier now it uses a feed for error correction technology patented by THX making perhaps the asbt one of the quietest and the lowest Distortion amplifier to be ever made looking at this small form factor of an amplifier I mean it's about two Palms width it is very very small for this type of amplifier and wait till I get to the power rating you might expect that this amplifier is a class D amplifier however in fact the ahb2 is not a class D amplifier the ahb2 is actually a combination of a Class A B technology and class H with a unique feed forward system that I just talked about a few moments earlier and according to Benchmark not only does this topology decrease the Distortion and noise level to basically the lowest ever possible but it raw Rivals the highest grade class A Class D you name it in other measurement performances as well one of them being the crossed over Distortion so there's so much that goes into the specifics and the technology of this amplifier that I just cannot go over all of it in this video so if you're interested in more of this error correction and Distortion minimizing technology that they did to this amplifier I'll link to that in the description below because they have our entire page of it so safe to say that the Benchmark hb2 is not just any other amplifier but it's an Innovative product with real real technology involved now The Benchmark hb2 before we get to the power rating by the way which is ridiculous is actually a high current amplifier as well being able to drive really hard to drive speakers with authority and drive but also it can handle really low impedances as well down to even 1.6 ohms well what does this mean well it virtually means that this amplifier despite its size can drive virtually any speakers out there which is incredible now let's talk about the power output this tiny small amplifier when it's used in Stereo mode as a single unit can output 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms 130 watts into 6 ohms 190 watts into 4 Ohms and 240 watts into 3 ohms now that is impressive amount of power for such a tiny amplifier and to be able to drive to that low of an impedance means that virtually a single unit can drive most speakers out there but just in case you have really high demands or need for that power for extra Headroom well remember how I said that this is in Stereo mode well this can be run in monoblock or model mode with a switch on the back flip the switch on both amplifiers to Mono mode when used as a monoblock the HBQ can output 200 watts into 16 ohms a whopping 380 watts into 8 ohms and 480 watts into 6 ohms which is by the way absolutely crazy for this small amplifier that you can lift with one hand now just keep in mind that when you're running these in monoblock configuration to read the manual as the positives become now negative and positive as I'm showing here in the back of the amplifier Now The Binding post on this amplifier is not the worst thing but it's not my favorite either as if you're using Spade cables it has a insertion at the bottom and if you're using heavy or big speaker cables then it will lift the amplifier or you just won't be able to connect it to the amplifier at all because of its limited ability to use Spade connections now I found this very odd but it's nothing that I haven't seen before so I did some digging on The Benchmark website and it seems that they're not a fan of spade plugs or Spade connectors because it has variable results when they measure so I looked into what they actually used and they do sell their own cables and also speak on connections which is what they find to be most reliable and yes this amplifier does have speak on connections on the back if you decide to buy The Benchmark cables so you can buy the cables from Benchmark and use the speaker connectors on the back of this unit but also they advocate for locking banana speaker cables now specifically locking bananas not normal ones and I do have the blue jean cable rules and that is the cable that I used in this video specifically the Locking banana cables throughout my listening sessions because that's what they recommend with their amplifier product now did I notice a very big change in sound or even a slight changing sound when I changed from Spade to Banana no not not a huge difference with the Benchmark amplifier however it is this much more convenient to use locking banana cables on this amplifier as the speed connection like I mentioned is not that convenient in fact I had to lift the amplifier like this and then like try to finagle the speed inside because the opening wasn't very you know forgiving to put in the Spades so just try to use the speaker connection or the banana or the Locking banana specifically recommended by Benchmark it is their product after all and I trust them to use the right type of cabling now another thing to notice on the back of this unit is that it doesn't have RCA or single ended inputs it only has balanced inputs which means that you can use a RCA to XLR conversion cable if your preamplifier doesn't have balanced connections but there is something also that you need to pay a close attention to on the back of the unit for those situations and that is the sensitivity or gain switch now this has three different settings and the most lowest setting is the one that you would use on professional preamplifiers that has a fully balanced topology the middle one is the one that I use most often on this amplifier as it is the safest between balanced or RCA based preamplifiers and what these adjustments really are is gain so when you're switching them make sure that the amplifier is turned off or the volume is fully down because if not you're going to get a loud certain noise when you increase the gain now when you go to the highest setting that is the one that you would use if you are using a RCA cable now you can use the middle setting if you you are using RCA cables however just make sure that you're using the right type of cables recommended by Benchmark as well as the right sensitivity settings now why is the sensitivity setting so important well it's because it relates to the sound quality as well Benchmark specifically states that the wrong setting on the sensitivity would allow for the pre-amplifiers noise to transfer to the amplifier therefore amplifying Distortion so make sure to have the right sensitivity setting on this amplifier when you're using it now I wondered how the sensitivity setting will transfer in real life situations where like would it be Audible for me to hear those distortions or whatever is going on and what would that effect be so on purpose I tried all three settings on a RCA cable to balanced and Etc I fooled around with it with multiple different pre-amplifiers and it seems like that if you put the low gain setting on situations where you're using RCA cables example you get this dull lifeless flat very neutral but like Dynamic compression kind of sound where it sounds compressed almost rolled off and unexciting when you put it on the higher setting than you should it sounds bright brittle and almost like there's some type of high frequency Distortion going on that is a bit like ringing it's unpleasant to the ear now when I have the right setting for the preamplifiers that I was using which may take some experimentation on your end but you do hear the differences and it is sonically distinguishable if you are doing the right thing or not because it will be either too bright or too dull sounding you know you stroke the right setting when you can listen to it and it seems neutral transparent without brittle and brightness and dullness or compression this amplifier is very transparent and when the setting is right this amplifier can be a reference and talking about reference this amplifier is also used in studios naturally because of its transparent uncolored neutral nature in fact if you go on the website for extra hundred dollars they sell a rack mount or for Studios as an option they have the silver faceplate and a black face plate but I personally really like the black all black look on this amplifier much more than the silver faceplate and oh almost forgot this amplifier is packed with features no this small amplifier not only does it have great technology with all these wonderful measurements and Innovations into it but in the front not only do you see a power switch thank you front power switches but it also has these indicators or LEDs to let you know for temperature control peaking clipping muting and the goes to this led pattern when it goes on standby and when it comes back to life and if you even if you forget to turn it off it goes on standby on its own after a certain amount of time so this amplifier is really well thought out in design and when you start using it you can really tell that this is an amplifier are that is well thought out to be reliable to be used on a constant basis and to be long lasting now I don't I this one of these amplifiers that I imagined will last 10 plus years 20 30 years 40 years without any problem whatsoever now obviously I can't guarantee that but the feeling I get when I have this amplifier is that this despite its size is a tank and a beast of an amplifier that can drive literally any speaker now the important thing is how does it sound and this is the thing that I was really wondering for myself about the sample fire because quite frankly audiophiles the meaning of audio files even if you type it on Google will tell you it is to get the artist's intent right to have no barrier have the most transparency between the loudspeaker and The Listener so that you seem to get exactly what was recorded in the studios and that is the quote-unquote ultimate goal of being an audiophile now we all know that there are many different types of audio files including two audio files like myself vintage you know some people like it this way some people like it that way there's it's a very preference based Hobby Soul or passion right but again if you are that audiophile that is looking for absolute transparency well regardless of price I don't think it gets better than the Benchmark ahb2 this is the most neutral amplifier regardless of Class D Class A Class A B that I've tested in my own listening tests that I've done with multiple speakers that I have you know that I have in here it seems like this amplifier has almost no color there is no color to be had there's no exaggeration in the base in the mid bass in the highs it just seems like a blank canvas in fact the way I found out is the hard way when I was listening to the ASB 2 I was thinking that it was slightly ever so slightly colored and I was like of course there is no amplifier that is absolutely neutral and absolutely transparent but after switching my preamplifiers and switching this and that in my system I realized and these are components that I know very well I realized that the Benchmark all it was doing was showing me the coloration of whatever was in my system so it was not the Benchmark that was coloring whatever a little bit but it was the rest of my components like my preamplifier DAC you know stuff like that so in reality every time I switched something I got the truth of what the coloration of my preamplifier was what my DAC was and what my speakers were doing and the Benchmark was just out of the way it just seemed like the benchmarks were transferring whatever that I was putting into it with no lies just absolute truth so truly The Benchmark hb2 is something that audiophiles have been trying to achieve for the longest time that faithful reproduction of music as the artist intended and it should be the quote-unquote end game but I eventually sold the Benchmark ahb2s that's right I don't have it here with me anymore I used to work in studio so as someone who has Studio experience I appreciate the Benchmark for what it does the absolute transparency the absolute truth however that is not something I want personally in my home system I value The Benchmark hb2 as a tool however for me I'm not looking for a tool I'm looking for Home Entertainment and to tweak things as you guys know I like tube amplifiers to make the sound Bloom they make a sound larger than the artist intended make a deeper sounding make it wide make it Pleasant for my ears so for me the absolute truth hurt and the guy who bought it from me also has Studio background and he wanted the absolute truth and buying this interestingly he said well Jay you know what I know that I'm gonna go through my records and one third of them is gonna be the only ones that's gonna sound good with it but I'm okay with that because I'm gonna learn the truth about my records and how they were recorded and then he added sometimes the truth hurts smart guy but personally for me I like to listen to music and I like to listen to music in my own terms that sounds good to my ears and I have some really bad poor recordings that my mother and my grandfather used to listen to Korean music you know stuff like that that just wasn't recorded very well but I still enjoy them can you guys relate and for me I could not listen to those recordings with a benchmark hp2 as some recordings would just be ripped to shreds it will show you every flaw and if you have speakers like the one that I tried was was the KLH model 5. now the KLH Model 5 is a great speaker and when I send it over to the NRC to get it measured which is posted on the soundstage website I'll link in the description below for you to check out the measurements uh it's a really well measuring speaker and I've tried it with key acoustic q50s I've tried it with the orendo 1723 ethx speakers I've tried it with multiple speakers not just those and when I tried it I was hearing through my speakers all the details all the good things that the speakers were doing all the bad things the speakers were doing but also the recordings right if the recording didn't have any bloom or didn't have any brightness I mean try to try listening to Modern recording with this uh amplifier was an absolute nightmare because what I noticed was that a lot of the modern recordings well I realized this a long time ago adds a lot of excitement on the top end especially hip-hop or pop right because you're hearing with these little earphones nowadays so they exaggerate detail or treble so in my system with a neutral speaker with the hb2 I'm not running a studio here right but I was hearing all the flaws and the recording all the intentions so and so well and that's not just what I wanted because I have like I said some recordings that I just want to enjoy without knowing the truth because the truth hurts these were some terrible terribly recorded and mastered recordings but they have some Nostalgia they have some enjoyment that's that's uh emotional to me but with the Benchmark I couldn't enjoy it emotionally now I'm not saying The Benchmark is bad for enjoyment when you put on a good recording that you like right it is just unbelievable it is just absolutely unbelievable with all the micro details the Dynamics the punch the we do Rumble if the recording has it The Benchmark will show it to you without any exaggeration exactly what the recording is showing you now it's very arrogant for me to say that you know I know exactly you know what these artists intended because I used to work in studios no that's not what I'm seeing I'm saying that's the feeling I get with the Benchmark asp2 because it's so transparent and neutral it sounds to me really really good with really good well-recorded music and it doesn't sound so good as I get all the flaws that I hear in recordings that I know it's not recorded very well because of the era or because of the technology available at the time yada yada right there's no way of knowing the actual intentions of the artist there is no absolute transfer from the studio to your home different environment different speakers different amplifiers and so on they then use Benchmark we don't know that right so anyways Benchmark to me sounds Dynamic transparent neutral open with reasonable Sound Stage it's not the largest Sound Stage it is real again if the recording has a lot of Reverb and was mixed and mastered in such a way to have this you know one of those recordings that's more ambient then the Benchmark will show you that without exaggeration in my opinion or underplaying it it will show you just that and of course your speaker's capability comes into play as well so The Benchmark doesn't really increase or decrease Sound Stage it just seems to be showing you what's in the recording and what your speakers are capable of so I can't really say this is this has a large or intimate Sound Stage it really depends I've heard the Benchmark with speakers and recordings that has really large Ambience and had enormous Ambience and an enormous sound staging but when I heard it with recordings that didn't have that with a speaker for example that doesn't have a large Sound Stage like the Orlando 1723 THX Tower speakers then I heard a more focused speaker to speaker sound stage right it wasn't bad it was intimate it seemed accurate but it was more to speak to the speaker's ability to stay on stage and the recording that I was playing More Than The Benchmark soundstaging so that's something that you have to keep in mind is that the Benchmark even to the down to the sound staging and imaging relies on the recording and the faithful reproduction and your speakers capability so The Benchmark ahb2 is really not just transparent in the sound but the transfer of sound it is transparent in in the transfer of sound in your system so if you have something in your system that just doesn't agree with the Benchmark then it's going to show you that is that bad or is that good I don't know for me that's not personally what I wanted but if you're like the guy that bought the Benchmark from me that knew that he wants the absolute truth then yes that's a good thing like I said in the beginning of this video if you are the type of the audio file that wants truth that is wanting faithful reproduction the original I guess uh hate saying that but the you know original meaning of audiophilia right your truthful reproduction of what was intended and that's what you want the Benchmark hb2 seems to be the best amplifier that gets closest to that from what I've heard so far in my experience with the correct setting correct setup with the benchmarks and it's always important with units like this because if you want absolute in truth with a unit like this then you have to wonder about what is the truth of your system right now as well not just the recording just because you have a neutral amplifier doesn't mean the rest of your system is neutral so The Benchmark hb2 like I said shows you the absolute truth and it's a transparent amplifier like none other that I've come across the other ones like class D amplifiers that's absolutely transparent and detailed yes they're detailed they may be some transparency but not like this right it doesn't have the dryness of the some class the amplifier that glassiness that I heard on some class D amplifiers even the greatest class D amplifiers with purify modules these days that I've heard don't match up to the benchmarks and the benchmarks were released like seven years ago I think so that says something that must say something so that's pretty much it for me with the Benchmark hb2 I had a great experience with it hope this video was helpful to you if it was then make sure to subscribe for more videos on what I'm doing in my system what I'm changing out what I'm trying out and to know I share these things with you so make sure you're subscribed for those uh similar videos and make sure you click the like button on this video if it was helpful for you and I hope to see you guys very soon again on this channel until next time

Channel: Jay's iyagi

Views: 93,840

Keywords: power amplifier, benchmark ahb2, benchmark audio, benchmark amplifier, power amp, benchmark media, power amplifier review, benchmark ahb2 vs purifi, benchmark ahb2 specs, benchmark ahb2 monoblock, benchmark audio reviews, benchmark ahb2 reviews, benchmark audio ahb2 review, benchmark amplifier review, benchmark amplifier ahb2, benchmark audio amplifier, benchmark ahb2 power amplifier review, Audiophile, audiophile amplifier, audiophile amplifier review, amplifier for home

Id: 8aeYu4aniQc

Length: 24min 15sec (1455 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 12 2023