The only speakers I've ever owned which had SpeakOn connections are the Gradient 1.5 Helsinki. Most audiophile-oriented speakers are not equipped with the SpeakOn jacks, which are very common on pro-audio-oriented speakers. I do not use cables with SpeakON connections at both ends for the simple reason that my Harbeth M40.2 speaker binding posts are not compatible with the SpeakON connections but are eminently suited to locking bananas. These are the only cables which Benchmark certifies as being able to deliver the amp's power to speakers with the rated noise and distortion figures. The speaker cables are the six-foot-long Benchmark Speaker Cable – NL2 to Banana- 2 Pole which have heavy-duty 40-amp SpeakOn connectors at the amp end and locking banana plugs at the speaker end. That will change with the addition of the coming-in-June Benchmark HPA4, an all-analog unit which will bypass the DAC's digital volume control in favor of the relay gain control in the new unit, which will drive both the AHB2s and my Audeze LCD-4 headphones. At the moment, there is no intervening preamp. I use three-foot-long Benchmark Studio&Stage Starquad XLR Cable for Analog Audio to feed sound to the AHB2s directly from my Benchmark DAC-3 HGC with its digital volume control. The Importance of Star-Quad Microphone Cableīenchmark Speaker Cable – NL2 to Banana – 2 Pole In terms of Benchmark's literature, see:ĪHB Technology (then click on the Technology tab)ĪHB2 Instruction Manual-performance plots start on page 26īalanced vs.

The measured results published by others (e.g., Stereophile) bear out the honesty and in fact conservative nature of Benchmark's own evaluation and specifications. Benchmark is uniquely forthcoming and detailed about the measurable performance of all its products and this amp is no exception. You should also take a look at Benchmark's own measurements and discussion of the THX Achromatic Audio Amplifier (AAA) circuit used in this amp. Those reviews basically correctly describe the subjective sound of this amplifier, I think, especially Greg Weaver's early review for Enjoy the Music. I refer readers particularly to the reviews by: Prior reviews by others of the AHB2 are very helpful in describing the product and talking about its sound or lack thereof. I've also auditioned at stores and shows many other 'contenders' before purchasing what I did.īut I feel extremely confident now that I've used the Benchmarks for months now that the AHB2, at least in the bridged mono mode that I use them, is absolutely the finest sounding and otherwise performing power amplifier I know of. The list of speakers I've owned and driven with those amps is longer yet. Harmon Kardon something (nice sounding in den system until it overheated and failed)ĭenon AVR something (den system-okay, but not as good sounding as the HK had been)Īrcam AVR600 (probably the best sounding receiver made to that point in time) It lasted for 20+ years in my bedroom system and never sounded anything other than very good in that context.ĭenon AVR5800 (basement home theater system) Lyngdorf TDAI-2170 (magnificent except for the RoomPerfect) As indicated in my post about the audio equipment I've owned, I've owned a few amps in my time before the Benchmarks, including:ĭynaco SCA-35 (my first amp and the only pure-tube component I've ever owned)ĪR Amplifier (the ideal amp for Dynaquad surround because of its built-in difference circuit-owned twice, once during college and then again to drive vintage AR speakers) To my mind, these are unquestionably the best sounding and performing amps I've owned. If you've been looking at my other recent threads ( Oppo, Benchmark, Auralic, Harbeth) you'll know that I'm now using a pair of Benchmark AHB2 amps in bridged mono configuration to drive my speakers, the Harbeth Monitor 40.2.

Benchmark ahb2 amplifier review