BENCHMARK AHB2 AMPLIFIER REVIEW FULL

BENCHMARK AHB2 AMPLIFIER REVIEW FULL

< 0.0003 % THD+N at full rated power, 20 Hz to 20 kHz Technical Specifications CONTINUOUS AVERAGE OUTPUT POWER This Benchmark product was designed, assembled, and tested in the USA using USA and imported components. DESIGNED, ASSEMBLED, AND TESTED IN THE USA The result is an amplifier that stands head and shoulders above the competition. In our quest to build the ultimate amplifier, we also focused on frequency response, output noise, drive current, damping factor, and reliability. The AHB2 produces almost no measurable distortion at any rated load condition.

In contrast, the feed-forward error correction system in the AHB2 keeps the output clean when driving difficult loads. Most power amplifiers produce higher levels of distortion when the load impedance decreases. Stereo loads as low as 1.4 Ohms can be cleanly driven to full output levels. The AHB2 drives difficult phase angles and low impedances with ease. Many loudspeakers have frequencies at which their impedance drops to levels that are much lower than the 'nominal' impedance. DIFFICULT SPEAKER LOADS ARE HANDLED WITH EASE

No other audio amplifier comes close to delivering the clean, quiet, and robust power of the AHB2. This technology uses feed-forward error correction to eliminate the distortion that is normally produced by the output stage. The AHB2 uses the new and revolutionary THX-patented AAA™ technology to virtually eliminate all forms of distortion. This was exactly the technology we needed to build our new amplifier. In our search, we learned of two new patents on a new amplifier technology from THX. We had to look beyond existing amplifier technologies and explore some new and radical solutions. Benchmark set out to solve this problem by creating an amplifier that matches the performance of the DAC3. Until now, this meant that the DAC3 could not be fully appreciated. For example, the noise and distortion produced by the Benchmark DAC3 D/A converter is 20 to 30 dB lower than that produced by most high-quality power amplifiers. This means that the power amplifier has become a limiting factor in many audio systems. Ben Shyman, Home Theater Review FULFILLING THE NEED FOR BETTER AMPLIFICATIONĭ/A conversion technology has outpaced the development of new power amplifiers. m asterfully detailed and transparent with spot-on tonality and some serious punch.' In contrast, the revolutionary AHB2 was specifically designed to deliver true high-resolution performance. Most power amplifiers are well matched to the limitations of the CD format, but they fall well short of the capabilities of high-resolution formats. Power amplifiers are a weak link in most audio systems. The musical details and emotion captured on today's finest High-Resolution-Audio recordings can only be fully appreciated when every component in the signal chain is capable of true high-resolution performance. With the AHB2, you will discover previously overlooked nuances, dynamics, and detail in your favorite recordings and experience the full potential of the latest high-resolution 24-bit PCM and 1-bit DSD audio formats. The frequency response of the AHB2 extends beyond 200 kHz. The dynamic range of the AHB2 is 132 dB, making it 10 to 30 dB quieter than some of the very best reference-quality power amplifiers. Benchmark's AHB2 power amplifier delivers musical details without introducing the masking effects of amplifier noise and distortion. The AHB2 is the ideal match to the performance limits of High-Resolution-Audio (HRA) formats. John Atkinson, Stereophile TRUE HIGH-RESOLUTION PERFORMANCE It is truly a high-resolution amplifier.' Hans Wetzel, SoundStage! 'Benchmark Media Systems' AHB2 is an extraordinary amplifier. Not only does its performance lie at the limits of what is possible for me to reliably test, it packs high power into a very small package, especially when used in bridged-mono mode. Time and again, without ever having intended to, I wound up hours deep in listening to the fringes of my music collection, thanks to the AHB2’s reference-level transparency and obscene athleticism.' “If ever there were a giant-killer of an amp, this is it.” 'It is one of the - if not the - quietest, most resolving amps I've heard. THE QUIETEST, CLEANEST AUDIO AMPLIFIER ON THE PLANETįrom the first watt to the last watt, no audio power amplifier offers lower noise or lower distortion than the Benchmark AHB2.Benchmark has raised the bar by introducing a new and revolutionary amplifier! “I measured less distortion and noise in the AHB2 than in any other of the many power amps I've measured over the years.”

Benchmark ahb2 amplifier review