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  #51  
Old 10-14-2017, 07:28 PM
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RMAF is a local show for me, so I was in this room a couple of times. I had exchanged a couple of emails a few months prior to the show with Benchmark. My next component was going to be a new moving coil, since I WAS happy with my less than 3 year old First Watt F6. The 10% show discount clinched it. It arrived yesterday.
The gentleman with ML said that the engineers at the factory were very impressed with the Benchmark, as am I.

Last edited by Denver; 10-16-2017 at 02:58 PM. Reason: Spelling
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  #52  
Old 10-16-2017, 09:37 AM
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Give us a full report when you've had a chance to listen to it for awhile.
Thanks!
Tom
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  #53  
Old 12-28-2017, 01:25 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Denver View Post
RMAF is a local show for me, so I was in this room a couple of times. I had exchanged a couple of emails a few months prior to the show with Benchmark. My next component was going to be a new moving coil, since I WAS happy with my less than 3 year old First Watt F6. The 10% show discount clinched it. It arrived yesterday.
The gentleman with ML said that the engineers at the factory were very impressed with the Benchmark, as am I.
The Benchmark amp has been plugged in for more than two months. What a huge upgrade over the First Watt F6. This was a bit of a surprise. On another forum, a F6 owner commented that he did not think the Benchmark would be better than the F6. Given my experience, I don’t believe he actually did a comparison between the two.
The differences between these two amps was still much more than I had anticipated before the 30 day trial. To say that this amp has more definition, would be an oversimplification. What I’m hearing does not change with a change in the volume. The details that I hear at low-volume are no longer drowned out as the sound increases. That also means that I am listening at a higher volume compared to the F6. Using a Audio tools app to measure loudness, I would usually listen at around 70db. I’m not saying this is accurate, it is just a number that was loud enough for my room. If I turned up the volume above 70, the sound deteriorated. What I began to notice with the new amp, is that detail was not lost in louder passages when playing classical music. Normal listening is now closer to 80db, but does not sound that much louder. This is something I may not have realized if I did not have the app. This does not mean that it sounds better simply because I am playing it louder. When I do play it at 70db, the differences are still quite obvious.
Yes, there is more music coming thru my Salk Songtowers. There is also much more texture with everything that’s coming through my speakers. I had begun to wonder if the lack of definition and texture with the bass in my system was my amp, or my speakers. The Benchmark has been a huge improvement in this area.
The Benchmark has a 3 position sensitivity switch on the back. After speaking with Rory at Benchmark, he recommended the middle position, even though it is louder in the top position. In the middle position, the volume control on my Van Alstine T10 tube preamp is higher, getting a better signal to noise from my preamp. The position of the volume control is around 11, at 80db.
Also, what a difference in the amount of heat generated between these two amps. The F6 is a class A, and was always very warm. My tube preamp has two tubes, and runs warmer than the Benchmark.

Patrick
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  #54  
Old 07-10-2018, 02:57 AM
ssnkssnk ssnkssnk is offline
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I tried coupling my Benchmark DAC3 HGC with Roksan Caspian M2 (integrated 85watts) and ATC SCM19 v2, which left me always wanting for more. I replaced Roksan with Cambridge 851W, which gave me more fuller sound and kept me from upgrading for some time. Then I heard Benchmark AHB2....there was no going back. Never before did I appreciate the synergies of audio equipment and what they can do when aligned properly. This is probably the best audio I have heard in my whole life. There is perfect balance of highs, mids and lows - given the original recording is decent enough. I am listening to my audio collection as if I am listening to them for the first time. Its magical.
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  #55  
Old 12-03-2018, 01:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Denver View Post
The Benchmark amp has been plugged in for more than two months. What a huge upgrade over the First Watt F6. This was a bit of a surprise. On another forum, a F6 owner commented that he did not think the Benchmark would be better than the F6. Given my experience, I don’t believe he actually did a comparison between the two.
The differences between these two amps was still much more than I had anticipated before the 30 day trial. To say that this amp has more definition, would be an oversimplification. What I’m hearing does not change with a change in the volume. The details that I hear at low-volume are no longer drowned out as the sound increases. That also means that I am listening at a higher volume compared to the F6. Using a Audio tools app to measure loudness, I would usually listen at around 70db. I’m not saying this is accurate, it is just a number that was loud enough for my room. If I turned up the volume above 70, the sound deteriorated. What I began to notice with the new amp, is that detail was not lost in louder passages when playing classical music. Normal listening is now closer to 80db, but does not sound that much louder. This is something I may not have realized if I did not have the app. This does not mean that it sounds better simply because I am playing it louder. When I do play it at 70db, the differences are still quite obvious.
Yes, there is more music coming thru my Salk Songtowers. There is also much more texture with everything that’s coming through my speakers. I had begun to wonder if the lack of definition and texture with the bass in my system was my amp, or my speakers. The Benchmark has been a huge improvement in this area.
The Benchmark has a 3 position sensitivity switch on the back. After speaking with Rory at Benchmark, he recommended the middle position, even though it is louder in the top position. In the middle position, the volume control on my Van Alstine T10 tube preamp is higher, getting a better signal to noise from my preamp. The position of the volume control is around 11, at 80db.
Also, what a difference in the amount of heat generated between these two amps. The F6 is a class A, and was always very warm. My tube preamp has two tubes, and runs warmer than the Benchmark.

Patrick
My next Benchmark piece has been ordered. A black LA4 line amplifier with remote. After seeing this at RMAF in October, the choice of my next preamp was made.
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  #56  
Old 12-21-2018, 04:41 PM
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Quote:
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My next Benchmark piece has been ordered. A black LA4 line amplifier with remote. After seeing this at RMAF in October, the choice of my next preamp was made.
The LA4 arrived and has just started to make music! First impression is good.
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  #57  
Old 01-22-2019, 06:00 PM
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Quote:
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The LA4 arrived and has just started to make music! First impression is good.
Let me start with the preamp that the LA4 replaced. Audio by Van Alstine T10 RB tube preamp with phono section. I have been happy with this preamp for a couple of years. Not anymore.
Along with the LA4, I also purchased some Benchmark cables, and a AVA phono preamp. My sources are a CD player, and a turntable with a moving coil cartridge. A Benchmark DAC will be added later this year.
How does it sound? Awesome! The imaging in my system has been ok, nothing precise until now. The image now is almost palpable. It’s not just placement left to right, it’s also front to rear, and top to bottom. My musical preferences are Classical, Rock & Roll, and Big Band. It is now easy to place the horn section behind the strings. Along with more music coming thru, the texture of stringed instruments is exciting to hear.
With a remote, and the LA4 triggered to the Ahb2, there is no need to turn them on separately anymore. I also like the feature that remembers that the mute was on when I shut everything off. Have you ever started to play something and forget that the mute was not on after you switched the preamp on?
After setting it up with the touchscreen, no need to open the cabinet anymore.

Patrick
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  #58  
Old 03-03-2019, 06:45 PM
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When I purchased my Benchmark amp about a year and a half ago, I already had a pair of Shunyata Venom speaker cables- spade to spade. After about a year with the new amp, I wanted to try the Benchmark speaker cables-Speakon to locking banana. How could Benchmark cables at less than $200, compare to Shunyata cables that were demo priced at $600? Of course, they don’t! With a 30 day trial on the Benchmark cables, I had plenty of listening time to compare.
The difference became obvious, and without going into a lot of explaining, the Shunyata cables were sold. Not the outcome I would have predicted.
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  #59  
Old 04-16-2020, 01:48 PM
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When I look at the number of views of this thread, it’s obvious that their is a lot of interest in Benchmark. Understandable, since my experience is in agreement with the reviews on their website.
In the past, some components have shown weaknesses after awhile. Not happening with any of my Benchmark components. If anything, it has made weaknesses in other component in my system.
My phono preamp, for example, was a Audio by Van Alstine. In December, I replaced it with a Keces Ephono & Ephono power supply. Wow! It’s either a bargain at $700, or a much better match with Benchmark.

Last edited by Denver; 04-24-2020 at 12:53 PM.
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  #60  
Old 04-24-2020, 01:53 AM
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I too am a convert to benchmark products. I have two of their ABH2 amps running a mono blocks, a DAC3 and the LA4 preamp. Incredible at any price. And I have owned plenty that cost plenty more.
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