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RE: Muzak and Benchmark AHB2

The Benchmark amp was a brand new product and I read on another forum a review by a fellow Avantgarde owner (of Trios) claiming this was the best amp he'd ever had in his system, including numerous very costly SS and tube ones. I was using 845-based SET monos at the time, so on the basis that this amp was so good with Trios, I concluded it should be staggeringly good with my Unos. There were no professional reviews at the time and no nearby dealers, so I bought unheard from a dealer in Scotland.

It's a very nicely built and appointed amp with features like a Gain switch on the back panel - ideal for those with horn speakers. However, after a couple of months really trying to like this amp, I played a short playlist of 6 familiar tracks on the AHB2 and then switched back to my ancient SETs. The difference was such that I wanted to turn up the SET's volume and listen to the end of each track, whereas I was inclined to turn down the Benchmark and even skip to the next track. So, much as your description of the 383 - dull as ditch-water.

After re-reading the Trio owner's posts, I concluded that he was obsessed with silence (huge SN ratio) above everything else and the Benchmark is dead quiet - hence his ravings!

In time reviews were published that are generally favourable, but careful reading between the lines, usually revealed concerns over ultimate recommendation.

My dealer was kind enough to take the amp back with a full-value credit note that I later used to buy a used GamuT D200 Mk III amp. What a great amp this was. However it was let down by one inexcusable feature (I hope you're reading this Ole) - it produced a massive thump through my speakers each time it was turned on or off. OK with 85 dB speakers but not my 102 dB ones. This could / should have easily been sorted by GamuT with a soft-start circuit, but they chose to keep the thump, even warning users in the User Manual! Despite my love of its sound (possibly bettering the NAD), it just had to go to a new owner.


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