The Benchmark AHB2 is a high resolution power amplifier featuring a wealth of ground-breaking advances in design and performance.
The Benchmark AHB2 uses a patented technology to eliminate most sources of distortion and increase dynamic range far beyond what was previously possible in high-end amplification systems. Designed to accommodate high-resolution audio recordings and digital formats, the AHB2 delivers the detail, texture and dynamic range of the best high-resolution recordings.
With a dynamic range approaching the 130dB, the AHB2 is much quieter than audiophile power amplifiers and will deliver all the musical detail that 24-bit PCM and 1-Bit DSD audio formats can deliver. Frequency response exceeds 200kHz and helps deliver the ultrasonic detail and transients that only high resolution audio delivers, while the low frequency response extends below 0.1Hz which combined to a high damping factor greatly contributes to delivering a solid, well controlled bass.
Unlike Class AB amplifiers which can cause crossover distortion and Class A amps that provide poor damping and limited dynamic range, the Benchmark AHB uses innovations patented by THX which virtually eliminate all crossover distortion while improving efficiency and damping and dynamic range. As a result the AHB exhibits far superior efficiency than Class A amps and much improved distortion performance than Class AB.
Benchmark AHB2 Power Amplifier Main Features:
- Low gain (9 dB) - allows +22 dBu input at amplifier clip - essential for low noise
- Patented feed-forward error correction - virtually eliminates crossover distortion
- Feed-forward design makes bias currents unnecessary, and non-critical - class B operation is possible with very low distortion
- Multiple output stages run in parallel to eliminate crossover distortion - one output stage is active while another is in the crossover region
- Class AB output stage uses very low bias current
- Due to low bias currents, idle power consumption is only 20 W
- Feed-forward design makes class H or G operation possible - no rise in distortion at class H or G switch point
- Class H (or G) rail switching at a 1/3 power threshold
- Tightly regulated power supply
- High-bandwidth control loop on switch-mode power supply responds to amplifier loading over the entire audio band, and at ultrasonic frequencies
- Amplifier does not rely on capacitive energy storage
- Switch-mode power supply eliminates AC line magnetic interference to levels that are not possible with a linear power
supply - >200 kHz bandwidth to achieve excellent inter-channel phase at 20 kHz.
- < 0.1 Hz low frequency cutoff to minimize low-frequency phase shift
- Feed-forward design improves damping factor
