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In Reply to: RE: Luxman M-200 [not the M-2000] posted by cawson@onetel.com on April 07, 2016 at 08:33:24
Do you find the A-36 better than the Benchmark AHB2?
Follow Ups:
> Do you find the A-36 better than the Benchmark AHB2?Yes by a huge factor.
I was expecting the Benchmark to be an excellent match with my Avantgarde speakers (based on rave comments by a Trio owner on another forum) but I found the Benchmark dull and lifeless compared with my SET monoblocs. I wrote about it - see below.
Since then, I've tried Sugden Class A, Quad, Red Wine 30.2 and of these the Sugden FPA-1 was the most tube-line and the most appealing sound-wise with my speakers.
The Accuphase is appreciably the best of the lot. I'm not convinced the sound is better than the 845 monos, but the complete lack of noise and the better controlled bass make it a winner. Like the 845 amps (and in total contrast to the Benchmark), this is amp to get one excited about what one's listening to and to want to turn up rather than down the volume
I'm not saying this is the best amp for my speakers, but it's getting close. I'd really like to try the French Lavardin A80 Reference as I hear such good things about their integrated IS Ref. By coincidence I received a phone call today from someone enquiring about my used Mark Levinson 390S CD player and he has a Lavardin IS that he couldn't praise high enough. I'd love to compare Lavardin with Accuphase!
Other Accuphase good points - it has a gain switch offering -3, -6, and -12 from its full level of 28 dB (very useful with very sensitive speakers), big meters, switchable balanced and SE inputs, a S/N ratio of 112 dB and it doesn't get as hot as one would expect of a Class A amp. It looks rather 1980s in design but it sounds wonderful.
In support of the Benchmark, most reviews have been generally very good, but nearly all have qualified their praise by stating that it's a particularly speaker-dependent amp. I'd expect it to be a very good match for other speakers - but not Avantgarde!
Edits: 04/09/16
Have you thought of also trying a Job 225? It has a rather high gain though.
> Have you thought of also trying a Job 225? It has a rather high gain though.
Not seriously. Spec far short of Accuphase - no UK dealers, probably nil used value in UK, consumes 450 watts - far more than my Class A Accuphase. Not a Goldmund despite the rather vague company connections. I'd certainly try it if a local dealer could arrange, but otherwise no.
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