[bimmer100]

They are selling really well it seems! I’m still waiting for an AHB2 and wonder if the release of the RAAL sr1A has something to do with the scarcity of that amp. It’s apparently the recommended amp for those “earspeakers” makes me want to pick up a pair. But I think more of these amps are due to be avail at the end of this month

 

[Roasty]

Trust me, well worth the wait!

I sure hope so..
in the meantime, I have been keeping myself busy with buying tubes for my Woo 22.

humour me.. what cables are u using between your source and dac3, and between your dac3 and hpa4?

 

[Roasty]

Just got my dac3b and hpa4 setup yesterday. Do these benefit from burn in? Out of the box.. Very clean and detailed sound. Didn't think they were cold/dry as some have described.

Almost too clean a sound? I have a wooaudio 22 which I've been listening to past few weeks, and although it isn't the cleanest sound out there, it does have character..

So far.. Very good with the Meze Empy but a little harsh with Focal Utopia. I prefer the Utopia on the tube amp.

 

[Tobes]

So far.. Very good with the Meze Empy but a little harsh with Focal Utopia. I prefer the Utopia on the tube amp.

I use the dac3L/HPA4 combo with the Utopia and think it sounds excellent. Super resolving and very natural/neutral.
If I recall I was initially impressed but didn't find it overwhelmingly better than what I was using (Bryston amp).
Over the next few days I began to notice and appreciate many superior aspects to the HPA4s reproduction. To the point where I found the HPA4 convincingly better.
It will surely sound different to a WooAudio tube amp, but give your ears time to adjust to the HPA4 non-sound.

 

[Tobes]

humour me.. what cables are u using between your source and dac3, and between your dac3 and hpa4?

FWIW, I use relatively inexpensive Mogami Gold Studio (pro star quad) XLR cables between the DAC3 and HPA4.
I have some significantly more expensive Wireworld Eclipse 7 XLR cables but prefer the Mogami. YMMV.

 

[Roasty]

I use the dac3L/HPA4 combo with the Utopia and think it sounds excellent. Super resolving and very natural/neutral.
If I recall I was initially impressed but didn't find it overwhelmingly better than what I was using (Bryston amp).
Over the next few days I began to notice and appreciate many superior aspects to the HPA4s reproduction. To the point where I found the HPA4 convincingly better.
It will surely sound different to a WooAudio tube amp, but give your ears time to adjust to the HPA4 non-sound.

Thanks for chiming in. I'll give the utopia/hpa4 combo another shot over the weekend.

I noticed you are using the benchmark stack for your speaker setup.

For my speaker setup, I'm running a network player > DAC3b > audiolab 6000a amp.

Is there any benefit to running it as network player > DAC3b > hpa4 > audiolab amp (on power amp mode)?

 

[bimmer100]

I am a bit excited to get a new loud speaker setup about 2weeks from now. At least my AHB2 will be here this week. But will be using with a KTE Spring2 and Azure preamp. But what’s new is I’m selling off the Elac FSU5’s towers and Elac 10” sub. And replacing with a custom painted Zu audio Soul supreme towers in satin white and a undertone mk2 in satin black. It’s a gamble on my part since I’ve not hear all the gear together before but have a good gut feeling.
I have the HPA4 amp I’ve used in my other system and enjoy it. But have been searching for a nice speaker amp for some time. The ahb2 seems to be just what I’ve been looking for. And it has speakon outputs that will work with the soul supreme which also has speakon inputs. Benchmark makes some great products and I’m excited to evaluate the ahb2 in our home system with new speakers and all.

 

[Tobes]

For my speaker setup, I'm running a network player > DAC3b > audiolab 6000a amp.

Is there any benefit to running it as network player > DAC3b > hpa4 > audiolab amp (on power amp mode)?

So if I'm interpreting your setup correctly you're using the network player to adjust the volume in the digital domain?
The HPA4 is a first class analog preamp and I would definitely recommend using the HPA4 to provide volume control.
This will avoid any loss of resolution due to digital attenuation, maximise S/N in the DAC3 and leverage the SOTA analog attenuator in the HPA4.

 

[Roasty]

So if I'm interpreting your setup correctly you're using the network player to adjust the volume in the digital domain?
The HPA4 is a first class analog preamp and I would definitely recommend using the HPA4 to provide volume control.
This will avoid any loss of resolution due to digital attenuation, maximise S/N in the DAC3 and leverage the SOTA analog attenuator in the HPA4.

current setup is
network player > DAC3b > audiolab 6000a amp (integrated mode) > speakers
meaning im controlling volume using the audiolab amp

if i connect it as
network player > dac3b > hpa4 (volume control, line out RCA) > audiolab amp in power amp mode (rca in) > speakers
will this be an improvement over the other setup?

 

[Tobes]

current setup is
network player > DAC3b > audiolab 6000a amp (integrated mode) > speakers
meaning im controlling volume using the audiolab amp

Ah, I see.
I don't have any experience with the Audiolab amp but Googling some interior pics it appears to use some sort of chip based volume control.
I'd definitely try the HPA4 as a preamp and would be very surprised if it didn't outperform the preamp section of the Audiolab.
Certainly it won't cost you anything to experiment.
Ultimately, since you're now using the DAC3, a dedicated power amp may be the way to go.

 

[Roasty]

Ah, I see.
I don't have any experience with the Audiolab amp but Googling some interior pics it appears to use some sort of chip based volume control.
I'd definitely try the HPA4 as a preamp and would be very surprised if it didn't outperform the preamp section of the Audiolab.
Certainly it won't cost you anything to experiment.
Ultimately, since you're now using the DAC3, a dedicated power amp may be the way to go.

Thanks man. Much appreciated. Will definitely give it a go and see how it pans out.

 

[Roasty]

Oh my goodness.
After only a few days of short listening time.. The benchmark stack seems to have "calmed down" and opened up at the same time.
The empy sound simply amazing and the harshness/brightness I previously had with focal utopias has disappeared.
It's amazing how the music just seems to emerge out of nothingness, and it is so effortless as well.
Benchmark has really hit it out of the ballpark with these two pieces of gear.
But at the same time I'm so curious about the Hugo tt2/mscaler combo.. Geez I really have to stop coming onto this forum..

 

[acguitar84]

Oh my goodness.
After only a few days of short listening time.. The benchmark stack seems to have "calmed down" and opened up at the same time.
The empy sound simply amazing and the harshness/brightness I previously had with focal utopias has disappeared.
It's amazing how the music just seems to emerge out of nothingness, and it is so effortless as well.
Benchmark has really hit it out of the ballpark with these two pieces of gear.
But at the same time I'm so curious about the Hugo tt2/mscaler combo.. Geez I really have to stop coming onto this forum..

I've been reading around the forum, trying to decide where I would want to go for an amp upgrade on the headphone rig. I currently have the Jotunheim being fed by an RME Adi-2 DAC (neat little DAC), and I had narrowed it down (for now) to a Benchmark HPA4, A Phonitor X, or a Woo Wa22. I was reading about hum issues with the Woo and not sure if I want to mess with tubes anyway, so that may be out. I see you have a wa22 and the HPA4, which do you like better now? As for the Phonitor X it's pretty scary how the single end headphone jack, when plugged or unplugged with music playing can fry the amp. So it's looking more and more like HPA4. Really the only criticism I've found is some people think it can sound too "clinical" maybe? I'm pretty sure it would be several "stairsteps" above the Jot though. And, at least for now I'm in the research stage, so I can keep reading impressions and reviews and looking around.

 

[YooperAudio]

One thing I really like about the HPA4 (with a DAC3 feeding it, and Senn HD 800S) is that it lets me move deeper into the music by adding volume, but it doesn't hurt my ears, if that makes sense. I imagine that I start at the back of the room listening to a jazz quartet. I then walk slowly up towards the stage (slowly adding volume) and then I step up onto the stage (adding a bit more volume). The effect is that I'm now in the same space as the quartet - the volume isn't hurting or bringing any discomfort, and there is a definite sense of reality - 3D immersion and being surrounded, with no distortion, just the clarity you'd experience standing in the circle. Later when I stop listening, there is no ringing in my ears, or any of the other signs that I turned it up too loud. I find that part of my HP listening experience now to be seriously addicting. And one note: the bass power and tight clarity that now emerges from my Senn HD 800S - the HPA4 really lets them show what they can do.

 

[Roasty]

I've been reading around the forum, trying to decide where I would want to go for an amp upgrade on the headphone rig. I currently have the Jotunheim being fed by an RME Adi-2 DAC (neat little DAC), and I had narrowed it down (for now) to a Benchmark HPA4, A Phonitor X, or a Woo Wa22. I was reading about hum issues with the Woo and not sure if I want to mess with tubes anyway, so that may be out. I see you have a wa22 and the HPA4, which do you like better now? As for the Phonitor X it's pretty scary how the single end headphone jack, when plugged or unplugged with music playing can fry the amp. So it's looking more and more like HPA4. Really the only criticism I've found is some people think it can sound too "clinical" maybe? I'm pretty sure it would be several "stairsteps" above the Jot though. And, at least for now I'm in the research stage, so I can keep reading impressions and reviews and looking around.

I've only owned both amps for a short time (slightly longer with the WA22).

So far.. the hpa4 sounds extremely clean and transparent. It feels like it can handle anything you throw at it, and it gives u this impression that it is scalpel accurate and clinical. I think the meze empy are a really good match with the hpa4. But I feel it is still really too early on for me to make a sound judgment on this amp as I've only had it for a few days now.

The WA22 in my opinion has more character. I do enjoy how changing the tubes also changes the way music is presented. Yep on my unit there is a little bit of hum, but it is almost inaudible when music is playing, unless you really try and listen for it. I do prefer my Utopia with the wa22 as I feel it takes a bit of the edge off the utopia highs, and gives it more fullness and low down punchiness.

The other thing u have to consider is, whether you are going to invest in more tubes. So far I've spent close to a further usd2.5k on tubes.. It is so addictive and at the same time such a painful chase for better sound. And I'm still googling and reading up on more tubes!

If you don't feel like tube rolling, the Wa22 stock tubes are actually quite decent. But I can tell u now that if u do purchase a tube amp, curiosity of how tubes change the sound will eventually get the better of u..