An absolutely beautiful rig and room Will! Have been thinking lately about replacing my Cambridge CXNv2 lately… not because I dont like it… just curious if I can raise the bar a little… then I see it in a setup like yours! Its in stellar company there… you restored my joy! A horrible habit indeed!!!
If I remember correctly he uses 2 of them (bridged). And it is my dream 
I had a CXNv2 and loved it, recently replaced with a Naim NDX 2 and love it even more …
1 Like
Build yourself a state of the art class D Hypex Ncore or, more recent even, Nilai kit amp along the lines of my Frankenamp for a fraction of the investment - soldering not required!
<Disclaimer - not associated with the manufacturer>
2 Likes
I saw the one that you did, looks very nice. I’m ok with NAD C 298, if I’ll need one again I’ll go for a kit. Your speaker array is a dream.
Thanks
1 Like
This is my end game:
You’re right, there doesn’t seem to be an awful lot of Benchmark gear around here.
Transparency is out of this world and Benchmark has a solid, no-nonsense approach, deeply rooted in the professional audio world.
Maybe it’s not considered “high-end” enough by the folks with the means for it.
Or maybe people make the mistake of assuming that transparency = harsh/analytical when the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.
It just gets out of the way and lets you enjoy the music.
25 Likes
Loving those slabs o’ wood, never mind the gear. Repurposed fir/hemlock? Wow, some west coast structure has been put to better use. Brilliant and gorgeous!
Thank you!
Unfortunately, as to the species of timber, I have no clue. We picked it up from the same supplier we bought our reclaimed wood flooring from.
All I know is it came from a platform around an old building, so is >100 years old. It was treated with a hand-held wood brushing machine to clean it up and raise the grain, I gave it a light “toasting” with a roofer’s torch and a few coats of boiled linseed oil.
The frame is 1/8" thick 2" box section, stick welded and lightly coated in linseed oil to prevent rusting.
It compliments the style of dining table, benches and coffee table I built for the house when we bought it in 2016.
1 Like
I’m west coast Canada and many of us love all things wood almost as much as audio kit. Rest assured, dear sir, it is my practiced opinion that your shelves are not comprised of the legendary English oak that built the long bows which brought Alfred the Great and Arthur’s legendary knights to fame.
3 Likes
Apologies to Lord Nelson, how could I not mention the British oak that gave rise to British naval superiority and rise to empire and colonialism. OK, I’ll just relax with some music now…
3 Likes
Their amp design always makes me think of my old Hafler amps (DH200). 
3 Likes
Naim… now that’s an idea! Almost forgot about them… have heard some great reviews too!
Scottish indeed, but married to an English woman! 
1 Like
Yes, I can see the similarities. Understated looks with no pretentions and a purposeful intent.
2 Likes
I also am a big fan of the Benchmark gear, fantastic build quality and performance. I use a DAC3 hgc driving an AHB2 which drive a set of Quad 2805’s (or whichever quads I’ve recently rebuilt) in my shop. I do the bulk of my listening through that system.
My main system is driven by a Cambridge Audio EVO150 into a set of Quad 2912’s. The two systems sound surprisingly similar.
Sheldon
4 Likes
Yes! My primary system utilizes a DAC3 L feeding a pair of AHB2 driving Sonus Faber speakers. I could not be happier with this arrangement.
2 Likes
Benchmark does have a network of dealers and distributors, though probably nowhere near as extensive a list as some other manufacturers.
The main distributor in the UK where most of my gear came from also sells a large range of pro audio gear.
2 Likes
Don’t have any of their equipment, but was surprised to find that I live about 3 miles away from them (don’t be creepy)! And McIntosh is headquartered 60 miles to the south in Binghamton, NY (that one I knew about). Apparently Central NY is an under- appreciated audio equipment hub!
3 Likes
Yes, you pass right by their place on the NYS thruway in Syracuse (you can almost hit it with a rock from the highway). I am often tempted to stop when I’m zipping by on my way westward, but I haven’t yet.
McIntosh in B-town is less interesting to me from a performance standpoint, but I can respect their build quality.
Sheldon
3 Likes
Benchmark discussion thread?
7 Likes