On the subjective end of things, the Benchmark LA4 preamp puts the lie to the old audiophile myth that neutrality means clinical, cold, or sterile sound. Instead, here neutrality means musical, involving sound, with precise, stable imaging, a sense of space (if one is on the recording), and exceptionally truthful timbres. (This was brought up by my listening panel, who were impressed at how engaging the sound was.) Classical music lovers will appreciate the timbral accuracy, as will anyone who knows the sound of a guitar, piano, violin, human voice, or brushes on a cymbal. The audience for the Benchmark LA4, then, is the audiophile who wants to hear the music on each recording presented in ultra-clean sound that is simultaneously truthful and engaging.

Listening to Cooder’s version of “Goodnight Irene” from the album Live in San Francisco, I noted imaging and soundstaging the best I’ve yet heard them. Instrumental and vocal timbres were spot-on, and silent backgrounds increased the music’s clarity without any sense of artificial enhancement. The Benchmark LA4 brought out the subtleties in Cooder’s voice and in each instrument on the song, and that helped me make a better connection to the music. After Cooder’s tender, masterful guitar solo, accordionist Flaco Jiménez lets out a spontaneous whistle of appreciation. I was right there with him.

I listened to the duet “Spiegel im Spiegel [Mirror(s) in the Mirror],” played by violinist Vadim Gluzman and pianist Angela Yoffe on BIS CD 1434. This calm, gorgeous piece has been featured in many movie scores. As often with BIS and recording engineer Ingo Petry, the sound is clean and natural. As I listened through the LA4, I found the violin timbre more palpable and less electronic than I’d heard it before. Sometimes, when I listen to recorded violin, my shoulders go up, anticipating harshness in the high-frequency sound. This time, my shoulders stayed where they belong, and there was not the slightest trace of harshness to be heard. The piano sound, too, was clean and all of a piece, from the lowest bass notes through the treble.

I was swept away by the musical transparency of the Benchmark LA4, by its freedom from high-frequency distortion, and by the increased engagement those qualities allowed. This was especially true in music like Mozart’s string quartets, in which a few bowed string instruments play fully exposed, and any added harshness is all too plain. With the Benchmark LA4 preamp, there was no added harshness, and I enjoyed the music tremendously. In everything I played through the Benchmark LA4, textures and nuances of voices and instruments came through superbly, making each voice or instrument seem more individual and less generic. That kind of transparency is, musically speaking, a remarkable accomplishment.

I consider the Benchmark LA4 a leader in its category, especially at its price. For the audiophile who wants true high fidelity, it offers state-of-the-art performance at a reasonable price. If you don’t need extra features, but want an audiophile preamplifier with outstanding transparency, neutrality, and dynamic, engaging sound, the Benchmark LA4 preamp should be way, way up on your audition list.

Link do recenzji: Benchmark LA4 – Future Audiophile

I will decline to list specific details about individual recordings where the LA4 improved what I heard, because I believe that it would really be a list of what other components fail to do. Instead, and somewhat gratuitously, I offer two new recordings that I particularly enjoyed with the LA4. The first is a refreshing performance of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition by pianist Natasha Paremski (CD, Steinway & Sons STN 30093). Her adjustments and phrasing, generally subtle and always appropriate, seem to restore the colors of this familiar art tour. Her technique is formidable and is also demonstrated in Fred Hersch's delightful Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky, which I found a suitable companion piece. But listen to the body and presence of the pianos—a Hamburg Steinway in Pictures and a New York Steinway in the Variations, recorded in different halls with different teams—and see if you can appreciate those differences, made apparent to me via the LA4.

When I listened to the various formats of the Beatles' Abbey Road Super Deluxe 4 Disc Edition (Y4CDBE003), the experience benefitted from using the LA4 (at times, three of them). I almost do not hear the sound of the original much anymore because, having lived with Abbey Road since its original release, it really lives mostly in my mind. Playing it now via the LA4, and with focused attention, I renewed my appreciation of the art, effort, and intent. I found the new stereo remix to be strikingly clearer, more open, and with much better bass definition, but it doesn't taste the same. Only time will tell if the new stereo mix, even via the LA4, even in 24/96, can win me over.

The LA4 is probably the most transparent and revealing audio component I've ever used. It does not seem to leave any fingerprints on the sound. It has a useful array of inputs, outputs, and functions, and the use of sealed relays for volume and input selection assures a long and noise-free life. Benchmark might improve on the display and remote control, but I do not have any criticism of the LA4's sonic performance.

Link do recenzji: Benchmark LA4 – Stereophile

スピーカー環境ではどうだろうか？MacBook ProをトランスポートにDAC3 BとLA4を組み合わせ、パワーアンプにAHB2を用いて、モニターオーディオPL300Ⅱに接続した（図：接続④）。ヘッドホン環境での好結果に期待値が上がるが、想像通り同傾向のサウンドが得られた。

帯域バランスについては聴感上フラットで、全帯域の音のスピードが整っている。ホセ・ジェイムスでは、等身大のヴォーカルが前方に定位して、マスタリングのクセと思われる音像の小さな移動感さえ秀逸に表現する。ジョン・ウィリアムズは、奥行や高さが正確に表現されたサウンドステージが眼前に現れる。しかも適度な抑揚表現も兼ね備えており、分析的一辺倒に聴こえないのは興味深かった。

今回試した5機種に共通する最大の魅力は、リファレンスとして絶対的な信頼がおける音質であること。スペックだけではオーディオ機器の音質を推し量ることはできないが、ベンチマークの製品が出すリファレンス的なサウンドは、多くのオーディオファイルや筆者のように基準となる音を求める者にはこれ以上ないほどにフィットする。

　その中でもDAC3 HGCは、DACとヘッドホンアンプが一体型なのでシステムをコンパクトにしたい方に向いているし、DAC3 BとHPA4の組合せはセパレート志向の音質を求めたい方におすすめできる。LA4とAHB2の組合せはリファレンス的なクセのないサウンドをスピーカーシステムで実現したい方におすすめだ。

Link do recenzji: Benchmark LA4 – Stereo Sound

It didn’t take very long for me to grasp how the LA4 impacted the sound of my system. Replacing the zero gain, output buffered, Denafrips Athena with the Benchmark LA4 yielded a change that was quickly apparent in several areas. Notably were; bass, upper midrange, treble, low-level listening, and the ability to distinguish the colorations of other components that were contributing to my overall sound.

The top end of this preamp is a pleasure to listen to.

Acoustic guitar, piano, and harmonica among many other instruments are presented with speed, clarity, and coherency that made them sound more “present” in the room and less like a recording.

As for the bass, while it seems counterintuitive, I have come to understand that the quality/timing of bass has a huge impact on the quality of the treble. Get the bass impulse response (timing) correct and the treble will open and take on a more natural feel as you listen.

Indeed, I found the bass response to be some of the most natural I have had in my room and very well integrated with the rest of the music.

When the timing is right you will feel that your brain is not working as hard to “assemble “ the music. This translates into a more relaxed feel to your listening experience. Don’t get me wrong. This relaxed feeling is not a result of the sound itself presented as more “laid back”, less “forward“ or less “transparent”. Quite to the contrary. I found the sound to be more transparent with considerably less need to increase the volume to hear subtle details.

I am not typically a low-level listener. One reason is that I have a listening room that is detached from the main house and I don’t have to be mindful of disturbing family members. The other is that I like to listen to music at a level that is similar to being at the performance. But the main reason is that  I find that when I turn down the volume, the system typically loses its ability to engage me. Details go away and dynamic swings are compressed. It sounds like a big radio playing and not a high-fidelity stereo system. 

Not so with the LA4.  I caught myself on multiple occasions listening for an extended period of time at lower levels than usual, and actually enjoying it!

Link do recenzji: Benchmark LA4 – The Audio Beatnik

Two words immediately came to mind — unrestricted dynamics. As much as I thought I was mentally prepared for what I would hear, in reality, I wasn’t. I was shocked at the effortless dynamic swings that I heard from some of my favorite classical and jazz performances. I was also stunned by how certain sounds seemed to leap instantaneously out of the speakers and truly startle me. I had previously used the Comete EZ speakers with three other amplifiers, and I didn’t notice this explosive sensation. It was a genuine “you don’t know what you’re missing until you hear it” moment for me.

Listening to the Benchmark gear in my own room, I felt an immediate and gratifying emotional connection to the music I was hearing. This unmistakable feeling was unique for me, and it was repeatable.

The LA4 and AHB2 tear down so many of the usual walls that come between the listener and the music. Without those walls, I was drawn fully and completely into what I was hearing. Since the preamp and amp didn’t have a sonic signature of their own, it meant that I could hear more of the source. The LA4 and AHB2’s specifications meet or exceed the measurements of most DACs. This allows all of the musical information upstream to reach the speakers.

As an audiophile, I strive to hear the soul, energy, and emotion contained within the music. My goal with this hobby is to enjoy that multi-faceted experience every time I listen. Pure transparency and unrestricted insight into my music is now affordable!

Once I heard the Benchmark LA4 preamp and AHB2 power amplifier, I thought, “This could be my last preamp and amplifier purchase, ever.” As I lived with them and dove into my favorite music, I was continuously impressed by their flawless performance. Every time I listened to music, it was an introspective and emotional journey.

Link do recenzji: Benchmark LA4 – The Audio Beatnik

Another recording that caught my ear during my time with the LA4 was a remix of a track from Camouflage’s The Singles (16/44.1 FLAC, Island/Tidal). “The Great Commandment (7” Version -- Remastered 2014)” has some interesting additions not found in the 1988 original. The second time through, I realized that I was hearing a mashup of parts recorded, again, 26 years apart. The LA4 didn’t present these disparate elements as a homogeneous whole. Instead, the dramatically different new bits, especially the introduction, stood out as clean, articulate, punchy, deep-slamming electronica in comparison with the dreary original recording from 1988, which was marked by a sullen, somewhat soft and relaxed sound. The contrast wasn’t subtle -- the LA4 was exceptionally revealing, unapologetically exposing this mix as deeply mediocre. It was unforgiving to sub-par recordings. If you want a preamp that editorializes, look elsewhere.

But with well-recorded music the LA4 was exceptional. Depeche Mode’s Exciter (16/44.1 AIFF, Reprise) is a terrific example of their musical style, and lead singer Dave Gahan’s voice in “Dream On” sounded particularly splendid through the Benchmark. The LA4 revealed his breathy inhalation before launching a line, as well as the palpable hiss of his quick exhalations. Gahan’s mouthiness on or near the microphone, and his acute sibilants, were both audible, with a serious power behind his voice that I found enticing. I was especially taken with the presence of Gahan’s voice: There he was in my room, with startling clarity. The mix was brighter and much more prominent than either of the older selections above. Gahan’s voice was right there, dead center, in front of the band, ostensibly leering at me as he leaned on the mike. Like that vocal, the drums and deep bass also had excellent impact and strength. The Benchmark’s transparency was remarkable.

Dave Gahan’s powerful, virile singing is the sonic opposite of a baroque piece for flute and orchestra played on period instruments. The quiet plucking of delicate harp strings and the warm, embodied midrange of a flute are both on display in the first few minutes of Telemann’s Suite for Recorder (or Flute), Strings & Continuo in A Minor, TWV 55:a2, performed by flutist Paige Brook and the deNeveu Ensemble (16/44.1 FLAC, NY Philomusica/Tidal). I’ve played this piece, and quite enjoyed the flute’s sound though the Benchmark. Though it wasn’t recorded closely enough to capture breath noise or embouchure, the rest of the details were spot on. Higher-pitched tones sounded as expected, and tended to grow naturally more harsh with the increasing brightness of the higher end of the flute’s range. But most important, through the LA4 there was no emphasis of any part of the sound over the rest of the audioband. I heard only what was present in the recording -- nothing more, nothing less.

Link do recenzji: Benchmark LA4 – SoundStage

What of distortion or other artifacts, tonal or otherwise? Well, here comes the controversial part: I find myself in the same conundrum as when I reviewed the ABH2. Once more I have literally nothing to write about. There’s a complete absence of any sort of artifacts or noise; on very clean recordings, the presentation is uncanny in its purity. Obviously, the LA4 isn’t “perfect” because we know nothing is, but after several months of listening I simply can’t find any sonic characteristics or signature of a positive nature to match any adjectives I can dig up. By “positive,” I mean the usual suspects like warm, cool, smooth, harsh, liquid, dry, etc. To put it another way, I can neither hear nor identify any sort of consistent tonal colorations that appear to originate from the LA4 itself and that are superimposed upon the presentation of any and all sources.

If the source is bright up top and lacking in warmth, like virtually all the Szell recordings on Epic and Columbia, then brightness and lack of warmth are what you hear. If a source captures a voice with that wonderful impression of dimensionality and tactile presence, as you hear on Groove Note’s Jacintha recordings or the Anonymous Four on Gloryland (Harmonia Mundi USA, SACD) or Alison Krauss on “Down to the River and Pray” (Capitol, Qobuz), that is how they appear in room, assuming the rest of your system is up to it. When I played my longstanding reference, the Bernstein Carmen (DG), I wanted a flesh-and-blood theatrical experience, throbbing with high passions and powerful drama, that transported me to the opera house, with a holistic soundstage of lifelike vividness and genuinely breathtaking dynamic range, and that is what I got.

Bass through the LA4 driving the ABH2 is outstandingly clean and clear, with superlative definition, articulation, and registration of timbre. Kei Koito’s Bach: Organ Masterworks Vol. II (Claves) displays this to a fare-thee-well, as does M&K’s The Power and the Glory (of an organ from the First Congregational Church here in Los Angeles, which I’ve heard live). A longstanding favorite of mine is Beethoven’s Op. 131 quartet performed with the full complement of the Vienna Philharmonic strings under Leonard Bernstein. When the double basses reinforce the cello parts, the increased weight is obvious on any decent system, but not with the concomitant improvements in clarity, rendition of texture, and articulation of the deeper instruments that are revealed here. I don’t want to overstate this. The superiority over units with less extended bandwidth is not huge—for many, I doubt it’d be deal breaking—but it is there to be heard with critical listening.

Other benefits of little or no phase shift relate to those elusive matters that fall under the general heading of timing, togetherness, and connectedness, not to mention imaging and soundstaging. “The bass arrives on time,” Siau says, “not later.” But with a bandwidth that sails on up beyond half a million Hertz, that obtains throughout the whole audible spectrum: everything arrives on time and together, and when it isn’t together, it’s because that’s how the musicians are playing. Phase linearity is one of those aspects of audio reproduction that remains somewhat contentious because it’s often difficult to describe its actual effect unless it’s seriously awry. (See Siau’s interview for more on this.) For myself I find there is a difficult-to-define impression of greater coherence and precision not just of timing but of overall system stability—that paradoxical feeling of absolute grip and relaxation—that go beyond imaging and soundstaging.

Link do recenzji: Benchmark LA4 – The Absolute Sound

Specifications and operational features are obviously important, but mission critical to me is how the LA4 sounds. My initial impression was simple: The LA4 preamp plays everything that is, and nothing that isn't...Neutrality in Audio... and that's really all this review needs to convey. Over and out.

In general, I would agree the LA4 may not always sound pretty, especially with extremely sibilant, highly compressed, or poorly recorded music. But the flip side of this honest translucency is the LA4's ability to highlight an amazing recording within its neutral electronic borders.

The LA4 preamp may occupy neutral audio country, but it is a sweet piece of audio kit. I love its form-factor. I love its simple operation. And I love that it allows the sound of the signal to flow through to the downstream components. This means, of course, you'd better like the sound of your DAC or analog rig, because that is basically what you are hearing on the other side of the border crossing. While the LA4 doesn't seem to have a sound of its own, it does the high-end audio doodahs very well. It's fast. It has exceptional transparency and resolution, and adds a measure of slam and dynamic contrast. I hear excellent bass performance, and one of the best sound stages I've heard in my system.

One of things I look for when reviewing any component, is how well it reproduces music at lower volumes. Cranking tunes to high volume peaks is an exhilarating torture-test, but it can break an audio system's spirit (a nice way to say it can sound like crap). It can be equally tough for gear to maintain sonic decorum when turned well down. The LA4 scales downward beautifully, maintaining a nice sonic balance.

No matter the volume, the LA4 delivers a cavernously wide stage, startling dynamics, soaring treble, excellent timbre, and satisfyingly deep bass. It peels away the haze from each layer of music, unwinding musical information at a high level of detail and resolution, yet manages the magical-musical trick of never sounding sterile.

Link do recenzji: Benchmark LA4 – Positive Feedback

Link: Benchmark HPA4 – Stereophile – Recommended Components 2025

Link: Benchmark LA4 – HiVi Magazine – Grand Prix 2020

Link: Benchmark LA4 – The Absolute Sound – Editors' Choice 2023

Link: Benchmark HPA4 – Stereophile – Recommended Components 2025

Link: Benchmark HPA4 – Stereophile – Recommended Components 2024

Link: Benchmark HPA4 – Stereophile – Recommended Components 2024

Link: Benchmark HPA4 – Stereophile – Recommended Components 2023

Link: Benchmark HPA4 – Stereophile – Recommended Components 2023

Link: Benchmark HPA4 – Stereophile – Recommended Components 2022

Link: Benchmark HPA4 – Stereophile – Recommended Components 2022

Link: Benchmark HPA4 – Stereophile – Recommended Components 2021

Link: Benchmark HPA4 – Stereophile – Recommended Components 2021

Link: Benchmark HPA4 – Stereophile – Recommended Components 2020

Link: Benchmark HPA4 – Stereophile – Recommended Components 2020