Hey all. First post !!. I usually conduct an inordinate amount of research and reading before buying something but I was having a moment of freedom and made an impulse buy. Have you ever done that and then began wondering if you did the right thing?
So I ordered a BHK 250 amp to replace my benchmark AHB2, or at least try out against the AHB2. My system is simple - an aurender streamer, DAC (volume and DAC), AHB2 amp and biggish Focal floorstander speakers. The sale price seemed worth a shot.
The BHK 250 arrived yesterday and is still in the box - very heavy. I will listen this weekend. I don’t have a ton of experience so not sure what to expect or if I will be able to tell the difference between the two amps. I might have questions along the way or tips for what to listen for. I am hoping for a bit richer sound in the mids and maybe a bit of edge off the treble (Benchmark with BE tweeter). Thanks.
Oh, I think the 250 should do exactly that. Please keep us informed with your findings. Should be a very interesting comparison. You have more self control than I would have. I would have had that box opened and those tubes cooking within the first hour!
You made a great purchase. You are going to love it. The improvement in the overall sound of your system will be substantial. Enjoy it but be very careful of your back it is a beast to handle!
I have a BHK 250 and I agree with @rkindel ’s comment that this amp should deliver the sound you are looking for. I’ve owned several pieces of PSA gear, and they all have required substantial break in; others here have found the same. So don’t make any final decisions about the amp until it has at least 200 hours on it. It’s good that PSA gives you a month for the trial.
If you decide that the amp is a keeper for your system, you may want to try some different tubes. There are threads about this on the forum.
I hope the BHK amp doesn’t ever switch to class B. That would create quite a lot of crossover distortion. It may have a lower power range where it runs class A and switches to AB.
The design Bascom came up with using single sex transistors for both sides of the waveform. He stated that this was the reason for his design. Watch the videos where he explains this.
So far so good. Out of the box and ya, its heavy. Compared to the weight of the AHB2 - big difference. I hope it sounds as good as weighs. It is in the 24 hour ‘leave it on’ period and temps measure good. I will start listening this weekend. Super excited.
Come to think of it, I cannot remember when the last time was that I made an intelligent purchase on audio gears. All mines were impulsive for the last few years. Wait! FR-30 qualified, thank goodness that was the only planned and an intelligent buy at the same time🕺🏻
Maybe I should start going to Axpona shows to hear what I am planning for future purchases. Wait, I’m not sure that will be intelligent either since it could trigger more impulsive buying (the reason I stopped going in the first place).
Vacation is over and I blew my stash of money on the Stealth cable already. Darn, I have an Asia trip coming in 10 days. My wife has plans to burn out any leftover money for audio on this trip for sure.
Speaking about compulsive buying, I just made an offer for a pair of retail at $9.5k Synergistic Reasearch SX Galileo IC’s. I need 3 of these to have a full loom everywhere, including phono cable and power cords. But one at a time, they are not cheap.
