Bryston 4B Cubed vs Hegel H360 vs Benchmark AHB2


I am likely going to get the KEF Reference 1 for my office at the end of this month. I was trying to convince myself to get something else but I always came back to the KEF Ref 1 for many factors, such as sound, cost, size, ease of setup.

I think the KEF Ref 1 speakers can use a lot of power even though they are rated at 50-200 watts at 8 ohms. My setup in the office will require a few digital inputs  and 1 or 2 analog inputs. 

I have narrowed down my list to the following electronics:

1) Benchmark DAC3 + AHB2 amp(s), I have not heard the AHB2 amp but did own the DAC2 for years and liked it a lot. Only issue with this setup is that I will likely need to get 2 AHB2 amps to get over 100 watts for the Ref 1's.  Anybody with these amps think I need 2 of them for the KEF Ref 1's in an office? I sometimes play music loud but not for long while I work. I would buy Benchmark as new gear.

2) The Bryston 4B Cubed along with the Bryston pre-amp with integrated DAC option. I owned older Bryston gear in the past and one complaint I had was a slightly smaller sound stage. I would buy the Bryston gear on the used market.

3) The Hegel H360. I heard this unit playing KEF Blade 2 at a show and I was pleased with the sound. I loved the sound of the Blades but I may be giving too much credit for the sound that day to the Hegel. Whatever, the case it was an enjoyable experience. I could go used or new with this gear. My concern about Hegel is repair work and reliability. I have never owned Hegel gear but I have read some rants here about Hegel customer service. BTW - Is there a new H390 in the horizon?

All of my choices are in the detail oriented sound camp. This is fine for my office system since I am getting a warmer sounding system later on for the living room. Some variety in systems will keep things interesting.

Anybody have any feedback on the 3 brands I have listed and the concerns I have for each.
yyzsantabarbara
I would hope that the Benchmark is at another level or maybe 3 or 4 above the Nova 150 or 300. These amps to me define mediocre. I have auditioned them against less expensive A/B amps as well as amps around their price and they sound very veiled and 2 dimensional as if there's a haze over the music. Perhaps that works well for some people's systems but I'm kind of shocked that someone that loves the Benchmark amp could also love the Nova. 
@clarinetmonster2 I don't love the Nova 150 but I like it a lot for what it does and the price I paid. I even use this with an iPhone input so you can see I am not looking for the last word in audio quality. Saying all of that it is better than average in my opinion. It is veiled on top but that was actually a good thing prior to me buying acoustic treatments.

I had the Benchmark AHB2 and DAC3 for a year and sold them and kept the Peachtree Nova 150. I felt the same way when I compared the Benchmark to the Nova 150. I was bummed for about a week when I sold then but then I get used to the sound and I just enjoy the tunes now. 

I sold  Benchmark gear to buy some lottery tickets to fund my future system. It looks like that was a smart move.

yyzsantabarbara


Are you still enjoying the Audience cabling? Any newer cables/power cords headed your way?  Happy Listening!

My current Audience Ohno III speaker cabling is good enough for my modest system. Certainly not a weak link. 

No new cables until I buy my replacement office system. The waiting seems to be taking a long time.