Benchmark HPA4 Review - Is this the best headphone amp on the planet?

[@Neutrality10]

Excellent review! I think it's fantastic that you compared the HPA4 to the Soloist GT since the HPA4 is highly 'revered' in the audiophile community, especially amongst objectivists. On the other end, I feel like the Soloist GT is underrated given how few reviews there are of it.

[@PassionforSound]

Glad you liked it. I agree about the Soloist GT and HPA4. Both are amazing and deserve to be discussed in the same sentence as direct alternatives with slightly different characteristics.

[@StrangerInParadise58]

Great review, as always! I picked up a used GT awhile back with the 5A Supercharger and stand. I have been listening to it lately through my Abyss Diana V2 with their upgraded Bass-port ear pads and I am blown away at the realism of the sound! I think I am starting to love it even more than my Violectric V281. I have been using it with the Mytek Liberty DAC II and it is so dead quiet ... but then the music just comes alive with such dynamic punch and realism! I play drums so I am especially partial to how drums sound through my gear. The GT just delivers all the nuances and dynamics of the drums as if they were being played right in front of me. I am listening to all of my favorite Classic Rock tunes from the 70s and I just can't get enough! The GT just pulls me into my favorite music and allows me to get lost in it. I also really love the depth of the soundstage you were discussing. The GT really allows the performers/instruments to play from their respective locations within the band/recording. Love the GT! 🎼💓🎼

[@PassionforSound]

So glad you're loving it so much! That's great news 🙂🙂

[@IHearEverythingDude]

Had it some time ago. It's freakin perfect tool for doing A/B test with dacs. You can level match them in the input menu. (and then use some multimeter to check voltage output with steady tone) I'm sure many guys would be surprised how various dacs sound extremely close when level matched.

[@PassionforSound]

Definitely a great tool, I agree.

[@leo_kazantsev]

Esp when you are actually connecting all the dacs in parallel, try to run proper blind A/B with only one DAC connected. You gonna be surprised😅

[@IHearEverythingDude]

@@leo_kazantsev you have no idea what you are talking about. Live in a fantasy. Good luck

[@leo_kazantsev]

@@IHearEverythingDudesure, have you checked the ground circuit getting disconnected during your A/B test? Im pretty sure you don’t 😂😂😂 Level match is important, as well as knowledge of electric engineering basics.

[@nicktan4530]

I have been waiting for the HPA-4 review since 3 years ago and finally. Sounds very similar with A90 and THX 789 by the way.

[@PassionforSound]

I hope the review was worth the wait!! The HPA4 is in a different league than the A90 and THX789. They share similarities because of the THX circuit, but there's a big step up to the HPA4.

[@nicktan4530]

@@PassionforSound Honestly not worth the wait since cant afford, mostly just enjoyed the review, nothing more and less. No doubt about it big setup internally.

[@joseluishernandezseptien]

Nice review as always, Lachlan! Did you like it better than HDV 820?

[@PassionforSound]

It's a vastly superior amp so yes. The HDV820 is excellent value for money in comparison, but the HPA4 is the better amp.

[@joseluishernandezseptien]

@@PassionforSound Thank You, Lachlan! You are the Best!

[@alphaniner3770]

Thanks for the review. As I listen often to music that is recorded and mastered far from optimal, this is certainly not an amp for me. But it is clearly something special.

[@PassionforSound]

Absolutely. The HPA4 will definitely let you know if the recording is bad 🙂

[@alphaniner3770]

@@PassionforSound I have a Kinky studio Vision THR-1 - I think that this is quite an interesting unit - perhaps interesting for you to review. WaveTheory recently reviewed the Erzetich Perfidus - I think that this one and the Vision THR-1 are roughly in the same corner.

[@PassionforSound]

Yes, we were chatting about the Perfidus on our live roundtable the other day. Sounds like my kind of amp 🙂

[@alphaniner3770]

@@PassionforSound the round table chats are great ;o)

[@PassionforSound]

Glad you're liking them 🙂🙂

[@MistaLova-Lova]

Interesting, I wish you'd compared it to the TT2's built-in amp as you usually do in your amp reviews. You mentioned that the HPA4 has the level of detail you'd not heard before which makes me wonder if it's even better than the TT2's own amp in this regard. I remember some of the old A90 reviews claiming that the A90 sounded pretty much like the HPA4 but at a fraction of the price. This review left me thinking that on the one hand they seem to share a similar presentation (rather "flat" but very direct and detailed) but on the other hand if the differences between the HPA4 and the Soloist GT are not that big, this would imply that the HPA4 is probably much better than the A90 after all. Is that actually the case? I consider my Soloist 3XP significantly better than the A90, which makes me think that the HPA4 must also offer something that the A90 does not if it can be compared with 3XP's bigger brother. A comparison to the TT2's amp as your reference point would probably help paint a picture of what kind of a value proposition the HPA4 is.

[@PassionforSound]

Yes, the A90 is definitely not on the level of the HPA4. You'll hear things from the HPA4 that you won't from the A90. As for the TT2 comparison, sorry I didn't include that this time. Not sure why I didn't (probably because I was in a hurry). I think the HPA4 might bring forward some details that are less pronounced from the TT2, but it isn't adding extra detail so to speak. In other words, I think it's incredibly revealing and its presentation helps to raise the sense of clarity, but it isn't necessarily better than the TT2 output so much as different. Without having notes to refer to and not having the amp here anymore, I'm pretty sure that it will still have the same issue as the Soloist GT too which is that the signal path is so much longer than going straight out of the TT2 HP socket and this means that you'll always also lose a tiny bit of signal resolution from the transfer via interconnects and amp circuitry. Both the GT and HPA4 minimise this to a very large degree, but the HPA4's increased sense of clarity might help to offset it a little more.

[@olenronning5868]

Thanks for the detailed review and comparisons. I’m looking forward to you trying out the Holo Audio Bliss

[@PassionforSound]

I'll have to see if I can get my hands on it...

[@olenronning]

​@@PassionforSound Yeah could be tricky where you are. If you weren't literally on the other side of the planet i'd consider loaning you the one I have that I'm testing out.

[@PassionforSound]

Thanks Olen - I appreciate the thought

[@nothingelse1520]

I considered getting the Benchmark just to say I own a true "end game" solid state amp, but someone on Headfi owned and sold it because he couldn't hear a difference between the Benchmark and RME ADI-2 DACs headphone out. I already own the SP200(run balanced off the RME if I feel the need for more power) which is also based on THX technology not sure there is much difference.

[@PassionforSound]

That person led you astray, I'm afraid. The HPA4 is like a Ferrari to the ADI-2 HP out's Hyundai hatchback (non sport version). Nothing against the ADI-2 - they're just in very different leagues. Likewise, the SP200 is fine, but the HPA4 is equally as far ahead of that one. It's worth giving it a try one day if you get the chance, but make sure you've got a good DAC and a great pair of headphones or you likely won't hear a difference.

[@nothingelse1520]

@@PassionforSound what qualifies as a great pair? I have the HD580, 6XX, LCD-2 Classic, LCD-2f, and the Arya. Are any of those "great" or do I need a Susvara/Utopia to hear the difference on the HPA4?

[@PassionforSound]

I'd expect the Arya to give you some insight there. Even the LCDs and HD6XX should reveal some of the benefits. That said, I'd question the value of buying an uber expensive headphone amp if you're not running TOTL headphones with it. And that's not to suggest that everyone needs to have a TOTL rig. If you're enjoying the music with whatever gear you have, I'm not encouraging upgrades for the sake of them because it's about the fun and enjoyment in the end. 🙂

[@shadeshotTV]

my dad gave me his old dac1 usb about a year ago and its exactly how i want a headphone amp to sound like (that i have head) and it has their hpa2 headphone amp inside of it like their current dacs, any idea how the hpa2 in their dacs perform/sound compared to the hpa4 its really hard for me to make a point of reference for this dac1 usb because not many people focus on the headphone amp part, so i have no idea if i would want to get a dedicated headphone amp for a better or different sound

[@PassionforSound]

The HPA4 is a very advanced amp and far higher performance than the integrated amp in the DAC1. As for whether to try an external amp, the amp circuits built into DACs are almost always a compromise because they share the same power supply as the DAC and have to be kept extra compact to fit inside the same housing. In other words, I think you'd find an external amp to be a nice upgrade, but you don't have to go as far as the HPA4 - something like the Geshelli A3 Pro would be a significant upgrade I expect.

[@JTB--]

Don't love the Clinical and Analytical type Amps. More of a fan of something like the Burson Soloist stuff using opamps

[@PassionforSound]

I'm with you, but can't help but be impressed by the HPA4. If you're going to go clinical/neutral, it's a great way to go!

[@g.s.3074]

A small oversight.. SMSL SP200 was also a THX888 headphone amplifier.

[@ccgmail8025]

and it's bigger brother the SMSL SP400 and don't forget SH-9

[@g.s.3074]

Noted!

[@PassionforSound]

Wow! Not sure how I missed that one! Admittedly, I made that statement off the top of my head, but I reviewed the SP200 (and didn't like it) so bit of an oversight on my part - sorry!

[@aceofspades6667]

Yeah I've heard the benchmark stuff and it's clean but just a bit on the clinical side. I found it makes a quite good pre amp depending upon your gear setup. The 3GT will be much more of my cup o tea along with something like the Holo Bliss. The HPA4 is still a good value on the used market but at new prices I just don't think it's competitive.

[@wabbasMEpern]

It’s just an over engineered THX Amp at the end of the day. Clinical and cold.

[@PassionforSound]

That's a good point about the new pricing, Ace. Hard to justify over the Aries and Soloist GT when the price gap is larger.

[@marcfoss7687]

Another great review, thanks Lachlan.

[@PassionforSound]

Always a pleasure 🙂

[@Nightjar726]

Great review. Try some music you know very well and pay attention to the timing of the HP4. I have the LA4 and it’s the most perfectly timed preamp I’ve heard. I don’t know why. Well actually benchmark has literature on why. But that’s what wows me the most. What I mean is that it’s not laid back or more fast sounding. It’s just right. Hope that makes sense

[@PassionforSound]

Definitely makes sense. It's right on point and very 'alive' like that :)

[@Mau10]

Lachlan very interesting review, I've been curious about how the HPA4 compares to other amps for a long time so, thank you for this video. I wonder how does it compare to the HP amp of the Hugo TT2?. You usually use TT2 in your videos as a reference point and also you mention that you used the TT2 as DAC for your comparisons in this one. As a follower of the channel, I took your advice and I've been enjoying the TT2 for a couple of months as DAC/AMP for my Verite and LCD-5 and also as a pure DAC paired with the ZMF pendant, both ways with different but wonderful results. Does it worth spending extra money for HP4, GT or Sparkos?.

[@PassionforSound]

Sorry that I didn't do that direct comparison this time! I personally wouldn't bother with the HPA4 with the TT2 as it's impossible to match the transparency of the super short signal path between the TT2's DAC and headphone output. The HPA4 also doesn't provide any significant colour to help differentiate it from the TT2 so the GT and Aries are better choices because they both add a small dash of their own flavour. That said, I rarely use any amps with the TT2 unless it's for testing or to bring tube warmth via the Folkvangr, MZ3 or Mainline

[@Ronsanut]

How did this fare compared to the Enleum AMP-23R ?

[@PassionforSound]

I didn't have the AMP-23R at the time, but the HPA4 was around the same performance (despite differences) as the pre-update Soloist GT. The AMP-23R is on a different level.

[@h4ndrix]

great video. May I ask what shock mount you have on the Blue mic? Thank you!

[@PassionforSound]

Thanks Hendrik! It's a Shure A55M

[@larrywe3320]

The HPA4 as well as Benchmark's matching DAC & Amp are probably the BEST Clinical sounding equipment available...

[@Nightjar726]

Not clinical to me. It’s neutral. Not cold or warm.

[@ccgmail8025]

Probably your headphones are clinical... This amp is dead neutral... Get less clinical headphones

[@PassionforSound]

I don't agree that the HPA4 is truly neutral, but I also don't know that I'd call it clinical. To me, it's neutral with slightly boosted clarity while the Soloist GT is probably more truly neutral in that it sounds more natural to me across a wide range of headphones. That doesn't make one better than the other - they're just different.

[@Nightjar726]

@@PassionforSound you listen primarily on headphones? Or do you have a speaker setup as well?

[@Nightjar726]

@@PassionforSound I think you guys are mistaking neutral because you are listening with headphones. Of course it’s primarily a headphone amp review. Silly me. But I am looking at it as a preamp, through speakers. That may explain the differences in perception.

[@carminedesanto6746]

Good morning from Toronto ..yes, I’m time traveling in KZbin. I’ve head a few times that this is pretty damned impressive. Great review ☕️🍕🔥🥓👍

[@PassionforSound]

Glad you liked the review. Yes, the HPA4 is definitely impressive

[@backrack01]

It's def deserves to be in the top 5.

[@PassionforSound]

I agree for now. Who knows what will arrive in the coming years though 🙂

[@patrickf.7025]

Do you think the HPA4 and Chord Qutest can be a good combination for ATC SCM40A?

[@PassionforSound]

The HPA4 is a headphone amp so you'd need a power amp as well. As a pre-amp, the HPA4 is good, but I'm not sure it'd be my first choice at the price when there are great options like the Soloist GT, HiFiMan Prelude and Aune S17 Pro for much less.

[@patrickf.7025]

@@PassionforSound i just need a preamp because the ATC SCM40A are Active speakers.

[@PassionforSound]

Ah, sorry! I must have been looking at the SCM40, not the SCM40A. I would still probably go for a different headphone amp/preamp like the Soloist GT or similar as I think the HPA4 is very overpriced since the price rise and options like the Soloist GT and Prelude are equally as good (with slightly different sound signatures) for less money.

[@b00m3rh4nd_sol]

I would be really curious to see a HPA4 vs SMSL SP400 sound comparison please.

[@PassionforSound]

Sorry, I don't own the HPA4 anymore and don't have the SP400 either. Don't be fooled into thinking that they'll perform the same just because they both have THX modules.

[@pawerusek363]

Any chance reviewing Niimbus US5?

[@PassionforSound]

It all depends on what I can get my hands on and I don't currently have a contact for that one so not sure...

[@MrRosscoz]

Or even the Violectric HPA 550. I’m pretty set on that with he1kse soon as my boat sells lol

[@PassionforSound]

Violectric are difficult for me to get unfortunately ☹️

[@equilibrium2147]

I’m into a game ender kind of set up . Do you recommend RME adi 2 dac fs as a stand alone DAC to drive the HPA 4 for my HE 1000v2 using a Bluesound node for my digital source ? Thank you !

[@PassionforSound]

I'd look beyond ADI-2 unless you need its features like EQ, etc. I think the combination of the ADI-2 and HPA4 could be way too clinical for most people. What's your budget and where are you?

[@joshswanedits]

I would love to hear my arya's on this. The best I can do right now is the SMSL SH9 and a Zen Dac haha

[@PassionforSound]

It's definitely an incredibly revealing amp that does wonders with high end cans like the Aryas

[@xyanide1986]

Honestly, the designs driven by THX AAA aren't for me. I used to have a thx789 aaa, but I sold it in favor of a ifi ican SE. I'll take something like a Neve RNHP or violectric over any of them.

[@sjqideez6626]

Same here

[@PassionforSound]

Yep. Haven't tried either of those amps, but not a huge THX fan. It can sound good when well implemented, but never really captures my heart when listening.

[@xyanide1986]

@@PassionforSound the Neve RNHP is really nice especially for the price, have a listen if you can. I did a demo once. I own a violectric v200 (2nd hand) but they are a bit pricey and mostly prevalent in Europe. They discontinued it too and now it's just their higher-end models.

[@PassionforSound]

I'm keen to try a RNHP if the opportunity ever arises

[@barlevi5683]

Is the modius the best dac around 200-400$?

[@PassionforSound]

That's a tough call. It's a long time since I tried it and options like the SMSL DO200 Mk2, Topping E50 and EverSolo DAC-Z6 all make strong cases for themselves

[@amaya897]

Time to try Holo Bliss my friend :)

[@PassionforSound]

I'll have to see if I can get it in

[@amaya897]

@@PassionforSound Worth trying. Probably the best solid state amp for headphones I got into my hands in the past 15 years.

[@bretspangler8717]

The cheap looking remote is a 100$ option, which seems a bit out of line for a headphone amp that costs 3300$

[@PassionforSound]

That's definitely a fair point when you're already spending this much money

[@crate718]

This headphone amp cost as much as many of the best guitar amps and they are all tubes lol

[@sjqideez6626]

Haha, great point

[@jaybrodnax]

Thanks!

[@PassionforSound]

Thanks so much, Jay!!

[@powermod6772]

The reviews on the HPA4 are so different. He says sound stage depth is not as large, another one said deep as mariana trench. It all depends on the complete signal chain, the recording of the music and the listener. The only thing all agree about is the perfect measurements of this device.

[@PassionforSound]

Another thing to consider is the reviewer's reference points. If they're coming from an amp like a Topping A90 or similar integrated op-amp design, the HPA-4 will sound massive. That's why I always like to include comparisons within the review - so you have direct reference points for my opinions. 🙂

[@WoodstockG54]

I have an old Aurender n100 that needs a USB connection, too bad.

[@stoicar]

The soundstage problem is because the power source.

[@PassionforSound]

Are you saying that because it uses a switch mode supply?

[@stoicar]

@@PassionforSound yes same problem with burson in the pas

[@PassionforSound]

It definitely could play a part, but I don't think it's the only cause as the THX designs seem to all produce flatter soundstage as well so it might be a compounding thing.

[@johnrus7661]

Basically it's sound is it has no sound. Whatever the track is it spits it out with 100% honesty. So whatever there is to like or dislike, comes down to your track and or your DAC, if it isn't a dead neutral DAC. So the sound kinda is what it is, it's whether you like it or not, this is the truth. Lol. Which can be a problem in it's own right depending on the music you like.

[@PassionforSound]

Every amp has some degree of sound because there is no perfectly transparent component or wire on the planet so the sum of circuit full of such components will always have a character. There's no way of knowing what the music was originally intended to sound like (remembering that what the engineers and artists heard was also coloured by the gear used in the studio) so there's no such thing as a perfectly transparent product (unless we're talking about measurements only and they can't capture the full picture)

[@johnrus7661]

@@PassionforSound You can actually, being in the studio world and photography world. Everything is calibrated and just built in a way to be as neutral as possible. We don't rely on saying, hey. Lets make this as neutral as possible and then hope for the best. Doesn't work that way. With studio gear, you can use 3 different studio DAC's and there is gonna be no difference in FR. Slight difference in performance perhaps, but it's not gonna change the FR. Which is incredibly important.

[@PassionforSound]

@johnrus7661 the frequency response isn't the issue. Almost every modern solid state amp will measure dead flat from 20-20,000Hz and beyond. It's the character of the sound that changes due to the way the amp responds to transients, how it controls the drivers, and all kinds of other factors. This is the slight difference of performance you've alluded to yourself and it's why I made my initial comment. Regardless of the gear used, a photographer or mixing engineer is still interpreting the sound or image they produce. With audio gear, we can't guarantee to recapture the original intent the way a calibrated monitor can with photography.

[@johnrus7661]

@PassionforSound Not true, the FR is different, the DAC doesn't control the driver the AMP does, what you are refering to is damping factor. Thats a function of the amp, driver control. Not the DAC. And consumer DAC's do change the sound in many ways like you are saying. Thats my point. But thats not how studio equipment works. If you got 3 studio DAC's. It's all gonna be splitting hairs how they sound. Only things like actual performance separate them. But it's not gonna change in any significant way how you master and those things are extremely nuanced things. Whether you love it or hate it on certain music is not a fault of the DAC, it's the fault of the music. Studios can't have big differences in equipment. No different than when we use calibrated equipment for my photography business. Yes there is better performing monitors and printers. But that doesn't change in a significant way how I post proccess my images.

[@joseluishernandezseptien]

15:13 the Erhu is a two* strings Chinese instrument.

[@PassionforSound]

Thanks for the correction!

[@markphilpot8734]

If you want to sell it, I’ll buy it right now. No kidding mate. Let me know ok.

[@PassionforSound]

It sold ages ago. Sorry

[@markphilpot8734]

@@PassionforSound, that’s a shame, but thanks anyway mate. It was worth a shot!

[@electricrice]

This amp absolutely cannot drive the susvara very well at all, so much for all that power

[@PassionforSound]

This is a good example of what I often say about the Susvara. It's not about the power output, it's about the tonality and general quality of the output (so long as there's enough power)

[@johnmclean627]

I find your hyper subjection reviews without any objective back bone is wearing thin. I suggest doing a course in simply electronics just to get a better understanding of what an amplifier does. It’s not a magic box with pixies sprinkling dust over the electrons, there's no intelligence for soundstage, separation or any other audiophile jargon.

[@Neutrality10]

There’s a place if you’re looking for pure objective measurements; it’s called Audio Science Review (ASR).

[@sjqideez6626]

Do a video review of this amp yourself then, be sure to only listen to test tones & sine sweeps. You have the Bruel & Kjaer 5128 & Audio Precision APX555 right?

[@MrRosscoz]

Do you listen to music? Or just measure it! The same instrument playing the same song will sound different with different musicians. Same with amps and dacs. Yeah the difference may be measurable… or not, but in the end subjective reviews are what most people want!

[@123456789million]

I think the Mytek Liberty THX AAA HPA beats out the HPA4 at half the price

[@PassionforSound]

I haven't tried that one. What do you prefer about it compared to the HPA4?

[@123456789million]

@@PassionforSound Mytek achieves much more powerful sub-bass than Benchmark. Still linear, perfect tonal balance, no distortion. Also the soundstage is taller with Mytek due to the excellent sub-bass extension. But the Benchmark did sound more airy than Mytek which had noticeable treble roll-off compared to Benchmark.

[@PassionforSound]

That's interesting. I think what you've described is actually a coloured-sounding amp, but if you enjoy it more, that's all that matters 🙂