I completely agree with everything yyzsb... has said about the Benchmark LA4. I am auditioning one right now (and have recently been auditioning preamps-- like 6 or so recently- trying to settle on one) and it is certainly the absolute quietest preamp from an electrical/noise standpoint (i.e. black background) I’ve ever heard. Just blackness between and around the notes.
I would assess it to be the most ’neutral’ tonally without regard for price as well in that it seems to show you by comparison what the previous pre you just had hooked up was ’doing to everything’ passing through it. The other preamps’ ’signature’ style suddenly becomes more apparent. When a/b’ing recordings of the same piece in different halls for example, they sound the most ’different’ from one another via the Benchmark. I also cant identify a particular thing it does poorly or for that matter, well. There’s no ’huge staging’ or ’tremendous bass’ etc etc.
This said- it’s lack of doing ’anything’ means you better be sure you like what your amp does or the sound of ’no preamp.’
I liked for example, the synergy of my amp with the Schiit Freya S, which sounded-- maybe more ’fun/pacey’ and a bit warmer though less detailed than the Benchmark? And the SPL pre was more spacious/warmer etc. The LTA Microzotl level 2 was also significantly warmer and a bit ’denser’ but staged smaller etc. These qualities were evident with those pres with most every recording.
So... listening to a bunch of preamps recently has shown me that some are simply too much of a good (or bad) thing with my particular amp. Might be great with yours Trouble is-- dont think that says much about the preamp- just about the synergy with my particular amp/dac. Coda preamp (which I’ve been interested in as well) may be warmer per yyzsb... but with my amp that might like the LTA, be too much of a good thing.
So if its helpful, I don’t know if I’m gonna marry the Benchmark; I realized I LIKE certain colorations and ’fun’ factors etc, but it’ll definitely show you a thing or two about what your other gear is doing and one other thing- it’s somehow never ever brittle or ’bright’ in being so revealing- unless the recording is. (If I’m honest maybe I wish it added just a touch of warmth and had a bit more of an ’airy’ feel/expansiveness? Like if there was one single small glowing tube in there;) I like that sorta thing but it’s usually overdone (for my taste) when present. As I recall, the Freya S did this in my system but doesn’t have the detail or black background or finely granulated attenuation of an LA4).
I can also understand better after this shootout I’ve been doing why some think price is a bit of smoke and mirrors. That has definitely correlated with my recent experience. Loved the Freya S for example, and it’s the cheapest by a looong mile. Benchmark is second cheapest and it’s the most ’neutral’ of any up to 8 thousand. Never heard a 20k pre in my system; so cant comment there.
