I posted here around November '22 comparing my monoblock Class D Audio Mini Gan 5s (with WBT binding posts) to my Pass Labs XA25. The Class D monoblocks sounded better in every respect.
I just swapped my Benchmark AHB2 amp into the system, and the differences are even more stark. I had earlier settled on the XA25 replacing the AHB2, but the difference still surprised me.
The AHB2 sounds smeared. The openness of the Mini Gan 5s is obviously reduced, and the background is grey instead of black. Upright bass sounds muffled. The palpable texture of plucked strings is gone. I also find myself turning down the volume on tracks with a lot of energy/presence in the upper midrange. I had gotten used to not having these tracks bother me with the Mini GaN 5s, but with the AHB2 they need to be quieted down.
The AHB2 is listenable, but knowing everything that I'm missing makes it disappointing.
