HiFi Perfection? The Benchmark AHB2 and DAC3 HGC in 2026

Steve Huff · 31 Jul 2026

Steve Huff did not write this page.

Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

Our reading
Audio gear should be judged by ear, not by technical measurements.

Their wordsI have always been of the belief, and still have this belief, that audio should be judged by the ear.
Our reading
The listening room and system setup matter more to sound quality than any individual piece of gear.

Their wordsYes, the room and setup will matter more than any measurement, amp, DAC or piece of gear you add later.

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The other pieces are the ones whose claims are worded most like this one's. That measures language, not agreement: they may argue the opposite.