Benchmark LA4
Upon hearing about this new product from Benchmark Media, the LA4, my mind turned to Laurindo Almeida, Bud Shank, Ray Brown, and Shelly Manne—the original L.A. Four jazz quartet. No such association was intended, however: the “4” merely designates change from previous Benchmark designs.1
The LA4 is probably the most transparent and revealing audio component I’ve ever used.
The LA4 is housed in a shoeboxy, half-rack chassis that stands apart from the contemporary hi-fi wide-and-flat norm. A large touchscreen, an engraved Benchmark logo, and a single large volume control knob dominate the front. At the bottom left are a small on/off button and the IR sensor.
The action of the large knob is stepped, and an audible relay click accompanies each 0.5dB step change. I am accustomed, as perhaps many are, to smooth, silent operation, and I hastily concluded that the clicking would be intolerable. Nevertheless, I was wrong, especially as this construction contributes to some of the virtues I observed later.
All the other relevant external features are on the back: two
