Short answer
Both are desktop amplifiers, $3499 against $3798.
On raw power they are level: each reaches 100 dB on 567 of the 567 non-electrostatic models here.
| Specification | Benchmark HPA4 | Holo Audio Bliss KTE |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 3.4 W | 3.0 W |
| Power into 150Ω | 829 mW | 600 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 440 mW | 300 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 220 mW | 150 mW |
| Output impedance | <0.1 Ω | 1.0 Ω |
| Output noise | 2.45 µV | not published |
| Price | $3499 | $3798 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 567 | 567 |
Not published means the maker leaves it out, so that axis cannot be compared.
| Balanced | Benchmark HPA4 | Holo Audio Bliss KTE |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | balanced | 4-pin XLR |
| Power into 32Ω | 3.4 W derived | 12.0 W |
| Power into 300Ω | 440 mW | 1.2 W derived |
| Output impedance | <0.1 Ω | <0.1 Ω |
| Output noise | 2.45 µV | not published |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 567 | 567 |
Through the balanced sockets the two are level on the same test: each reaches 100 dB on 567 of the 567 models here. Derived figures are worked out from the loads the maker did publish.
| Load | Benchmark HPA4 | Holo Audio Bliss KTE |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Derived | Published |
| 150 Ω | Derived | Published |
| 300 Ω | Published | Derived |
| 600 Ω | Derived | Derived |
Both makers publish a power rating. Benchmark HPA4 publishes at 300 Ω; Holo Audio Bliss KTE at 32 Ω and at 150 Ω. The other rows are worked out from those.
So the two columns are not equally firm row by row: at 300 Ω only the Benchmark HPA4 figure is the maker’s own and at 32 Ω and at 150 Ω only the Holo Audio Bliss KTE figure is the maker’s own. On those rows the derived number is the one to doubt first.
On power they are interchangeable across this whole database: there is no headphone here that one reaches 100 dB on and the other does not.
15 headphones are left alone by the Benchmark HPA4 under the one-eighth rule but coloured by the Holo Audio Bliss KTE (64 Audio Nio, 64 Audio Volur, Campfire Audio Andromeda 2023, 12 more).
567 of the 567 models here reach 100 dB on both.
Headroom is at a 100 dB SPL peak.
The widest gap on the list is the Shure SE846: Benchmark HPA4 has +49 dB of headroom there against +43 dB. 6 dB is about 4 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.
The hiss columns are empty for Holo Audio Bliss KTE because that maker publishes no output noise figure.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | Benchmark HPA4 headroom | Holo Audio Bliss KTE headroom | Benchmark HPA4 hiss | Holo Audio Bliss KTE hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +49 dB | +43 dB | 22 dB | not published |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +29 dB | +23 dB | 2 dB | not published |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +33 dB | +32 dB | 0 dB | not published |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +29 dB | +28 dB | -4 dB | not published |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +27 dB | +25 dB | -5 dB | not published |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +22 dB | +21 dB | -11 dB | not published |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | +18 dB | +17 dB | -15 dB | not published |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | +16 dB | +15 dB | -17 dB | not published |
The Holo Audio Bliss KTE costs $299 more than the Benchmark HPA4, and on these three axes the money buys nothing: among the 567 models here there is not one that the Holo Audio Bliss KTE handles and the Benchmark HPA4 does not — not on power, not on the one-eighth rule, not on hiss. The traffic runs the other way: the cheaper Benchmark HPA4 leaves 15 models alone under the one-eighth rule that the Holo Audio Bliss KTE does not.
Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.
Each in full: Benchmark HPA4 and Holo Audio Bliss KTE.