Short answer
Both are desktop amplifiers, $3499 against $3000.
The Benchmark HPA4 reaches 100 dB on 567 of the 567 models here, the McIntosh MHA200 on 566.
| Specification | Benchmark HPA4 | McIntosh MHA200 |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 3.4 W | 500 mW |
| Power into 150Ω | 829 mW | 475 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 440 mW | 485 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 220 mW | 500 mW |
| Output impedance | <0.1 Ω | not published |
| Output noise | 2.45 µV | not published |
| Price | $3499 | $3000 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 567 | 566 |
Not published means the maker leaves it out, so that axis cannot be compared.
| Balanced | Benchmark HPA4 | McIntosh MHA200 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | balanced | no separate rating |
| Power into 32Ω | 3.4 W derived | — |
| Power into 300Ω | 440 mW | — |
| Output impedance | <0.1 Ω | — |
| Output noise | 2.45 µV | — |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 567 | — |
Only the Benchmark HPA4 has a separate balanced rating from its maker; through it, it reaches 100 dB on 567 of the 567 models here. The McIntosh MHA200 may still have a balanced socket — its spec sheet simply gives no figure for one, so there is nothing to put beside it. Derived figures are worked out from the loads the maker did publish.
| Load | Benchmark HPA4 | McIntosh MHA200 |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Derived | Published |
| 150 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 300 Ω | Published | Derived |
| 600 Ω | Derived | Published |
Both makers publish a power rating. Benchmark HPA4 publishes at 300 Ω; McIntosh MHA200 at 32 Ω and at 600 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 600 Ω only the McIntosh MHA200 figure is the maker’s own. On those rows the derived number is the one to doubt first.
1 headphone reaches 100 dB on the Benchmark HPA4 but not on the McIntosh MHA200 — Symphonium Titan.
566 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 +35 dB. 14 dB is about 24 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.
The hiss columns are empty for McIntosh MHA200 because that maker publishes no output noise figure.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | Benchmark HPA4 headroom | McIntosh MHA200 headroom | Benchmark HPA4 hiss | McIntosh MHA200 hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +49 dB | +35 dB | 22 dB | not published |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +29 dB | +15 dB | 2 dB | not published |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +33 dB | +28 dB | 0 dB | not published |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +29 dB | +29 dB | -4 dB | not published |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +27 dB | +17 dB | -5 dB | not published |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +22 dB | +25 dB | -11 dB | not published |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | +18 dB | +19 dB | -15 dB | not published |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | +16 dB | +10 dB | -17 dB | not published |
The Benchmark HPA4 costs $499 more than the McIntosh MHA200. Out of the 567 models here, that difference buys 1 more model driven to 100 dB.
Nothing runs the other way: there is no axis here on which the cheaper of the two does better.
Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.
Each in full: Benchmark HPA4 and McIntosh MHA200.