So I’m looking at a new throw and I’ve narrowed it down to the one drop vanguard or one of there 2014 benchmark. I was looking for comparison on them.
Hey, I’m new here and I don’t have either of those, but I’ve read somewhere (maybe this forum, older threads) that the Vanguard is better for beginners. It is heavier, so you will “feel” it more on the string while playing, that’s for sure (you can also buy some heavier side effects with a benchmark, but that would make the price difference even bigger)
Highspeedyoyo has reviews on both:
http://www.highspeedyoyo.com/reviews/n-z/one-drop-yoyos/one-drop-vanguard
http://www.highspeedyoyo.com/reviews/n-z/one-drop-yoyos/one-drop-benchmark-series-2014
Hope this helps 
Although the Benchmarks all share the same specs, they are not at all alike when you are playing them. I have not played a Vanguard myself, but I hear it is a good one. None of the yoyos are too pricey, so, if you can, maybe get multiple.
I prefer the Benchmarks as far as the look goes, just because you can get all four and really experiment with the weight distribution of the different shapes. It’s a great way to learn how that kind of thing works with yoyos. It also gives you a good idea of what you prefer so that you can make a good decision whether or not to buy a certain yoyo in the future.
So watching more videos and in doing more research. As I’m still relatively new I currently have a replay pro and a responsive dv888 that I really like just wish it was a bit bigger. Now I’m looking at the gauntlet also. What would play similar to the dv888 but not so undersized. I would also like to stay in the one drop line.
For some weird reason, I find that the 2014 OD Benchmark O plays similarly to the Dv888. This may just be me, but it’s weird.
How does the w play? Out of the benchmarks I like the looks of that one