Accuphase E-460 or Bryston BP26 / 4Bsst2

I would agree. You pretty much nailed it. Accuphase is in a higher league than most other brands out there. And that includes Bryston. I own Bryston, but have auditioned Accuphase quite well, and there's really no contest. The Accuphase wins in every category. So, it is to say that my next purchase will probably be Accuphase. I gotta do some more auditioning as I don't have money to burn. I must choose carefully, you see.

Is anybody familiar with new Accuphase E-460

I am.
To state the obvious, the 460 is a luxury package that comes at a commensurate price and goes a long way towards justifying that price... in looks, sound & construction quality.

Generally speaking:
It sounds very good in the Accu way -- clear & extended upper frequencies, well above average sense of dynamics (dynamic impact), extended and stable lower frquencies, etc etc, you won't be unhappy with it, I don't think...

It doesn't have the warmth of older class A Accu's -- but it is not strident either and, importantly, it can drive most of the average sized energy-guzzling spkrs out there.

Very nicely engineered as well as pleasantly versatile: it has all sorts of controls, all very well implemented. It also looks

I don't remember the Bryston BP 26 etc, I probably haven't actually listened to it.
However, the two constructors are not at all comparable: Bryston is a reliable, no frills, value-for-money constructor while Accu is more of a luxury constructor. IMO: they are both benchmark players, each in his niche

I am just planning to get the Carbon 7's, for a second system. It is good to hear how much you enjoy them. I have this perenial problem of trying to separate Luxman and Accuphase. They are both Japanese, make large high quality integrated amps and look the same, other than colour.

I know it's been discussed before, but can anyone describe how they might sound different. I would be going for the 100 watt area, Class A/B amps, for either brand, to drive the Carbon 7's.

Accuphase by a mile. But you really need to choose which one sounds best to you. Because ultimately, you're the one who's gotta live with it.

I would also go for the Accuphase if I were in your shoes. Make sure you listen to everything before spending your hard saved cash.

I can tell you from my experience, I lived in Japan for 7 years in the late 80's to early 90s and was a frequent visitor to the Pro audio stores there and the electonic district of Akihabara. The thing about Accuphase is that these amps are still hand made in Japan and this is a rarety, therefore, they are of the finest build quality. Almost every pro Audio store featured these as a test Amp for other componentry and speakers. These Amps are only matched by the best on earth. I've never heard anything that sounded better. If you can afford the Accuphase, personaly, I would do it.

Hi Kiza,

About a year and a half ago, I have listen extensively to the Bryston BP25/4BSST combo (driving Dali Helicon speakers) and also to quite a few Accuphase integrated, i.e E-408, E-350, E-450, E-550 (driving the Focal Micro Utopia Be speakers). These models (BP25/4BSST and E-450) are the previous generation of the models you consider. Just have a look on my system page at the not-so-short story of my hi-fi adventure :).

Of the two brands in question, Accuphase is the more noble one. However, both brands are extremly reliable and known to produce one work-horse after another. If to your ears, the Accuphase integrated sounded better than the Brystons go with the Accuphase. In time you will love its functionality and all those extra buttons.

Also, note that the E-460 has just been released and therefore it is definitely not the best bang for the buck. Sound-wise the Accuphase integrated I have listed above are very similar and I doubt the E-460 would sound significantly different. You should be able to find a demo E-450 or, even better, an E-550 for less money than a new E-460. Check my thread "Accuphase or Musical fidelity for Focal Micro Be" for a comparison of various Accuphase integrated:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1258909683&openmine&zzNvp&4&5#Nvp

Good luck!
Paul