Accuphase Power Amps

Dave,
There was a big lift in audio quality once the C2420 went in the system, substituting the Bryston BP26 Pre-amp. It felt like the 4BSST2 was all along the strongest component in my entire Bryston chain. If it wasn't for the colour match bothering me with the champagne image then I could easily live with it. Depth, realism, surreal black silence, control, better dynamics and less grain were all immediately apparent after burn in, suggesting we are talking a very competent Bryston Power but more to the point possibly the best Pre-amp I've ever heard!
Simon

Hi Simon,

Thanks for your reply. I figured that, but to be fair, the Accuphase is more expensive, but with good reason. So what would you say; replace the Bryston BP6P preamp first with the C-2420 or replace the Bryston 4BSST with an Accuphase A-70 amp first?

I ask this because unfortunately I'm unable to buy all 3 pieces (C-27 phono pre, C-2420, and A-70 amp) that I'm after all at once. I can only buy piece by piece.

Your thoughts, please. Thanks.

Dave..............Pre-amp C2420 by a distance, not really a contest. Biggest leap I've heard with changing one single component or cable with another in 25 years of hi-end dedication. However, One caveat would be assurance of quality source.
Simon

Hi Simon,

Ok, sounds good. Thanks. I suppose that makes sense since Bryston preamps are not the greatest and up to the level of their amps. Yeah, my sources are great to me, but not considered the ultimate by high end standards...

Sorry for the very late reply guys.

Tls49, indeed I meant to say speaker sensitivity not efficiency. Thanks for
correcting me. I am fully aware of the difference between the two. English is
not my first language, and even though I am writing and speaking English on
a regular basis, I still make this kind of silly mistakes. :)

Beat496575, Dave and Tls49, I have some experience with Accuphase vs.
Bryston as before buying my first Accuphase unit (an E-550 class A integrated
amp) I have tried a Bryston combo (4BSST & BP25) for two weeks in my room.
As Bvdiman has pointed out, the power rating of the Accuphase amps are very
deceiving. For example, in the dealers room, the E-550 integrated (rated at
30 watts in 8 ohms and 60 watts in 4 ohms) has driven the B&W 802D
speakers (which are know to like power) better than the Bryston 4BSST & BP25
combo did. Of course, the E-550 could not go as loud as the Bryston combo,
but at normal listening levels (i.e. 70-75 dB) the E-550 sounded better than
the Bryston combo.

Dave, if you are set on the A-70 power amp, then I would advise you to buy
the C-2820 together with the AD-2820 module instead of the C-2420 and
the C-27. I am not 100% sure about the prices in USA, but I guess that the
price difference between the C-2820 and C-2420 is roughly the price of the
C-27. My take is that you will gain more by buying the C-2820 than you loose
by not buying the C-27. For safety reasons, you should buy the A-70 & C-
2820 combo from a USA dealer. The AD-2820 module, on the other hand,
you could buy from Japan as the option boards should not require any voltage
conversions. You could even buy one of the older AD modules that are
compatible with the C-2820, e.g. AD-2810, AD-2800, AD-290V and AD-
290, which should be significantly cheaper. Since the C-27 is a significantly
smaller investment than the C-2420 or C-2820, you could buy it latter
when your bank account recovers. I am sure you will be very very happy for a
very very long time with an A-70 & C-2820 & AD-28xx combo. Finally,
regarding the component that you should buy first, I too think that it is best
to buy the pre-amp first.