bryston 14bst vs mark levinson 336

thanks for all the response. heres the truth my frugal side say bryston my lustful levinson and I have yet to hear a pass labs or rowland I would like to check them out the problem is finding dealers with these items on the floor.

I've owned the Bryston 7B monos and personally did not find them bright sounding driving Thiels. When the upgrade bug hit I auditioned the ML336 in my system at length. The ML336 is more refined and detailed sounding across the range, the soundstage is much larger and better defined, and the bass is deeper and more controlled. On the flip side the ML336 is darker sounding, the mids are more recessed, and overall it is a more reserved sounding amp. On large scale symphony the ML336 sounded great, on rock I found the bass to be strong and controlled, but a bit sluggish. If at all possible you should audition the two amps in your system. I ended up with a large Classe amp which gave me the additional refinement I was looking for, and imo has a more lively and open character then the ML336.

I haven’t heard the 336 but recently had a chance to compare the 7B mono blocks to the new 14B-ST. The monos where fully worked in whereas the 14B was only a month or so old. Without a doubt the 14B had a less aggressive sound than the 7B monos. That slight edge on the midrange was gone and the top end sounded more natural. The music in general sounded more neutral and not as forward. I was impressed to say the least. Bryston may or may not be to the scale of a Levinson, but it just took a step closer with the 14B-ST especially considering the price