I think the Bryston 7BSST2 monos would drive the hell out of the Thiels (600 watts into 8 ohms, 900 into 4), and the U.S. price is right at $10,000 for the pair.
And you can put the savings into other fun stuff! |
my experience is that Brystons are quite forward sounding and may NOT be a musical match with Thiels
Best listen BEFORE plucking down that long green. |
Thanks guys for your response, your are right Soundhut Brystons are not the best musical amps for Thiels but perhaps putting a tube preamp like Audio Research or tube source in front might help ?
Karan amps are very musical but the price tag is scary. |
I run 28B-SST2 with a VAC Phi Beta preamp. There is nothing forward about the sound unless it comes from the source. I believe that tag comes from folks who've heard earlier models, or lesser ones, or who haven't heard these specific amps in a system developed carefully around them. (Soundhut, forgive me if I'm wrong--no disrespect intended.)
The new 28s are special--full bodied, delicate, detailed, layered, even-handed at any volume from whisper to roar, and with ease under any load. I've never used a SS preamp with them, but I have used a Bent TAP-X AVC passive and the sound was not forward or bright. (Because they have an input sensitivity switch, they're versatile enough to accept some passives.)
They do need lots off current. The performance of mine jumped a level or two when I plugged each into its own 20-amp dedicated line.
The only real gripe I have is that they take an unpardonably long time to warm up--like 3 hours before they sound really good, and longer to be their best. Before that they're a little hard and flat, IMO. And I mean "warm up" literally: they become progressively warmer until, after four or five hours, they're almost as hot as pure Class A. At least mine are. It's tempting to leave them on all the time, 20-year warranty and all, but green guilt gets me.
I recall reading somewhere--maybe Audiocircle--that Bryston's James Tanner runs his 28s with Thiel 3.7. I know Bryston has shown the 28s with that speaker so they probably mate quite well. From what I gather, the 3.7 isn't forward, itself, like older Thiels I've heard.
I've never heard Karan amps and they might be even better. But I'd recommend trying the 28s, at least. |
Many thanks Wrm57, i will try to audition a pair of 28B when i can.
Here in Europe they retail for 10370 €, very reasonable i think compare to other brands.
I heard that the Ayre MX-R KX-R combo is also a very good choice but i think to expensive for me unless second hand. |
Ayer is a great manufacturer with excellent service and very good quality control. I wouldn't hesitate buying used. That said, the Bryston 28 is an excellent sounding amp. I thought it sounded special with Maggies. Very worth trying. |
Any of you have compared the Bryston 7B to the 28B in sound quality ?
The 28B beeing the flagship i guess there is a difference apart from the power difference. |
Never heard the 7B-SST2 myself. I think the Bryston position is that the sound character is the same, just scaled for greater power with the 28B. However, a friend had them both and thought the 28B sounded quite a bit better, with more ease, depth, and warmth. He now runs his with an Aesthetix Callisto and loves the combo. |
06-29-14: Thieliste
Any of you have compared the Bryston 7B to the 28B in sound quality ?
The 28B beeing the flagship i guess there is a difference apart from the power difference. Yes, I have a friend that is using 28B with his MBL 101e. I lost count the # of SS amps he auditioned before finally settled on the 28B. He said 28B is much much superior and not just more power. |
In the hundreds of times that I've heard Bryston amplifiers in recording studios - I've never thought of them as forward, or "un musical".
It's true, Bryston claims that their amps all sound the same - they just get more powerful, if you spend more.
Thieliste, I'd definitely recommend Brystons for your Thiels - just figure out how much power you'll need and get the smallest amplifier that you'll need for the speakers/room. It might be overkill to get the most expensive amp in the Bryston line - there's no magic dust with the more powerful amps - just more power. |
I had a similiar setup as Wrm57, a pair of Bryston 28sst's paired with a VAC phi beta tubed preamp, powering my Venture Speakers...and it was not a musical match. When I switched in my new Hegel H-30, as a single stereo amp, and paired it with a EnKlein power cord, then I created magic. Just because the Bryston is capable of incredible power doesn't mean it always delivers the fine, subtle music cues and sonic deapth and detail that makes our hobby so captivating. But as always, these things are system dependent, with synergy.Have not heard your speakers. The single stereo Hegel will be less expensive than a pair of your mono's..I also had an Ayon CD5-s, and switched to a computer set up with Oppo dac, and Playback design dac, and found them both to be better than my Ayon...good luck with your search... |
Hi Mribob,
Nice to meet a fellow Phi Beta fan. I'm a little surprised at your experience with the 28Bs, as my system does not lack for subtle cues and musical depth. But these things, as you say, are system-dependent and ours are pretty different. My sources are exclusively vinyl through tubes and speakers are PMC IB2i, known to work well with Bryston. Some amps just don't work so well with some speakers. Glad you found a great synergy for your Ventures, which I've never heard but would like to someday--they look to be exceptional. |
Never heard the Hegel H30 either but I just read Absolute Sound review. It looks like a great piece! How long does it take to warm up :) |
The Hegel runs cool, and I usually leave it on 24/7, except when leaving on vacation for over a weekend. Like the Brystons, if powered off, it will sound its best after being powered on for around 1 hour...
I agree with your post, and we should acknowledge that much of what we prefer is totally system dependent, and based on how we wish our systems to sound. There is a lot of quality gear and its hard to pick tops and bottoms, unless you go to a beach! The goal is to simply enjoy the music, and not focus on the gear... |
Ok thanks guys i will definitely listen to the 28Bs SST2, should be a great match for Thiels cs 3.7
Will probably put a tube preamp in front.
Any of you guys tried the big Karan amps ? |
For some perspective, Gary Dayton former marketing guy at Thiel and now at Bryston, replied to a post of mine on the Bryston Audio Circle where I asked whether the 7B-SST2 or 28B-SST2 would be best suited for the KEF Blade speaker. He replied back with his experience with the Thiel 3.7 with both the 28B-SST2 and 7B-SST2. Thiel marketing used that combination for many years for demos and shows. He said the combination sounded incredible and that is why Thiel themselves went with it.
He also stated that the 7B was more than good enough for the 3.7's but if you can afford the 28B it is a little better. |
