Bryston 28B-SST2 or Karan Acoustics KA-S 600 ?


Hello everyone, i'm new on this forum.
I would like to build a new system with Thiel CS 3.7 speakers.
Therefore i need advice on a good amp to drive these speakers well.
I was thinking of Bryston's monos 28B-SST2 or the Karan Acoustics KA-S 600 stereo amp.
Price wise here in Europe the Bryston sales for 10370 € and the Karan for 21900 €.
The is a big difference in price and i would be surprised if the Karan was twice as better than the Bryston.
If any of you have experience whith these 2 amps please tell me what you think.
My source will be a tube streamer : the Ayon Audio S5.
Thanks,

Thieliste
128x128thieliste
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.