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Spare Bryston B60 for headphones, or 2nd system?

Hi guys/gals, after recently upgrading my main system I’ve conveniently ended up with a spare Marantz cdp, some Straightwire cables, speaker stands, and a Bryston B60. My original intentions were to sell the amp and do something completely different with the cash, but I realized I’ve grown sentimentally attached to it, been through 19 long and crazy years of my life, so I’m keeping it until the grave. How many pieces of gear, or anything really can you say that about? 

Anyway, as the title suggests, I’m in a bit of a fun dilema, wether to buy some headphones, or a set of bookshelves. I imagine some of you will just say, decide what the heck you want, but I’m curious if the B60 could decently and enjoyably power some headphones, or if would be, advantageous let’s say, to just pair it with speakers. It’s a bit difficult to find information on this topic as there are mostly articles from the early 90s, and just not really applicable to the present. I would be totally happy setting this up as a bedroom system with speakers, or set it beside my leather reading chair with some cans. This is just a fun, budget second system, so I probably wouldn’t spend more than a few hundred dollars on the cans or speakers. And most likely used to get more bang for the buck. 

Any suggestions or insight? 
wetfeet48
jond's avatar
jond
5,775 posts
 
This is from the B60 manual, the B60 was my first piece of high end gear when I was first starting out nice integrated.

"There is a quarter inch stereo (3 conductor) head-phone jack available on the front panel of the Bryston B60 integrated amplifier. The headphone output is driven directly from the preamplifier section. We recommend the use of headphones with input impedances between 50 ohms and 600 ohms. Headphones with input imped-ance values above 600 ohms may experience some problems attaining sufficient volume levels. The main outputs, both balanced and single-ended, will be muted when a phone plug is inserted into the headphone jack. TAPE outputs are not muted."


The preamp section of this integrated is robust so you will be fine driving headphones. As far as speakers go tons of options once you decide.
wetfeet48 OP
39 posts
 
Very interesting! Thanks. 
Actually I thought of posting this in the headphone section, but then I am totally open to using it with speakers as well, and I thought it might get differing opinions in this section too. 
 If it’s a half decent headphone driver then I might just go that way. Have always been interested in headphones. If given the option, I definitely prefer the energy of speakers, but it seems life is lending itself more and more to headphone listening too. 
erik_squires
16,039 posts
 
What is your listening style though? I bought very nice headphones and I only use them while gaming. Hahah. :) 
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