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Upgrade to ATC / Bryston

My system consists of a Squeezebox Touch, Audio gd digital interface, Metrum Octave DAC, HK990 Integrated Amp and Dynaudio Excite 12x Speakers. I also have a Rythmik 12 inch sub that produces tight and controlled low frequencies and blends in seamlessly with the Dynaudios.

I am not in the least unhappy with the sound produced from my current audio system. In fact, I'm am in love with what I hear, describing it as sweet, musical and heavenly with no ear irritation no matter how load I play the music.

The question I have is can I get even more detail and resolution without sacrificing the sweet sound I have come to love in this setup? I am primarily considering swapping out the power amp and speakers to see what if I can find anything I like more. I'm afraid I am going to go through this exercise and end up with exactly what I have now but may be pleasantly surprised.

When I picked up the Dynaudios from the dealer a few years ago, they where driving them with a Bryston 3b SST2 and the resolution was amazing. I can not talk to the musicality because I did not like the source material but it definitely had more detail then my HK990. I've been thinking of buying a used 3b SST to see if I really like it, or is the musicality of the Harmon Kardon worth more than the resolution of the Bryston? I may still use the HK990 as my preamp for now and eventually get an Onkyo P3000R preamp for all the digital it's digital inputs.

On a separate occasion I have also auditioned the ATC SCM 11 driven by the ATC 150 w amp and several other amps. With the ATC amp, the SCM 11 sounded amazing, with lots of detail and beautiful musical synergy. With any other amp, they lost all the magic. Evan adding a non ATC preamp made the speakers lose the wonderful sound.

So now I am considering trying out a Bryston amp and ATC speakers. Both are supposed to be extremely transparent. I could end up with one, or the other, both, or neither. If I can get fantastic detail without sacrificing musicality then I have succeeded. I was planning to get the new version of the SCM 11 speakers (2013) and a used 3b SST2. What do you all think?
earlxtr

Showing 4 responses by earlxtr

earlxtr OP
50 posts
 
Xti16,

Thank you for your reply:)

I read about Raido speakers on another post by you but when I saw the price I just about had a heart attach. I just picked up a Yamaha 2014 FJR1300es for the same price as their entry model ha ha.

I am very much in love with the way Dynadios compose music and you might be right that I should just stay with them. I have read very good things about the latest SST2 models of Bryston amps having really smoothed out the presentation. I still think the Bryston will be quite lean (or more dry) in comparison to my HK 990 but that may not be a bad thing if the music still sounds like music. My concern would be driving relatively lean speakers (ATC) with a lean amp (Bryston). The whole thing might end up sounding impressive but is that really what I want to live with day in and day out? It's kind of like dating someone who is fun to be with but you could never imagine marrying:)))) The leanness of the Bryston may be the perfect match for the richness and sweetness of the Dynaudios.

BTW, I just found a Bryston 3B SST2 on our Canuck Audio Mart that is only three years old and supposedly only used for one month. I got it for half the price my dealer wants for it. It's going to be here this coming week. Can't wait to hear it!! It's going to interesting to listen to the Bryston/Dyn combo and see if I like it or not. Hopefully it's not like the Marantz AVR I once bought where after listening to one song through it I boxed it back up and sold it:))))

Earl
earlxtr OP
50 posts
 
Elizabeth,

I just saw your reply after I posted my previous response. Thank you! I'm not going to throw anything away until I've got something better, believe me! Right now I have musical nirvana and only if these new components increase my love of the music will I keep them. Just providing more resolution at the expense of emotional attachment to the music will NOT be a step forward. This whole exercise may end up being futile, but at least I will know that the grass really is not greener on the other side:)))

Earl

BTW, I'm an electrical engineer and been in audio for some 30 years and just can't buy into the line conditioner, expensive power cables and speaker cable stuff.
earlxtr OP
50 posts
 
Bob, Thank you for your response. In theory you might be right about the three way and in effect that's exactly what I have with a two way and a sub. Even some of the smaller dyns produce fantastic bass in just a two way design. Truth is I really don't care about the technology but about the sound. Specs and data sheets mean nothing to me, even as an engineer. What my ears tell me is what I care about. I don't care about technical accuracy so much as something that sounds fantastic to my ears. Sometimes the two go hand in hand but that is defiantly not always the case. Those Bryson's you have are quite the beasts:))) I hope I like the sound of mine as well but I will have no trouble selling them if I don't....

I haven't used any sound shaping in the Hk990 and get a great balance in my room. It might be more important for surround sound but even the sub is just plugged in and set to a volume and crossover frequency. In this case I'm of the theory that you don't mess with something that ain't broken:))

Earl

Earl
earlxtr OP
50 posts
 
First of all, no speaker wire or other magical component I'd going to give my current system the resolution of the Bryston amp...not even close. I'm not saying that speaker wire will make no difference at all, which is why I always use a nice (low cost) heavy gauge wire, but it is minute compared to the difference this amp will make. As far as 2 way, 3 way or 10 way, I don't care in the least...my ears will tell me what good and what's not. I am a believer in lots of power, not for volume but for the instantaneous current needed for the crisp sound of piano and drums, etc.

In general I really hate the affect of any digital processing...to my ears it destroys the sound. I always run the amp in analog direct mode to bypass at that trash.

I'm not looking to reinvent my system or spend a ton of money. As I have already stated, I love the sound of my system now and if I could just build on what I already have I would be happy. Not sure that Bryston / ATC are going to do it for me but from what I've read and heard, I think it's my best chance. I didn't go with an ATC amp because of the money (used Bryston are easy to find at a good price in Cadada) and the fact that I have a bunch of digital sources and would really like a digital preamp like the Onkyo P3000R if I end up liking the Bryston amp. Of course I already have that with the HK if I don't.

Thank you all for your reply's

Earl
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