Auxinput: The Bryston's also a heavyweight: their multi channel amps range 75+ lbs. Weight isn't a problem for me. So far the
McCormack appears to be the most thermally efficient of the group. This guy fully dissected the McCormack http://www.iar-80.com/page67.html from the view of a full on audiophile with very deep pockets. The reviews of the
Bryston show some inclination of being too bright in the highs, but that also could be a function which speakers are involved.
Picking an amplifier
I have the following speakers:
NHT 2.1 Front LR 200W @ 6ohms
NHT AC1 Center 150W @ 8 ohms
NHT SW2 Subwoofer 200W @ 8 ohms
The rear speakers are inconsequential (and boxed up) they might come out to play when I move to bigger digs.
I’ve been using NHTs 214s and 216s, (think lightbulbs) but the market is drying up. I remain unconvinced they are worth the shipping & costs to repair.
My (current) short list of replacement amps:
Outlaw Audio model 770 7 (7 channels)
Bryston 9B ST (5 channels) (2 years left on warranty)
Parasound 5125 (5 channels)
The budget is $1000, I have located sources for all three at or below $1000.
Any/all discussion of suitability, repair outlook, and peanut shells welcome. From a listening perspective, I've been fine with the NADs, but am priced out of the newer models. Nuts, I might even repair the NADs if I find the right person with the skills & tools.
NHT 2.1 Front LR 200W @ 6ohms
NHT AC1 Center 150W @ 8 ohms
NHT SW2 Subwoofer 200W @ 8 ohms
The rear speakers are inconsequential (and boxed up) they might come out to play when I move to bigger digs.
I’ve been using NHTs 214s and 216s, (think lightbulbs) but the market is drying up. I remain unconvinced they are worth the shipping & costs to repair.
My (current) short list of replacement amps:
Outlaw Audio model 770 7 (7 channels)
Bryston 9B ST (5 channels) (2 years left on warranty)
Parasound 5125 (5 channels)
The budget is $1000, I have located sources for all three at or below $1000.
Any/all discussion of suitability, repair outlook, and peanut shells welcome. From a listening perspective, I've been fine with the NADs, but am priced out of the newer models. Nuts, I might even repair the NADs if I find the right person with the skills & tools.
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- 101 posts total
Thanks for that link on the McCormack. Yes, I thought that the McCormack might have the best sound quality. I think at this point, you will need to decide what kind of sonic signature you want. The McCormack will have a very sweet and engaging sound. However, the Outlaw will still have more power supply and be able to hit the bass much harder - there would be a lot more impact and attack in the sound with the Outlaw (like "punch you in the chest" kind of sound). On the Bryston, yeah some of their amps are heavy weights. The 9B ST you mentions only comes in at 59 lbs. (similar to Parasound). I heard a set of original Gen 1 7B monoblocks once. The sound was okay, but it was somewhat on the dull sounding side. I also heard a Gen 3 Bryston. I think it was a 2B SST model. It was definitely faster/brighter with a lot of detail and attack, but the amp just did not sound engaging. It did not reach out and grab you. I tended to lose interest. Some people love the Brystons. I had an original Sunfire Cinema Grand 5-channel amp a long time ago. It was a significant step up when I was first getting into home theater. However, over time, I discovered it was somewhat sterile sounding. I upgraded to a B&K Reference 200.5, which was a HUGE improvement in sound - strength, detail and warmth. The amp just was really engaging and exciting. However, in the end, the B&K turned out to be too warm for my tastes, which caused me to move onto more neutral amplifiers. |
Auxinput: What’s the difference between sterile and neutral? A distinction w/o a difference? Happy you found a sweet spot in your journey. Maybe we should talk music. Here’s some music I love: Bob&Tom recordings on YouTube of "Here Come the Mummies". I’m disappointed with HCTM CDs because they epitomize the term sterile - the difference is The Wall of Sound and isolated studio performance. The phrase "wall of sound" came to represent the effect of crowding all the musicians into one room where they would get into each other’s microphones. This effect was prominent when studio artists were producing nearly all the music for public consumption. http://www.wreckingcrewfilm.com/ Fleetwood Mac’s DVD performance of The Dance. Led Zeppelin frustrates me because they never mic’ed up and produced for detail. Ironically, they used tube amplifiers in their farewell concert "Celebration Day". Eric Clapton’s unplugged version of Layla. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtxO1gwbHPQ Johnny Cash - God Will Cut you down https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJlN9jdQFSc You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive featuring Ruby Friedman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiE_Bk8FOY0 Warren Zevon - Keep Me In Your Heart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiE_Bk8FOY0 |
- 101 posts total