I am going to check out the new Bryston gear just so I cover all the bases. The new gear is supposed to sound more mellow than my older Bryston and the used prices of a 4B3 + BP173 is around the $6K range.
Bryston 4B Cubed vs Hegel H360 vs Benchmark AHB2
I am likely going to get the KEF Reference 1 for my office at the end of this month. I was trying to convince myself to get something else but I always came back to the KEF Ref 1 for many factors, such as sound, cost, size, ease of setup.
I think the KEF Ref 1 speakers can use a lot of power even though they are rated at 50-200 watts at 8 ohms. My setup in the office will require a few digital inputs and 1 or 2 analog inputs.
I have narrowed down my list to the following electronics:
1) Benchmark DAC3 + AHB2 amp(s), I have not heard the AHB2 amp but did own the DAC2 for years and liked it a lot. Only issue with this setup is that I will likely need to get 2 AHB2 amps to get over 100 watts for the Ref 1's. Anybody with these amps think I need 2 of them for the KEF Ref 1's in an office? I sometimes play music loud but not for long while I work. I would buy Benchmark as new gear.
2) The Bryston 4B Cubed along with the Bryston pre-amp with integrated DAC option. I owned older Bryston gear in the past and one complaint I had was a slightly smaller sound stage. I would buy the Bryston gear on the used market.
3) The Hegel H360. I heard this unit playing KEF Blade 2 at a show and I was pleased with the sound. I loved the sound of the Blades but I may be giving too much credit for the sound that day to the Hegel. Whatever, the case it was an enjoyable experience. I could go used or new with this gear. My concern about Hegel is repair work and reliability. I have never owned Hegel gear but I have read some rants here about Hegel customer service. BTW - Is there a new H390 in the horizon?
All of my choices are in the detail oriented sound camp. This is fine for my office system since I am getting a warmer sounding system later on for the living room. Some variety in systems will keep things interesting.
Anybody have any feedback on the 3 brands I have listed and the concerns I have for each.
I think the KEF Ref 1 speakers can use a lot of power even though they are rated at 50-200 watts at 8 ohms. My setup in the office will require a few digital inputs and 1 or 2 analog inputs.
I have narrowed down my list to the following electronics:
1) Benchmark DAC3 + AHB2 amp(s), I have not heard the AHB2 amp but did own the DAC2 for years and liked it a lot. Only issue with this setup is that I will likely need to get 2 AHB2 amps to get over 100 watts for the Ref 1's. Anybody with these amps think I need 2 of them for the KEF Ref 1's in an office? I sometimes play music loud but not for long while I work. I would buy Benchmark as new gear.
2) The Bryston 4B Cubed along with the Bryston pre-amp with integrated DAC option. I owned older Bryston gear in the past and one complaint I had was a slightly smaller sound stage. I would buy the Bryston gear on the used market.
3) The Hegel H360. I heard this unit playing KEF Blade 2 at a show and I was pleased with the sound. I loved the sound of the Blades but I may be giving too much credit for the sound that day to the Hegel. Whatever, the case it was an enjoyable experience. I could go used or new with this gear. My concern about Hegel is repair work and reliability. I have never owned Hegel gear but I have read some rants here about Hegel customer service. BTW - Is there a new H390 in the horizon?
All of my choices are in the detail oriented sound camp. This is fine for my office system since I am getting a warmer sounding system later on for the living room. Some variety in systems will keep things interesting.
Anybody have any feedback on the 3 brands I have listed and the concerns I have for each.
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- 21 posts total
@lak, I was looking for that extra Bryston info last night and went to the source. Read the complete thread. http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=151889.0 They talk about issues I had raised about the Bryston. I used to own the BP25 + MPS-2 preamp/power supply so I am very familiar with the thread's discussion points. I definitely want to consider the Bryston for my living room system when I start shopping for that. At this time I am looking for the office system. A smaller foot print for the electronics is important for the office since I have tons of computer gear (very quiet) in the office. I am leaning towards the Benchmark setup and may order the system next week to take with me when I audition speakers at the end of the month. The Benchmark units are very small in foot print. |
I should add that I heard the KEF Reference 1 at the last LA Audio show driven by the following Wyred4Soud gear: "MS Music Server (was prototype then, it is now released), our 10th Anniversary DAC, and a pair of our SX-1000R mono block amplifiers" this class D system sounded awesome. However, this gear is not any cheaper than what I am already considering. |
- 21 posts total