Classe or Bryston?


Currently using a Bryston 9B with Aerial 8/surround system; not enough juice! I can augment two Classe CA-150 used as monoblocks with a CAV-75 bridged 3-way for center and rear, or just beef up the power to the 8's with another Bryston amp such as the 4B-ST. Anyone else had a similar showdown to determine the Canadian champ?
emmett
The answer here becomes an issue of what you are looking for. If your objective is for optimum home theater performance the Bryston will wow you and your friends-it is impressive in its ability to create a large enveloping soundstage-but it cannot match the pure musicality of the Classe. I'm using two Classe 151's with Aeriel 6's (cj preamp). Emotionally involving in a way the Bryston cannot reach. I auditioned the Aeriels-cj with the 7BST's in the same room. If you want music- go Classe, if you want great sound effects while watching Hollywood's latest trash- go Bryston.
I'M not into home theater anymore just plain stereo. But I still know it's lame to mix and match channel power and speakers. Don't people know that the most optimal sound quality and refined sound will come from matching everything. every speaker should be the same, all the wires should be the same, and all the amp channels. that way all the the sound comeing from each speaker will be matched and blend harmoniously together. I don't care if the amp is from the same company. If it's not the exact same amp it's going to have different sonics. and maybe the speakers have the same tweeter and woofer but if the enclosure is different than guess what? the overall sound will be different. I'm sure the sytems sound great but they could be so much better. I'm tired of hearing about the great gear people have then finding out how chinnsy they set it up.
And I don't have an HT setup either. Glad to hear that you know how to set up your system. I agree, most 'philes out there don't have anything close to a "correct" setup.
First to Carl.... You've been watching that South Park movie too much. ******************************************************* Then to Tjreed..... Why don't you get emotionally involved with a woman? ******************************************************** Now The Speaker choice... Bryston or Classe... Now don't get emotional on me...but lets see (flipping through the recommended components in Stereophile for the last few years.... yep there's the 7b's in class A every damn year. Now (getting out magnifying glass) nope can't find the Classe other than the Omega: Hmmmm price is $15,000 U.S. dollars. $5,000. for the Bryston 7B... I am starting to get emotional... and for you south park fans that like Krell ... $11,000. which other reviewers published preferred the Bryston 7b's. For home theater it is desireable to have everything match but if you find some bargains out there a proper setup can be accomplished quite well by knowing the specific technical information regarding the speakers/ amplifiers and spending a few bucks to modify. If you don't know what your doing... Just go and sell everything you have and start over. Even running Bryston's powerpac 120 to five identical speakers may likely sound better than the mix & match approach...especially for home theater... and if you have any intention of playing dvd audio....etc..
The above posting, in regards to Stereophile's recommended componets as a measure of the amps ability to be worthy, is plan foolishness. First, Stereophile recommends only those componets it reviews. If they haven't reviewed it you won't see it. That does not mean it is not worthy or not closer to the aboslute truth. Don't get me wrong. I'm not bashing Stereophile. I have subscribed to it since 1989 and enjoy reading it. It is very entertaining and informative. It is, however, not the last word on products and should never be used in that fashion. Anyone using it in that manner is suspect. To me, and may be I'm just sensitive, but flip responses as, na, na, na, na, X amp has been recomended Y years by Z magazine and A amp has never been mentioned is total foolishness and demonstrates the inability of the individual to support their ideas and their ignorance. Please, lets be a little more intelligent when expressing our ideas. Or may be we just given up our confidence to draw our own conclusions through what we hear. As a wise man once said, "If you by a system recommended by a friend you will get a system that sounds good to a friend but may be not you." P.S. By the way, I do believe that Stereophile reviewed the Omegas and found them to be state of the art performers. But, ultimately that is for the listener to determind.