Hey folks, got a bit of a question I need help with…
Since I’ve decided to sit out on the bryston 4B3 for while due to considerations of cost and the fact that it will be powering speakers in a 11 x 15 room and might be overkill, I’m looking for an amp of equivalent quality but at lower power handling, preferably 80-150 wpc.
having heard the brystons briefly I do agree with what @M0N said a while back that the the higher power a bryston amp is, the higher the sound quality. But I am considering the 2.5B3 and the 3B3.
I’ve also been considering looking into the Denafrips Thallo, the Schiit Aegir monoblocks, parasound, PS AUDIO.
I’m looking for Lots of good detail, vocals and Imaging. I would like an amp that has great low end as well. I can get a subwoofer or subwoofer pair (Rel T-Zero’s perhaps) to compensate if need be.
I would also like to keep it under 5000 dollars Cad if possible.
I’m personally thinking of going Schiit Aegir with a freya preamp. I can reuse the amps elsewhere down the line and the preamp can stay in the stack til a substantial upgrade later.
This is pretty "“out of left field” from the other options that you are considering, but have you looked at top end class D amps? The very top end of Class D are flagship level by the measurements. I haven’t seen any blinded listening tests, though.
The are often derided by the “class A or bust” crowd, but I wouldn’t trust that crowd’s opinion to fairly judge a small little amp that doesn’t get hot.
I’m looking for a sub 1000 USD amp right now and I’m having a hard time beating the value of a Class D amp. But they might top out and be exceeded at your higher budget.
I do love that Bryston you linked to. All Bryston amps, really.
I have my eye on the DIY kits, TBH. They’re not really DIY, just plug the cables in and screw everything together. This guy measures similarly (but not quite as good) as the Benchmark amp.