Bryston B60R or similar

[hoopsontoast]

I am on the look out for a Bryston B60R to go with my SCM10s but they dont come up often S/H.

Anybody recommend any other amps that will give me a similar presentation for around £600 S/H?

I have heard Audiolab 8200 range, and the 8200A was OK with the SCM7s when I demoed it at home but then I tried the 8200MBs which were really good, and have heard the SCM7s on the end of a Bryston BP26/4BSST which was awesome.

Currently using a Brio-R to tide me over and its doing a good job I have to say, nice little amp but fancy trying something that will get a bit more out of the SCM10s!

 

[Frank Harvey]

Have you tried a Pioneer A50 or A70? Surprising things for the money...

 

[hoopsontoast]

Well I managed to source a baby Bryston, a B60 (non remote version).

In short, I really would recommend it.

Its a cracking amp, super clean presentation, no hint of grain in the treble and very controlled and depth in the bass given its modest specifications. I dont have the facilities to measure it but it sounds as transparent as anything I have heard. Its certainly an interesting comparison/change to the previous SET/High Efficiency based setup(s) I have been playing around with in the last year!

It really is a step up above the Brio-R I had a play with, it did better than expected (and miles better than the Brio3 which was a bit limp wristed) with the SCM10s but it was just a bit rough around the edges, especially in the bass and treble. Its not the best comparison being the B60 is targeted at a much higher price range.

With the SCM10s it goes as loud as I would ever need in this room without any strain or harshness in the mid-treble, its just you get to the point where the bass softens a bit and dynamics suffer but then this is higher than I would usually listen, I dont think my neigbours would like it if I continued at that level! The SCM10s and the 60wpc B60 were never meant to be a high SPL system anyway!

The 20-year warranty is a bonus too, even mine thats ~10 years old with another 10 years left on for peace of mind. The build is lovely, the switches and knobs have a lovely feel (even if the balance is dented a bit) and its supprisingly heavy being packed full inside with two transformers. It also runs very cool, even after a heavy (loud) session playing stuff like John Grant or Orbital it barely gets warm, another bonus after a long stint with SET and large PP Valve amps!

One other little thing, is the soft green LED, most stuff has bright Blue lights that really light up the room with late night listening/low light (including the S9000ES although its usually turned off along with the display for that reason).

If you dont need massive power and you are after a small, discrete amp that just gets on with being an amplifier, then I cant recommend the B60 enough.