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Search continues.. Int Amps:Bryston,Classe,Naim,etc.

206.20.111.75

Posted by Rick B on March 31, 1999 at 20:56:07

Hey guys!! Well I appreciate all the replies and advice I got
before but I'm still in the search for a new integrated amp.

If you don't remember I have a NAD 314, Ultech UCD-100 and PSB 1000i
setup.

The past several days I've spent going to various Hifi shops
in NYC. I still haven't heard the Bryston B60 amp either. I went
to Harvey Electronics and they do have them in stock but don't
have any on display. Plus the only models they have in stock
are the 60R for $1795, I guess if I want just the regular without
remote they would have to special order it. They did however
have the 3BST amp with a B4? preamp not sure what preamp it was
but it was not the bp20 which I would have liked to hear. So anyway
I listened to the 3B-ST,BP-4 with a pair of KEF speakers(I think, they
weren't any of the main players I'm used to NHT,PSB,B&W,etc.)
and Adcoms newest CD player. Well to my ears the sound was too bright.
My ears were bleeding. Could this have been the Adcom cd-player? Or
perhaps the unknown speakers(I think KEF)? I also had a slight cold
that day and my left ear was kinda clogged too. I still don't want to
give up on Bryston gear but that audition wasn't very impressive. I
want to still try the Bryston gear with a different cd-player and
different speakers.

On other days when I didn't have the cold I went to these stores:
At Sound by Singer I heard the Krell300i and I thought it had plenty
of detail and got me into the music but it was slightly edgy. I heard
the Arcam 10 there too and thought it had a smooth rolling sound to it,
but thought it was over-priced at $1599.

You wouldn't believe it but at Innovative Audio I heard a Naim Nait 3,
CD3.5, Linn speaker setup and I was quite fond of the sound of this
combination. And supposedly the Naim is bright? I thought it dug up
plenty of detail and I had a great time listening to all kinds of music.
For some reason though this Naim combo seemed to be great for instrumental
music, jazz, classical, rock,etc. but once I started playing some vocal
music the vocals were just there and I thought they kinda got lost with
the surrounding instruments, but I will have to audition it again to make
sure of this. Maybe it was the Linn speakers? DAMN!! Synergising is so
damn hard to get right!! Anyway I think Naim is probably out because
even though the Nait 3 is relatively cheap ($1200) in order to get
that sound I heard in the dealers I would prob have to get the CD3.5
which is over $2k and I can't afford that right now with the Nait 3
as well. What really impressed me is that the music came ALIVE and
I felt like dancing the whole time. The problem with Naim is also that
you have to kinda get their products like interconnects and the like right?
Would the Naim Nait 3 with my Ultech and PSB speakers sound as good
if not similar?

At Park Audio I heard the Classe CAP-80 again, this time not at Lyric.
Park was using Joeseph monitors with it and I thought it sounded VERY
good on vocals, and above average on symphony music. Though I think
the setup at Lyric matched more of what I would hear in my own place
since they had the CAP-80,CDP.3 with Stratus Bronze speakers.

The Naim Nait seemed to represent each instrument better individually,
but I think the CAP-80 makes it "flow" more smoothly. Its a hard call.
I would also think the CAP-80 is more compatible with different types
of speakers than the Nait but I could be wrong.

I still like the Classe CAP-80, but I want to see what else is out there
as well. Anyone know of any Audio Analogue dealers in NYC? Or how about
any Bryston dealer that has a B-60 on display that I can hear?

Thanks.

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