Harbeth with Bryston?

[tomasenko]

Hello!

Has anyone tried the combo of Harbeth with Bryston? I am currently thinking of Super HL5 + B100 integrated (100W@8ohms). I guess for the Monitor 40.1 I would need something more powerful, wouldn't I? My living room is 55m2 (592sq feet) almost square.

Thanks,
Toms

[Spindrift]

Haven't tried the Bryston but I can report that Exposure's 3000 Series integrated works well with SHL5, as does the Bel Canto C5i.
Both are musically engaging, reliable and well made.

Harbeth loudspeakers are as honest as they come, both as a product (coming from a sincere and knowledgeable producer) and in terms of aural performance.

Combining them with an amplifier of equal honesty and reliability is all one needs to do to get great sound and peace of mind. Bryston, Bel Canto, Exposure, Naim, LFD, Sugden, Audio Research and Leben are a couple of honest companies where amplifiers, suitable for a lifetime's use are made.

Second-hand, one cannot go wrong with a Huntingdon-serviced QUAD amplifier (303/405-2/306/606/520).

Hello!

Has anyone tried the combo of Harbeth with Bryston? I am currently thinking of Super HL5 + B100 integrated (100W@8ohms). I guess for the Monitor 40.1 I would need something more powerful, wouldn't I? My living room is 55m2 (592sq feet) almost square.

Thanks,
Toms

[EricW]

I rather suspect Alan Shaw has tried the combo as he made reference some time ago to trying a Canadian-made amplifier with good measurements but unusual screws (Robertson) that prevented him from opening the casing. That sounds like Bryston to me.

Given the official Harbeth position on amplifier matching I doubt he's inclined to comment on any specific pairing, however.

[kittykat]

Hello!

Has anyone tried the combo of Harbeth with Bryston?

Hi Tomasenko, I use a B60R with an SHL5. It thin enough to fit below my television. The amp like Harbeths have good build quality and give me pride of ownership because I don’t need to fuss about it or worry about them breaking . it’s a combo which I just turn the power on, and enjoy the music.

Sound? From a middle aged man with old ears... Compared to a cayin a88t (tube), the B60r sounds clearer (crystal), less veiled, less bloaty , tighter bass, very together… what I like.

It’s a keeper amp. You’re buying peace of mind. Hope nothing goes wrong with mine, but what I read from blogs and forums is that if there is a problem, they'll just fix it. No questions asked.

[jimbirch]

Robert E Greene who is a senior reviewer at the audio magazine The Absolute Sound has used Bryston separates in combination with his M40's for years and it was Greene who did the M40 review for the magazine.

[hifi_dave]

I used to stock and have used Bryston with Harbeth.

Harbeth/Bryston works well as a combination but in the UK Bryston is far toooo expensive and there are better sounding amps for a lot less. If Bryston is reasonably priced in your market, it could be considered but do try first against the competition.

[gagelle]

I have the Harbeth 7ES-3 paired up with an ATI 1502 amp and Emotiva USP-1 preamp. I feel that I'm not getting as much out of these speakers as I could be if I had better amplification. I've read great things about LFD amps but the more powerful model is over $6,000 in the US and out of my price range. I do play loud on occasion and like a good deal of headroom. (Although my room is small.) I could also afford a used Bryston 4B-ST2 with plenty of warranty left.

So are there any opinions about which direction I should take? --LFD or Bryston? I know Harbeth employees can't get involved in this discussion, so I direct this to Harbeth users.

Thank You in advance for any help.

{Moderator's comment: the niggling doubt that won't rest .... Members comments?}

[anonymous]

I have never used ATI amplifiers, but they have an excellent reputation. I know they're located in California. You might call them and ask about having your amplifier serviced, to ensure that it's running smoothly. They'll probably also extend your warranty following service. From a quick search, these appear to be the specs of your amp:

150W/8 Ohms, 225W/4 Ohms

What do you feel the ATI amp is lacking? It appears they don't make that model anymore. Is it possible there's an operational issue? I would check with them on potential costs to have it checked out.

If I had to choose between Bryston and LFD, living in the US, I'd be more inclined to go with Bryston, based on length of warranty, greater ease in obtaining service, and greater power output. But, I probably wouldn't buy either if I were you. I'd call ATI about getting the amp serviced, and go ahead with that if it made sense financially. If it didn't, I'd get an integrated amplifier with tone controls.

[hifi_dave]

The above post pretty much says it all.

I've never been a fan of Bryston myself, especially at the ludicrous prices it sells for in the UK. If you need a powerful amp with a 20 year warranty, then maybe but there are better sounding amps for a lot less and you won't need a powerful amp with your speakers. My advice is to listen to some amps by all means but you won't need an expensive power-house.

[DSRANCE]

It's been said over and over and over again that Harbeth speakers are not amp fussy.

The only amp type I might draw the line at are the low powered "T-Type" amps which offer a huge 8 Watts per channel into 8 ohms before huge terminal distortion sets in.

[EricW]

... there are better sounding amps for a lot less....

In North America, Bryston is pretty reasonably priced for the quality on offer. You may not need an amp that's that well built, but it surely can't hurt.

As for "better sounding" ... Well, no, why go there (again)?