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November 17, 2006 - 6:12am
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Preamp selection in the $3500 price range, BAT, BRYSTON, ARC?
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I'd pick the AR over the Bryston or BAT.
Hi Michaelm5
These are quite different sounding pre-amps.Especially the Bryston BP26 , compared to the others.Roughly,it sounds more "forward" than the BAT and AR.You should give all 3 a listen before you decide,preferably in your own system using your 7B ST.
www.avahifi.com
GAWD !!!!!
Has anyone heard any of these products (recognizing how they sound is affected by the system)? There is not much information or reviews on the Bryston BP 26 either. I do not have a local dealer for any of these so a home audition is not possible. My nearest BAT dealer and Bryston dealer is 3 hours from my home. I know the early Bryston preamps were not that good but I have read they have steadily improved to the point where the new 26 is supposedly a top class unit? Sure would be nice to see a thorough review here.
I own an ARC preamp. I have owned nothing else since 1982 when I bought a used SP-3. I'm using a newer model now. I hope that answers your question.
They may be good devices but frankly they look kind of agricultural. When I spend a reasonable amount of money I expect something I will find pleasing to look at.
I have auditioned a lot of preamps recently and ended up with the LS-16 mark II, which was $3500 at the time (almost 2 years ago). My second choice was the BAT VK3iX, at $2500. You would not go wrong with either one of those. The LS-16 mark II sounds about the same as the LS-17 and the circuitry is quite similar, but the front panel is quite different (don't like the 17 front panel, myself). I did not think the sound of the Bryston preamp was anywhere near as good as the AR or BAT; never considered it after hearing it. The Ayre K-5xe is another one to consider; it came out more recently and has had great reviews.
I recently upgraded to the LS-26, however. This is so much better than any of those units that it is in a WHOLE different league!!! It is $6K, of course, but there is nothing in the under-$10K price range that can even come close to it! It sounds identical to the $10K Reference 3, to my ears, plus it has a number of features that the Ref 3 does not have (Individually programmable gain ranges for every input, for example).
My advice would be to get the LS-26 if there is any way you can afford it; it will probably be the last preamp I will ever buy; it is incredible. Another strategy, if you can't afford the LS-26 now, might be to get a used LS-16 mark II for about $2000, and when you trade it in on the LS-26 later you will probably get most of your money back on it as a trade-in. Make sure you get the mark II, though (with the 6H30 tubes); the mark I sound is markedly inferior. The mark I only sounds a little better than the LS-2B I had before, and those can be had for $1000. One thing I love about the AR preamps is that they are built to last forever; the quality is like military gear; super-reliable! My LS2B was nearly 15 years old when I traded it in and was just like new!
Hello Michael,
personally I would go for an tubed preamplifier to drive the Bryston PA, but the final sound will depend on your speakers ??? and definitely on room acoustics.