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In Reply to: mccormack or bryston with maggie 1.6 speaker posted by manor999 on May 15, 2003 at 07:22:31:
I don't know what wattages you are talking about but let's assume one is 100 w/ch and the other 150 w/ch. I suspect the difference in sound may not be significant just based on wattage (it's logarithmic). Instead I suspect any differences will be due to the designs of the amps and their "sound."There is a nice little chart in an article in Sound&Vision by David Rananda that shows, for example, that the difference between 100 and 150 watts is only 1.76 dBW which is nearly inaudible.
I went from 105 w/ch McIntosh to 500 w/ch Classe' for my 1.6QR Maggies and the difference was enormous. I suspect it takes that kind of jump for the power output to make a "sound" difference. The Maggies sound just as good at low volumes now as they do loud. But when I compared amps at 100-200 w/ch the differences did not correspond to wattage. Design (brand) was the thing.
So I suggest you try to listen to both brands and take the time to "live" with them (not A/B test). Pick the one that sounds more musical day-in and day-out.
As for reviews; well I give up on them. I read them but get little help from them. All their subjective terms are useless in comparing equipment. Too bad, because I am not able to audition everything I would like to hear before buying. It's frustrating. I am looking for a preamp and it's a jungle. I think McCormack and Bryston are quality amps and either would not be a mistake. Pick one and be happy.
Follow Ups:
my b&k is rated at 350 watts into 4 ohms.i think the bryston and mccormack are at 400 watts.even at the same wattages,i've been told the current delivered could be very different.just wondering if anyone had heard the mccormack with the maggies.i'm sure either the bryston's or mccormack's would be an improvement over my b&k's.by the way ,have a pv10a preamp on the front end.thanks bobh.
The 4B-SST is rated 2x500w into 4 ohm. I’m not familiar with the McCormack, but the 4B-SST is a very nice amp. Very clean sounding and dynamic. I actually like it better then far more expensive amps from makers such as Krell.
Again, speaking from ignorance, I believe the McCormack and Bryston will be similar if not identical current output. Current and wattage are linearly related in similar designs. If the b&k delivered less than twice the wattage at 4 ohms than 8 ohms then you will certainly hear a difference with either the McC or Bry vs. the b&k. (current should double in a good design) But they may sound different in subtle ways.There seems to me to be audible design differences between different "levels" of equipment but not within a level. Maybe in preamps there is more difference because the ciruit design is so much more susceptible to layout and materials. I am an expert in microelectronics so I can imagine the effects of trace dimensions and layout vs. material constants. But good power amps are good power amps. McCormack and Bryston have always made good, solid designs.
Of course you can read opinions on the internet that A "blows away" B and vice versa. Should my opinion be any better?
thanks everybody.i guess short of listening to both,i'll probably go with the bryston,you just can't beat that 20 yr. warranty.
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