KEF LS50 vs Dynaudio Contour 1.3 MkII vs Thiel 1.6

Is haven't heard the Thiel or any Thiel for that matter although I would like to. Between the KEF and the Dynaudio I feel the Dyn is much better balanced and definitely more full range. As said above you will need an amp with some balls to get the best out of the Dyns. 

ctsooner - heck, I was about 20 minutes away from Berlin last weekend...:8(  Not in Boston, north near Portsmouth, NH...last stop going north on NH's vast 12 mile coast line.  I go to NYC to see kids from time to time...may check in with you then.

yyzsantabarbara - I would love to keep my B60 but it seems that to give my current Thiels a fair test and be ready for anything I end up doing later (multiple comments like mofojo's & sofix suggest that), it's reasonable upgrade. I'll check out the Benchmark but Bryston has been such a pleasure to work with...once a lightening strike wounded my B60, they repaired as a warranty fix saying the "we don't usually do this"...gee, a real lesson in how to make loyal customers.

" One thing I do know, I need to get to some of the local listening rooms (Boston area) and relearn what I thought I knew. Thanks for all the advice! "

You are not too far from Audio Connection in NJ. Its a trip you'll never regret making.

I don’t know if they are available in the USA yet, but Acoustic Energy just released an active version of their AE1.

DeKay

Dancub,

I had a lot of Bryston gear in the past, 3B-ST, 4B-ST, PP300, 7B-SST, and BP-25 (pre-amp) that are all sold now due to downsizing. I never heard the B60 though I think it is supposed to be smoother sounding that anything I have listed above.

At one time I also had the Thiel SCS4 with the PP300 (essentially a 4B-SST) and it was pretty good. Not as good in near field as the KEF LS50, but pretty good for it’s price in a larger room. Heck I like my KEF LS50 over my prior Revel Salon 1 ($20K speaker) driven by 7B-SST (of course comparison is near-field only). I am also using a very cheap Parasound A23 amp with the KEF LS50.

If you are not crazy for bass then I would recommend the LS50. I have them on my office desktop (on Isoaccustic stands) and it is such an nice monitor for near-field. I will never sell these speakers and will pass them to the next room in the house as I get bigger speakers..

The reason I want to try the Benchmark over the Parasound is that the Parasound is dying and needs replacement. The Benchmark is touted as being measured as the quietest amp in any price range.