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Looking to upgrade Bryston B60. Considering Atoll among others.

Hello,

I am looking to upgrade my amp which is a Bryston B60 integrated.  I have a bigger space now and want some more power / headroom.  My speakers are Thiel CS 1.6s which are power hungry (so I have read).  I mainly stream Tidal using a Cambridge Audio CXN V2 STREAMER.  I am considering a bigger Bryston like an used 3B or 4B with say a BP17 preamp or maybe a B135.  I love the clarity and punch from my B60.  The Thiel's are quite detailed so a touch more warmth wouldn't hurt. I wanted to ask about Atoll.  I recently went the AXPONA and I heard an Atoll SDA300 into Atohm Sirocco 2.24's.  I wasn't familiar with Atohm but had heard of Atoll.  Wow, really sounded impressive. Big, detailed, punchy. The SDA is 260 watts in to 4 ohms I believe and I could really feel the power and headroom. So I thought about an Atoll IN300 evo as an option.  Would love to get opinions on how that might sound with my Thiel's?
I am also open to other amp brand suggestions. Some other brands I was thinking about - Accuphase, Hegel, Simm Audio, Cambridge, Arcam.  My price ceiling is around $4k, possibly $5k.  thanks!

j-mo
jheppe815
71 posts
 

From conversations with my local dealer that is able to source Atoll, these units are made in France with very good quality components with many sourced from Europe and Japan (from what I remember). 

I've auditioned an Atoll IN200 integrated (current version) into a pair of my Axiom M80 speakers and was left very impressed.

Got a chance to hear an Atoll IN80 integrated amp at AXPONA '26 and again was left with a very favorable impression.   For the price point, these unit from Atoll might be tough to beat in my opinion.

jjss49's avatar
jjss49
6,926 posts
 

get the best used hegel you can afford

greenngoldcheesehead
102 posts
 

I have and had many of the makes mentioned on this thread.  Currently I am using an Atoll SDA200 and love it.  The sound is slightly warm, great depth and very musical.  Previously I had a Cambridge CXA81 which had a similar sound but less deep and less musical.  I had Van alstine DVA225 monos.  They were fine.  I would say they are more neutral in their sound and I feel the Atoll has better dynamics.  Forget Arcam.  Their previous Class AB stuff sounded good.  Perhaps a bit too colored, but their current sound is the complete opposite.  Lastly, I have a hegel 590.  The sound is neutral and the dynamics are excellent as well.  I know Atoll pairs extremely well with Atohm.  I would say it comes down to your speakers and your sound preference.

j-mo OP
3 posts
 

Thanks for all the comments.  I do really like the neutral Bryston sound so I def want something similar.  Any comments on Bryston vs Hegel and Atoll.  

Here are the quick specs on my Thiel 1.6s.

thank you

The Thiel CS1.6 is a 2-way, ported floorstanding loudspeaker (circa 2002) known for its time-coherent, phase-accurate design, featuring a 6.5-inch metal-cone woofer and 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter. It offers 90 dB sensitivity, 4-ohm impedance, and 48 Hz–20 kHz frequency response (±3dB), designed for 50–300 watt amplifiers

jheppe815
71 posts
 

@greenngoldcheesehead - I agree on the Arcam.  I have a friend who recently bought a 20 year old Arcam and it’s a treat to listen to.  I have had new generation Arcam power amps...and, they are no longer in my stereo setup...

I also agree that a Hegel integrated (any of ’em) is quite nice.  Got to audition a Hegel H600 and it was stunning.

Have a friend running older Bryston and I've listened to his system quite often.  Those Bryston components are very smooth as well.  

If you are on a budget, the Atoll integrated amps will compete with the more pricey stuff for sure.

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