B&W 801N and Bryston match

Dave 72, zenblaster,

Many studios use or have used the Bryston & B&W combo. In fact I have worked in quite a few. I found in the studio using this combo the sound gets hard and slightly metallic and uncomfortable.

Unfortunately I cannot remember exactly which models of Bryston, but most likely the usual suspects. And usually on the 801D or 802D.

I remember not liking PMC monitors because most of the ones I heard at the time were powered by Bryston. Ironic as I do like a good transmission line. But when I heard them powered with other amps they sounded good. Not so hard sounding.

I have heard Classe sound very good on 801/802 (biamped m400) Even a CJ 350w SS sounded good in a smaller room, but probably a bit masked in a warm way.

For HT I bet some Hypex Ncore based amps or ICE power etc would be just the ticket. Clean, dynamic, small, fast and relatively cheap. What more could you ask for?

The bottom line is try before you buy. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

I sold my Nautilus 800S in 2009. The person who bought it had a Bryston 7B. It was a great match in control and focus. There is one thing Nautilus and Bryston as well are not good at and this is Depth and 3d. Main reason why I sold the 800S. Wenn you want a deep and wide stage you have to spend more money on amps and Speakers. It is as it is!

So what I'm hearing is a mix of views. I guess I would be more comfortable if I heard more positives than negatives. What about Mcintosh MC352 as an alternitive?

The main problem of your speaker is the N tweeter. I owned the 802N as well. It can become harsh sometimes. You need a warm en controlled amp. New tweeters are superior to the N tweeter. More authority, less harsh much more open en more resolution. The thing I do not like about B&W is the fact they make poor filters. I owned and sold them for many years, now I would not want them even for free.

Agree the tweeters can potentially sound harsh, and not sure Bryston would help there. That's probably why you see B&W speakers frequently paired with Classe amps, and I think you might have a good idea looking at McIntosh as well. Best of luck.