Anthem, Rotel or Bryston ???


Hi there,

I'm considering a new amp because I think my old one (Myryad MA 240) might be "cooked". I did enjoy the Myryad while it was working but I think it might be time for a change only because I'm not exactly sure what's wrong with it and if it'd be worth fixing it. Anyway, here's what the rest of my system consists of:

Anthem TLP1 (preamp/tuner)
NAD CD 540 (modified)
StudioLAB Reference 1's (bookshelf version)
Various IC's and speaker wire

I went into one of the local stores and the gentleman there suggested that either one of the above mentioned (Anthem, Rotel or Bryston) should match up nicely with the rest of my system. The Anthem (new) could cost me anywhere between $800 - $1300 (depending on which one - either the PVA2 or the MCA20). They are clearing out the Rotel (I actually did not check which model it was) for around $500. And a new Bryston will cost me anywhere between $2500 - $3500. I'm not sure if I'm ready to drop that kind of money for the Bryston because I'm also considering adding a sub too so the extra money that I'd spend for a 2BSST or a 3BSST could go towards the cost of the sub. Anyway, I plan on listening to the Anthem (they only have the MCA20 in stock) and the Rotel too but thought I'd post something here to see if you guys can provide me with any experience you might have. My music tastes vary from A-Z. Every so often, I like to crank it, but that's not always the case. Will I notice much of a difference between the Anthem's as the PVA2 is rated at 125 watts/channel or 105 watts/channel with all channels driven and the MCA20 is rated at 225 watts/channel or 200 watts/channel with all channels driven ?

Thanks.
bacs68
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I would just look for a used Bryston 4B-ST on Audiogon. Being very well built, it likely won't break and will sound as good if not better than a new Bryston SST amp. The Rotel and Anthem products are both quite respectable at their price points, but the Brystons are more bullet-proof and can be made to sound quite good with good cabling. I lived with a 4B-ST for five years, and now own what most people consider top tube (VAC Renaissance) and solid-state (darTZeel) amplification, and can assure you that the Bryston ST series amps sound very good for their price point.
I won't comment on Bryston or Rotel as I haven't heard them enough to give you an informed opinion.

The Anthem amplifiers...I have listened to the MCA 20 quite a bit..Very good amp. Seems well built. Good solid sound...would take care of most any speakers, in my opinion.

The TLP-1, however, was a nightmare for ME. I went through 5 of them before giving up. They seem to have SO much promise. Cool, USEFUL features, and a nicely balanced sound. However, in my case (and I am NOT speaking for anyone else) each unit I had exhibited a rather unpleasant problem...the headphone jacks simply sucked. I had a pair of Grado headphones, and on ANY song with bass it would distort and crackle...I'm not talking about cranking it and it would distort. At ANY volume level. This is a problem they became aware of, and perhaps by now they have fixed it. BUT...if you decide to demo one, audition it with some headphones as well...I used Grado's, Senns and AKGs and they all showed the problem.

Also, on mine, the processors never performed the way they were supposed to. Glitchy and kind of unreliable.

Keep in mind that this was 2005/2006. If they have properly addressed these issues, it WOULD be a very nice preamp, but if not....I would shy away. Stick with the power amp. I really liked the MCA-20
Ok..just realized that you already OWN the TLP-1 (I need to read more carefully)....my apologies for the lengthy post...
Cudos for Bryston,I've owned most models before I graduated to tubes.Raquel is dead wrong,the SST series is far superior to the ST,macro dynamics and lower noise floor is very evident after several musical passages.At your price range you may also want to consider McCormack and Odyessy Stratos,the latter having a 20 year warranty.