Proceed AVP2+6 vs Bryston SP1.7

[stringzz]

Hello all,

I am looking for comments on these two processors. I have read the proceed avp2 has great DACs and can make a low end CD player sound awesome. I was wondering if the Bryston has the ability too.

I would love to hear anybody's thoughts. Thanks.

[Dmantis]

Proceed o Proceed. Personally I don't care for the say they sound. I don't like there amps and really don't care for there preamps.

However, when buying gear such as Proceed, I don't see one owning a cheap cd player. Why o Why would you do that to your system????

Bryston on the other hand I do like and like alot. I find there sound quality to be quite different. I actually perfer them over Proceed.

This is a personal opnion and should be considered as one. One has to listen to themself to find if one is right of them over the other. Both companies make a rock solid product. I'm sure there are many who enjoy Proceed over Bryston. I'm just not one of them.

Have fun demoing,

Dan

[stringzz]

Dan,

What I meant by the low-end cd player was that I read reviews from other Proceed owners that the DAC's were so good on the processor, that they would make a low-end cd player sound like a 3k player. I guess the idea is that the player would end up being a transport. Supposedly the DACs and DSP in the AVP2 are also used in the 30k Levinson #40 processor.

I guess I wonder how good the DAC's are in the Bryston. I know the Bryston will shine in analog mode, but I wonder how it will do with digital (CD), which I am more concerned with. If I had a 3k CD player then the Bryston would be the clear choice I think.

Thanks for your input, it is a tough decision either way!

[Lex]

Well, I do care for their amps, I own 2, (close to 9K worth) and truly, I hate to hear someone just unconditionally bash something without even referencing their build quality for example? Or their ability on the amp5 or HPA series to double wattage going from 8 to 4 ohms? (Note, that is the sign of a GOOD amp, doubling watts going from 8 to 4 ohms) It takes enough power supply and a quality design to achieve that. So, it bugs me when someone just says I don't like something without qualifying WHY, they don't like it. Is it the holigraphic soundstage they are capable of? The transparency of them? This business is all about the pairing of equipment. When paired with the right speakers, the Proceed amps are very capable performers.

The Proceeds incorporate many design characteristics of their big brother Levinson amps, both at the time part of the Madrigal Audio stable. Now of course, Proceed is no longer built. But that doesn't mean their products weren't quality, or good. They were. Admittedly, processor wise, they never quite got the updates done they promised on time, if at all. But they still sounded quite good due to their quality build.

The one thing you could say about the first Proceed amps were, they were quality. (I won't say the later more inexpensive series was the same, what the BMP series?)

[Dmantis]

Lex,
ther is no need to take any offence when talking about Proceed. As you already know , I'm an Installer and had the pleasure of working for a company that carried Proceed.

As I felt it wasn't nessary for my reply to the fellow who is looking into Proceed and Bryston, I will however give you out of respect to answer why I don't care for Proceed.

First of all , the one job that took me off the deep end with Proceed was a Martin Logan job. Prodigys up front along with a Theater center, 4 scripts for rears and twin Decents for subs. I felt that Krell did a way better job showing off how the Martin logans sound. At the store I had the pleasure of many Vs battles with Proceed as I really dug the way they looked. They lost every single battle. Mark Levinston #383 intergraded sounded much better driving a pair of Dynaudio Contour 3.0's wired with Transparent Ultras then the Proceed Pre and amp2. I was alittle stunned as I felt seperates always had some kind of edge in detail or dynamic power during cridical times of fast paced music.

I also tried B&W and Dunlavy along with Martin Logans. Even the Egglestones sounded better on everything else we carried then with Proceed. Rotel was alot closer in the battle but was way under cost compared to what Proceed costs. B&K I also felt did a better job powering a pair of N803's, again shocked and let down.

Now I must remind everyone reading this that this isn't a fact but a opnion of my experience. Lex seems to enjoy his Proceed gear as I 'm sure many others do.

Bryston on the other hand never let me down. The first time I heard Bryston was powering N801's by B&W. My breath was taken away from me and I was shocked how detailed and controled those huge woofers where. Even lower end B&W CDM series theater system was completely awesome on Bryston.

To sum up my reply here is this. Everyone has there opnion of ones gear they own and gear they have heard or Installed. These experiences may or may not line up with your own. The only true person that can decide if one is right for one is themself. You can gather up all the opnions and facts online but the real deal is getting out of your computer chair and get your listen on.

Also one thing the needs to be addressed after the listening is does this preamp have the nessary connectability to support the system it's gooing into? Also does it have the features one desires.

Have fun,

Dan

[stringzz]

Dmantis,

I agree the best way to compare two audio pieces is to listen to them both and decide from the listening experience, preferrably with one's own equipment. However, it is a little difficult to audition when you are buying used equipment from Audiogon. If I had the money, I guess I would have bought both and sold the one that didn't please me.

I know they are both fine pieces, I just think it is a benefit to hear opinions good and bad.

I ended up purchasing the Bryston sp1.7. The 20 year warranty, future upgrades and lack of video processing made the difference for me.

This brings up a question however. If you have a processor with video switching, and you don't connect any video to it, would the video circuits still add some coloration and distortion as I have read on the net?

As you can see, I am a newbie to all this

[Lex]

The amp2 was never considered prime Proceed gear by Proceed fans. The HPA series and the AMP5 were the only real proceed amps. Anyone fluent in Proceed knows this. The BMPs weren't great either.

I am not offended. You spoke against Proceed and I spoke for some Proceed. I defended gear that I own and respect. I don't have personal experience with all their gear, that is true. That's why though, a person really shouldn't collectively bad mouth any brand. I think it should only be by particular product if you have bad things to say. I mean the Corvair and the Corvette were both by the same company. Does that make the Corvette the same car as the Corvair? Or all Chevrolets bad?