McIntosh MC2505 vs Bryston 3B for NS10s

Hi folks,
I'm shopping around for an amp for my NS10 monitors and I saw a beautiful looking McIntosh solid state unit for sale locally for $500 (Canadian). It's rated at 50 watts per side but I read that that's fairly conservative and they actually test at 70+watts.
There's also a well-used Bryston 3B for about $100 less. I'd ideally like an amp that makes the NS10s a little less fatiguing on the ears.
Does anyone have any experience with these amps? Thanks in advance for any insight.

Here are the McIntosh's deets from Roger-russell.com :
MC 2505 Stereo Power Amplifier

ELECTRICAL: 50w/ch. Response 20-20kHz (+0 -0.25dB). Distortion 0.25%. Noise and hum -90dB. Output impedance 4, 8 and 16 ohms. Damping factor 10. Input impedance 200k. Input sensitivity 0.5v. Headphone impedance 4 to 600 ohms. Sentry Monitor.

FRONT PANEL: Glass panel. Illuminated. Power level meters (meters read 0 at 50w). Gain controls. Meter range sw: off, -20, -10 and 0. Speaker sw: on or off. Power sw: on or off. Headphone jack.

BACK PANEL: Output barrier strips. Audio inputs. AC outlet. Circuit breaker. Panloc mounting.

Size 5-7/16"H, 16"W and 13"D. Weight 38 lb. Sold from 1967-1977. Last retail price $549.00

less fatiguing ? save your money:

get different monitors or use kleenex

I think I overstated the 'fatiguing' consideration. I got the NS10s next-to-nothing, but I currently don't have a power amp at all. I've mixed with them using a rented Bryston 2B in the past and I quite happy with them (I hadn't thought to try the tissue trick--thanks).

from bryston:
Bryston analog audio circuits are warranted to be free from manufacturing defects for twenty (20) years from the original date of manufacture. The warranty includes parts and labour.

there are a few strict conditions mainly purchase chain from athuhorized dealer.

I think either amp would work nicely.

Brystons seem to match up well with NS-10s...better that\n most.
Only thing I liked better so far was a tube McIntosh 240 amp, but at 40 watts a side they clipped a bit too much at loud rock levels.
Great for everything else.  If I had a 275...

I have always liked the solid state McIntosh amps I have heard in control rooms, but it scares me to have an amp with rca connectors in a pro environment. 

amorris@home said:

from bryston:
Bryston analog audio circuits are warranted to be free from manufacturing defects for twenty (20) years from the original date of manufacture. The warranty includes parts and labour.

Click to expand...

Good point. The 20 year warranty thing is quite admirable. They also seem to be a bit cheaper second hand than amps of similar quality here in canuckastan thanks to their relative ubiquity.

QUEEF BAG said:

I think either amp would work nicely.

Brystons seem to match up well with NS-10s...better that\n most.
Only thing I liked better so far was a tube McIntosh 240 amp, but at 40 watts a side they clipped a bit too much at loud rock levels.
Great for everything else.  If I had a 275...

I have always liked the solid state McIntosh amps I have heard in control rooms, but it scares me to have an amp with rca connectors in a pro environment. 

Click to expand...

Thanks for the input.
My friendly neighbourhood tape machine tech has a pair of mc40 mono blocks (basically the same as the 240, no?) for sale that I would absolute love to buy. I got a chance to audition them when doing some work for me. Truly beautiful sounding amps. Sadly, I just don't have the cash.

The rca thing isn't such as major concern for me since my tascam m520 console has unbalanced -10 outs  :-[
My biggest fear with the mcintosh 2505: At 50 (albeit conservative) watts per side, will it have enough (clean) juice?

  Hmmmm, Let's see NS10's are 90db sensitive at 1 watt of input: What do you want to do?  Lose your hearing?  A 40 watt amp in going to give you about 110 db.  I've run NS10's with 1 watt triode amps and they still ROCKED.  Peace, C

NS10m Studio / Yamaha Model P2100. Great pair.

I still have a pair and it made sense in the day when so many
other studios had them , it was a real reference where you could
go to a differenet studio and have an idea & be comfortable
[ understand what your hearing ] right away

But using them by themselves ? i can't listen to them long
in any context . so for me , and i've tried a few , it doesn't
matter what [ within reason ] i use to drive them.
I'd go for the cheaper of the quality choices
My Tannoy's are another story

You do have other better monitors right ?

>>>> I've run NS10's with 1 watt triode amps
Pretty radical...

Talk about reliable, we’ve had 5 McIntosh amps (2x2505 and 3x2105) in the remote truck bouncing down the road for over 30 years with NO problems.  I did re-cap them about 10 years ago.
Bruno2000

I got a MC2105 on my monitors (MC2505 bigger brother).

Sounds real nice.

GARY

  The NS10 gets a bad rap for being an ugly sounding speaker, but the reality is that it is actually a very UNFORGIVING speaker.  The triode flea amp still sounded sweet.  I was running straight out of a CD player into a volume pot directly to the amp.  What surprised me about the NS10's was the amount of DETAIL the NS10's could put out at moderate volume with such a small amp.  Tubes rock.

was there a mac solid state amp that, upon speaker failure, would flood dc into the shorted voice coil until flames broke out?

it has happened to me once, back in 73, so i  am a little fuzzy on the model number, plus, i was on acid at the time, wich made it that more unforgetable, walking down the uc davis hallway with a flaming speaker cab on my head during class change, .i mean, you want masses of people staring at you while you are peaking, right?
and if your lucky, (we were), someone with a badge will show up to ask questions.
so just put a fire on your head, drop some acid,  and go to the shopping mall or somewhere,
i also heard many other people talk about similar experiences, both with the mac, and rane?

the joke was the "flame 350" or something of that nature.

is the mac direct out, or are there caps in there?

what does the Crown stuff sound for studio?
too harsh?
great stage amps, last for years...dc150, dc300 ...all good...

uh oh, dc = direct coupled,  extinguisher required?

Nah , the ns10's have this beamy upper mids
that shave away at you , checking on them ,fine
but a whole day of mixing ?

I've used Crown K1 or K2 attenuated a bunch.  They worked great.
I've used them with a 3B.  Can't say it was any better.  I never have them on for more than 1 minute anyways.

We used Crown Psa2's at westlake in Hollywood for all the mains. for the most decerning ears in the business. $150k speakers.

CJ is on to something.

I currently only use NS-10Ms to mix. I use a Crown power amp; something beefy and oversized with maybe 250W+ per side or so @ 8 ohms. USA series.

I teched an old Crown DC-300 with bad caps (not the DC-300A) for a studio a few months ago. Before sending it back, I used it on my NS-10Ms and loved it. Best amp I've heard with the NS-10Ms yet. It's definitely on my "To  Buy" list after I finish up the sessions I'm currently working on. Did the same with the DC-150. Fantastic as well.

hey folks, thanks for all the really helpful suggestions and info.