Upgraded to Audio Note J - and other musings.

[kexodusc]

The Sugden requires good equipment - the Sugden is a full range amplifier - lack of distortion is often associated with less of something. I have heard both as well - with the speakers I was using there is no contest that the Sugden is a better sounding unit - the B60 is a more powerful amplifier. I'll grant you with less efficient speakers the A21a is innapropriate. But usually if the speaker is that tough the Bryston would be innapropriate as well. Class A is hot.

http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/review_print.asp?ID=2745 VS
http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/review_read.asp?ID=1933

Though to be fair the Bryston is no slouch - and way better you're right I should not have said. Subtly better to my ear. But I would take the Bryston over most others -factor in the warranty and re-sale vale and it would make a great choice - now that Sugden pulled out of North America - maybe the best integrated under $2k is the B60 - to me anyway.

Well, I don't know what you mean by the first line...unless Sugden has some way cool AI technology it puts into it's gear to see if the equipment it's working with meets it's standards before it decides to give 100% effort. There certainly wasn't a disclaimer in the manual or packaging that said "Warning, not for use with mediocre equipment, only good stuff here".
Off-topic question: What's with you and hifichoice - you on the payroll?

Oddly enough, the links you provide make ambiguous statments like "the success of the A21a will hinge on system matching and personal taste" but they give it a 5-star rating. How much system matching and personal taste does it take to give the Bryston a 5-star rating?
Why not say "Regardless of what we think, some people will undoubtedly like the A21a - Five Stars!!!"

Truth be told, I tried them both first with my Studio 40's. I know you don't like the Studio's but they're reasonably decent, versatile speakers. My living room is quite small, and the Studio's aren't the greatest below 48 Hz or so, so the result was very close.
When I moved the amps downstairs, I ran them through some my cutom built Vifa driven floorstanders (man, I sound like a rich snob here) that are considerably more efficient and full-range than my Studio's. I'd put those up against my uncle's AN/E's anyday (I'd probably lose to the sweet midrange the E's have, but not by much!) It took about 30 seconds of "Les Miserables" to discover the Sugden only likes reproducing narrow ranges at any given time. Ideal for Blues or Rock maybe...not so much for more demanding music. Maybe that's not fair, I'd love to hear the A-48B which I believe is somwhere between 40-60 watts or something. I have my suspicions that lack of power (odd since it shouldn't cost too much to juice it up) was the culprit...Volumes were matched.
The Bryston certainly was uglier. The Sugden's no beauty queen herself though.

[kexodusc]

Just noticed you actually own the a-48B...cool.

[RGA]

Just noticed you actually own the a-48B...cool.

Well and that arguably does make me biased. I give credit to Bryston because THEY are the ones who turned me onto High end audio in the first place. And When i bough the Sugden Used I went in hoping to find a Bryston 2BLP that I could run from headphone amp(which would serve as a preamp). But they had no used Brystons. Interestingly when I bought my J's last Friday they had a 2bLP for $275.00Cdn. So if the timing were different I would have bought the 2BLP most likely. So, I'm in no way a disliker of Bryston. I recommend them almost anytime someone is looking for a SS amplifier or have speakers that would require some power. And if I had money to improve my second system a used Brystom power amp would be first on my list.

The A48b is a 70 watter - probably quite close sounding to the 2BLP and thus the B60. Both are a bit warmer. The B60 though is better built and has a remote - and a great warranty. I would take the B60R over my Sugden in absolute terms possibly - I would need to do a side-by side.