Rather amused by some of this. The Bryston/PMC comments maybe a bit of a strange considering how many recordings are made out there using this combination for monitoring recordings. Must be a reason why they are so popular in the professional world - and yes I am aware of pro vs. home gear.

Bub's comments on wanting an SME due it being British, likes the look and SME's engineering skills are all valid - except for the sound quality as he hasn't heard it. Nothing against Bub here but to rename the Brinkmann - LaPonce cos BBV rants about it is a bit of a put down to the engineering skills and build quailty of the Brinkmann, which from what I can make out from other sources is easily as well engineered, if not better, than the SME - whether or not you believe in the benefits of heated bearings.

I've heard neither of these decks - and probably wouldn't want to as my system couldn't do justice to either one of them. The fact Bub can get the 20 for a home demo makes more sense than going to a dealer demo as he can directly compare it what he already has and decide whether it is worth the outlay.