Bryston 4B3 Power Amplifier Review
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DarqueKnight
Posts: 6,765
Introduction
Bryston's new "cubed series" amplifiers are claimed to provide lower distortion with commensurate greater transparency than the preceding SST Squared series amplifiers. I didn't have a 4BSST2 to compare the 4B3 to. I can state that the previous power amplifier in my office system, an Adcom GFA-565SE ($1499), metaphorically went down in smoke and flame when it went up against the 4B3 ($5695).
If your attention span and/or time is short, skip the preliminaries and scroll down to "The Sound" section.
Figure 1. I initially didn't like the front panel "belt buckle" styling of the 4B3. That didn't deter me from buying it because I didn't think it rose to the level of "ugly", plus, it would be out of sight anyway. The color of the LEDs can be changed from green to blue by setting a jumper inside the amplifier.
In person, the 4B3 has a somewhat "aggressive" appearance...and I like it.
Figure 2. The previous series 4BSST2 featured a simple and elegant face plate. [Photo from Audio Advisor website.]
Figure 3. There are few pictures to be found of the 4B3. Bryston only has one 4B3 photo on their web site. [Photo from Audio Advisor website]
Figure 4. Thank you Bryston...for the user selectable front panel LED colors! All you have to do is move a jumper to the top two prongs to switch from green to blue.
Taking the jumper off was easy. Getting it back on was a little bit tricky due to the ribbon cable in the way and the raised metal panel to the right of the jumper switch. The best method I came up with was to roll a small piece of painter's tape sticky side out, put that on the tip of my left hand index finger, put the jumper on the tape, then use the index finger of my right hand to slide the jumper in place once it was properly positioned by my left hand.
Figure 5. Handsome, jewel-like, binding posts.
I spent a few seconds trying to attach my speaker cable spades to the underside of the posts...before realizing the bottom was closed off and cables could only be attached from the top...just as shown on page 6 of the manual.
Preliminaries
Prior to the 4B3's installation, I treated the transformers of the BDA-3 DAC, BDP-2 digital player, and GFP-750 preamp with Dynamat Xtream vibration damping material. The results of the BDA-3 and BDP-2 transformer treatments were discussed in this thread:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=142396.0
The same sonic improvements heard after the BDP-2 and BDA-3 transformer damping were heard with the GFP-750. However, whereas the transformer bolts of the BDP-2 and BDA-3 were left loose and the transformer was allowed to "float" on a Dynamat pad, the GFP-750 sounded best with the bolt tightened just snug enough to prevent movement.
Figure 6. The GFP-750's transformer gets tamed down.
Figure 7. The famous made-in-the-USA "blue board" version of the GFP-750.
Figure 8. Yes, the 4B3 really is dual mono with a transformer for each channel. I will probably drape these in Dynamat...once I gather up enough courage to go through the tedious remove/reinstall process.
Tale Of The Tape
Figure 9. Adcom GFA-565SE and Bryston 4B3 front panel comparison.
Figure 10. Adcom GFA-565SE and Bryston 4B3 side view.
Figure 11. Adcom GFA-565SE and Bryston 4B3 rear panel comparison. I was relieved that the 4B3's IEC jack was oriented with the ground pin up-just like the 565SE. That meant I didn't have to fight and subdue that stiff power cable into an opposite orientation.
The 4B3 is 12 pounds heavier at 63 pounds, with a second transformer, an aluminum chassis, and premium hardware components. I was really impressed with the 4B3's finish and construction quality.
The 4B3 provides user selectable gain of 23 dB or 29 dB. The 565SE had a gain of 27. I selected 29 dB for the 4B3 and I am running balanced XLR cables. The 4B3 provides a lot more power into 4 ohms, 500 watts per channel compared to the 565SE's 350 watts per channel. The 8 ohm figure is 250 wpc for the 565SE and 300 wpc for the 4B3.
Bryston's new "cubed series" amplifiers are claimed to provide lower distortion with commensurate greater transparency than the preceding SST Squared series amplifiers. I didn't have a 4BSST2 to compare the 4B3 to. I can state that the previous power amplifier in my office system, an Adcom GFA-565SE ($1499), metaphorically went down in smoke and flame when it went up against the 4B3 ($5695).
If your attention span and/or time is short, skip the preliminaries and scroll down to "The Sound" section.
Figure 1. I initially didn't like the front panel "belt buckle" styling of the 4B3. That didn't deter me from buying it because I didn't think it rose to the level of "ugly", plus, it would be out of sight anyway. The color of the LEDs can be changed from green to blue by setting a jumper inside the amplifier.
In person, the 4B3 has a somewhat "aggressive" appearance...and I like it.
Figure 2. The previous series 4BSST2 featured a simple and elegant face plate. [Photo from Audio Advisor website.]
Figure 3. There are few pictures to be found of the 4B3. Bryston only has one 4B3 photo on their web site. [Photo from Audio Advisor website]
Figure 4. Thank you Bryston...for the user selectable front panel LED colors! All you have to do is move a jumper to the top two prongs to switch from green to blue.
Taking the jumper off was easy. Getting it back on was a little bit tricky due to the ribbon cable in the way and the raised metal panel to the right of the jumper switch. The best method I came up with was to roll a small piece of painter's tape sticky side out, put that on the tip of my left hand index finger, put the jumper on the tape, then use the index finger of my right hand to slide the jumper in place once it was properly positioned by my left hand.
Figure 5. Handsome, jewel-like, binding posts.
I spent a few seconds trying to attach my speaker cable spades to the underside of the posts...before realizing the bottom was closed off and cables could only be attached from the top...just as shown on page 6 of the manual.
Preliminaries
Prior to the 4B3's installation, I treated the transformers of the BDA-3 DAC, BDP-2 digital player, and GFP-750 preamp with Dynamat Xtream vibration damping material. The results of the BDA-3 and BDP-2 transformer treatments were discussed in this thread:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=142396.0
The same sonic improvements heard after the BDP-2 and BDA-3 transformer damping were heard with the GFP-750. However, whereas the transformer bolts of the BDP-2 and BDA-3 were left loose and the transformer was allowed to "float" on a Dynamat pad, the GFP-750 sounded best with the bolt tightened just snug enough to prevent movement.
Figure 6. The GFP-750's transformer gets tamed down.
Figure 7. The famous made-in-the-USA "blue board" version of the GFP-750.
Figure 8. Yes, the 4B3 really is dual mono with a transformer for each channel. I will probably drape these in Dynamat...once I gather up enough courage to go through the tedious remove/reinstall process.
Tale Of The Tape
Figure 9. Adcom GFA-565SE and Bryston 4B3 front panel comparison.
Figure 10. Adcom GFA-565SE and Bryston 4B3 side view.
Figure 11. Adcom GFA-565SE and Bryston 4B3 rear panel comparison. I was relieved that the 4B3's IEC jack was oriented with the ground pin up-just like the 565SE. That meant I didn't have to fight and subdue that stiff power cable into an opposite orientation.
The 4B3 is 12 pounds heavier at 63 pounds, with a second transformer, an aluminum chassis, and premium hardware components. I was really impressed with the 4B3's finish and construction quality.
The 4B3 provides user selectable gain of 23 dB or 29 dB. The 565SE had a gain of 27. I selected 29 dB for the 4B3 and I am running balanced XLR cables. The 4B3 provides a lot more power into 4 ohms, 500 watts per channel compared to the 565SE's 350 watts per channel. The 8 ohm figure is 250 wpc for the 565SE and 300 wpc for the 4B3.
Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
Comments
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Installation
Figure 12. After a thorough listening session with the GFA-565SE, with detailed listening notes and aerial and lateral mapping of the size and location of sound images, the 4B3 was readied for installation.
Figure 13. What's going on here? The 4B3 is being slid into place on top of the PS Audio P10 AC regenerator.
The easiest thing to do from a physical perspective would have been to slide out the P10 AC regenerator on its MDF platform, place the 4B3 on top of it, and slide them back in place under my desk. But that wouldn't have been the easiest thing to do from a sonic perspective. I would have had go through a tedious removal/reinstall procedure of aligning, twisting and bending of those garden hose size power cables. Then I would have had to wait 24 or more hours for them to "settle" down because they always sound "off" after they have been moved substantially.
Figure 14. Careful now...we don't want to "disturb" those power cables.
Figure 15. The 4B3 is ready for business!
Figure 16. The corners of the 4B3 and P10 are protected from knees and shoes by 1/4" thick foam pads.
Every component in this computer audio system is plugged into the P10 AC regenerator. The total idling load is 16% of capacity. The power and current draws are 155 watts and 1.76 amps respectively. Incoming THD of the power from the wall is 2.1%. Outgoing THD of the power from the P10 is 0.2%.
The Sound
The comparison between the 4B3 and the 565SE was reminiscent of one of Mike Tyson's 12 second knockout bouts. The 565SE was outclassed, outgunned, and outperformed in every aspect of stereophonic performance. I still think the 565SE is a great amp for the money, but it was being compared to an amp nearly 4X its price.
Music from the 4B3 sounded heavier, slower, and louder during the first hour. After the 4b3 had warmed up, the initial "slowness" in the pace, rhythm, and timing of music had disappeared. The improvement in bass speed, bass articulation, bass detail, and tactile sensation made it sound like a subwoofer had been added to the system. It wasn't that the bass was calling attention to itself in a tonally unbalanced way. It was calling attention to itself from the perspective of hearing sound details and feeling tactile sensations not previously heard and felt from this system. All this was with bookshelf speakers with a 3db bass response of 42 Hz.
For the first time, on this system, I heard John Coltrane's tenor sax solo on Miles Davis' "So What" coming from behind, and to the far left of, the left speaker...just like on my two channel system at home. Cannonball Adderley's alto sax solo was projected in front of the right speaker...just like on my two channel system at home. Previously, Coltrane's and Adderley's sax images were confined to the front speaker plane.
The 4B3 brought the following stereophonic performance enhancements to my office system:
1. More image weight, a strengthened sense of palpability to sound images.
2. More depth at the sides of the sound stage.
3. More forward projection of images forward at the sides of the sound stage.
4. More clarity and detail, more sounds of a singer's lips, throat, and chest.
5. More "wood body" sound on acoustic bass.
6. More reedy, woody edge on saxophone.
7. More subtle texture in drum rolls.
8. More thunderous bass.
9. Music sounded apparently louder due to the lower noise floor.
10. Far more low level detail, and the bass does not "disappear" if I turn the sound level way down.
11. More of that growl that I like...from electric and acoustic bass instruments.
After four days of listening, I did not note any performance improvements over those noted after the 4B3 had warmed up sufficiently on the first day. Bryston burns in their amplifiers for 100 hours at the factory. This might reduce or remove the need for further "break in" by the owner.
The quality of music reproduction in my office system now sounds like a smaller scale version of my home system...and my office seems like an extension of my home.
Further Study
I have gone far further in performance, in my office rig, than originally planned. I initially just wanted to replace my CD based system with a computer audio system. One improvement lead to another...and...here...I...am.
I was recently asked if I felt the Adcom preamp was "up to snuff" with it's playmates. The more I think about it, the more I think...no.
In the future, when I am more dedicated to audio than I am now, I will take the 4B3 for "test drives" in my two channel and home theater systems. The thought of moving the heavily laden cabinets of either of those two systems away from the wall...and (figuratively) fighting my way through miles of thick cables...and putting all that back together...is not something my mind can process at the present.
Figure 17. Two channel system: I'm not quite brave enough to do anything that requires pulling out the equipment cabinet, disconnecting/reconnecting cables, and putting everything back in place...then waiting a day or two for my cables to settle down again.
Figure 18. Home theater system: In addition to the issues with cabinet weight and a mass of thick heavy cables that would put most jungle vegetation to shame...there was the considerable financial risk that I might end up replacing the three Adcom GFA-5500 amplifiers that power the center, front, and surround speakers.
Associated Equipment
Bryston BDA-3 digital to analog converter
Bryston BDP-2 digital player with IAD sound card upgrade and 500GB internal drive
Adcom GFP-750 preamplifier
PS Audio xStream Transcendent XLR interconnects for DAC and preamp
Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy Cryo-Silver CCIC USB cable
PS Audio Premier SC power cords for DAC, digital player, power amp and preamp
PS Audio P10 AC Regenerator
PS Audio AC-12 power cord for P10 AC Regenerator
Polk Audio SDA CRS+ (1989 version) loudspeakers (heavily modified)
Douglas Connection CDF92 speaker cable (9 AWG)
HiFi Tuning Classic Gold fuses for preamp, AC regenerator
HiFi Tuning Silver Star fuse for DAC.
Dell Venue Pro 11 7140 tablet computer, with dock, for digital player and DAC control
References
Office System Upgrades:
http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/168871/pure-overkill-computer-audio-office-system
BDP-2 Review:
http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/comment/2230125#Comment_2230125
BDA-3 Review-Polk Forum:
http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/comment/2227414#Comment_2227414
BDA-3 Review-Audio Circle Forum:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=142396.0Post edited by DarqueKnight onProud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
Had a feeling Ray, that Adcom would be spam. lol
I know your one for chasing the best stereo performance, as many of us are, which is why I could never understand why you held on to the Adcom as long as you did. Not knocking it either, it's good for what it is.
Love the comment on the "financial risk" with the big system.
HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Nice review, copied it as a Bryston is on my list for a new amp.
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Bryston is number one on my amp upgrade list. That and McCormack... I can go listen to a bryston easily, maybe even borrow one. Not so easy with the McCormack.2 channel:
Bryston 4B3, Bryston BDA3, Cary SLP05, Shanling CDT1000SE with parts conneXion level 2 mods, Nottingham analogue ace space 294, soundsmith Carmen MKii, Zu DL103 MKii, Ortofon MC 20 MKii, Dynavector XX2 MKii, Rogue Audio Ares, Core power technologies balanced power conditioner, Akiko Corelli power conditioner with Akiko Audio HQ power cable, Nordost heimdall 2, Frey 2, interconnects, speaker and power cables, Focal Electra 1028 BE 2, Auralic Aries Femto, Black diamond racing cones, ingress audio level 1 roller blocks, JL Audio E110 with Auralic subdude, Primacoustics room treatments.
Theater:
Focal Aria 926,905,CC900, SVS PB ultra x2. Pioneer Elite SC85, Oppo BDP93, Panamax M5400PM, Minix neox6, Nordost Blue heaven LS power cables. -
I could never understand why you held on to the Adcom as long as you did.
Because I wanted it to work. I really did have modest performance goals for this office system, but one "nice" component led to another.
Now, the question is, do I upgrade the Adcom GFP-750's internal components for $625 or do I replace it with a Bryston BP-26 for $XXXX.XX?
Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
LOL.....I hear ya Ray. You know how it goes though, one upgrade begets another.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
I always enjoy reading your reviews Ray.
At $625.00 what are you including in the upgrade of the GFP-750? Big Sky Audio shows the GFP-750 upgrades at $449.00 with an up-charge for BlackGate caps if so desired.
I was just curious what you felt should be included in an upgrade.
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littlewoodboats wrote: »I always enjoy reading your reviews Ray.
At $625.00 what are you including in the upgrade of the GFP-750? Big Sky Audio shows the GFP-750 upgrades at $449.00 with an up-charge for BlackGate caps if so desired.
I was just curious what you felt should be included in an upgrade.
Musical Concepts Elite level GFP-750 mod, $599 + shipping:
http://www.musicaldesign.com/MC_Adcom_premod.html
Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
Thanks for the review. I always enjoy reading your reviews. I am going to say replace the adcom!Klipsch The Nines, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
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I am going to say replace the adcom!
I'll be setting up a "GOFUNDME" account shortly.
Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
I might agree with Ernie Ray. I know you dig the 750, but.....you also dug the amps too before stepping up and listening to a new one.
Gofundme ? Heck, why not.....I've got a dollar burning a hole in my pocket. HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Excellent Review As always Ray..
Thank You for all your indepth Analysis of all your gear.
I'm going to try your tweaks for the BDA-2-3 and BDP-2 you posted at AC.ATC SCM40's,VTL TL 2.5 Preamp,PSB Stratus Goldi's,McCormack DNA 500,McCormack MAP-1 Preamp,Pro-Ject Xtension 10 TT,Ortofon Cadenza Red/Nordost RedDawn LS Speaker cables, Bryston BDP-2, Bryston BDA-2,PS Audio AC-3 power cables -
Darque Knight -
When are you going to bring the new Bryston Power Amp over to my house for an audition?
Statistics show that 98% of us will die at some point in our lifetime.
The other 2% will work for WalMart. -
PolkMaster1 wrote: »Darque Knight -
When are you going to bring the new Bryston Power Amp over to my house for an audition?
When I begin looking for potential buyers to finance my upgrade to a 7B3.
Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
DarqueKnight wrote: »PolkMaster1 wrote: »Darque Knight -
When are you going to bring the new Bryston Power Amp over to my house for an audition?
Touche!!!!
When I begin looking for potential buyers to finance my upgrade to a 7B3.
Statistics show that 98% of us will die at some point in our lifetime.
The other 2% will work for WalMart. -
DK -
Have you tried any of the McCormack Power Amps? If so, what are your impressions?Statistics show that 98% of us will die at some point in our lifetime.
The other 2% will work for WalMart. -
No, I have not auditioned a McCormack amp.Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
-
Ray, great review. I considered the Bryston 7B amp before buying the Pass. Three things keep me from buying it. First, I could not get a straight answer as to whether any part of the power was pure class A, and second was it did not double its power from 8 to 4 ohms. Third was your review of the Pass X600.5 amps.
I am looking forward to your A/B comparison of the X600.5 to the 7B3.
Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
I considered the Bryston 7B amp before buying the Pass. Three things keep me from buying it. First, I could not get a straight answer as to whether any part of the power was pure class A, and second was it did not double its power from 8 to 4 ohms. Third was your review of the Pass X600.5 amps.
When I was comparing the Bryston 28B SST2 to the Pass X600.5, I received an email response from Bryston that said "about 10% of the rated output of our amplifiers is class A".
However, that same person said in 2009 that the class A output was "1%":
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=65491.msg605149#msg605149
Then, in 2011, that same person said that the class A output was "about 5%":
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=96377.msg964159#msg964159
This is a thread from 2014 where someone was not successful in getting a definitive answer on the "class A watts" question:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=123382.0
The 1% figure is probably closest to the truth. I think Bryston uses proprietary methods to optimize their amps for relatively cool-running, low noise, AB operation. For my office system, I did not want a hot running amp. During listening tests in the evening, when I could play the system at a normal listening level of 85 dB-C, the 4B3's left heat sink reached a temperature of 93 degrees Fahrenheit and the right heat sink reached a temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. the room temperature was 73 degrees Fahrenheit.I am looking forward to your A/B comparison of the X600.5 to the 7B3.
You will be waiting for a very long time. Doing a 7B3 amplifier comparison in my two channel system involves the following:
1. Unbolting the speakers from the wall.
2. Moving each 190 lb. speaker out of the way.
3. Sliding a 700+ lb. equipment cabinet away from the wall in order to access the speaker cables behind the X600.5s.
4. Removing one of the 132 lb X600.5s from the cabinet and putting the 7B3 in its place.
5. Pushing the 700+ lb. equipment cabinet back to the wall.
6. Rearranging the cables behind the cabinet.
7. Pushing the 190 lb. speakers back into place, rebolting them to the wall, and reattaching cables.
8. Waiting the hours or day until my power cables settle down from being moved, twisted and turned again.
9. Repeat all of the above to reinstall the X600.5 that was taken out.
This is something I would only consider far in the future...when I am more dedicated to audio than I am now.
Doing an interconnect cable comparison also involves moving the speakers and cabinet away from the wall, which is why I pass on most invitations to try this or that cable.
Components (that have XLR outputs) are easy to evaluate because I have a spare set of AudioQuest Sky XLR interconnects connected to the XP-30 preamp and there is a spare AC 12 power cord running from the P10 AC regenerator.Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
Thank you for all of the wonderful sharing.
Main Family Room: Sony 46 LCD, Sony Blue Ray, Sony DVD/VCR combo,Onkyo TXNR 708, Parasound 5250,
Polk SDS-SRS with mods, CSI 5 center + Klipsch SC2, Polk RT2000P rears, Klipsch KG 1.5's sides, Polk Micro Pro 1000, Polk Micro Pro 2000, Polk SW505, Belkin PF60, Signal Cable Classics,Monster IC's, 2 15 amp circuits & 1 20 amp circuit.
Living Room: Belkin PF60, Parasound HCA2200, MIT ProlineEXP balanced IC's,Emotiva XDA-1 DAC/Pre,Emotiva ERC2 transport,MIT AVT2, Polk LSI 9's. -
Ray,
You can't slide the amps out from the front, disconnect the IC's and speaker cables then slide a new amp back in ?
Given the work involved you described, I can see why your hesitant. The rig has a nice clean look, but access is a pain in the rear.....literally.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Hey Ray, I noticed you ran an Adcom a while ago although not the same model as me. While not hearing the McCormack I was wondering since your kinda the authority on tests and evaluations of gear what the difference between the Toroidal transformer type of the Adcom and many others and what I would call the older block style x-former of the McCormack that Steve just got upgraded. Try to keep it simple if you can, your not dealing w/ an engineer here...... Lew
The understatement of 2016,your room is beautiful.2chl- Adcom GFA- 555-Onkyo P-3150v pre/amp- JVC-QL-A200 tt- Denon 1940 ci cdp- Adcom GFS-6 -Modded '87 SDA 2Bs - Dynamat Ext.- BH-5- X-Overs VR-3, RDO-194 tweeters, Larry's Rings, Speakon/Neutrik I/C- Cherry stain tops Advent Maestros,Ohm model E
H/T- Toshiba au40" flat- Yamaha RX- V665 avr- YSD-11 Dock- I-Pod- Klipsch #400HD Speaker set-
Bdrm- Nikko 6065 receiver- JBL -G-200s--Pioneer 305 headphones--Sony CE375-5 disc -
Ray,
You can't slide the amps out from the front, disconnect the IC's and speaker cables then slide a new amp back in ?
I could if my ICs were long enough and if my power and speaker cables were soft and pliable.
My ICs are only 1 meter long, which is just long enough to reach from the preamp to the amps when they are in place. Power and speaker cables are long enough to pull out and disconnect, but because of their size, thickness and stiffness, they will bunch up and prevent me from sliding the amp all the way back in. Plus, working from the front of the cabinet, I am not able to properly position signal and power cables for strain relief and away from each other.
The only option I have is to move the speakers out of the way and then pull the cabinet away from the wall just enough to provide space for my hands to work.
I forgot to mention a step. This would be step 4: Installing/removing the X600.5s requires removing the cabinet doors.
AudioQuest Everest speaker cables
PS Audio AC-12 power cable.Given the work involved you described, I can see why you are hesitant traumatized. The rig has a nice clean look, but access is a pain in the rear.....literally.
Fixed it for you.leftwinger57 wrote: »...what is the difference between the Toroidal transformer type of the Adcom and many others and what I would call the older block style x-former of the McCormack that Steve just got upgraded. Try to keep it simple if you can, your not dealing w/ an engineer here......
The main advantage of toroidal transformers over block-type transformers is toroidals generate a much smaller and weaker magnetic field, and this means less induced noise in the audio signals.
Here are three short and simple articles providing an overview of toroidal transformer advantages:
http://www.avellindberg.com/transformers/tech_notes/tech_notes2.htm
http://bryston.com/PDF/newsletters/Bryston_Newsletter_V8_4.pdf
http://bryston.com/PDF/newsletters/Bryston_Newsletter_V8_5.pdfProud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
Lew,
Basically 2 different topologies your asking about. It's not as cut and dry as we may like to think as both technologies in transformers are surrounded by different circuits to reduce or negate the negative aspects of either.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
DarqueKnight wrote: »Ray,
You can't slide the amps out from the front, disconnect the IC's and speaker cables then slide a new amp back in ?
I could if my ICs were long enough and if my power and speaker cables were soft and pliable.
My ICs are only 1 meter long, which is just long enough to reach from the preamp to the amps when they are in place. Power and speaker cables are long enough to pull out and disconnect, but because of their size, thickness and stiffness, they will bunch up and prevent me from sliding the amp all the way back in. Plus, working from the front of the cabinet, I am not able to properly position signal and power cables for strain relief and away from each other.
The only option I have is to move the speakers out of the way and then pull the cabinet away from the wall just enough to provide space for my hands to work.
I feel your pain. Reading your situation makes my manhood hurt not too mention my back.
I have a similar cabinet that was custom made and wanted casters but the DW did not think they would look good, so she got fixed pedestal feet.
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DK...I am hoping you can help me a 2nd time; as I already came across your post, that instructed me on how to change the LEDs...from Green to Blue.
I have a 2.5B3...having previously had a 4B3 myself; then BAT VK-250SE...and trying one, or a pair of the smallest Cube...before deciding if I want to stay BAT, and go after a 255SE.
Can I ask...just how and the heck, do you get the cover off these things. I've removed the 8 screws, from each side...and the 4 on top, that flank the heatsinks. The other screws on the top-plate, are different and seem "un-removeable"...and looking at one of your pics from earlier
It looked as, maybe they were meant to stay in place. But something, is still holding on to my top-plate/cover.
BTW...if anyone is still interested; I have owned 2 McCormack amps. -
I am not familiar with the 2.5B3. I assume it uses the same Torx screws as my 4B3. I only needed to remove the top "star shaped" screws (T15 Torx type) from my 4B3 and the top lifted right off.Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
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I'll post some pics tomorrow. Thx
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Nice review and thanks for the info on the lights.
