Bryston 4B,4NRB,4BST(THX),4BSST Differences

SuperDave

I am looking at buying a used Bryston amp to drive my LSi 25s for two channel listening. Does anyone have know if the older amps would be a good choice? I know the SST is supposed to sound the best but would a twenty year old 4B still blow my socks off? Any experiences or opinions would help me make an informed decision. The 4B prices are around 800, the SST are 2000 ish. Let's hear it.

SuperDave
Yamaha RX-V992
Denon DVD-1920
Sony XBR 27"
BrightHouse DVR
Polk LSi25 Fronts
Polk LSiC Center
Infinity RS1 Rears
Monster THX Cables

Modvlar

Hi.

Quite a while back I had a chance to give a good listen to a setup with an original 4B (can't remember the gear anymore; trauma). The system was decently middle-end, but all together it sounded very bad. The bryston was actually clipping at just moderately loud levels, and anything high output was quite brash. I don't blame this completely on the amp though, although it should have had reacted better to transients. Preamp quality makes a HUGE difference.

Many recording studios seem to like the newer versions. Lots of people have dumped the originals to upgrade or for other products. If you can, audit the ST~ and up range and try pushing it to see if you find it stays clear and dynamic. There doesn't seem to be any serious differences in the schematics. The SST is of course a nice design. The touch-pad startup seems a bit lame... wait until a lightning storm and have your amp automagically turn on and off.... (but of course in reality, you'd have the mains pulled out)

I'm not perfectly sure, but I think even the ST series has a 20 year transferrable warranty. If you buy used, check to see how many years, and that everything is legit. Great deal there.

Saw a dude on ebay selling an 4B SST for $500 a couple days ago (one day auction, seller was in Hong-Kong). Definite scam. Ebay pulled the ad 12 hours in. I was still drooling over the slightest chance it was legit.

SuperDave

Thanks for the info. I've seen some scam sales of these amps on ebay as well. Sometimes even after you lost the bidding someone sends you a bogus second chance message. I had someone from Italy offer to sell me a 9BST for my lower bid after someone else had won.
I'm surprised there weren't more folks with Bryston opinions on this site. If you want ta talk about Outlaw,Rotel, or Adcom... everyone pipes up.
I wonder what caused the clipping in the setup you heard, I thought the Brystons would handle difficult loads better, perhaps you were listening to some demanding speakers...
Anyway from what I hear maybe the ST on up to the SST is the place to start. I wish they were more affordable.:eek:

F1nut

Bryston makes a good solid amp, they can be a bit on the strident side, but you could do a lot worse.

SuperDave

Would the newer amps be less strident or harsh than the older ones? I don't get to audition too many used amps. But even if I didn't like the sound the resale value seems to be strong.

SuperDave
Yamaha RX-V992
Denon DVD-1920
Sony XBR 27"
BrightHouse DVR
Polk LSi25 Fronts
Polk LSiC Center
Infinity RS1 Rears
Monster THX Cables

F1nut

That was my impression of the ST's, I haven't heard the SST's.