[Jimmy71]

Hello everyone does someone have any experience on this. I have a 4bsst2 and thinking of using it as a mono and to purchase one more. I would like to know how is the performance?

[rollo]

  What will you be using them for ? Subs ? main speakers ? There are many options.


charles

[95Dyna]

Be careful if your speakers are low impedance.  A stereo amplifier bridged into mono will see half of the load it is presented by your speakers.  It's been my experience to keep the stereo amps in their native mode and bi-amp your speakers is a better way to go.  Of course this assumes you have two sets of binding posts.

[Jimmy71]

  What will you be using them for ? Subs ? main speakers ? There are many options.


charles

.
I will be using them for main speakers

[Jimmy71]

Be careful if your speakers are low impedance.  A stereo amplifier bridged into mono will see half of the load it is presented by your speakers.  It's been my experience to keep the stereo amps in their native mode and bi-amp your speakers is a better way to go.  Of course this assumes you have two sets of binding posts.

Thinking of purchasing b&w 803d 500w 8Ω

[srb]

The B&W 803D has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms but dips down to 3 ohms in the bass region which would steer me toward not bridging an amplifier to drive them with an effective impedance of 1.5 ohms to a bridged amp.

With a 90dB sensitivity a 4BSST² rated at 300W/500W should be able to drive them adequately, depending of course on your room size, listening distance and listening volume.  If you feel you need more power you would probably be much better served selling the 4BSST² and getting a 14BSST² or 2 x 7BSST².  The cost of a pair of 4BSST² vs a single 14BSST² or a pair of 7BSST² is almost the same.

Steve

[turnovertherecord]

I use 2 3bsst `s to drive FS-788`s which is a 10 ohm speaker it is lowest it goes,sounds very nice bridged( amps will see 5 ohms )

After a couple of months I switch to bi amp,I do a vertical bi amp with short speaker cables and long XLR,my preference was the bi amp   

[Jimmy71]

The B&W 803D has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms but dips down to 3 ohms in the bass region which would steer me toward not bridging an amplifier to drive them with an effective impedance of 1.5 ohms to a bridged amp.

With a 90dB sensitivity a 4BSST² rated at 300W/500W should be able to drive them adequately, depending of course on your room size, listening distance and listening volume.  If you feel you need more power you would probably be much better served selling the 4BSST² and getting a 14BSST² or 2 x 7BSST².  The cost of a pair of 4BSST² vs a single 14BSST² or a pair of 7BSST² is almost the same.

Steve
Thank you Steve that was very helpful

[Jimmy71]

I use 2 3bsst `s to drive FS-788`s which is a 10 ohm speaker it is lowest it goes,sounds very nice bridged( amps will see 5 ohms )

After a couple of months I switch to bi amp,I do a vertical bi amp with short speaker cables and long XLR,my preference was the bi amp   

Thanks

[Jimmy71]

The B&W 803D has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms but dips down to 3 ohms in the bass region which would steer me toward not bridging an amplifier to drive them with an effective impedance of 1.5 ohms to a bridged amp.

With a 90dB sensitivity a 4BSST² rated at 300W/500W should be able to drive them adequately, depending of course on your room size, listening distance and listening volume.  If you feel you need more power you would probably be much better served selling the 4BSST² and getting a 14BSST² or 2 x 7BSST².  The cost of a pair of 4BSST² vs a single 14BSST² or a pair of 7BSST² is almost the same.

Steve

Thank you Steve

[Jimmy71]

The B&W 803D has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms but dips down to 3 ohms in the bass region which would steer me toward not bridging an amplifier to drive them with an effective impedance of 1.5 ohms to a bridged amp.

With a 90dB sensitivity a 4BSST² rated at 300W/500W should be able to drive them adequately, depending of course on your room size, listening distance and listening volume.  If you feel you need more power you would probably be much better served selling the 4BSST² and getting a 14BSST² or 2 x 7BSST².  The cost of a pair of 4BSST² vs a single 14BSST² or a pair of 7BSST² is almost the same.

Steve

.
Steve how about 804d 200w 8Ω do  I lose quality if I bridge the 4bsst2?

[srb]

Steve how about 804d 200w 8Ω do  I lose quality if I bridge the 4bsst2?

The B&W 803D digs a few Hz lower than the 804D and can play louder with greater power handling with 3 X 7" bass drivers vs 2 X 6.5", but the 804D has a very similar impedance curve with a 3 ohm dip between 80Hz and 200Hz and just below 4 ohms in the ~ 350Hz to 600Hz range.

 

As far as sound quality, bridged amps may have a bit more THD at lower impedances but on the other hand often have higher damping factors and faster slew rates.  It's probably a wash and many people perceive no loss in quality and it's more of decision based on speaker impedances.  While there's no hard rule and speaker impedance curves vary greatly among speakers, I usually consider speakers with minimum impedances of 6 ohms or greater better candidates for bridged amplifiers.

Steve

[Jimmy71]

The B&W 803D digs a few Hz lower than the 804D and can play louder with greater power handling with 3 X 7" bass drivers vs 2 X 6.5", but the 804D has a very similar impedance curve with a 3 ohm dip between 80Hz and 200Hz and just below 4 ohms in the ~ 350Hz to 600Hz range.

 

As far as sound quality, bridged amps may have a bit more THD at lower impedances but on the other hand often have higher damping factors and faster slew rates.  It's probably a wash and many people perceive no loss in quality and it's more of decision based on speaker impedances.  While there's no hard rule and speaker impedance curves vary greatly among speakers, I usually consider speakers with minimum impedances of 6 ohms or greater better candidates for bridged amplifiers.

Steve

Sorry steve I don't understand some things why do they sell bridged amps (bryston) and when you ask them about bridged amps they are not so sure if you should use it, and when the 28 bsst2 is a bridged amp they say it is something special what is the difference.

[Jimmy71]

Sorry steve I don't understand some things why do they sell bridged amps (bryston) and when you ask them about bridged amps they are not so sure if you should use it, and when the 28 bsst2 is a bridged amp they say it is something special what is the difference.

Can you help me out here would you sell a 4b? And buy 2 7bs  and lose money or would you buy another 4b to use it as a mono.?

[Jimmy71]

The B&W 803D digs a few Hz lower than the 804D and can play louder with greater power handling with 3 X 7" bass drivers vs 2 X 6.5", but the 804D has a very similar impedance curve with a 3 ohm dip between 80Hz and 200Hz and just below 4 ohms in the ~ 350Hz to 600Hz range.

 

As far as sound quality, bridged amps may have a bit more THD at lower impedances but on the other hand often have higher damping factors and faster slew rates.  It's probably a wash and many people perceive no loss in quality and it's more of decision based on speaker impedances.  While there's no hard rule and speaker impedance curves vary greatly among speakers, I usually consider speakers with minimum impedances of 6 ohms or greater better candidates for bridged amplifiers.

Steve

Can you help me out here would you sell a 4b? And buy 2 7bs  and lose money or would you buy another 4b to use it as a mono.?

[srb]

Can you help me out here would you sell a 4b? And buy 2 7bs  and lose money or would you buy another 4b to use it as a mono.?

I would sell the 4BSST² buy two 7BSST².  Lose money?  Not necessarily, but a bit more of a hassle to for an additional sales transaction.  The retail price of two 4BSST² ($9,990) and two 7BSST² ($10,200) are within a few hundred dollars.

The used market would be proportional.  For example, on Audiogon there are currently three 4BSST² for sale asking from $3400 to $3549 each, and two pairs of 7BSST² asking $6300 to $6500 per pair.

However, if you're talking about buying another new 4BSST² vs. selling yours and buying two new 7BSST², then yes, you would be taking a several thousand dollar loss.

Steve

[Jimmy71]

I would sell the 4BSST² buy two 7BSST².  Lose money?  Not necessarily, but a bit more of a hassle to for an additional sales transaction.  The retail price of two 4BSST² ($9,990) and two 7BSST² ($10,200) are within a few hundred dollars.

The used market would be proportional.  For example, on Audiogon there are currently three 4BSST² for sale asking from $3400 to $3549 each, and two pairs of 7BSST² asking $6300 to $6500 per pair.

However, if you're talking about buying another new 4BSST² vs. selling yours and buying two new 7BSST², then yes, you would be taking a several thousand dollar loss.

Steve

Thanks for your help.

[Jimmy71]

I would sell the 4BSST² buy two 7BSST².  Lose money?  Not necessarily, but a bit more of a hassle to for an additional sales transaction.  The retail price of two 4BSST² ($9,990) and two 7BSST² ($10,200) are within a few hundred dollars.

The used market would be proportional.  For example, on Audiogon there are currently three 4BSST² for sale asking from $3400 to $3549 each, and two pairs of 7BSST² asking $6300 to $6500 per pair.

However, if you're talking about buying another new 4BSST² vs. selling yours and buying two new 7BSST², then yes, you would be taking a several thousand dollar loss.

Steve

Just one more thing it seems like you have a lot of experience on audio which speakers would you go for in the price range of 7000$ to 8000$. Would you go for b&w have you heard bryston? Thank you

[srb]

PM Sent

[Jimmy71]

PM Sent

Does bi amping make any difference?