[vegasdave]

I keep thinking "man I wish I could have afforded the 7B or the 14B" and drool thinking about them.

I do too, man...but, once I fire up the 4BSST, all that goes away and I can enjoy the sound.

[jjc1]

Actually I've already had a chance to demo the 4B-sst2
However, it is difficult for me to appreciate differences straight away.
I did listen just to the 4b for a few hours over about 5 days and it certainly seemed to be very good
and enjoyable.
But then I wanted to do some A/B testing with my current integrated and I did that a little bit but that's always hard.
Especially when it takes you 2 minutes to switch the amps.
Also I don't have a lot of experience listening so I don't usually know say for example if the bass is better or the highs are better.
I may notice some differences but normally I don't find them to be as big as I read about.

Still I am quite certain the bass was better. I got a sense of layring between voices better. What I mean is when listening to the new Beatles re-masters I felt there was a better sense of separation between the lead vocals and the background/supporing vocals. I could make them out more distinctly.
I think the soundstage was perhaps better but not entirely sure about it.
Brushes on drums/cymbals and the like felt somewhat more real.

For me I think it takes a lot of time to come to understand and appreciate the differences.

The only problem now is as I wait for my 4B I've been reading and I keep thinking "man I wish I could have afforded the 7B or the 14B" and drool thinking about them.   
But my wallet and my wife have other ideas. Still I am very ecstatic to be able to afford the 4B and looking forward to receiving it.

Hi jjc1, I am actually on a big vinyl kick right now and love spinning my LPs and I am more then happy with my Stello DAC for the moment.

-- Sanjay

Hi SANJAY. I also am a big vinyl fan. I am still getting aquainted with a fairly new Clear Audio Performance turntable with a Benz Micro Glider cartridge running thru a Miusical Surroundings Nova Phenomina phono stage. The sound is glorious but it is just as glorious listening to hi res downloads (as well as 44.1 cd downloads) thru the BDP-1. Perhaps someday you'll get a chance to listen to the BDP-1 and form your own opinion of this excellent component.

[schugh]

Well it appears my 4B was shipped yesterday and will be here early next week.
Don't know how Bryston got it ready so quickly though (not that I am complaining)
as I assumed it would be two weeks with the 100 hours burn in and the 30-35 hours to build it.

I better catch up on my work so I have lots of free time next week. 

Hey jjc1 I have actually several Hi-Res downloads from HDTracks and they do sound great no doubt.
I would certainly consider the BDP-1 when I want to make a move from my Stello (which is also very nice so I am not in a rush).

-- Sanjay

[SoundGame]

Well it appears my 4B was shipped yesterday and will be here early next week.
Don't know how Bryston got it ready so quickly though (not that I am complaining)
as I assumed it would be two weeks with the 100 hours burn in and the 30-35 hours to build it.

I better catch up on my work so I have lots of free time next week. 

Hey jjc1 I have actually several Hi-Res downloads from HDTracks and they do sound great no doubt.
I would certainly consider the BDP-1 when I want to make a move from my Stello (which is also very nice so I am not in a rush).

-- Sanjay

Hey there Sanjay, I'm not sure but I think you may have misinterpreted:

The BDP-1 is a digital player not a DAC - so it wouldn't replace your Stello but rather be used in combination withi it and would actually more correctly replace your CD / PC / Mc from the source chain.  The BDP simplifies the delivery and enhances it as it has been optimized for audio file delivery to a DAC.

[schugh]

Oops. 
Thanks for clearing that up.

-- Sanjay

[schugh]

Well, I picked it up yesterday and I am very happy.

However, I was totally blown away when I played one track rather loud just for one and I saw the green LEDs flash Red a few times.
The track was the first one from Charles Lloyd's CD titled Sangam which is very well recorded. I think it's on the ECM label. It has a really cool, again well recorded, drum solo which I've enjoyed and I like cranking it up a bit during this piece as it feels the drum is right there in front of me.
So I got carried away and put my ARC at about 75% volume. The funny thing is it really didn't feel as if it was loud in the sense of being uncomfortable and making me want to turn it down. In fact it was fun.
But then during some thwacks during the drum solo the lights flickered red and I was like "holy crap".
In other words it was a big eye opener that how easy I could reach clipping level on a 500 Watt amp

I am glad I didn't buy the McIntosh 275 amp I auditioned before the Bryston.

-- Sanjay

[Laundrew]

Well, I picked it up yesterday and I am very happy.

However, I was totally blown away when I played one track rather loud just for one and I saw the green LEDs flash Red a few times.

-- Sanjay

I remember when I was auditioning the 28's and I witnessed them clipping during a demonstration with Japanese drum music.

 

Be well...

[SoundGame]

The clipping is due to the dynamics being reproduced authentically.  It tkes an immense amount of power to realisticlly deliver dynamics. 

Recordings that are more compressed would not lead to clipping.  This is a place where a higher power amplifer can deliver more of the goods.

[James Tanner]

I agree - sometimes people question why the 28B exists - who the hell needs that much power?

BUT - if you monitor what is really going on when an amplifier drives a typical speaker and transients are required - the transient can, short term,  ask for over 10 times the power it needs under average drive conditions.

james

[1oldguy]

I agree - sometimes people question why the 28B exists - who the hell needs that much power?

BUT - if you monitor what is really going on when an amplifier drives a typical speaker and transients are required - the transient can, short term,  ask for over 10 times the power it needs under average drive conditions.

James

Monumental ........
Here's a real test for any speaker/amp combo....This loves the wattage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5PCzpSFjPo
 

[vegasdave]

I agree - sometimes people question why the 28B exists - who the hell needs that much power?

BUT - if you monitor what is really going on when an amplifier drives a typical speaker and transients are required - the transient can, short term,  ask for over 10 times the power it needs under average drive conditions.

james

I see. So going into clipping here and there is normal, true?

[James Tanner]

I see. So going into clipping here and there is normal, true?

NO - clipping is bad news

james

[vegasdave]

NO - clipping is bad news

james

Ok, gotcha!

[1oldguy]

Moral of the story comes full circle.....More power the better.....And Better performance all round.

[schugh]

I would never play things loud enough to cause clipping.
I just got carried away that one time. "Try it a little louder, try it a little louder" a little voice kept telling me.
For me the two main things I learned were one, well recorded dynamic music indeed can require gobs of power, as James stated and two that it didn't feel as if it painstakingly loud. The latter could be because the amp is so exceptional or the music is not compressed.
For the former I think it's not so easy to appreciate unless you have some clipping indicators or something (unless the amp falls apart in some obvious way).
But I am pretty sure I couldn't play it so loud on my previous amp which was rated at 320 Watts into 4 Ohms before I thought ok it's too loud. With the Bryston, yes it was loud, but not in a bad way. It was a very cool enjoyable grin inducing loud. Off course I turned it down just a bit so it stopped clipping and it was still great.

After this little lesson, I am very much in the more power the better camp especially for Maggies.

-- Sanjay

[Laundrew]

The clipping is due to the dynamics being reproduced authentically.  It tkes an immense amount of power to realisticlly deliver dynamics. 

Recordings that are more compressed would not lead to clipping.  This is a place where a higher power amplifer can deliver more of the goods.

Agreed 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBKKq3FUP4U&feature=related

Be well...

[1oldguy]

Looks like a job for your Beasties Laundrew.

[vegasdave]

I would never play things loud enough to cause clipping.
I just got carried away that one time. "Try it a little louder, try it a little louder" a little voice kept telling me.
For me the two main things I learned were one, well recorded dynamic music indeed can require gobs of power, as James stated and two that it didn't feel as if it painstakingly loud. The latter could be because the amp is so exceptional or the music is not compressed.
For the former I think it's not so easy to appreciate unless you have some clipping indicators or something (unless the amp falls apart in some obvious way).
But I am pretty sure I couldn't play it so loud on my previous amp which was rated at 320 Watts into 4 Ohms before I thought ok it's too loud. With the Bryston, yes it was loud, but not in a bad way. It was a very cool enjoyable grin inducing loud. Off course I turned it down just a bit so it stopped clipping and it was still great.

After this little lesson, I am very much in the more power the better camp especially for Maggies.

-- Sanjay

Cool, your 4BSST2 is a good, solid amp. You're gonna like it more and more as time goes on.