[tipatina]

Hello, I am happy with my Bryston preamp (BP 20)/Amp (4bSST) but some of my audiophile buddies tell me that I would notice a big improvement with certain other brands because they use a zero feedback design that is inherently superior. Audiophile snake oil or real phenomenon? I have very few options for listening as there are few showrooms and it is near impossible to A-B. As for buy and return if you don't like, I just don't have enough confidence that I would hear enough difference to purchase one of these other setups to take their merchandise on good faith. Any decision to make a change would of course also have to factor in the reliability and legendary customer service of Bryston (so far not needed).

[skunark]

There's several ways to skin a cat.   There is at least one manufacture that sells both types and lets the end-user decide.   

[ralph1950]

Are you happy with what you have?   If so, don't listen to your buddies trying to spend your hard earned dollars/euro's.

[spinner]

  Listen to your heart and not you subjective friends. You are what you hear and see and others will always try to convince you otherwise. ............

[James Tanner]

Gee's I wish I had a dime for every time I have heard a single design criteria solves all the problems in amplifiers - if only it was that simple all we would have to decide on is what color I want my amp to be

James

[tipatina]

Thanks to everyone who replied. I am happy with what I have but am always curious when someone claims that there is something with a better sound including improvents as Bryston products evolve. For example would love to hear a BP26 in my system.

[sebrof]

Might be wrong here, but my understanding is that there are very very few SS amps with zero NFB. Especially few outside of very low power stuff.
What other brands are they talking about?

Here's a decent article I found via a quick google

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_5_4/essaynegativefeedbackoctober98.html