[SteveFord]

It looks like I'm finally going to be getting off my duff and picking up a pair of 3Bs from one of my buddies.  The original owner was an audiophile and a race car driver who passed away about 15 years ago.
Any thoughts about this particular model?  There doesn't seem to be too much information about them. 

[spinner]

 Hey, doesn't anyone have an opinion or experience with this amp? I'm a 4B fan but the 3B is a very fine amp ( at least the ST version was) I can't say for the more recent models. We are maybe to preoccupied with higher power to give credit to the smaller Brystons.

[rmurray]

  Good question. When I bought my 4B the 3B was highly respected.

[SteveFord]

Judging by the rest of the components this fellow had the 3B is this shiznit back in it's day as he had really good taste in audio gear (and women).
Hi, Stephenie!

[PRELUDE]

It looks like I'm finally going to be getting off my duff and picking up a pair of 3Bs from one of my buddies.  The original owner was an audiophile and a race car driver who passed away about 15 years ago.
Any thoughts about this particular model?  There doesn't seem to be too much information about them.

Hi Steve,
It is is a very nice amp indeed.I never owned one but I did have one with me for few weeks and tried them in active system to drive the tweeters.I think the only reason that you do not see a lot of interest in this model is the price point in compare with 4B and it does effect in new or used one.Why 3B when you could have the 4B for about $600 difference with twice of power for each channel?
Do you have any speaker in mind that you will use it with 3Bs?

[SteveFord]

Now that you mention it, he was biamping his Alon speakers so the tweeters were probably being driven by the 3Bs.
I'm thinking of using them either with MMGs or Mini Maggies. 
Right now I'm using a Harman Kardon Citation 22 for the MMGs but the motherboard got crunched and I'm not too certain how much longer it'll keep going.  It could be years, it could be days - it's one of those kind of problems. 
Either way, I did promise to get the Brystons, the brand has a real good reputation and I've never owned so why not.  Right now they're just collecting cobwebs so it'll be nice to put them back into action.

[Mag]

I have a 3B-ST, 3B-SST,3B-SST/2 and a 2B LP.

My thoughts on the model?

I don't know how it compares to the more powerful models. Like I heard Werd's 14B-SST2 but didn't know what to attribute to the amp, BDA-1 and his pre-amp at the time.

I read somewhere IIRC that the 3B was regarded as Brystons best sounding amp or was that the 2B LP.

There are distinct differences that I can discern between the ST, SST, SST/2. But the Bryston sound, albeit neutral is characteristic of all the models.

For my needs the 3B-ST was under-powered for my Paradigm Studio 100 v2 at the spl that I typically listen. With an easier to drive speaker the 3B power would be sufficient power at normal spl listening.

As someone already mentioned for a few hundred dollars more I could have purchased the 4B-SST. My thinking at the time was to match as close as possible amps for my multi-channel HT. And I was concerned about the power draw for everything using only one outlet. If I had asked my brother, a diesel electrician. I would have known how many amps I was using and probably have purchased the 4B.

[PRELUDE]

Now that you mention it, he was biamping his Alon speakers so the tweeters were probably being driven by the 3Bs.
I'm thinking of using them either with MMGs or Mini Maggies. 
Right now I'm using a Harman Kardon Citation 22 for the MMGs but the motherboard got crunched and I'm not too certain how much longer it'll keep going.  It could be years, it could be days - it's one of those kind of problems. 
Either way, I did promise to get the Brystons, the brand has a real good reputation and I've never owned so why not.  Right now they're just collecting cobwebs so it'll be nice to put them back into action.

I would say take it and try it.I do not have any experience with MMGs but others do so they might help you better and most of Bryston dealers do take trades so you still have opportunity to up grade if you need more power.

[Phil A]

I've owned a bunch of Bryston amps (4BST, 14BSST).  Still have a 6BSST in the main system and a 3BST to drive the left and right channel in the bedroom system.  I probably won't part with either at this point.  I'd find some use the 3BST somewhere.  The size and quality make it excellent for many situations.  In my current bedroom system it sits behind the center channel.  I had an old Adcom 555 before it that barely fit in the space and was happy when I was able to snag one.

[sfraser]

I have a older 3B (NRB maybe?) powering a heavily modded pair of Klipsch lascala's and it sounds great. I have also used it with a pair of PMC TB2's as well.

As James like to say, same Bryston sound across the models, just more/less gain.

Scott

[SteveFord]

Thanks one and all.
I'll have to get going on these.