[Grit]

I'm currently running a Rotel 1560 receiver. I absolutely LOVE my Bryston BDA-1 and long ago decided Bryston would be my next upgrade path. And I'm at a point where I'd like to invest in a Bryston amp (hopefully one day, a SP3 can follow).

I have B&W 804 diamonds up front for left/right, HTM4 diamond for center, and B&W in-walls for rears. My plan (one day) is either to go with 805 diamonds in the rear, or to migrate to Aerial Acoustics 7T's and matching center/rears when they are produced.

I probably watch more movies than I listen to music, but I LOVE listening to music more than I enjoy movies. So, what I'm wondering is, what amp setup would work best. I do not have a dedicated listening room and won't for over 20 years. My setup is in the living room, is enjoyed by the whole family, and can't be played at incredibly loud levels (I get around the 85-90 dB peak range occasionally when watching a movie and the wife is away).

I've debated a 9b sst² with 5 channels for the whole system. I've also debated a 2ch 4b sst² or 3ch 6b sst² for the front speakers, and a 3b sst² or 3-ch 9b sst² for the rears. Or even a 4b sst² AND a 6b sst². I am trying to get the best use out of my money, as I probably spend no more than $3000/year on my system.

What I'm wondering is, given the speakers I'm talking about, the room and listening levels, what differences would I notice between these types of setups? Is a 300 watt/ch amp overkill? Under the aforementioned conditions and equipment, what differences will I see between a 140 watt/ch Bryston vs a 300 watt/ch Bryston? What about the number of channels in the amps? Does a 5 channel 9b sst² sound the same as a dedicated 2 channel Bryston (3b sst²)?

I (unfortunately) do not have a nearby dealer where I can audition these differences for myself, so i was hoping to get some general input from those of you who have compared Bryston multi-channel amps to 2-ch amps, and who have compared 300 watt/ch Bryston amps to their 140 watt/ch amps (with similar speakers and listening conditions).

Thanks so much for any input you can offer!

[Chicago]

I am strictly a 2 channel person but I have seen a few posts asking this same question and James Tanner (Bryston V.P.) has answered it at least once.  My recollection is he recommended to run the front L/R with a 2 channel amp and then use a 3 channel for the center and rear channels.  I think the reason is you will have a dedicated amp for the 2 channel when you want to listen to music.  If you do a search you may find the threads and they could give you more info.

I use a 4Bsst for my 803 Diamonds and I also auditioned the 804's.  The 800 series love current to truly make them sing and I don't think the 4B series is overkill, certainly not for 2 channel listening.   

[ragg987]

I have both a 9B-ST and 4B-SST. The 4B drives fronts and the 9B drives centre and rear.

Prior to this, I used the 9B to drive all 5 channels. To me, the 4B as a replacement for front channels is quite a big step - otherwise identical conditions (speakers, rooms, preamp). The best part is control over bass - the 4B is much better than the 9B in that respect.

Note also that I compared ST to SST - I do not know how much of the difference is 9B to 4B or ST to SST.

[bjski]

I have the 7bsst/2 for a dedicated 2 channel system and a 9bsst/2 for my home theater system.  I have no problem using the 9b for my home theater but my speaker are very efficient. They are 95db at 1 watt 4 ohms. My 9b has yet to clip.
If I had only 1 system I would be using 4bsst/2 for my L/R front channels and 3 channel 9bsst/2 for the rears and center. You could go with 6bsst/2 for the L/R/C and a 3bsst/2 for the rears. I do believe you would be happy with some headroom for your L/R front channels when listening to music.

[So There]

Grit, I would also recommend the 4B for your front L/R.

Chicago is correct as to configuration: James T recommended to me that my 4BSST(C) power the FL/FR, with my 6B4BSST(C) powering the C and LB/RB (I use another 4B4BSST(C) for the LS/RS). The advantage is just needing to power up the 4B for stereo.

You should be very pleased with your new amp. I came to Bryston from McIntosh gear, and the difference was not subtle. For example, my MC2002, a fine solid-state power amp (200/300 wpc at 8/4 ohms), drove Apogee Duetta Signatures, quite revealing panel speakers. The Mac provided a lush yet detailed listening experience, a bit tube-like. Yet, the Brystons seem to me far more revealing and accurate; they are not as dark or warm as the Macs, but neither are they strident or sharp. They have superb clarity, incredible power reserves, and more slam than any amps I've owned, and I've never heard them clip or distort. While the Mac often ran out of gas with the low-imedance Apogees, the Bryston just coasted. As ragg987 and bjski point out, the headroom is well worth the price of admission.

Happy listening,


Rich
_______________
Whiney Napa Valley

[bjski]

I've debated a 9b sst² with 5 channels for the whole system. I've also debated a 2ch 4b sst² or 3ch 6b sst² for the front speakers, and a 3b sst² or 3-ch 9b sst² for the rears. Or even a 4b sst² AND a 6b sst². I am trying to get the best use out of my money, as I probably spend no more than $3000/year on my system.

I would purchase the 4bsst/2 and look for a used 9bsst c series 3 channel. I don't think you will notice a difference between the sst/c series and sst/2 when watching movies or TV. Music there is a difference and most likely you will be listening 2 channel so get the 4bsst/2.

[Chicago]

I would purchase the 4bsst/2 and look for a used 9bsst c series 3 channel. I don't think you will notice a difference between the sst/c series and sst/2 when watching movies or TV. Music there is a difference and most likely you will be listening 2 channel so get the 4bsst/2.

If the $3,000 is a target you can pick up the the 4Bsst used for $2,200 to $2,500 on Audiogon or Canuck Audio Mart and you will be giving up very little for 2 channel listening.  Granted the 4Bsst² is an upgrade but not as great as from the st to sst.

[Grit]

Thanks everyone for the input so far. Just to clarify, my average budget is about $3000/year, but I expect to save one year and spend the next. So, I might go 2-3 years without an upgrade, then spend $10k.

One of the things I'm most excited about is being able to listen at any volume level and get the same quality of sound!

With respect to the front 3 speakers... if I run a 4b sst² on the L/R, will there be an audible difference if the center is powered by a 9b sst² ?

[So There]

You might, consider, Grit, that the center channel handles a great deal of information and is generally viewed as the key channel as regards film sound. My wife and I watch a lot of opera and concert Blu-rays, and the center channel is also very significant in these recordings. We use a 6BSST(C) for the center and LS/RS in concert with our 4BSST(C) amps (for FL/FR and LR/RR), as it has the same power rating.

That said, the 9B is no slouch and should power most speakers beautifully. But the 6B has . . . more power!   

Rich
_______________
Whiney Napa Valley

[Grit]

I guess the best thing to do would be to make the investment for the higher power amps... and either way, I could start with a 2-ch for L/R or a 3-ch for L/R/C, and get the matching 3 or 2 channel at a later date. Better to invest the money up front in the higher power amps, since I'm sure I'll have them for YEARS to come. 

[Grit]

I finally got my hands on a 4B-SST2 to demo for a few days! 

For reasons I won't try to explain, "Duck Dynasty" was playing while I was tinkering with my system. I set the 4B-SST2 up with a separate set of speaker wires (identical to my regular wires), and fed it from the Rotel receiver's preouts. I powered off the receiver, switched out speaker cables so the Bryston was powering the speakers (and shielded the Rotel speaker wires), then powered up the receiver again. Duck Dynasty was just finishing up and had some background music going.

I immediately heard a dramatic difference in the sound coming from the center speaker (still powered by the Rotel, sourced from a Tivo) than the two stereo speakers. The music sounded musical. The center channel sounded flat and two-dimensional. Prior to the switch, all three (when powered from the Rotel) sounded very well matched.

I was really surprised that I noticed such a dramatic difference from a simple source. Needless to say, music was everything I hoped it would be. I haven't had the chance to turn the volume up to a "fun" level, but my initial reaction was sheer excitement and bliss. I'd love to see what a better preamp or Byrston SP3 could do. One thing at a time though.

Thanks for everyone's input. I'm going to try and make this happen, then look for a used black 9B-SST or similar to balance out the center/rears.

[Chicago]

Grit,
Glad you got a chance to hear the Bryston difference.  Here is a link to a used Bryston BP-20 pre-amp for a very reasonable price.  If you ever decide to upgrade you will not lose much on a trade.

http://www.audioconsultants.com/UsedEquipment.aspx

Good Listening,
Mike