[memota]

Hi all,

Long time lurker first time poster! 

I have a B135 integrated driving some PMC Twenty.23's. I really enjoy it, sometimes however find it a bit lean or bright (my other amp that I sometimes swap in is an Electrocompaniet ECI-5 so chalk and cheese).

I need to get rid of one amp as it's silly just having the money tied up in it, and will be keeping the Bryston.

I'd be curious as to thoughts on the difference I would expect if I went to something like a 4BSST2 (or the cubed equivalent) and a seperate Bryston pre-amp (not sure which one - suggestions welcome). I know there's more power, but what would I expect tonally from such an upgrade?

Cheers


S

[maplegrovemusic]

From everything i have read here all bryston amps should sound similar. all bryston preamps should sound similar as well . If you are pushing the b135 to its limits or close to you will here an improvement by getting a bigger amp .

[memota]

Thanks. Does that imply that the only difference is the power available to drive different speakers? I assumed there would be tonal differences that come with greater power.

[saveloy]

A 4B, plus a BP26 would give you balanced connections.  That, by itself, will give you greater scale, speed & depth.
The power amps are all said to sound the same, and only differ in output.  But that isn't true.  As you go up the scale from 4B, through 7B and then to 28B, the sound gets tighter, punchier, more dynamic, and most notably, faster. 

Kyri

[schmidtmike76]

Is the 4b worth the extra cost over the 2.5 in your opinion?

[saveloy]

Is the 4b worth the extra cost over the 2.5 in your opinion?

I believe so.  The extra power will certainly be felt & heard. 

Kyri

[schmidtmike76]

I guess I should ask my dealer for a switch before its shipped.

[saveloy]

Most crave more power at some stage - it's addictive.  So a 4B keeps more people happy, and subdues the yearning to upgrade for longer.

Kyri

[Grit]

The 4B is kinda the sweet spot.

[martydmnt]

I have a B135 integrated driving some PMC Twenty.23's. I really enjoy it, sometimes however find it a bit lean or bright (my other amp that I sometimes swap in is an Electrocompaniet ECI-5 so chalk and cheese).

I'd be curious as to thoughts on the difference I would expect if I went to something like a 4BSST2 (or the cubed equivalent) and a seperate Bryston pre-amp (not sure which one - suggestions welcome). I know there's more power, but what would I expect tonally from such an upgrade?

I've not had the 4BSST2 in my house, but I did have the 3BSST2 + BP25 on loan. From my recollection, in my room 14x23x8 room on my Celius 202s with the speakers on the long wall, there was no difference readily apparent at the levels I was listening to (< 80dB average). YMMV, try it out yourself, etc., but I don't spend too much time looking over my B135's shoulder for higher up the chain.

Are you associating the brightness with all recordings, or only some? I was under the impression that PMCs aren't known for presenting anything other than what's on the recording already (like Bryston). It may be heresy, but I use an equalizer (Berhinger) on recordings that are terribly tipped up to roll off the top.

[R. Daneel]

With Twenty.23 there'd be hardly any difference. PMCs use SEAS drive units and these are doped paper cones, 140mm in diameter. These do not require a lot of current at all. You'd be wasting your money.

[CanadianMaestro]

For a long time, I had a B100 pre out (= BP16) + 4B-squared. Loved it.
4B-sq would be a worthwhile upgrade from 2.5, I would guess -- more reserve power is generally good to have. I now am awaiting a new BP17 to replace the B100 (BP16). A dedicated preamp rather than an integrated. Less distortion and heat. Looking forward to it!

[memota]

I've not had the 4BSST2 in my house, but I did have the 3BSST2 + BP25 on loan. From my recollection, in my room 14x23x8 room on my Celius 202s with the speakers on the long wall, there was no difference readily apparent at the levels I was listening to (< 80dB average). YMMV, try it out yourself, etc., but I don't spend too much time looking over my B135's shoulder for higher up the chain.

Are you associating the brightness with all recordings, or only some? I was under the impression that PMCs aren't known for presenting anything other than what's on the recording already (like Bryston). It may be heresy, but I use an equalizer (Berhinger) on recordings that are terribly tipped up to roll off the top.

Thanks. Brightness as such is not with all recordings, but the leanness is. Perhaps just different tonality to my other amp that I'm still getting used to. I do love the detail though and the other amp hasn't been moved back into place.

Thanks for your thoughts on your B135. I'd love to try a bigger amp combo to know for sure if I'd see a worthwhile difference, but sadly the Bryston dealer here in Aus essentially asks me to buy then at full price if I want a demo in-home; they refund you if you return it. (Other dealers just take your license / ID details).


PS apologies all who responded for my late re-joining the thread. I was relying on notifications to tell me when there had been a post but they must have stopped working after a while.

[memota]

With Twenty.23 there'd be hardly any difference. PMCs use SEAS drive units and these are doped paper cones, 140mm in diameter. These do not require a lot of current at all. You'd be wasting your money.

Good point and something I hadn't considered. Thanks!