[kristian85]

Greetings,

I've decided on the BP-26P, but am faced with the choice of the 3 or 4B-SST.  Now, no foolin', but is there any difference in sound, and if so, what is it?

It'll be on Living Voice IBX-Rs--sensitive, revealing, and easy loads.

And, was the SST series electronically updated with the new C-series, or was that purely a cosmetic change?  I hate to buy an amp only to have the updated version come 4 months later....

Thanks!

Kristian

[Mag]

The 3B-sst specs are slightly better than the 4B-sst. Its more comparable to the 14B. But I doubt that you can tell any difference anyways. Logically the 4B-sst is a better investment just because it will have better resale value than the 3B if you should decide to part with it. However the 3B has more than enough power for my needs and I have yet to see it clip that driving 2 sets of 8 ohm speakers. The extra power is something you should consider. I am no expert, but this unit will put demands on the power from your outlet, may not be a problem for you, but I was worried about this with only two outlets in my room. Why use an unnecessary load if you don't have to, unless you have really difficult to drive speakers you are not likely to use all the extra power.

[john1970]

Mag,

Which specs of the 3B are better than the 4B?  I've looked at the specs on the Bryston website and from official PDF files and it appears that the amps have the same specs except for output power.

The specs are:

Distortion (IM or THD+noise): (same for both)

<0.007% from 20 Hz to 20 kHz at rated output power into 4 ohms
<0.005% from 20 Hz to 20 kHz at rated output power into 8 ohms

Noise: (same for both)
>110 dB below rated output @ 29 dB gain
>113 dB below rated output @ 23 dB gain

Slew Rate: (same for both)
greater than 60 V per a millisecond

Damping Factor: (same for both)

Over 300 @ 20 Hz, ref 8 ohm.  (and from the techinical section on the website it appears to be ~750)

Power Output:

3B: 150 W /ch @ 8 ohm and 250 W / ch @ 4 ohm
4B: 300 W /ch @ 8 ohm and 500 W / ch @ 4 ohm


Power Consumption and Heat Dissipation:

3B: 90 Watts @ idle, 307 BTU/hr @ idle; 1096 Watts @ rated output, 2057 BTU/hr @ rated output

4B: 160 Watts @ idle, 545 BTU/hr @ idle; 2100 Watts @ rated output, 3890 BTU/hr @ rated output

From these specs I would recommend putting either amp on a dedicated 15 amp or 20 amp circuit breaker. 

Just trying to provide Kristian with as much info as possible.

Best,

John

[Mag]

Don't know if I can find it but I was reading a review somewhere I think it was the 3B-sst and the article claimed the sonics where comparible to the 14B-sst. Specs was a bad choice of words.

[john1970]

Mag,

I think I remember reading that in a review somewhere as well.  However, I have also read in other reviews that the 4B SST is the "smaller brother" of the 14 B SST (i.e., they have identical sonics).  Hence, the problem with subjective reviews. 

MY ADVICE:  Demo both amps in your stereo system and purchase the one you like!!


Best,

John

[jethro]

Mag,

John1970's advice is the best advice one can give.

I'll just say that I have 4B-STs and 3B/8B-STs amps - no SST amps.
I think I noticed a difference between the 3B-ST and 4B-ST on my
old B&W speakers and new PMC speakers. To me, it sounded like the
4B-ST had more extended bass and less treble than the 3B-ST.
I don't know if this applies to the SST amps. However, it would
probably be best to test in your system like john1970 says in
case you hear the same difference that I think I heard.

--Steve

[Mag]

There is a difference between the sst and st. SST has smoother airy highs and better bass control. Here is my test readings for the 3B-SST and for comparison 2B-LP.

3B-SST                                       2B-LP
THD- Left, Right 8 ohms
20 hz- .00121, .00160                    20 hz- .00472, .00460
200 hz- .00121, .00144                   200 hz- .00288, .00293
2K hz- .00154, .00156                     2K hz- .00296, .00301
20K hz- .00429, ..00406                   20K hz- .00565, .00528

IM
.00297, .00127                                .00175, .00262

[jethro]

Sorry, I didn't explain it very well. I know there is a difference between the SST and ST
line of amps. I just wasn't sure whether the 3B-SST would have a sonic difference in my setup
versus the 4B-SST.


--Steve