I've owned the 7B SST monoblocks for 5 years. They replaced a Krell integrated amp driving a pair of Meadowlark Kestrel Hot Rod speakers. Preamp was an ARC LS-12 (solid state unit). Though on paper the Krell should have had more than enough power to handle the Kestrels, the sound seemed overly clinical to me. With the 7Bs, the music had a sense of ease and effortlessness.
I have since changed speakers to first Spendor S8e and now M&K S-150 monitors. In both cases, the 7Bs never get stressed and still convey a sense of ease and flow. I'm now using a Bryston BP26 preamp with the 7B and have been using balanced lines from the beginning.
The only other reasonably priced monoblocks that I know of and that I've heard are the Parasound JC-1s. There may be certain speakers, due to impedance, where the JC-1 (it is spec'd down to 2 ohms) would be a better choice, but sonically I could not distinguish between them.
For me, Bryston represents the pinnacle of engineering excellence and from my experience an excellent company to do business with.
