[bkm]

Has any body compared the two ? What are the major differences good or bad between the two amps?
Will it be worthwhile to pick up just 10 months old amp at 900 dollar less?

Please give suggestions.

[danman]

Go for the SST/2. It is better in the highs and mids.

[john1970]

To whom it may concern,

My stereo system consists of the following:

1) Bryston BDA-1 DAC
2) Bryston BP25 preamp with MPS-1 power supply
3) Bryston 4B-SST amp
4) VMPS RM40 speakers

For $900 less I would seriously consider the 4B SST amp; it is an excellent amplifier that was Stereophile class B rated.  There will always be improvements that get released every 5 to 6 years.  My advice would be to skip a generation (or two) and go for the SST3 or SST4!  Seriously, you will not be dissappointed with the 4B SST.

Best,

John

[Hififreak]

Go for the SST/2. It is better in the highs and mids.

 

Klik

[werd]

Go for the SST/2. It is better in the highs and mids.

 

Klik

Yah everyone failed at losing 200 bucks....  .  this is the kinda stuff you do in a booth at a circus show.

[Danberg]

Check this post out!

After almost a week of on-off listening I would like to give my views compared to my 4B-ST.

As I mentioned from the start, the 4B-SST/2 has much better mids and highs than before. At first I was not sure if it was my mind playing tricks on me but after listening to CD's I know well, it is more and more obvious.

This biggest difference is dynamics. With my Martin Logan Quests the older 4B-ST was great but needed to be pushed a little harder to produce those famous midrange sounds they make at low volume. The 4B-SST/2 however, promises the same sound at 1 watt as it does at 300 watts and this is a definate fact. Having 4 kids forces me to listen at resonable levels at night and the signs of a good amp compared
to a great one is low volume sound and knowing that the Logan's are a tough act, this amp can make them sing.

The amp runs very cool in comparison even at higher volumes so this tells me that the load my speakers demand does not seem to bother the amp at all compared to the ST which would get very hot but this may be characteristic as even at idle the ST would be very warm. Any heat is always to each side of the amp and none on top which means to me that the heatsinks are very well designed. The amp seems better adapted to different speaker loads.

I am running everything in 1 volt (balanced) right now and have not experimented with the 2 volt (balanced) setting. I want to get used to the sound as is before trying this but am not sure if I will notice anything besides a little less volume overall.

How does all of this sound to me? Well, the answer is quite simple. The amp is much more musical and quick. I have some friends with expensive YBA gear that (to my ears and even theirs!) sounds flat in comparison. They wish that the bass slam was as good. I know this because I owned YBA before and yes excellent but not very flexible sound wise. I am considered the black sheep of amps in my neighborhood because I am the only one that owns Bryston. Living in northern Quebec, there is no dealer close but I do travel a lot for business and this is how I discovered the brand. I have never been one to follow a trend or a brand just to be like the others. I have always trusted my ears more than anything and today the biggest problem with some is that they can't sit down and listen to the music instead they listen to the electronics!

Probably my next upgrade will be the MPS-2 for my BP-20. This would bring me very close to the BP-26 for a lot less money. I would also like to get the BCD-1 but I am not sure what lies ahead with CD's. My Cambridge Audio 840c is excellent but not as good as the Bryston but definately the closest I have listened to. The CA is a little dry in comparison. However, this will come all later as I want to listen to what I have now and make the right decisions and also the money factor because the 4 kids come first obviously!

I would like to thank many on this site and of course James for helping me make the right decisions on my recent purchases. To resume all this I would say that those thinking of upgrading to the new SST/2 series, go for it because it is definately worth it!

[danman]

That was my post...........

[john1970]

The person is asking for a comparison between the 4B-SST and the 4B-SST2 not the 4B-ST.

[werd]

The person is asking for a comparison between the 4B-SST and the 4B-SST2 not the 4B-ST.

  Thats right danman.... U just got pwned... 

hehe

[werd]

Hi Bkm

Danmans analogy is correct. However for  myself I would only upgrade on the front two  main speaks for ex. on a HT setup. The sst amps are nice and would serve your fine. Also speaking for myself i am very happy i upgraded to the 4bsq and would never consider going back to a sst series. There is no point me saying anything more because Danmans experience is much the same as i had experience too .... from a sst to a sq, (maybe perhaps less dramatic).

[bkm]

I was basically trying to get the impressions of a person who upgraded from 4b sst to 4b sst squared or of someone who have heard the both.
From the details available in the 4b sst squared the changes are minimal w.r.t the sst. On off switch has been changed from touch membrane to push button type which should have no impact in sound . One more RF filter has been added at input stage , which may perhaps lower the  noise floor , which again is difficult to perceive.
To me apparently, with the tech details as given regarding Tech changes in 4b sst squared amp , there should be hardly any difference in sound quality of amp.
Major changes are reported to be there only in higher sst models.

[werd]

I was basically trying to get the impressions of a person who upgraded from 4b sst to 4b sst squared or of someone who have heard the both.
From the details available in the 4b sst squared the changes are minimal w.r.t the sst. On off switch has been changed from touch membrane to push button type which should have no impact in sound . One more RF filter has been added at input stage , which may perhaps lower the  noise floor , which again is difficult to perceive.
To me apparently, with the tech details as given regarding Tech changes in 4b sst squared amp , there should be hardly any difference in sound quality of amp.
Major changes are reported to be there only in higher sst models.

Hello Bkm

Yes thats me, i just upgraded from a sst amp to a sq. The diffs between them are significant... smoother highs with way more micro dynamics offered. It sounds nicer imo. I think the bal is the way to go. I dont really care about the new switch. However the amp has really great pace at lower vols. Its just better. It sounds great loud also and hasnt lost any of its old perks that came with the sst, the biggest being very little thermal compression if any at all... it goes loud.

[Hififreak]

One more RF filter has been added at input stage , which may perhaps lower the  noise floor , which again is difficult to perceive.
To me apparently, with the tech details as given regarding Tech changes in 4b sst squared amp , there should be hardly any difference in sound quality of amp.

[James Tanner]

Hi All,

The changes in the 4B SST SQ circuitry are:

NEW POWER SWITCH AND MICRO SOFT START
INPUT RF FILTER
HIGHER INPUT IMPEDANCE
INPUT CAPACITOR CHANGE
FEEDBACK CAPACITOR CHANGE
FULLY BALANCED IN BRIDGED MODE
LOWER THD AND NOISE

james

[werd]

Hi All,

The changes in the 4B SST SQ circuitry are:

NEW POWER SWITCH AND MICRO SOFT START
INPUT RF FILTER
HIGHER INPUT IMPEDANCE
INPUT CAPACITOR CHANGE
FEEDBACK CAPACITOR CHANGE
FULLY BALANCED IN BRIDGED MODE
LOWER THD AND NOISE

james

Hi James,

How about the reduced point to point wiring James and new ultra low noise transformers, were they not part of the 4bsq improvements.

[James Tanner]

Hi All,

The changes in the 4B SST SQ circuitry are:

NEW POWER SWITCH AND MICRO SOFT START
INPUT RF FILTER
HIGHER INPUT IMPEDANCE
INPUT CAPACITOR CHANGE
FEEDBACK CAPACITOR CHANGE
FULLY BALANCED IN BRIDGED MODE
LOWER THD AND NOISE

james

Hi James,

How about the reduced point to point wiring James and new ultra low noise transformers, were they not part of the 4bsq improvements.

No the Transformers did not change in the 4B.

james'

[werd]

Hi All,

The changes in the 4B SST SQ circuitry are:

NEW POWER SWITCH AND MICRO SOFT START
INPUT RF FILTER
HIGHER INPUT IMPEDANCE
INPUT CAPACITOR CHANGE
FEEDBACK CAPACITOR CHANGE
FULLY BALANCED IN BRIDGED MODE
LOWER THD AND NOISE

james

Hi James,

How about the reduced point to point wiring James and new ultra low noise transformers, were they not part of the 4bsq improvements.

No the Transformers did not change in the 4B.

james'

Hello

O..... It says that on your website under the 4bsst/2, improved transformers for the 4bsst/2

[James Tanner]

I will have to change that. There was a change between the ST and the SST but nit the SST to the SST- SQ.

[James Tanner]

Go for the SST/2. It is better in the highs and mids.

 

Klik

Hi All

There main issue I have with A/B testing is the time element.  Most good amplifiers will be more alike than different so unless the amplifiers are grossly different in design topology (EX: transistor vs tube vs Class D) the subtleties and nuances that differentiate one amplifier from another can be difficult to assess in a quick A/B comparison.

I sat in on a blind A/B test between a similarly powered Quad amp and a Bryston 3B a while back and the tester was amazed that I could pick out the Bryston 10 out of 10 times.  The difference I notice when he was switching back and forth was not so much tonal balance but the soundstage image placement and size changed.  Now ask me if that’s something our tech’s can measure and I would have to say ‘NO’. The other aspect about assessing one product vs another is that you may be able to tell that there is in fact a difference but is that difference better or worse or just different. Sort of like the old ‘a change is as good as a rest’ concept.

I hate to sound sexist here but think of A/B testing as if you walked into a nightclub and there were 2 beautiful women sitting there.  One Blonde the other a Redhead.  Within 1 minute you have to choose which one is coming home with you.  After living with the blonde for 3 years you get to know intimately the small little personality and physical qualities she possesses. You now get to do an exchange and live with the Redhead for the next 3 years (I know, I know – I’m hallucinating).  Obviously the dissimilarities will become much more apparent between the two equally beautiful women because the small distinctions between them become much more delineated and focused over time.

I think it’s the same with amplifiers (or other gear). Over time you become very aware of the small distinctions that makeup the personality of amplifier 'A' and any negative nagging and annoying small issues you detect start to bug you.  So you stick in amplifier 'B' and initially the (difference) is generally positive (assuming a quality product of course). That’s because it will take time for you to assess and evaluate those differences and how they affect your system over time as well as the different but annoying qualities that amplifier 'B' processes.

For what it’s worth the one consistent aspect I have noticed over the many years that Bryston has been designing amplifiers is that most people can hear positive changes as the electronic noise floor goes down.

My  $00.02

James

[danman]

Wow James! That is quite an anology! We should use your comparison to solve half the worlds problems!