[etcarroll]

I recently acquired a 30 year old 4B, it sounds fine.

Once I get the speaker off my work area who's xover I've been upgrading, I want to throw the 4B on, and pop the cover to see if any signs of aging.

What warning signs should I look for?

And what upgrades would benefit an amp of this vintage?

Gene

[etcarroll]

What are people's thoughts on using a buffered line stage/preamp with zero gain with a vintage 4B?

Gene

[Niteshade]

I was wondering: Is there much of a performance difference between the older 4B's and the latest superseding model?

[James Tanner]

I was wondering: Is there much of a performance difference between the older 4B's and the latest superseding model?

As another manufacturer your kidding.... right Blair?

james
bryston

[rob80b]

Come on guys, you know all amps sound the same!

[Napalm]

Come on guys, you know all amps sound the same!

Unless you mod them! 

Nap.

[Levi]

Hey Gene, If it works fine don't worry about it.  You can probably clean the speaker contacts or the rca input jacks and that's about it.  Be happy, you have a Bryston for a great price! 

[etcarroll]

Thanks Levi, any thoughts on a zero gain buffer as pre?

[Niteshade]

No, not kidding- just curious. As time goes by, traits are changed and sometimes trade-offs exist because of those changes. There are most likely people who like one model year more than another. Performance might have been too broad of a term. Maybe 'sonic attribute changes' between years would have been more accurate. I do believe it is a good question since used gear is on the market and people might like to know if an older model would suffice or perhaps a new one is in order. Since you folks have been around a while, I believe is a good question. You could pick the years that have the most differences between them.

Note: I am asking because I have heard so many good things about your amps.

As another manufacturer your kidding.... right Blair?

james
bryston

[Levi]

Thanks Levi, any thoughts on a zero gain buffer as pre?

I never tried a zero gain buffer with Bryston amps.  So your guess is as good as mine. 

[vegasdave]

No, not kidding- just curious. As time goes by, traits are changed and sometimes trade-offs exist because of those changes. There are most likely people who like one model year more than another. Performance might have been too broad of a term. Maybe 'sonic attribute changes' between years would have been more accurate. I do believe it is a good question since used gear is on the market and people might like to know if an older model would suffice or perhaps a new one is in order. Since you folks have been around a while, I believe is a good question. You could pick the years that have the most differences between them.

Note: I am asking because I have heard so many good things about your amps.

 

[rob80b]

No, not kidding- just curious. As time goes by, traits are changed and sometimes trade-offs exist because of those changes. There are most likely people who like one model year more than another. Performance might have been too broad of a term. Maybe 'sonic attribute changes' between years would have been more accurate. I do believe it is a good question since used gear is on the market and people might like to know if an older model would suffice or perhaps a new one is in order. Since you folks have been around a while, I believe is a good question. You could pick the years that have the most differences between them.

Note: I am asking because I have heard so many good things about your amps.

Hi Blair, (if James got it right)

This is coming from a user of over 25 years, Bryston’s basic design and premise has always remained the same, being faithful to the amplification of the input signal. Topography changes, reducing noise levels and the implementation of better components on a tried and true circuit design have been at the heart of their amps. Two milestones in waking up the audiophile community to acknowledge that Bryston were more than an industrial design for studio and concert work: the redesign of the circuit layout by Stuart Taylor in reducing noise and distortion levels to significant degrees which garnered his initials on the ST series, and the current SST series which saw the implementation of better components such as the output transistors which increased the linearity of the amps to a point were they are now considered state of the art.
“There are most likely people who like one model year more than another.”
The results always produced a better sounding amp, which is clearly recognized by the end user, one deviation may have been the 2BLP within the first line up with the original 3B and 4B which had followers for years, but I believe Bryston listened to their users to the point that now reviewers and users alike find the same excellent sonic attributes from their low to high wattage amps.

Robert

[Niteshade]

Thanks Robert. That's what I wanted to know. I collect electronics and like to know more about what I'm looking at. Sounds good to me! Most of the time you don't hear about a consistent upward quality trend. Additions and subtractions are made, qualities are gained and lost.  Sounds like Bryston is quality conscious and not concerned about cutting corners with later generations.

[etcarroll]

Blair -

To that end, I'm looking forward to auditioning your pre with this early version of the 4B, I'm psyched to see/hear just what kind of synergy there may be there.

The old meets the new, as it were.

Gene

[ian.ameline]

Thanks Robert. That's what I wanted to know. I collect electronics and like to know more about what I'm looking at. Sounds good to me! Most of the time you don't hear about a consistent upward quality trend. Additions and subtractions are made, qualities are gained and lost.  Sounds like Bryston is quality conscious and not concerned about cutting corners with later generations.

I've been a long time Bryston user and customer, and I've never seen them cutting corners. They build the best amps they know how to build, and they stand behind them with a 20 yr warranty. Bryston does not revise them as frequently as every year (more like every 5 to 10 years), but each revision is a clear improvement on the previous version. Over time the amps have had their noise floor dropped, and distortion lowered (both thd and imd). The fundamental qualities that everyone likes in the early brystons -- among them the complete command of the low end, with great bass slam and presence -- is still there in spades in the newest ones, but they are much more refined now -- vanishingly small noise and distortion, crystal clear sound. And the newest ones (SST2) are much more robust than the older ST -- it is much harder to drive the amp into clipping. (I upgraded just the amp in my system not too long ago)

-- Ian.
 

[etcarroll]

So I popped the cover off of my 4B, shone a light in and looked around. Worked all the way around, and was pleased that nothing looked awry.

Then last item I looked at - 1 of 4 matching circuit boards on inner wall of case -, each has a pair of orange caps, and 2 pairs of transistors. One pair of transistors on the board at front, right corner of case has "peeled outer skin" and a black smudge on board around the pair. I'm going to say they're fried.

Thoughts?

[rob80b]

So I popped the cover off of my 4B, shone a light in and looked around. Worked all the way around, and was pleased that nothing looked awry.

Then last item I looked at - 1 of 4 matching circuit boards on inner wall of case -, each has a pair of orange caps, and 2 pairs of transistors. One pair of transistors on the board at front, right corner of case has "peeled outer skin" and a black smudge on board around the pair. I'm going to say they're fried.

Thoughts?

Send er off to Bryston, you might be surprised.
Although shipping may be more  $$$s than you acquired it for.

Robet

[etcarroll]

Well, I was looking for a reason to send it off, I figured a 30 year old piece of equipment would benefit from a 'once over'. And I'm not ready to bring it online yet. But I did have it running for 2 weeks while I tested a dac, it sounded fine, so I doubt it's something catastrophic.

Also, same exact pair at left rear is also 'peeled'.

James T. - I'm in SE PA., there are 2 or 3 authorized Bryston dealers listed in my area, should I just bring it in to one of them and have them forward it on, or just ship it to Bryston myself?

Gene

[James Tanner]

Well, I was looking for a reason to send it off, I figured a 30 year old piece of equipment would benefit from a 'once over'. And I'm not ready to bring it online yet. But I did have it running for 2 weeks while I tested a dac, it sounded fine, so I doubt it's something catastrophic.

Also, same exact pair at left rear is also 'peeled'.

James T. - I'm in SE PA., there are 2 or 3 authorized Bryston dealers listed in my area, should I just bring it in to one of them and have them forward it on, or just ship it to Bryston myself?

Gene

HI Gene,

Yes you can send it to our service depot in Vermont if you wish.

james

[rob80b]

I've been a long time Bryston user and customer, and I've never seen them cutting corners. They build the best amps they know how to build, and they stand behind them with a 20 yr warranty.
-- Ian.

I hate when they do that, every time you look under the hood things have always gotten better. My 3BNRB was a nice improvement over the 3B; new Plitron toroidal transformers, better layout, improved balance outputs (preface for the STs); then the ST was nicer than the NRB, my late model ST was actually improved upon over the early STs with new and better RCA connectors, better capacitors and they even improved on the top lid. I then went to a 4BSST, the so-called perfect amp but they want to make it better so they give it a face lift to the “C” series and even add a better power switch, then they find better componets and call it STT squared, and they still don’t stop!!!
Seriously the Bryston designers and technicians have to much time on their hands, it’s like having that sports car in the garage that’s a 20 year old labor of love, what can I do next to make it perform better, look better, feel better?   
On top of that, if you can believe it, there’s countless scenarios where they’ve taken in repairs and sent them back with updated specs and new casings and if it’s really bad swap it out for a new one without even asking, and you get it back in a new box prepaid, man they got nerve!