[vegasdave]

These luscious babies... http://www.acousticzen.com/adagio.html

I should start my system gallery profile.....

Those look good, but this is more my speed...they're probably big bucks, though.

http://www.acousticzen.com/maestro.html

[werd]

Ok, I see. The 14B is probably better for a 4 ohm load and lower, true. More current?

yes it won't let up in 4ohms... its good.

[vegasdave]

yes it won't let up in 4ohms... its good.

Ok, thanks. I would have bought the 14B, but didn't have enough money. I could have got a great deal on one new like I did the 4B, however. Oh well, c'est la vie.

[CanadianMaestro]

Hi folks,

I just upgraded to a 14B sq. From a 4B-sq. Apparently got a new unit, one of the last from Bryston's factory. Looking forward to this very much (B100 as pre !).

 

[maplegrovemusic]

New 14bsst2 owner here . Two questions . Should i leave it powered up at all time . I listen daily for a couple hours after work . And the other is in regards to the gain settings . I am using a Bryston sp2 and will be buying a bp26 soon . Is there a preferred gain setting when matching Bryston components or does a different factor come into play when choosing ? And btw this amp is a lifelong keeper ! Made my electrostatic speakers sound like i have not heard them in the 5 years i have owned them !

[srb]

New 14bsst2 owner here.  Should i leave it powered up at all time? I listen daily for a couple hours after work.

I wouldn't.

Residential electric rates range from about $0.09 to $0.20 per kilowatt hour in the US; Minnesota is ~ $0.12/kWh.

The 14BSST² idle power consumption is 215W.

The additional 21 hours a day idling will cost you around an extra $17/month plus ~ 7,000 + extra hours per year of use on the electrolytic capacitors (the internal component parts with the shortest life).

Steve

[tie_breaker]

Hi CanadianMaestro,

I am also considering upgrading from a 4bsst2 to a 14bsst2 (or maybe getting 7bsst2 monos).  How do you like the 14bsst2 and how does it compare to the 4bsst2?  Can you give some feedback please?
thx..

[CanadianMaestro]

I wouldn't.

Residential electric rates range from about $0.09 to $0.20 per kilowatt hour in the US; Minnesota is ~ $0.12/kWh.

The 14BSST² idle power consumption is 215W.

The additional 21 hours a day idling will cost you around an extra $17/month plus ~ 7,000 + extra hours per year of use on the electrolytic capacitors (the internal component parts with the shortest life).

Steve

Dead-on right.
Unless you need an extra area heater for those brutally cold Toronto winter nights....

[CanadianMaestro]

Hi CanadianMaestro,

I am also considering upgrading from a 4bsst2 to a 14bsst2 (or maybe getting 7bsst2 monos).  How do you like the 14bsst2 and how does it compare to the 4bsst2?  Can you give some feedback please?
thx..

Hello,

It comes into my cave next week, sitting at my dealer's right now awaiting transfer....

I'm sorry, I don't do online impressions, with my busy schedule. There are two very good reviews (one with actual measurements for those inclined towards such) of the 14B. If you already have the 4B, and your speakers have a sensitivity of 90 dB or more, I think you will be very happy. I was, for 5 years, with my 4B.   

Footnote: I am told by reliable authorities that I got the last new 14B-sq from the Bryston Wonder Factory....I hope that you can land a decent used one on the black market. 

Cheers

[tie_breaker]

Hi CanadianMaestro,

Enjoy your new 14b!! I am jealous.. Thank you for the pm, I tried to reply but for some reason it is being blocked.
thx..

[CanadianMaestro]

Thanks for your good wishes. It will be delivered next Tuesday.

I checked my settings...should be OK now to PM.

Enjoy your 4B -- it's a great amp.

cheers

[CanadianMaestro]

Folks, I have now had substantial time with my new 14B2 amp to give some impressions. Keep in mind, I'm a music lover, not a recording engineer or pro reviewer. I had a 4B2 amp, and thought it was end-game.  With the 14B2, “end-game” comes again. 14B2 brought three significant improvements: 1. A greater sense of ease with complex music; 2. Better sound staging; 3. Boosted transparency of my Vienna Acoustics speakers, so much so that they have “disappeared”.



The 14B2 made everything sound real, like I was no longer hearing recordings, with the best-recorded tracks. And the soundstaging is fabulous: deeper, with width beyond the edges of my speakers. My Mahler 3rd symphony (Bernstein/NY Philharmonic) has loud crescendos, soft string and wind parts, even vocals. It is the ultimate test of a power amp's dynamic range and driver control. 14B2 passed with flying colors -- I heard every detail in 3D, with the throttle wide open. Bass has never been more accurate, treble more tolerable at louder volumes. That's supreme driver control for my speakers. 14B2 allows me to hear the microdynamics, delicate details, amidst macroscopic oceans of precisely placed sound. An iron fist inside a cashmere glove. Oxford's dictionary defines Epiphany as a “moment of sudden and great revelation”. That's my14B2: Epiphany. Bravo Bryston.

Speakers: VA Mozart Grand Symphony Edition, REL T7 sub-bass (single)
Digital Sources: Bryston BDP-1, BDA-1, BCD-1
Line Pre: Bryston B100-SST
Cabling: Cardas Clear Beyond, Clear-M power; Clear and Clear Reflection RCA
Power Distributors: Shunyata Trition and Typhon, Hubbell-5362 outlets.

[Rod_S]

It seems then the amp has probably exceeded your expectations? If so it's always great when that happens.

Have you ever tried the 28's

[CanadianMaestro]

It seems then the amp has probably exceeded your expectations? If so it's always great when that happens.

Have you ever tried the 28's

Yes, I am pleased with the 14B2.

Haven't heard the 28s. As James Tanner said:
"All Bryston amplifiers have the same circuitry. There is no better/best with Bryston - just choose the amount of power required".

I believe I have plenty of power reserves for my modest, but sublime, Mozart Grand SE speakers.   

Will be offline for a while.

cheers

[Rod_S]

Yes, I am pleased with the 14B2.

Haven't heard the 28s. As James Tanner said:
"All Bryston amplifiers have the same circuitry. There is no better/best with Bryston - just choose the amount of power required".

I believe I have plenty of power reserves for my modest, but sublime, Mozart Grand SE speakers.   

Will be offline for a while.

cheers

If that's the case why do you feel the 14 is performing better in the 3 areas you listed above than the the 4 it replaced in your setup? It's only 3db louder, so unless your speakers are very inefficient you would have never been driving your 4 to it's limits, into clipping thus it should have performed the same as the 14 is now.

[CanadianMaestro]

If that's the case why do you feel the 14 is performing better in the 3 areas you listed above than the the 4 it replaced in your setup? It's only 3db louder, so unless your speakers are very inefficient you would have never been driving your 4 to it's limits, into clipping thus it should have performed the same as the 14 is now.

Don't know what it is, exactly. Don't care. But I heard improvements in each of the 3 areas I listed. versus my 4B2. I'm not convinced it all has to do with just raw power. It's the handling/control of power, I presume, that's key, in my system. My speakers probably draw more instantaneous power than I know of, during sharp swings of dynamics. Specs don't tell the whole story.

I don't obsess over the exact mechanisms for improvements. It is what it is.

Why do you feel I should hear the 28s?

[Rod_S]

Why do you feel I should hear the 28s?

I guess for potentially the same types of differences you heard by going from the 4 to the 14 where there shouldn't have been any performance difference, simply just more power on tap. To your point, specs don't tell the whole story, so it's possible the 28's would outperform the 14.

[CanadianMaestro]

well, for me, "performance differences" means audible differences in musicality. Smoother dynamics, a greater sense of "ease" with complex music. More of a "live" experience. All subjective, maybe a bit of expectation bias too. My speakers don't sound as "strained" as before, when the music hits the crescendos and wide wings of frequencies. That I know for certain.

cheers

[srb]

To your point, specs don't tell the whole story, so it's possible the 28's would outperform the 14.

Maybe specs do tell the whole story?

Although James has said that there are no performance differences between the amplifiers, only increasing in power output, it's true that each higher wattage model also has more watts in Class A before transitioning to Class AB.

That could explain why some people have tolerated the heat, reduced longevity and electrical operating expense of pure Class A amplifiers, and why some people might hear a difference between more powerful Bryston models even if their chosen loudspeaker and room can't take advantage of the greater headroom.

Also in comparing the 14BSST^x to 2 X 7BSST^x or 2 X 28BSST^x, there is also greater capacitance and resulting lower ripple in the power supplies of the mono amps.

Steve

[CanadianMaestro]

Thanks, Steve. Didn't know that about lower rippling in monoblocked -B2's.
Might explain the smoother dynamics. Lower noise floor?