Need feedback from Bryston amp owners

I have a 9B-SST. I would make sure that the amp you get has enough power for your speakers and that it at least doubles into 4 Ohms if it does not have a lot of power at 8 Ohms. The 9B-SST is an excellent sounding amp, but I did have problems feeding my B&W 802Ds with it. On recordings with a lot of dynamic range the sound would become flattened because my speakers can dip down to 3.5 Ohms often, which would make those recordings sound bad.

I always felt it was the recordings themselves until I recetly replaced the 9B-SST on the front left and right speakers with Ayre MX-R monoblocks which are 300 Watts into 8 Ohms and 600 Watts into 4 Ohms. Those recordings that previously sounded distorted/flattened at intense musical moments are now clear and dimensional. I think the combination of speakers that dip down low to 3.5 Ohms and the low Watts per channel of the 9B-SST were just a bad combination.

I believe the 9B-SST is around 125 WPC, but I know it doesn't double into 4 Ohms. As long as the 4B-SST provides plenty of power at both 8 Ohms and 4 Ohms you should be fine, as it does supply more WPC than the 9B-SST if I remember correctly. I would definitely check your speakers and see what its lowest Ohm rating is so you don't have to worry about running into this kind of problem. It doesn't have to necessarily double into 4 Ohms, though that would be nice. Doubling the wattage would likely make the amp a lot more expensive as it requires a lot more quality put into the design.

I'm still using the 9B-SST as a part of my system, but now it is only going to be used for the surround elements, such as the center channel and two rear speakers. Other than the problem I listed, the Bryston sound is excellent, it is transparent, it adds nothing to the sound, which is what a good amplifier should do... So the bass would be a product of the recording engineer's ability and choices, not the amplifier.

Bob Reynolds: Until the mass majority of speakers are able to present relatively benign loads with consistent impedances to them, my thoughts are that a supposedly "beefy" SS amp should be able to deal with most anything you throw at it. Obviously, there are exceptions ( big Apogee's, etc... ) to every generalization ( including this one ), so take that for what it is worth.

Obviously, not all SS amps are "beefy", nor are they all able to deal with various loads equally. Even if the manufacturer thinks their products are up to snuff and rates them accordingly, that doesn't mean that they actually will be able to in real life. Knowing what to expect ( good or bad ) and / or what one may end up dealing with ( good or bad ) before shelling out big coin can be a real blessing.

Keneallyfan: When one can substitute any one of a couple dozen amplifiers into the same system in a matter of minutes, it's not that difficult to make comparisons of what each amp brings with it, how they sound with those other specific components, how well each amp can drive that specific load, etc... Drawing both logical and repeatable conclusions from such an approach becomes rather easy after a while.

With that in mind, most people don't have the means or capacity to do such things. At the same time, many of these same people seek the honest opinions of others and want to hear their thoughts about that specific subject based on their experiences, observations, etc... As such, hearing the good and bad of any situation allows one to make a more informed opinion, even if one might not agree with all of those opinions expressed. Sean
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Sean: In contrast, I often find it difficult to compare stereo components. Admittedly, my experience is pretty limited. I have done speaker and amp comparisions at dealers, mainly due to logistics. The only home audition involved a couple of CD players.

To be honest, I drove myself crazy. By the time I get the other box hooked up, I have pretty much forgotten what the other one sounded like. My audio memory is just too short. I am not saying I didn't hear differences, because I did. But more than once those perceptions have not been consistent between swaps. Also, it is not always easy for me to say one is necessarily better just because it is slightly different.

Obviously, matching amps to speakers would demonstrate a lot more variation between samples. But once you narrow it down to a couple that meet the requirements, after six months go by does it make that much difference which one you picked?

I am a avid pool player and compete at the regional and national level. I also collect custom pool cues. I can't tell you how many times I have picked up a friend's cue and started playing lights out with it. If I kept the thing a week, I would eventually end up playing the same speed with it as with any other cue I own. Why is that? Well, my brain noticed the different weight and balance, and I started to pay more attention. Once I get acclimated to the differences, I fall back into my comfort zone. I think the same thing happens when you audition stereo equipment.

my brain noticed the different weight and balance, and I started to pay more attention. Once I get acclimated to the differences, I fall back into my comfort zone. I think the same thing happens when you audition stereo equipment.

That's a terrific insight.

Keneallyfan: When it comes to pool cues, you adapt to the differences presented to you and make the best of them. That tells me that you have both skill and experience in that particular field. If such were not the case, you would not have been able to discern the subtle differences between presentations and you would be lacking the skill / experience to adapt accordingly.

Without being skilled and experienced, you wouldn't know that compensation was needed. Nor would you know how much compensation was needed or where, when and how to apply it. You've obviously developed skills, and my guess is that it has come over a period of time, primarily due to exposure and experience.

Audio really isn't all that different. Just like pool, there are some things that remain concrete, but most of it boils down to personal feel and proper implimentation of the tools and knowledge at hand. In that respect, nobody can teach you what feels "right" for you, you either know it or you don't.

There are obvious parallels between playing different tables in different environments to system requirements in different acoustics, and both require skill, experience and logic. Obviously, not everyone has the same level of skill, experience or logic, so some may achieve more consistent results than others. This is to be expected.

The bottom line is, one must enjoy what they are doing and the results that they achieve. Otherwise the "fun" factor disappears and we no longer enjoy what we are doing. I want to try and keep this "fun", so this is where i'll shut up. I hope that we can all enjoy ourselves at whatever we do. Otherwise, it's simply not "fun" : ) Sean
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