Red Wine 30.2 vs. Bryston 4B SST2

Have owned both,in my system,the Red Wine 30.2 delivered the music.If you want more specifics flip me an e-mail.

Uhhh I am one of least gurus here (ven though I sold Krell,McIntosh etc for 6 years) but this is quite a bizarre comparison.it maybe that Mark above had both in his system but given one puts out rated 225 (more like a 275 watts rms @ 8ohm) and the other puts out 30 think of difference in amps of current.It will depend of course on taste but size of room and speaker rating.Some speakers with high nominal load and efficiency can run off low power AND take large constant power (think of Zu speakers for instance) but most have more constrained range of power needs.Many speakers require 50 watts and can't take more than 150 continuous.So even if you have speaker that could run on Redwine your room and volume needs might be greater.So speakers with good efficiency ratings need gobs of current.The B&W 803N I sold was rated at 90db @ 8ohm nominal.But speaker had nasty impedance curve that required a good 200 watts i medium sized room.Without room and speakers this comparison is useless.Also I don't care if your running of a clean 20 watt deidcated line or the best power conditioner (which will effect sound) it's the amp that will make the bigger difference.
That said Bryston is good,well built amp that delivers without stridency (too analytical) and resolves well enough.It's like the Green Bay Packers type of audiophile gear (I got one for friend Maggie 3.6's).Redwine on other hand from all I have read has great harmonics (all of tubes but of course no tube "bloom").It's battery power is a plus.Everybody seems to love the sound like Dodd Pre-amps getting off the grid is a definite plus not matter your cables.If you can use the Redwine and get volume you need I would go there.But you have to be able to use it without running out of gas.I think "You Never can have too much power" unless you have really power hungry speakers is B.S. if your never going to use it.But like getting a small engined mini van and planing to haul a heavy trailer it won't work well.If you can run the Redwine then compare it to First Watt.If you have to then think about Redwine 70 if you can swing the cost of the Bryston new.But if know your room and speakers definitely will not go above the Redwine 30 and really not need more than 10 watts or 30's burst power then I'd go with it definitely.But what you choose to compare are so different I wonder if you KNOW that that's all you need especially without saying anything about room or speakers used.
Chazz

I have a 30.2 and want to get a 4BSST-2. I know this doesn't help, except to let you know that in some respect you are not alone.

I want to thank everyone that responded. It looks like there is never going to be a substitute for A/B live comparisons. Especially taking into consideration all the other system components and synergy. Plus in the end two systems can sound musical and one will be preferred over the other depending on taste.

Ultimately what I am also finally able to hear is how even the same song on different cd's (original cd, remaster, mfsl gold, best of remix) TOTALLY SOUND different. It's a real mess because there are so many variables. Room acoustics and speaker placement being no small task either. Maybe I'll get a red wine and some great headphones! Just kidding.

I'm leaning towards the higher powered Bryston because that is what the music I listen to was mixed on (AC powered high wattage output amp), so my thinking is it will be closer to what the recording engineer heard. I do think for classical music the red wine would sound better (but then so would tubes), but for pop, rock, jazz based on the wide usage of the Brystons in the music industry I have to say it is the way to go.

Maybe not the greatest logic but with a twenty year warranty they have to be doing something right at Bryston. Someday, I'll have to have that shootout though with a Krell, Pass, Levinson, Bryston and Red Wine all side by side, see who comes out on top. Until then I'll have to settle with going on what I read.