Bryston 28bsst2 worthy upgrade from a krell fpb70?

Is there a question of reliability, get it fixed if it breaks down! I mean really, come on guys, listen to the amps.... Is it a better fit for your speakers? Is it a better match for system? How does it sound at your preferred listening levels? If your trying to break your eardrums, either amp can probably help you do that, if your trying to get perferred results with your given equipment at your listening preference, then do what any smart buyer would do.... Bring it home and listen for a couple weeks and put back your Krells and hear what you think!

Hi Lecram,

One thing to consider in making your decision, of course, is impedance matching between your Jadis preamp and the Bryston 28B-SST2. From what I can gather, the JPS2 has an output impedance of 1.5K ohms. The 28B has an input impedance of 15K single-ended or 15.5K balanced. Typical rule of thumb says 10X at a minimum is needed on the amp-side, and many people prefer 20X or more to prevent distortion and dynamic compression. So, that puts the 28B right at the edge of compatible with your preamp, perhaps too close for comfort. It might sound just fine but you really should try before you buy. Just thought I'd point out this possible issue, since no one has mentioned it in the thread.

All that being said, the 28B is an excellent amp. I've been using a pair with a VAC Phi Beta preamp (output impedance of 200 ohms) for a few years and really enjoy them. For comparison, I also have a VAC 300.1a tube amp and a Reference Line Silver Signature, which is a boutique pure class A, solid state amp from the late 1990s. The 28Bs more than hold their own against these others, to the point where I've been unable to part with the Brystons despite their obvious redundancy in my system. Never heard the Krell, though, so I can't make a direct comparison to that well-regarded piece.

Good luck.

That should say 16.5K balanced for the Brystons. Please excuse the typo.

I agree that the Bryston 28B SST2's input impedance may be challenging to some preamps but specs tell only part of the story. My previous preamp, the Jeff Rowland Capri S2 is spec'd at 80 ohms. While this is more than the 20 times rule for the Brystons, the Capri seems to struggle and the volume setting has to go to almost 80-90% of max to achieve satisfactory levels. When stretched to this point, the Capri begins to sound strained and compressed. That said, my speakers, Vienna Acoustics' The Musik need lots of power to sound good at healthy SPL's. I believe the Maggies need just as much power or even more.
After switching to my current preamp, the Ayre K-5xeMP, which is spec'd at 50 ohms output impedance, I am not sure whether the 30 ohm difference is significant but my ears tell me it indeed is, and very much so. With the Ayre in the chain, music flows effortlessly, dynamics are fabulous with no compression. And I very rarely need to go beyond 50% of max volume setting for everything to sound "just right".
But to reiterate what has been repeated too often, try before you buy, if you can, that is. Sometimes, a home audition with a side-by-side comparison within the context of your own system, may be luxury that is hard to come by.
Cheers! J.

The op's krell is 100Kohms, his pre-amp will never be an issue, does not have single ended input's because his amp is a true pure class A Balanced amp, it only has Krell cast other than Balanced.