A few years ago I auditioned a 3B/4B ST in the same system and these power amps still hold up well. Additionally, I have spent some time w/ the SST series but not the newest ST3 (cubed) series.
Replacing some old Bryston 4b/1b combo
Guys I'm helping an old friend of mine with replacements or possibly repairing his Bryston 4b and 1b pre. firstly the 4b is the circa 1981-82, this is the pre NRB with the smaller (shallower) case with the captured curly cord. and the 1B is from the same circa. the 1B has a MM phono section that he requires for his Goldring Elan. the 4B is dead and needs a total recap min and the 1B was dropped during moving and will also need repair. I figure its not worth repairing the 4B as for similar money to repair you could buy a much better amp??. the 1b maybe worth salvaging if not too expensive to repair but that is up to debate. He will be using his paradigm studio monitors v2's.( the original 4 driver beasts) he bought all this equipment new and has been enjoying it for decades. the studio monitors from what I can gather are 90db 4ish ohm load. my friend is not a hard core audiophile just enjoys music and is looking for advice as to repair or buy something in the $1500-$2000 range. He has mentions maybe a tube amp and repairing his 1B. I'm thinking a modern integrated maybe would be a better cost match. any suggestions would be welcome. Also he likes classic rock, jazz and blues and not at concert levels. He mentions something from 30wch-200wch. only other source would be a CD player maybe one other like a TV as he watched hockey in that room as well.
I'm thinking maybe a Peachtree Nano150 may suit or something similar. or maybe a Primaluna integrated and then there is ton of used stuff... and any a combo of repair and new/used.
gosh i'm at a loss as to what will match the studios and if its even worth repairing his Brystons
Oh Bryston says about $800-$2000 to make the 4b like new I know this is a big range but even at the lowest its too much imo.
My friend is in a small town in eastern Canada that does not have anything other then a box store type audio store so anything will be shipped to him but that is not a problem.
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Glenn, I was thinking the same thing as Erik. A Parasound Halo just popped up https://www.audiogon.com/listings/solid-state-parasound-halo-integrated-amplifier-2017-03-17-integrateds-75204-dallas-tx in his price range. It has plenty of power and lots of other features. (I have no relationship with the seller.) |
Ditto @jafant If he's happy with the Bryston sound, I'd say stick with it and look at a 4Bst. They can be had for around $1200 (sometimes less) in mint condition with remaining warranty. For a preamp, there are lots of good choices that will match nicely, but see if you can find something with XLR outputs since the ST series supports that. |
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