Tried a Bryston 4B with Maggies

I don't think we have enough info here to make a judgement either way. I know Bryston makes very powerful amps but what if the OP has a really big room? Or maybe he's using a passive line stage and his source doesn't have enough gain to get the volume he needs. I can think of several more reasons as well, but without more input we just don't know.

The Bryston 4B was introduced in 1977, and appears to have been discontinued during the 1980's or early 90's. Kind of stands to reason that the poor sound quality the OP reported had something to do with its age and condition, assuming that the model number has been stated accurately.

Regards,
-- Al

I bet his Porsche GT3 doesn't go fast, his Wild Turkey doesn't get him drunk, and his punctuation skills came from the Ivy League.

Zd542 - I sold the D300 when I sold the Maggies. Naturally I now regret it.