B&W 801N and Bryston match


I have a pair of B&W 801N as part of a home theater system and I'm looking to upgrade my amplifiers. I like Bryston because of their warrenty and pricing on the used market. If you had a choice between upagrading the amp to run the 801N only would you choose the Bryston 4B SST or the Bryston 7B ST. I know I would be sacrificing some power going to the 4B SST but would the benefits of the SST line be worth it?
velesmj
I've been to at least a dozen studios that powered 801's with Bryston's, but to each his own. What each of us hear and like is different but I've never heard them described as "sounds like hell".
I have the second iteration of the 801 with the sealed bass unit. They were about $1500- new in the mid 80's. With a 85dB/watt efficency, they required a lot of power. They are also VERY revealing, therefore they require a skilled hand to get them dialed in. Stands, set off walls just so but the effort is worth it.
What are you using now and what qualities are you looking to improve upon? Not sure choosing an amp based on price on the used market and warranty are the best criteria to go on, but we all have different priorities I guess.
Soix I am currently running a Sunfire Ultimate Receiver as an amp into an Integra 80.3 processor. I'm starting to have issues with the Sunfire where the sound will just drop. I think I will repair the Sunfire but I always heard that B&W speakers sound better with a good quality high powered amp. I spend as much time watching movies as I do listening to music so I wanted to add an amp to run the 801's to improve their sound. Someone earlier mentioned Classe monoblocks but they are out of my price range. I'm good with $2000-$3000 as a budget.
I'm a agree with Chadeffect. Don't care for B&W or Bryston. The two together...all I can say is...you should audition it first.
Cool, Zenblaster, sounds like a good system. I'm using Bryston right now too. 1 4BSST to drive the JBL S4700s (94db sensitivity, rear ported, 15" woofer, horn midrange, and slot tweeter.)