If indeed your amp is not working properly and if something in the amp were to fail during operation the amp could go DC. This would destroy any speakers hooked up to it. Then you would not only be out an amp but a a set of speakers also. A Bryston amp going DC would de especially bad with it being a class A amplifier. There is no reason for a bryston to get extremly hot unless they are out of normal working order. I have 3 Bryston 4B's in the theater I work in, They are on 365 days a year and work fine. But then again I have had a bryston get so hot inside it turned the fiberglass pc board into ash from what looked like a small fire. If suspect a problem with any Bryston I stop using it and send it in for service. An ounce of prevention is worth apound of cure!
Cheers!
Cheers!