Sunfire Sunfire Signature Series II

Have you experimented with speaker placement and room acoustics to a great extent ? Using bi-polar speakers can make placement FAR more critical than if one were using "standard" front-firing models. If you have complete confidence that you have exhausted speaker placement / room treatment options, then i would possibly look into replacing components.

Having said that, i own a Sunfire 300, Sunfire Signature 600, Sunfire Cinema Grand and a Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature. I am currently using the two channel Signature ( factory modified to "Apogee" status ) for the mains in my HT system and the 5 channel Signature for the center, surrounds and subs. The standard Cinema Grand is over at my Dad's house as it sounded much better than his previous amp. The 2 channel Sunfire ( 300 / 600 ) is currently not in use.

As such, i would say that i'm pretty familiar with these amps. Given a high quality signal, i think that they are quite reasonable in performance and excel at driving tough loads. If you want to raise the roof on a regular basis, they will do that all day long and never break a sweat. However, I would not call them extremely detailed or airy sounding and they do lack the last level of "black background" that can be found in some other amps. Bass can come across as being slightly lean and lacking slam when compared to amps like Krell's, the larger Perreaux's, etc.. but is very well controlled. While the above sounds like many "mid-fi" amps, i do think that they sound better ( by a pretty wide margin ) than Adcom, B&K, etc... products. The Sunfire has a certain sense of ease and open-ness that i find lacking in "mid-fi" and some "high end" amps with a bit more refinement all the way around. I do not know how it would compare with your Bryston 4B-ST in your system, but i am 100% certain it would be a very different presentation. Whether or not you would like it would be a matter of personal preference and system synergy. Sean
>

Hummmmm...It's been awhile for me with the BP3000's. But I do think I remeber them as being a bit more laid back than the BP2000's if I'm not mistaken. I could be wrong, but I've heard both several times, in many locations. I always thought the 2000's were better balanced. toward "alive" than the 3000's, which just had more bass output potentially. You might want to try a small monitor with more life in the same room to compare to your speakers if that's the case. Might be worth a look.
The Bryston is probably like the older Parasound amps in that it's probably a bit rolled off on top, and maybe warmish sounding...not agressive or analytical. What your speakers MIGHT need is a more foreward sounding and analytical amp...? It might not, I'm just thinking.
Yes, you could try the ATI amps, Krells, Older Acrus(if enough power), and other amps that border towards neutral to analyitical sounding. The balance could be tricky however, so you might have to tinker.
I wouldn't put it past the situation, as Sean mentioned to consider checking room accoustics and set up as well! Those Bipolar speakers can sound a bit too lifeless if you ABSORB the back wave of the speaker! Those are designed to integrate the reflections off the front wall back to the listen mostly. I've tinkered with the Def Tech's with using absorbtion for the front wall reflection points, and the results weren't as good as "reflection" or "diffusion" up front! That might be something to consider. Generally, the Def's are going to do better with more diffusion and life infront of the room than not I think. Also, if your room is, of course, too dead on top, that could hurt things. Acoustics is a strong "look-at" scenario indeed for you(as all).
Try one component change at a time none-the-less, otherwise you'll be lost!
Stay with it, and you'll find it.
good luck

I appreciate your response given the fact that you already owned a pair of Def.Tech.'s..I too had the BP2000's and up-graded to the 3000's, always thinking an upgrade will make all things better. Such as you know is not the case with my dilema. One poing that I think you contradicted yourself is:
"I've tinkered with the Def Tech's with using absorbtion for the front wall reflection points, and the results weren't as good as "reflection" or "diffusion" up front!" You said the same as up front twice, so which part do you mean ? I've been told that rear firing speakers don't play music as well as front firing (B&W's) so I've also put my Def.Tech.'s up for sale as I'm leaning more into music now. Please work with me here and clear up your paragraph above because I think you know my problem. Thanks again ! Larry