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Bryston vs Modwright?

I'm looking to replace my old power amp with a new one, in the $4500-5000 range; I'm running an ARC ref 5 SE that I got from a friend, and will be driving Dali helicon 400 mk 2s. I have been thinking solid state to complement the ref 5 SE, and have been exploring the Bryston 4bSST2 vs the Modwright kwa 100 SE. Anyone have experience with either or both of these amps?

128x128ilikemiles
ampus
28 posts
 
Another recommendation for Modwright.  Very musical products and impeccable customer service!
fossda
112 posts
 
Both good choices. Owned a 14BSST  and mated with an Audionote tube pre and it sounded great. Currently switch between solid state edge pre and allnic tube pre and love the match of tube pre with ss amp. I do not believe the issue of to much power is relevant-its more about quality and both are good choice-bryston 20yr warranty. Benefit of higher power is control over drivers particularly bass  Its not about the loudness. Also tube pre may help tame treble is speaker has a tendency towards brightness. Bryston has just launched a new amp replacing the sst models and suppose to offer even better performance. Another very good choice that a number of friends have owned is the moon amps-very good performance for $. Best wishes
asalerno
11 posts
 
I have an AR Ref 2 that I paired up with Odyssey Audio Kismet mono amps (in the Khartago case).. Great match up and 3D soundstage with Magnepan 3.6r’s and Vandersteen subs. Prior to the Kismet mono amps, I used an AR 100.2 (which is a terrific amp) for more than 10 years. That said, the Kismet mono’s were a significant step up in my system, particularly in the midrange... Just amazing
russbutton's avatar
russbutton
408 posts
 
The thing which nobody seems to have mentioned yet is that Bryston has a virtually unheard of warranty on everything they sell.  Dig this...  It's a *20 year* full warranty that is transferrable.  In other words you can buy an 18 year old Bryston amp from someone you never met on EBay and Bryston will still service it under warranty. 

That does wonders for your re-sale value.  Today's $8,000 audio wonder is tomorrow's $4,000 white elephant.  With Bryston, you'll be able to much more easily resell it later.  Or if you like, you can buy an older Bryston amp and know that it's still under warranty today.
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,055 posts
 
russbutton, I kinda agree with you on transferable warranty perk but who wants to buy 18 year old crap in times where everyone wants a piece of new technology.  

Gone are the days where you could get decent value for your used well kept gear.  Everyone out there wants to lowball on the gear that's already markdown at 50-60% off orginal retail. 

IMO, 20 year warranty is a mute point in today's tech world. 
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