Bryston 4B ST Opinions Needed Please

The Bryston 4B-ST is one of the best amplifiers on the planet outside of spending crazy money. It gives you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It doesn't pretend to smooth over a bright system or liven up a dull system, it simply amplifies whatever it is fed. Transparency and control are the hallmarks of the 4B-ST. Try it Rick and you will not go back to anything else. Just make sure your preamp is up to the task, preferably a BP20 or 25. I'm sure anyone else who's used one can attest to this. You'll never see mine come up for sale.

I love mine but there are other good choices - Aragon, Marsh, Classe, etc. All are great products. You should be able to get a 4BST near your budget limit - don't let a newer one get away for $100 over your limit. Superb build, great control and the best warranty in the biz. I let my Bryston preamp go in favor of a tube preamp and as long as I own 4 ohm speakers the 4BST will be buried with me...

I'm another very satisfied owner of a 4BST. It truly is just an amplifier. By this I mean that it really does not have its own sonic signature. It takes its input signal, and adds voltage and current faithfully, and in some cases with brutal honesty. I'm a classical recording engineer that values linearity and reliability. The Bryston will always be my reference.

Here are your contenders in this price range: Aragon 8008BB, Bryston 4BST, Classe (can't recall the model number), McCormack DNA 1 (not quite 200 watts @ 8 ohms) If your willing to spend a little more there's the Krell KAV250. I'm sure others will offer more. All these are great amps w/ loyal followers. Check out audioreview.com

I can't compare Bryston to all the other numerous solid state choices out there, but I'd agree with Mountainking that if ou can do better than a 4B-ST you're going to have to spend somej VERY serious money. That doesn't mean the other amps mentioned by P_mmk aren't worthy of consideration. I do think, though, that if you've got less than $2K available to buy a used amp, you're going to be pretty happy with any of the ST series components (or the matching preamps).