Amp upgrade from Bryston 4B


I currently have Thiel 3.6s main speakers driven by an older Bryston 4B amp that has been a good match. I have been considering upgrading the Bryston 4B amp to used Bryston 7B mono blocks(?) However, the Bryston 7B amps have had mixed on-line reviews. Any other recommended amp upgrade recommendations in the $5K used range that would be a good match for the current Thiel 3.6 speakers and potential future Thiel 3.7 speaker upgrades?

OTHER EQUIPMENT: I am setting up a 5.1 surround system with an existing Rotel 985 5 ch amp to drive Thiel SCS4 center and Higherplane 1.2 rear surround speakers. I am currently using an Outlaw Audio 995 processor in bypass mode for 2.1 stereo listening.
128x128dal0wol
I would upgrade to Class A solid state. Pass Labs, Accuphase, etc. The difference is not subtle.

I'm going to move out of 4B-land (I have the SST model)and into a Class A amp myself. The Bryston is good but not spectacular.
Spectron...looks interesting. But, it can't be better than a Class A amp, true?
"I would upgrade to Class A solid state. Pass Labs, Accuphase, etc. The difference is not subtle."

Dave, have you heard both Bryston and Pass XA? I would be very curious to hear how they compare.
I'm kinda thinking upgrading your amp and using it with your Outlaw prepro is a bit of a mismatch. If 2-channel is important to you I'd consider getting a better stereo preamp and use that to drive the Bryston (or whatever else) and let the Outlaw do the rest. You may find the improvement of a better preamp might make living with your 4B fine for a while, and then you'll be in a better position to upgrade your amp later. In my experience preamps can frequently have a bigger impact on overall performance than amps. Not that your Outlaw is bad, but it's not a Pass Labs, etc. Or maybe a better prepro if you don't want a stereo pre -- maybe something like an Anthem. Point is, the preamp is important and you might consider addressing that before spending $$$ on another amp. Best of luck.