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Bryston 4b3 or BHK 250- how woudl you compare them?

I have posted a couple of times as I am looking for new amplification to replace my Mcintosh MA7000 integrated but that I am running only as am amp with a Prima Luna premium pre-amp (this already was a big improvement).

The system sounds v good but I know I am missing some detail and I would like to get more depth to the sound stage in order to have a sense that I can "look into" the performance.

I have heard the 7B3 monoblocks and was very impressed- that said I was going fback and forth between these and Mcintosh 275 VI and I did find the Mcintosh more involving but just slightly less revealing.   You can see the write up I posted a while back.  Ultimately, if I were to chose I would go for the Macs- but alas both these and the Brystons are more than I'd like to spend.

So I started thinking about the Bryston 4B3 and BHK 250- they are at the same price point so I am curious if anyone can give me sense of the differences and their preferences, if any.

I would be using the Prima Luna as preamp and I am running Magico S1 Mk1- as i said I am hoping to get more depth and detail.  And I heard these speakers do that beautifully but I do not remember the setting and ancillaries- it was while back.   In the current set up I am almost there on detail and airiness (inserting the Prima Luna was a big upgrade) but the soundstage could use more depth in placing the performers in a 3 dimensional space separated from the speakers.  Lateral imaging is v good.

There is also Pass Labs 150.8 for sale and I am intrigued by that as well- power should be adequate but probably not much more than that as Magico's do tend require a good amount of power to be driven appropriately.

Your advice would be greatly appreciated- thanks as always!
pgastone
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
I have owned a Bryston 4B-SST² for eight years. It is the same as the 4B3 except the 4B3 has a new and very improved input section. (otherwise the amps are the same)           
I own Magnepan 20.7 speakers, and my sources are Kuzma Stabi/Sogi S turntable, and Marantz SA-10 SACD. So I have pretty good equipment. And the Bryston is 100% as good for detail and finesse. (I am not into gut/body massage bass. so not answer there, But lots of other Bryston fans are, and for that I would say get the 7B3)The Bryston is way ahead of MAC gear. I know nothing about the PS Audio amp. One thing about the Bryston is the warranty... Good to have 20 years... I may use all 20.. I have no need to buy some other amp.

pgastone OP
27 posts
 
Many thx for the great feedback.
ddfoe,  I think the pass labs would be great but I would be more at ease with the 250.8- exactly as your pairing,  I am a little concerned that the 150.8 might be slightly underpowered.  I do not listen particularly loudly by any means  but I try to match the music to its context and on some pieces I am a little worried the sound might feel a tad constrained.
What do you think?

As for the 4b3, i am hoping that that last ounce of involvement I felt  mc275 compared to 7b3 might be compensated by the tube front end.  dweller, do you  ind telling me what your set-up is in terms of preamp and speakers with what specs?

No views on BHK 250 pairing?
yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
2,678 posts
 
Go with an all tube amp. What is your budget?
pgastone OP
27 posts
 
sorry, i am traveling and i had not seen other posts- I'd love to try vitus but right now it is more than I would like to budget.

on classe, i own a cav150-a great and versatile amp- but it has a problem - I believe a circuit board needs to be replaced- and I am having a terrible time trying to get it fixed considering the changes at classe (no answer from customer service)- so I am a little reluctant to put money in a brand that I am not sure can address service needs.

As ofr some of the other names suggested they all tend to be above my budget of 5-7k (at the v max).
pgastone OP
27 posts
 
I thought the BHK might be a good compromise between tube and solid state- particularly since the preamp is tube.  I almost pulled the trigger on a pair of pima luna dialogue hp's with KT 150's- I assume these would capture the magic I heard with MC275's.  But being unsure I held back.
As I mentioned I am trying to add depth of soundstage and detail and get that sense that the performance hangs in its own space separate from the speakers.
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