Hafler 9505 or Bryston 4B-ST?

I am also in the market for new amp and consider the bryston but afraid it might be too bright for the BW 804 Nautilus. Is the Bryston 4b ST amp sound bright or neutral sound.

Hello Peter:

I'm a big fan of the Hafler 9500/9505 series amps. May I suggest you try and get a loaner of the Bryston to try before you buy. I'd bet you can keep the 9505 and use the money you save for something else! Keep in mind also the Musical Concepts has some GREAT mods for the Hafler that can take an already great amp to yet another level.

Good luck!

Paul

The short answer is: go with the Bryston 4B-ST. The Hafler Transnova was (and still is) a good amp, but not in the same league as Bryston. It's not just an issue of power, but dynamics, transient response, transparency, etc., all of which relate to the size of the power supply and circuit design. The 4B-ST is a full generation ahead of the Hafler is design, and probably parts as well.

Bryston has plenty of power for Contours. I was contemplating buying some Dynaudios myself, and I already have a 4B-ST in my system. I've heard that the Dynaudios need some major bass control. The Bryston is know for that. Plus, the 20 year warranty is hard to beat. I don't have much experience with Hafler, but I recommend you definitely give the Bryston a listen.