Opinion: SF Concertos w/ Bryston 3B-ST?

Better off try the Krell KAV150 power amp with a tube pre-amp. Also heard it with the Plinius 8150i integrated. Either of the two, you can't go wrong.

I think the Pro version gives you a ground lift switch and different cosmetics. www.bryston.ca for all thier products. I would encourage that you leave your (solid state) equipment on if possible. The only time mine gets unplugged is stormy weather. Makes for easy listening where everything is warmed up and sounding its best. Enjoy. -tw

Thanks for your input. I just picked up a used one last night and spent three hours with it. My first impression is for the first half of the three hours it was clean, transparent, dynamic all that good qualities people talked about Bryston amp. But I felt it was kind of "cold". Later its sound became bit "warmer". Perlman never sounded this good with mt system. I'm going to try to leave the amp on all the time after Bryston told me the amp sounds optimal after warming up (hour and half so). Later I found out the amp is really a 3B-ST PRO. Does anyone know the the difference between 3B-ST and 3B-ST PRO? Thanks. Mike

Aside from the best warranty in the audio world and one of the best service departments, the 3BST also has many good reviews.Best bet is a used one,and if you decide to resell for any reason you should easily get all or most of your money back ! The 3BST has 156 wpc peak power and as Bryston agrees the 120wpc is a conservative figure.Even after well burned in the 3BST could seem a little harsh on bright recordings when played loud.It has tight extended bass and nice mids and detailed highs.It will sound fine in the right matched system.

I've listened to this combo and found it very good. I have a friend who brought their 3B-ST over for some extended listening. I am actually running my Concerto's with a Classe DR-10, which delivers roughly the same power as the 3B-ST. I found the Bryston a bit dryer than the Classe, but given the SF's inherent sound and softness, it's a good match. The SF seem to prefer SS amps that can deliver a decent amount of current. If you're in a small room listening at reasonable volume, you should be fine. If you're attempting to drive them in a larger room at higher output, the 120w Bryston may be a bit underpowered. Good luck. -tw