Re: Old Bryston 2B-LR or 3B for near-fields?

[Scott Dorsey]

David Nobel > wrote:
>I have a pair of "poor man's monitors"--Paradigm Mini-Mk IIIs--for
>tracking various types of acoustic music in my home studio and on
>location. Recently, I have gotten lines on two different older Bryston
>power amps that might work well with them and fit my scrounger's
>budget: a 2B-LP (not the pro model) and a 3B Pro. Both are out of
>warranty and offered for sale privately on the Internet. My current
>studio space is about 13' x 20'.
>
>The 2B has apparently had a quiet life in a home stereo and looks it:
>$150

That's fine.

>The 3B has been used professionally and looks like a 50-year-old
>roadie with the clap: $350

That's fine too.

>Bryston says they can do a "sex change" on the 2B: For $250, the
>Canadian service center can turn it into a 2B-LP Pro, complete with a
>new chassis and the XLR inputs.

You don't need that, just use the unbalanced in and you'll be fine.
>
>I live in Ontario but have converted the amounts to U.S. dollars in
>this post. So if the prices look to be a little too low to be ligit,
>it's partly because used Bryston stuff up here actually tends to sell
>for less when the exchange is figured in--plus the equipment is more
>than 20 years old.

I don't think you'll need any more power than you can get from the 2B.
But try the 2B and see if you are running close to the edge. I bet it
will be fine.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Gnease]

>I have a pair of "poor man's monitors"--Paradigm Mini-Mk IIIs--for
>tracking various types of acoustic music in my home studio and on
>location. Recently, I have gotten lines on two different older Bryston
>power amps that might work well with them and fit my scrounger's
>budget: a 2B-LP (not the pro model) and a 3B Pro. Both are out of
>warranty and offered for sale privately on the Internet. My current
>studio space is about 13' x 20'.
>
>The 2B has apparently had a quiet life in a home stereo and looks it:
>$150
>
>The 3B has been used professionally and looks like a 50-year-old
>roadie with the clap: $350
>
>Bryston says they can do a "sex change" on the 2B: For $250, the
>Canadian service center can turn it into a 2B-LP Pro, complete with a
>new chassis and the XLR inputs.
>
>Both units purport to sound excellent as is, but I cannot demo them.
>And the Bryston dealers in my area (the closest is 100 miles away) do
>not stock the 2B. I like the lighter weight/portability of the 2B but
>am not sure that the nominal 50 watts/side is adequate/preferable to
>the 125 watts/side of the 3B. How much power is enough, and how much
>is too much, in my circumstances, with these two amps?
>
>I live in Ontario but have converted the amounts to U.S. dollars in
>this post. So if the prices look to be a little too low to be ligit,
>it's partly because used Bryston stuff up here actually tends to sell
>for less when the exchange is figured in--plus the equipment is more
>than 20 years old.
>
>Perhaps not a crucial decision, but I am interested in any thoughts,
>comments, or advice, for which I offer thanks in advance. (And which
>might be helpful to other scroungers out there.)
>
>-- David
>
>
>
>
>
>

Depending upon their ages, either or both may need new power supply caps. I
used a 3B in my home system for about 20 years. At 10 years, the supply caps
began failing at a rate of one/year. IIRC, I eventually replaced 3 of the 4.
(Should probably replace them all again.)

Kinda scares the crap out of one when a cap dies spontaneously - silence one
moment, then the next, one channel starts humming away at a moderate volume
level. Takes a year off ones life, but the amp is easily repaired.

-Greg
-Greg

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[P Stamler]

For nearfields, 50W should be fine. Bryston stuff tends to be conservatively
rated, anyway. But do take heed on the supply cap issue!

Also note that Brystons of this era, at least home units, were DC coupled,
meaning that if a faulty circuit puts DC on the input, it will be amplified,
and your woofer will be nicely welded. It happened to me.

Peace,
Paul

[Scott Dorsey]

Rob Reedijk > wrote:
>Scott Dorsey > wrote:
>> David Nobel > wrote:
>>>Canadian service center can turn it into a 2B-LP Pro, complete with a
>>>new chassis and the XLR inputs.
>
>> You don't need that, just use the unbalanced in and you'll be fine.
>
>In fact, it will probably sound better running in unbalanced mode. I found
>recently why I don't like my newer 3B with the balanced inputs as much
>as my 25 year old unbalanced 3B---they put a transformer on the input.
>
>Of course, instead I have a small ground loop hum in the old 3B that makes
>using the Stax with it impossible. I can't make it go away.

Put a transformer on the input, then.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Rob Reedijk]

Scott Dorsey > wrote:
> Rob Reedijk > wrote:
>>In fact, it will probably sound better running in unbalanced mode. I found
>>recently why I don't like my newer 3B with the balanced inputs as much
>>as my 25 year old unbalanced 3B---they put a transformer on the input.
>>
>>Of course, instead I have a small ground loop hum in the old 3B that makes
>>using the Stax with it impossible. I can't make it go away.

> Put a transformer on the input, then.

Ha ha, Very funny.

Rob R.

[Scott Dorsey]

In article >,
Rob Reedijk > wrote:
>Scott Dorsey > wrote:
>> Rob Reedijk > wrote:
>>>In fact, it will probably sound better running in unbalanced mode. I found
>>>recently why I don't like my newer 3B with the balanced inputs as much
>>>as my 25 year old unbalanced 3B---they put a transformer on the input.
>>>
>>>Of course, instead I have a small ground loop hum in the old 3B that makes
>>>using the Stax with it impossible. I can't make it go away.
>
>> Put a transformer on the input, then.
>
>Ha ha, Very funny.

It's true, though. In spite of the sonic artifacts, you get better CMRR
with a transformer than anything else around. If you don't like their
transformer, use a better one. If you keep the ratio low, it can be pretty
clean.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Jay - atldigi]

In article >,
(David Nobel) wrote:

If the 3B is not a newer "ST" model, I'd be less excited about it. The
older 3B had a couple things that bugged me. If the 2B can be updated to
current for a reasonable price as you mention, it will make a fine amp
for most close fields (within reason - not unusually hungry models or
ones large enough to mid fields).

--
Jay Frigoletto
Mastersuite
Los Angeles
promastering.com