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[Ritchie Caron]

A few weeks ago my Peavey SC2000 failed in the middle of a show just before the end of a set. Just happened that a local music store owner was around and saved the day with a new Peavey IPR 3000 that he took back at the end of the night.
When I took the CS2000 to get repaired by a local tech, he suggested that i borrow his 20 year old Bryston 4B as a replacement. Since i didn't have much of a choice, I used it the next weekend for a local punk rock show and it worked great... The vocals and guitars came out of the mix better then ever and had many positive comments on the sound that night.
Question is... Can this amp handle that job safely long term?
It's powering the horns of 2 Peavey QW3 along with a CS3000 on the mids and a CS4080 on 2 QW218 subs. An analog Peavey crossover and a Furman 80 amp distro share this rack. The mixer is a Mackie Onyx 24-4 with standard compression inserts and eq's. I rarely do anything larger than 400 people rooms with this system and can get 110db comfortably at FOH without stressing anything.
The Bryston does go into the red sooner than the peaveys, however the sound is undistorted and solid throughout.
Eventually as the night progressed I was able to drive the horns less by way of the crossover, just to be safe.. but i still wonder if I should scrap the CS2000 (likely) get that new light weight peavey or go with this 20 year old boutique amp that I can get for a few hundred bucks that sounds fantastic. 

[Geoff Doane]

The Bryston ought to be fine for horns in a system that size.  Did you actually manage to clip it?  That amp puts out about 250W/8Ω which seems like a lot for most compression drivers.  I used a 2BLP (only 50W) for the top end of a bi-amped monitor rig, and only saw the amps clip once (a synthesized hand clap generator) in many years of use.

As you know, the 4B is not exactly light weight.  They have a 20 year warranty, and I've never heard of one they wouldn't fix for free, even after the warranty had expired.  They will charge you for a shipping box though, if you don't have an original.

The used market for these seems to want about $7-800, so if you can get it for much less than that, you can always flip it to some audiophile if you decide you don't like the weight.

GTD

[Elliot Thompson]

Question is... Can this amp handle that job safely long term?

Despite how good this amplifier sounds to you, Bryston is not what we (the type of jobs we are hired to do) would consider as a professional amplifier. It is a home audio amplifier that wasn’t designed for the rigors of the road.

Your biggest obstacle will be how well it can tolerate real world conditions in the sound reinforcement market.

Professional amplifiers are designed for unexpected accidents that can happen on the road whereas home amplifiers are nestled on a tabletop or shelf in your living room.

Do keep that in mind.

Best Regards,

[Paul G. OBrien]

Question is... Can this amp handle that job safely long term?

I had a 20yr old 4B and sold it a few years back in favor of a Yamaha P3500s.. which is just as powerful and sounds equally good on the top end IMO. Those old Brystons have absolutely no output protection, something I found out first hand when I accidentally shorted one of the speaker cables. That's a little more common accident than you would like to think and something a gigging amp should have no problem dealing with, but this one required a trip to the shop to have some output devices replaced. I too think the Brystons sound great but at only 250w-300w/ch for 50lbs and 3 rack spaces their touring days are long past, you can get the sound you want at a fraction of the weight.

[Bob Leonard]

Agreed with the above. The Bryston is for home use, so leave it at it's present home, not yours. You'll do far better with an entry level QSC and can count on it working for the entire gig.

[Ritchie Caron]

Thanks for the replies! The no output protection issue and the fact that it wasn't built for touring in the first place are reasons enough. Turns out the CS 2000 had a cold solder joint according to shop... So it's a cheap fix and back in the rack for that amp.
The 4b was fun for a temp replacement though.

[Tim Halligan]

Although the Bryston 4B may not be up to the rough and tumble of live production, let's not muck about...they are extremely well made professional amplifiers that are regularly found in top flight recording and mastering studios.

They also have - as far as I know - the best warranty of any amplifier on the market...hell, of any piece of professional audio it.

20 years - I think you'll agree - is a pretty good warranty. I don't see that from "the usual suspects" who are frequently recommended to players old and new alike...

Calling them a "home amplifier" smacks a little of snobbery, and really has no place in a forum like this.

Leave that shit for the audiophools.

Cheers,
Tim

PS. I'm glad the OP's problem was an easy fix.

[james page]

  They have a 20 year warranty, and I've never heard of one they wouldn't fix for free, even after the warranty had expired.  They will charge you for a shipping box though, if you don't have an original.

That's funny because I use a 3B in my studio and when it needed repair a few years back it cost me $75 + $35 return shipping. ( I had my own box). Not unreasonable but certainly not free.
JP

[Bob Leonard]

Although the Bryston 4B may not be up to the rough and tumble of live production, let's not muck about...they are extremely well made professional amplifiers that are regularly found in top flight recording and mastering studios.

They also have - as far as I know - the best warranty of any amplifier on the market...hell, of any piece of professional audio it.

20 years - I think you'll agree - is a pretty good warranty. I don't see that from "the usual suspects" who are frequently recommended to players old and new alike...

Calling them a "home amplifier" smacks a little of snobbery, and really has no place in a forum like this.

Leave that shit for the audiophools.

Cheers,
Tim

PS. I'm glad the OP's problem was an easy fix.

Give it a rest Tim. Even with it's status as a legend a 4b was never designed for touring, and calling it a home amplifier is only an insult depending on the home you live in. I've been in more than one home or studio where Brystons were in use and doing a fine job, so should we tell the public they aren't meant to be used at home ?
 
Do yourself a favor. Pull your undies out of your ass and give it a break. Actually, just fuck off. How's that for not mucking about. 

[Tim Halligan]

Give it a rest Tim. Even with it's status as a legend a 4b was never designed for touring, and calling it a home amplifier is only an insult depending on the home you live in. I've been in more than one home or studio where Brystons were in use and doing a fine job, so should we tell the public they aren't meant to be used at home ?
 
Do yourself a favor. Pull your undies out of your ass and give it a break. Actually, just fuck off. How's that for not mucking about. 

Ok.

I realise the 4B wasn't designed for touring...it is however a professional grade amplifier.

Sure...you can use it in your home...as many people do. I've seen them in that application too, as well as old stalwarts like BGW 750's, Carvers, Phase Linears, and other newer amps which could also be called professional grade.

I was merely suggesting that lumping them in with domestic hifi amps - which is what I think of when someone says "home amp" - was perhaps a little condescending.

Obviously you - and others - disagree.

Which is fine.

We're all adults here.

We can have different opinions, and respect the opinions of others.

I was actually trying to be diplomatic about it.

Bob...you obviously weren't.

Now I don't know you, I don't even pretend to know you. All I know about you is what I've been able to glean from your postings here and at the old place.

This post erases any positive opinion I may have previously held and leaves little doubt in my mind that you really are a small little man.

See? All of that positive feeling destroyed by one ill-considered post.

Perhaps this can be a reminder to us all that these posts are permanent, searchable, and have our names attached to them.

Cheers,
Tim

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