null Skip to main content

Ask an Expert

1-800-942-0220 Weekdays: 9am - 7pm EST
Audiophile Learning Center
Black Friday Starts Now! Shop Now

Bryston 4B³ Stereo Power Amplifier - Black, 17 Inch Faceplate

Click on image to enlarge.

Share
SKU: BY4B3-BLK-17IN
WARNING: for more information go to http://www.P65Warnings.ca.gov

The 4B³ is the sweet spot in Bryston's amplifier line, rated at 300 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 500 watts into 4 ohms.

Additional Options
    $7,495.00
    $7,495.00
    In Stock
    Have a Question? Ask Our Experts!

    "Once You Hear It, You Won’t Be Able To Go Home Without It"

    Since 1976, Bryston has been producing a version of the venerable 4B amplifier. With each iteration, it becomes more resolving and more closely approaches the absolute sound.

    The new 4B³ is the sweet spot in Bryston's amplifier line. Rated at 300 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 500 watts into 4 ohms, it's powerful enough for nearly any loudspeaker in even large rooms. Like other Bryston amplifiers, it is a dual-mono design. Two fully independent amplifiers are housed in the chassis. The only shared component is the power cable. With totally separate power supplies and transformers, one channel under heavy load cannot restrict the performance of the other.

    "Beg, Borrow, or Steal It"

    "The Bryston 4B3 is a world-class amp – beg, steal or borrow – once you hear it, you won’t be able to go home without it," notes Canada HiFi magazine, June 10, 2016. "Yes, it’s endowed with muscle; it is quick, dynamic, transparent, and has an iron grip of the frequency extremes but what makes the 4B3 most special is its finesse – able to conjure subtleties that engender realism."

    Writing in Germany's HiFi Statement magazine for July 7, 2016, Peter Banholzer observes, "The new Bryston 4B3 power amplifier from the Cubed Series is a large leap forward. Power and control go hand in hand with detail richness and strong tonal colors."

    "The Best Power Amp for Love or Money"

    "All that said, is the Bryston 4B3 amplifier the best 4B amplifier of all times? Yes, it is that without a doubt according to my opinion!" raves the January 2017 issue of Germany's Fidelity magazine. "Above and beyond that it is one of the best power amplifiers that one can purchase for love or money."

    The Bryston 4B³ amplifier can receive analog audio from any preamp or surround processor with volume controlled line-level outputs. Balanced XLR and TRS as well as singled ended RCA inputs are both available and can be selected using the Input Select switch on the rear panel of the amplifier.

    Integrate the 4B³ with other electronics in your system. The low-voltage trigger on the back of the amp can be connected to your Bryston preamp to automatically power on when you turn on your preamp.

    Every single 4B³ comes with an individual specification sheet. You'll see exactly how well your particular amplifier performed on the test bench. And like every Bryston amplifier, each 4B³ is tested for 100 hours in the factory before it ships to ensure long term reliability.

    "Best Power Amplifier"

    The predecessor to the 4B³, the 4B SST-2 was honored by winning the "Best Power Amplifier" Trade Award for 2010 from SVI magazine. SVI stands for 'Sound Vision Install,' and SVI is England's leading home electronics trade publication.

    "The first thing that hits you (by its absence) is the quietness of the background," reports England's Hi-fi Choice magazine on the the 4B SST-2. "Noise levels are seemingly nonexistent despite the vast power on tap. This means that all the fine detail, all the low level effects and background samples can be heard clearly."

    Bryston Cubed Series Amplifiers

    Bryston amplifiers enjoy universal acclaim from both audio professionals and music enthusiasts unlike any other brand in the world. As a result of relentless passion for superb performance and unparalleled build quality, Bryston engineers have continued to innovate since the company's groundbreaking premier in 1976. The Cubed Series amplifiers continue this tradition of excellence, highlighted by lower distortion, increased bandwidth, and reduced noise, presenting listeners with a crystal clear window into their most favorite recordings.

    Bryston Cubed Series Amplifiers, featuring patented circuitry developed in conjunction with Dr. Alexandru Salomie, move the listener ever so close to the music with such visceral realism, the experience is most comparable to live performance.

    What Defines High Performance?

    Reproducing exactly what is captured in a recording without exception and without added distortion fulfills Bryston's definition of high performance. Each Bryston Cubed amplifier is designed without compromise in pursuit of this lofty goal.

    Bryston engineers, led by Christopher Russell, have been busy over the years since the advent of the SST2 Series finding new methods to reduce noise and distortion to reveal more nuance and subtlety than ever before. Cubed Series amplifiers employ significant improvements over the highly acclaimed SST2 Series, including dramatically less distortion at the input stage, improved common mode noise rejection, a major improvement in EMI/RFI noise rejection, and less than 500mW standby power consumption. Finally, Bryston updated the dress panel aesthetics with clean lines and a new finish.

    Extreme Clarity and Detail

    At Bryston, finding ways to eliminate distortion from its designs is a way of life. All Cubed Series amplifiers feature a new patented input circuit that is precisely optimized and linear beyond any that Bryston has used before. Featuring twelve active devices in a groundbreaking array, this new circuit both matches the amplifier to virtually any preamplifier and provides the first 6dB of gain. The new input stage is so transparent, its measurable distortion is less than 1/1000th of 1 percent!

    Newly designed circuitry in the Cubed Series amplifiers is virtually impervious to noise such as RFI and others induced by external and environmental causes.

    The Quad-Complementary topology improves linearity to a new standard of accuracy while virtually eliminating aggressive higher harmonic distortion byproducts. The overall harmonic distribution of Bryston’s Quad-Complementary output mimics the characteristics of a Class-A design, but with dramatically lower distortion. Each amplifier channel includes its own fully independent power supply with separate transformer.

    Bryston strives for accuracy and transparency because that is what sounds best. When a playback system is faithful to the recording, the listener can enjoy the subtlest details, capturing the depth and soul of the performance as the artist intended.

    Legendary Quality

    Cubed Series amplifiers employ design innovation to achieve superior performance, yet so much has remained constant through years of evolution. Each amplifier is manufactured in Bryston's state-of-the-art facility located in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, utilizing many locally sourced components. Many members of the Bryston team have been with the company for decades and all take great pride in their highly specialized craft.

    All Bryston products are proven on the company's test bench for one hundred hours of burn-in before shipping. Amplifiers cycle between full power and idle in thirty-minute intervals to uncover any anomalies that could be illuminated by thermal stress. Bryston's reputation for reliability is without peer.

    Not only do Bryston's amplifiers undergo pass/fail testing, but each must also achieve excellence in performance benchmarks as well. With each Cubed Series model, the customer will receive a comprehensive performance certificate detailing the exact specifications of the amplifier.

    To demonstrate its commitment to excellence and performance, every Bryston amplifier is warranted to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a full twenty years.

    Front Panels and Finishes

    Cubed Series models are available in black or silver colored dress panels and are 17 or 19 inches wide. Nineteen-inch wide models include front mounted handles.

    Product Features

    4B³ Power Amplifier

    • Two-channel power amplifier
    • Power output: 300 watts per channel at 8 ohms; 500 watts at 4 ohms; bridged mono 900 watts per channel at 8 ohms
    • Balanced XLR and TRS as well as singled ended RCA inputs are both available and can be selected using the Input Select switch on the rear panel of the amplifier

    Cubed Series Features

    • Patented circuitry developed in conjunction with Dr. Alexandru Salomie
    • New patented input circuit is precisely optimized and linear
    • Input circuit features 12 active devices in a groundbreaking array
    • Quad-Complementary output mimics the characteristics of a Class-A design, but with dramatically lower distortion
    • Each amplifier channel includes its own fully independent power supply with separate transformer
    • Dramatically less distortion at the input stage
    • Improved common mode noise rejection
    • Major improvement in EMI/RFI noise rejection
    • Less than 500mW standby power consumption
    • Updated dress panel aesthetic with clean lines and new finish
    • Cubed Series models are available in black or silver colored dress panels and are 17 or 19 inches wide; 19"-wide models include front mounted handles.
    • Manufactured in Bryston's state-of-the-art Peterborough, Ontario Canada facility utilizing many locally sourced components
    • Each product receives one hundred hours of burn-in before shipping and rigorous pass/fail testing plus achievement of performance benchmarks
    • Amplifiers are warranted to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a full twenty years

    Product Specs

    • Power output: 300 watts per channel at 8 ohms; 500 watts at 4 ohms; bridged mono 900 watts per channel at 8 ohms
    • Gain: High 29 dB at 28.28 V/V; Low 23 dB at 14.14 V/V
    • Sensitivity: High: 1.0V, 100W; High: 1.7V, 300W; Low: 2.0V, 100W; Low: 3.5V, 300W
    • Input Impedance, Individual Mode: Single Ended ≈60k ohm; Balanced + ≈60k ohm; Balanced - ≈12.5k ohm;
    • Input Impedance, Bridged Mode: Single Ended ≈10k ohm; Balanced + ≈10k ohm; Balanced - ≈10k ohm;
    • IMD: ≤0.005%, Typ. ≤0.002%
    • Noise (input shorted 20Hz to 20kHz): High: 29 dB, <0110dB (-75 dBu); Low: 23 dB, <0113dB (-78 dBu)
    • Damping: 20 Hz, 8 Ohms, >500
    • Power consumption (watts): Standby: <0.5; Idle: ≤70; 2Ch. 35W 8 ohm: 550; 2 Ch. 300W 8 ohm: 1000; Bridged: 900W 8 ohm: 1700
    • Dimensions: 17" or 19" wide, 6.3" high, 16.2" deep (add 1.6" depth to C-Series 19"-wide model for front-mounted handles)
    • Weight: 63 lbs.

    Product Warranty

    20 Years on Analog and Loudspeakers 5 Years on Digital and Cables 3 Years For Motorized Moving Parts Parts & Labor Bryston Warranty Information

    Part-Time Audiophile's Buyers Guide 2022 Recommended Product

    "...the Bryston 4B³ provided ample bass, deep and layered and full of slam."

    "...highly recommended."

    - Marc Phillips, Part-Time Audiophile, March 12, 2021


    Highly Recommended - HFA Award Winner

    "While I also appreciate the older Bryston products and their specific charms, Bryston’s latest Cubed series really has taken the sound to a whole new level."

    "Even audiophiles with a larger budget should give these amps a listen, and they might be pleasantly surprised! This is absolutely no over-controlled, over-damped and analytical sound yet there is all the power and control that any speaker needs, along with newfound levels of nuance, focus and transparency to satisfy even picky listeners. With Bryston there just are no sins of commission."

    "Yes, there are amps with even greater levels of transparency, faster, more articulate bass and even more resolution, but these cost a lot more and don’t necessarily sound as gloriously full-bodied and rich as these Brystons. And even after listening to some of the best amps out there, the Brystons do not disappoint on a musical level. They just sound great!"

    - Christiaan Punter, hifi-advice.com, December 26, 2017


    "The latest 4B³ is a masterful and superbly executed amplifier, if you are looking for control, extension, evenness and a whole lot of listening fun it should be very high on your must hear bucket list. I will be very sorry to see it go."

    Jason Kennedy, The EAR, September 29th, 2016


    "The sonic advances achieved with the new input stage have resulted in a singularity of sorts. This damn thing has perhaps the sweetest, purest top end I have ever encountered in a solid state amp at anywhere near the price (and way beyond), and a tonal finesse that rivals a fine modern tube amp, especially from the mid-bass and into the lower treble. Coupled with the amp's iron-fisted bass range and superbly low noise floor — a combination which allows micro and macro dynamic nuances to shine unimpeded — and you have one helluva performer."

    Positive Feedback, September 9th, 2016


    "The Bryston amplifier offers a large expansive stage, voices are more understandable, and the soft decaying of different instruments succeeds definitely more nuanced in comparison to my own 3BSST amplifier."

    Fidelity, July 17th, 2016


    All that said, is the Bryston 4B3 amplifier the best 4B amplifier of all times? Yes, it is that without a doubt according to my opinion! Above and beyond that it is one of the best power amplifiers that one can purchase for love or money."

    Fidelity Online


    "The Bryston 4B3 is a world-class amp – beg, steal or borrow – once you hear it, you won’t be able to go home without it."

    "Yes, it’s endowed with muscle; it is quick, dynamic, transparent, and has an iron grip of the frequency extremes but what makes the 4B3 most special is its finesse – able to conjure subtleties that engender realism."

    - Canada HiFi magazine, June 10, 2016


    "I was blown away by its amazing transparency, absolute control, and very smooth, very linear sound. In my system, its sound was nearly flawless -- no matter what I listened to, I couldn’t imagine the sound being much better, at least in terms of accurate reproduction."

    Roger Kanno, SoundStage!Hi-Fi, June 2nd, 2017


    "All that said, is the Bryston 4B3 amplifier the best 4B amplifier of all times? Yes, it is that without a doubt according to my opinion! Above and beyond that it is one of the best power amplifiers that one can purchase for love or money."

    - Germany's Fidelity magazine, January 2017


    "The new Bryston 4B3 power amplifier from the Cubed Series is a large leap forward. Power and control go hand in hand with detail richness and strong tonal colors."

    - Peter Banholzer, Germany's HiFi Statement magazine, July 7, 2016


    Praise for Bryston 4B SST-2, Predecessor to the 4B³

    "The first thing that hits you (by its absence) is the quietness of the background. Noise levels are seemingly nonexistent despite the vast power on tap. This means that all the fine detail, all the low level effects and background samples can be heard clearly".

    - Hi-fi Choice magazine


    "This amplifier is a price breaker par excellence, which makes life really quite difficult for the large heavyweights. The 4B SST amplifier can compete with practically anything that costs much, much more. And soundwise it unquestionably belongs to the Creme de la Creme of manufactured amplifiers: Under the unpretentious hull is indeed one of the best amplifiers in the world."

    - Wilfried Kress in Germany's HiFi & Records magazine


    Winner of the "Component of Merit Award."

    "This is a superb amplifier, especially for the money. With monstrous power output of 300 wpc there is little that this amp can't power with ease. It is built extremely well (hence the 20 year warranty), without going to meaningless extremes."

    - Canada's Bound for Sound magazine


    "If this kind of quality sound cost a fortune, it wouldn't be news for anybody, especially in our times. The Canadians, however, are absolutely down to earth and have full consciousness of their mission."

    "The 4BSST2 is the ultimate solution for achieving very high power, a solution that honors the sense of transparency and musicality, and at the same time this amp is easily able to drive even the most demanding speaker in the market."

    "The only thing left to do is to give the 4BSST2 our recommendation - squared!"

    - Greece's HITECH magazine


    "The Bryston 4B³ is a top-shelf amplifier that can be considered a benchmark for performance and value -- and a natural addition to our list of Recommended Reference Components."

    - SoundStage! Hi-Fi September 5th, 2017


    "The 4B³ is a control freak in terms of grabbing hold of your speakers’ drivers and maintaining bass control, depth and power."

    - Edgar Kramer, Audio Esoterica, August 14th, 2017


    "Has virtually faultless sound and with the added ability to drive just about any speaker with ease. The 4B3 may well be the best value today in a high-end, high-powered, solid-state amplifier.”

    - SoundStage! Hi-Fi


    “One of the actually best amplifiers on the market.”

    - Martin Mertens, fairaudio.de, May 16, 2018

    DISCOVER EXPERT TIPS

    Audio Advisor Learning Center - Level Up Your Audio Education

    Customer Reviews

    Back to Top