Let me preface this by saying we live in world where customer service (IMHO) in most industries has gone to the proverbial "hell in a hand-basket". I'm happy to tell you that my experience with Bryston this year has been nothing short of fantastic. You all know the amount of time James Tanner spends on multiple websites answering questions and educating us on his products, both current and yet to be released.
So here is my amazing Bryston experience:
I purchased a pair of Bryston Model T's in custom Santos Rosewood from an authorized dealer in June. As always, a perfect transaction with Ivan, and the wait began (custom veneers are built as ordered). Several weeks later I was excited when the truck showed up at my house with a pallet full of boxes (Model T's and Center Channel).
My friend Joey V came over and helped me set up the Model T's. We added outriggers and Stillpoints SS Ultras to the base and the inspection began. My excitement after all the waiting was so high that I just wanted to listen. At that point Joey gave me an interesting look and said something to the effect of "how critical are you and what do you want to hear from me" as he was looking at the fit and finish. Well, without going into a lot of detail, at closer inspection we found several flaws in this pair of speakers and my initial excitement quickly turned to a mild depression. Thankfully they sounded wonderful and met my expectations in that regard based on reviews and endorsements here and on other forums.
I know I'm not alone in not being able to live with a new, custom ordered component that has obvious flaws, so I took a few pictures and sent them off to My dealer and to James Tanner for their opinion. My dealer was quick to say that something is not right here and you should definitely as for a replacement. Well, before I even suggested that, James responded to my email saying "Steve, I will make this right for you. Keep the speakers while we source some more Rosewood veneer. I will ship you new speakers and you can ship the others back when it is convenient." I saw light at the end of the tunnel, but certainly wasn't looking forward to asking Joey if he could come over and help me set up another pair of speakers and box up the old ones. For the record, he was more than willing to do so (thanks Joey - you are a rockstar).
Fast forward to last week. I received a call/email from Gary Dayton, product specialist for Bryston. Many of you met Gary at Ivan's Cape Event. He's a great guy and also had been assuring me that they'd take care of me...
So, I get an email from Gary. My replacement speakers are on the way to Dallas. Bryston has paid for Gold Service to ensure they arrive on Friday (yesterday). And then the AMAZING part (I know, finally). Gary tells me that he and James will be at CEDIA in Dallas this week and would I like the two of them to come to my home one evening after the show and personally box up the old set and set up the new pair? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? The infamous James Tanner coming to my home to set up my Model T's? Hell Yes :banana:
So last night was a wonderful experience watching James and Gary do their work in my living room. They stayed for a while and we chatted about speaker design, the history of Bryston, each of our experiences in the music industry, and on and on.
And the new speakers? They are beautiful and flawless!! The finish is perfect, the veneer flawless, and all the hardware has been upgraded in this new model. And it could be my imagination, but I believe this pair sounds better straight out of the boxes than my original pair!
I usually don't post long threads such as this, but when you get personal service from a company, they deserve to be recognized for that effort. Bryston went way above and beyond any experience I've had with audio, or any expensive purchase for that matter. Any of you that are considering your first Bryston purchase should do so without hesitation. This is a great company.
And finally, a few pics from last night...And thanks for reading this far
James Tanner and Me:
James and Gary Dayton:
Now, back to listening to great sound and gazing at these beauties.
Thank you James, Gary, and Joey for your help in this adventure.
