MEMO: To All Bryston Customers
SUBJECT: Bryston Demo Montreal 2017
By now, it was almost the end of the show and once again, I almost missed the Bryston room in Le Plateau.
Inside, it was a familiar scene. The rig looks almost the same, year after year, and James Tanner, by this hour of the day, sits restfully in the far right chair enjoying music both of us love. As I write, it is almost a month since the show and my memory of what was said has faded and I have no video notes to save me.
But as I lay in bed last night, I recalled the music sounded a little more alive this year. Strange, because there were no new amps. Then a recollection surfaced (and forgive me if I'm wrong) — he was using active speakers this year — possibly the Model T Signature (EDIT – Correct). The sound was noticeably better this year and from what I learned earlier with the active/passive comparison with the ATC speakers, going active was probably the difference.
Bryston has such a rock solid sound that is hard to fault—usually there are only incremental improvements when new models are released. This is not a bad thing. Consistency builds confidence that is underscored by their 20 year warranty on analog and speaker products. (The digital ones will likely become obsolete before they run into trouble.)
What was new this year was their Bryston BLP-1 turntable with separate BTP-1 power supply.
This may be their first ever turntable, but with their expertise in electronics, you can be sure it runs precisely on both speeds with pulse width modulation synchronous motor with low speed and high torque.
The power supply even has a "Stop" button! Like everything Bryston, there is no bling. Just a modest footprint about the size of a Linn LP12, and like the Linn, an acrylic dust cover. Real meat and potatoes!
Also on display was their BP 2 moving magnet phono stage, the PS 2 power supply, and the TF 2 passive step-up transformer which I have seen before, but with the hood down.
For high resolution, transparency, dynamics and enjoying the music without taking it to the bleeding edge, you don't need to take it any further than this Bryston system.
Rick Becker
Enjoy The Music.com