Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?

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HsvHeelFan

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Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #20 on: 1 Feb 2018, 04:25 am »
I'm still using a 2001 vintage Parasound Php850 pre.  It's a solid state, John Curl, design. 

I bought it since I was going to need a pre-amp when replacing my dead Yamaha integrated. I auditioned 2 different Parasound solid state amps (one was 125 w/channel and the other was around 200 watts per channel),  a couple of Adcom's ( 5500 and maybe 5800) and a Thx rated 4B ( I think it was an early 4B-ST).  I also tried to talk the guy that loaned me the Bryston to loan me his Spectral Imaging amp.  He didn't do that.  He still powers his big Theils with Goldmund Monoblocks.

At that point, the only thing I was changing was the integrated amp for a pre-amp standalone amp combo.  Everything else in the system was the same.   With close minimization of variables, the Bryston was the clear winner (and it wasn't even close).
 
I still use the Parasound pre with my 4B-ST.   I do want to get a Bryston pre-amp someday.  I just haven't gotten around to it.

HsvHeelFan

amghoon

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Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #21 on: 13 Feb 2018, 08:26 pm »
My Schiit Freya tube pre sounds amazing with my 4b3!

adol290

Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #22 on: 14 Feb 2018, 02:08 am »
Running Model T active with 7b3's and 4b3's.

Preamp is Esoteric C-03x.

The Rang

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Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #23 on: 14 Feb 2018, 04:59 am »
I know someone using an Ayre pre (couldn’t tell you the model number for the life of me) with his 14 power amp.
Sounds great to me and he seems happy with the combo

CanadianMaestro

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Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #24 on: 15 Feb 2018, 02:27 pm »
^ Almost anything paired with a 14B sounds great. The squared is one helluva fine amp.  :thumb:

RandyH

Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #25 on: 15 Feb 2018, 04:53 pm »
I think I understand what "first party" means in this context....but what is the difference between 2nd party and 3rd party?

CanadianMaestro

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Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #26 on: 15 Feb 2018, 05:04 pm »
I think I understand what "first party" means in this context....but what is the difference between 2nd party and 3rd party?


who cares?   :dunno:  As long as it sounds great.  :beer:

cheers

linnlingo

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Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #27 on: 15 Feb 2018, 09:03 pm »
I'm using a Bryston 2.5 SST2 w/a recently purchased Luxman CL38U-SE. Luxman made only 100 of these retro tube preamps for world wide sale. The combo transformed my whole system.  :thumb:

Anonamemouse

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Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #28 on: 16 Feb 2018, 11:45 am »
I use a Sovereign Director to send signal to my 4B SST2.
If a Bryston pre makes a Bryston poweramp "sing", a Sovereign Director gives it singing lessons and makes sure it wins every award both in and out of the book. Until you have heard a Bryston poweramp with a Sovereign, you have not heard what a Bryston poweramp actually is capable of.

CanadianMaestro

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Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #29 on: 16 Feb 2018, 12:19 pm »
I use a Sovereign Director to send signal to my 4B SST2.
If a Bryston pre makes a Bryston poweramp "sing", a Sovereign Director gives it singing lessons and makes sure it wins every award both in and out of the book. Until you have heard a Bryston poweramp with a Sovereign, you have not heard what a Bryston poweramp actually is capable of.

12,000 Euros for an amp that
1. has only SE jacks
2. colors the sound (presumably)

No thanks.

I like my Brystons balanced, neutral, and transparent (which they are in spades).

cheers   :thumb:

Markd51

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Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #30 on: 16 Feb 2018, 03:35 pm »
I'm basically happy pairing a McIntosh Pre with my two Bryston 7BSST2 Monoblocks.

I have the option-ability of fine tuning sonics with on board tone controls, thus not having to roll hundreds or thousands in cables, or other means to get a likeable sound in any acoustical setting. AFAIK, when setting the tone controls to flat removes them from the circuitry.

Anonamemouse

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Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #31 on: 16 Feb 2018, 06:52 pm »
12,000 Euros for an amp that
1. has only SE jacks
2. colors the sound (presumably)

No thanks.

I like my Brystons balanced, neutral, and transparent (which they are in spades).

cheers   :thumb:
So it is safe to assume that you, like me, heard the BP26 and the Sovereign Director side by side? I had them both here, compared to the Director the BP26 really is no match.
1: Balanced connections are nonsense for home application.
2: Everything that processes a signal alters it in some way. The sound system that accurately reproduces any sound is still a long way from where we are now. Compared to the Director the BP26 sounds less detailed, less open, less alive.

CanadianMaestro

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Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #32 on: 16 Feb 2018, 07:21 pm »
So it is safe to assume that you, like me, heard the BP26 and the Sovereign Director side by side? I had them both here, compared to the Director the BP26 really is no match.
1: Balanced connections are nonsense for home application.
2: Everything that processes a signal alters it in some way. The sound system that accurately reproduces any sound is still a long way from where we are now. Compared to the Director the BP26 sounds less detailed, less open, less alive.

12000 Euros more? At that price...it had better surpass BP26.   :lol:

Enjoy your fantasies. [You guys should stick to speedskating. Leave quality audio to us Canucks   :green:]

PierreB

Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #33 on: 16 Feb 2018, 08:36 pm »
1: Balanced connections are nonsense for home application.

Can you explain more. Is it only for Bryston or in general.
Thanks.

James Tanner

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Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #34 on: 17 Feb 2018, 12:02 pm »
Hi James,

Did you know here in Italy Bryston has many enthusiasts among audiophiles as well as reviewers..?

Bebo Moroni, for instance, considers Bryston’s preamplifiers as one of the best in the world, and he is a very finicky reviewer and had the best gear out there.

Attached one of his last reviews

Dario in Italy





john1970

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Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #35 on: 17 Feb 2018, 03:21 pm »
I've decide to stick with the BP26 + MPS2 preamp for the next few years.  Rumor has it that Bryston is working on a new version of a reference preamp so I'll see what comes down the pipeline over the next few years. 

Cheers,

John

mike678

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Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #36 on: 17 May 2018, 11:52 pm »
I have had Bryston 7bsst2, and 4bsst2 both on Spectral DMC30S preamps (really dynamic, defined powerful bottom end great highs but not entirely neutral), Threshold Preamps (powerful bottom but a bit white sounding), EMM Labs monitor controller (no comment), Prism Orpheus direct to amp (very nice), friend's BP26 (the closest to the orignal source of the bunch), and last but not least the BP25 (also very close to the source once Mike  Pickett helped me sort it out). I have had no premium tube preamps on the Brystons, so have nothing to say there.

I do have a little Pas 4 from Van Alstine but it was not in the league of the other beasties. I would love to try one of his upper line preamps, or , maybe, a Prima Luna one.

Could live with any of them. Preamps get rotated to keep power caps happy. Spectral is the winter preamp (runs rather warm!).

Mike-48

Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #37 on: 18 May 2018, 06:55 am »
I'm using a Classé CP-800 preamp-DAC. It has a crossover for stereo subs, PEQ, and tone controls. I don't believe that feature set is available in any combination of Bryston gear.

I'll add that I heard the BP-26 in a dealer demo with one of the SST2 amps (when they were current).  The system sounded just superb. Can't go without PEQ and subs in my much smaller room, though.

James Tanner

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Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #38 on: 18 May 2018, 10:40 am »
I'm using a Classé CP-800 preamp-DAC. It has a crossover for stereo subs, PEQ, and tone controls. I don't believe that feature set is available in any combination of Bryston gear.

I'll add that I heard the BP-26 in a dealer demo with one of the SST2 amps (when they were current).  The system sounded just superb. Can't go without PEQ and subs in my much smaller room, though.

Hi Mike

Whats PEQ?

james

David C

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Re: Third-party preamps with Bryston amps?
« Reply #39 on: 18 May 2018, 12:42 pm »
PEQ
Regardless where your speakers, subwoofer(s) and listening chair are in relation to each other, there will likely be room modes that can only be addressed with equalization. In most rooms, the three primary dimensions contribute to three low frequency modes where the room actually increases the level causing peaks at those frequencies. The CP-800 offers parametric equalization to help address these real world problems. Performed in the digital domain, these high quality filters allow optimization of low frequency response without adding analog circuitry to the L&R channel signal paths.