[ScottMayo]

Does Bryston have any interest in designing an amp specifically for subwoofers? A lot of good subs are unpowered, and this is an area where a good amp and a good warranty would be appealing.

I expect I don't need to tell folk at Bryston how to drive speakers, but what I'd look for in a sub amp would be:

Efficiency - No need to run up an electric bill for a subwoofer.
Price - this application is not as demanding as some; so no one wants to spend thousands on a sub amp.
Cleanliness: +/- 0.5 dB from 0.5Hz to 250Hz, THD well below 0.1%
Ability to drive 1 ohm loads with aplomb. (eg, Ability to drive a *pair* of subwoofers gracefully, as this is useful in big rooms.)
Small form factor - someone might decide to put it inside a sub, or mount it on the sub.
Very vibration-proof and magnetic field - see last point.
Ability to turn on and off via a 12v signal line, plus auto shutoff if idle for a few hours.
Big number wattage - 500W into 4 ohm, minimum.
Bryston's typical S-to-N of "N? What N? I don't hear any N."
Absolutely no mechanical hum (subwoofer enclosures could re-resonate even minor hum  in an annoying fashion)
And my favorite: 20 year warranty.

Taken together, I think there's enough technical challange here to make this interesting to Bryston engineers. Bryston's stuff is built like a rock, but the prospect of 150db@0m shaking an amp non-stop should push the envelope a little. And 1000w at *1Hz* with a THD 0f 0.05% and StoN below 110db, at a significantly lower price point than a 7B, probably isn't trivial...

[John Casler]

Hey Scott,

The PowerPacs offer a good percentage of what you want



Look here for details:

http://www.bryston.ca/pp300sst_m.html

You might particularly like the "ground lifting" feature.

I might add however, that there is no reason you need to "mount" an amp on or in a subwwofer, except convienence or having a short speaker cable.

It could just as easily be mounted on a nice finshed peice of wood or whatever and placed near the sub, as long as the heat sinks could get proper ventilation flow.  

These power pacs can even be mounted on the wall behind the sub.

[ScottMayo]

Hey Scott,
The PowerPacs offer a good percentage of what you want

They do. But they are overkill, and at that price, it's expensive overkill.

Basically, a sub amp can be less accurate in some domains, with no loss of sound quality. So I keep looking at "downscale", higher power amps to drive subs. And I keep coming up with "yeesh, that looks cheap. Is it really going to last a few years?" I've had amps cook on me before...

I know Bryston stuff will last, so I always look here first. Realistically, I can probably get everything I need from an Outlaw amp (they have class G stuff) for quite cheap. But I'd pay a premium for Bryston's build quality and support. If I'm not the only one, maybe Bryston has another potential market.

[gaderson]

They do. But they are overkill, and at that price, it's expensive overkill.

Basically, a sub amp can be less accurate in some domains, with no loss of sound quality. So I keep looking at "downscale", higher power amps to drive subs. And I keep coming up with "yeesh, that looks cheap. Is it really going to last a few years?" I've had amps cook on me before...

I know Bryston stuff will last, so I always look here first. Realistically, I can probably get everything I need from an Outlaw amp (they have c ...

My thought is bridging and old 3B, or maybe even a 2B.  They usually go for less than $400 on Audiogon, and they're certianly robust enough to last.

[ScottMayo]

My thought is bridging and old 3B, or maybe even a 2B.  They usually go for less than $400 on Audiogon, and they're certianly robust enough to last.

Now that is an idea. I don't see any 2B's, or any 3B's that cheap, but sooner or later...

Thanks. That should have been obvious.