[Bretson]

Hi Guys,

This is my first post on the Bryston side of things, but I just have to give a big thank you to the company.

I have had so much gear through my system the past five years it could make your head spin, but yesterday my audio journey culminated in an amazing moment with the addition of a used Bryston BP 26.

I had been in an all Mac setup, then to Audio Research, using various "high end" DAC's and just not quite getting the magic.  Being the Canadian protectionist that I am at heart, I decided I must give Bryston a try.  I got a smokin deal on a 14bsst2 and had a bud hook me up with a BDA3 and it was running through an Audio Research LS26 and it sounded aweful.  Noisy and pingy and just kind of nasally through the vocals.

I popped in my brothers older Simaudio P5 Special Edition and had a huge improvement.  Liquid and Buttery and all kinds of listening goodness.  I tried several others during this process, but none were even worth mentioning.  After reading many people speak of synergy I decided to go for the BP26 and it absolutely blew me away!

All the velvet and butter is there but it is the first time I have had layers of music appear that simply hadn't been there before.  Speakers went in and out during this test phase, but the winners are a set of Usher Mini Dancer 2's which I find to have a pretty smooth overall character.  They take a huge amount of power to stand up and sing and the combo has awoken these giants.

Clearly I'm not an audiophile journalist but for the first time in my basement, I was able to just sit in awe of what I was listening to.  Amazing job by Bryston.  You have a customer for life.  I just placed my order for your new turntable.

[James Tanner]

Hi Bretson

Well thank you sir for your kind words.  I think the 26B is really a sleeping giant.  In Europe it is very well thought of but not so much in North America.

What dealer did you order the table from?

james

[Bretson]

Hi James,

I ordered it from Audio Ark in Edmonton.  I was looking at the phono stages from you guys as well and am unsure whether the bp 1.5 would suite me better than the new bp2.  For reference, I prefer the full width casing in my rack.  Any major sonic differences?

Could you offer any recommendation on a good cartridge for the new table? I'm sure this has been exhausted on other threads, but any advice from the man himself would be well heeded.

Brett

[Armaegis]

Hi Bretson

Well thank you sir for your kind words.  I think the 26B is really a sleeping giant.  In Europe it is very well thought of but not so much in North America.

What dealer did you order the table from?

james

Actually this really makes me curious, are there other pieces of gear that seem popular in specific regions? Hazard any guesses as to why?

[James Tanner]

Hi James,

I ordered it from Audio Ark in Edmonton.  I was looking at the phono stages from you guys as well and am unsure whether the bp 1.5 would suite me better than the new bp2.  For reference, I prefer the full width casing in my rack.  Any major sonic differences?

Could you offer any recommendation on a good cartridge for the new table? I'm sure this has been exhausted on other threads, but any advice from the man himself would be well heeded.

Brett

Hi Brett

We no longer build the BP-1.5 so sorry that only leaves the BP-2.  I might be able to find a BP1.5 if you want me to have a look.

The mass of the tonearm on our table is 10 grams so very flexible when it comes to cartridges.  I have had good luck with Ortofon, and Benz as well as the Denon 103D.

james

[James Tanner]

Actually this really makes me curious, are there other pieces of gear that seem popular in specific regions? Hazard any guesses as to why?

Its a good question - I think in North America Bryston has always been know as an amplifier company so our preamps are an after-thought?   

In Europe and the Far East we have always had terrific reviews on our preamps and I guess there is less bias in those regions because our preamplifier got off to a good start.  Another reason I think in Europe we are well thought off when it comes to preamplifiers is because their reviews tend to be much more detailed than NA reviews in terms of understanding the technology and build quality of a unit under test.  They tend to take things apart and look at the 'guts' and the circuit layout, parts used etc.  We always come off looking great under these circumstances so I think they appreciate the engineering side of the equation more so than NA.

james

[CanadianMaestro]

Hi Guys,

This is my first post on the Bryston side of things, but I just have to give a big thank you to the company.

I have had so much gear through my system the past five years it could make your head spin, but yesterday my audio journey culminated in an amazing moment with the addition of a used Bryston BP 26.

I had been in an all Mac setup, then to Audio Research, using various "high end" DAC's and just not quite getting the magic.  Being the Canadian protectionist that I am at heart, I decided I must give Bryston a try.  I got a smokin deal on a 14bsst2 and had a bud hook me up with a BDA3 and it was running through an Audio Research LS26 and it sounded aweful.  Noisy and pingy and just kind of nasally through the vocals.

I popped in my brothers older Simaudio P5 Special Edition and had a huge improvement.  Liquid and Buttery and all kinds of listening goodness.  I tried several others during this process, but none were even worth mentioning.  After reading many people speak of synergy I decided to go for the BP26 and it absolutely blew me away!

All the velvet and butter is there but it is the first time I have had layers of music appear that simply hadn't been there before.  Speakers went in and out during this test phase, but the winners are a set of Usher Mini Dancer 2's which I find to have a pretty smooth overall character.  They take a huge amount of power to stand up and sing and the combo has awoken these giants.

Clearly I'm not an audiophile journalist but for the first time in my basement, I was able to just sit in awe of what I was listening to.  Amazing job by Bryston.  You have a customer for life.  I just placed my order for your new turntable.

Hi Bretson,

Congrats on finding the true synergy that fits your tastes. Sometimes takes a while, but a worthwhile journey imo.

Funny thing is that I now use an LS27 in my system, replacing a BP17. Feeding a 14B2 like you. And I'm not looking back. Ever. Natural-sounding, with a soundstage to die for. I forget I'm listening to digitized music.

cheers

[Armaegis]

Its a good question - I think in North America Bryston has always been know as an amplifier company so our preamps are an after-thought?   

In Europe and the Far East we have always had terrific reviews on our preamps and I guess there is less bias in those regions because our preamplifier got off to a good start.  Another reason I think in Europe we are well thought off when it comes to preamplifiers is because their reviews tend to be much more detailed than NA reviews in terms of understanding the technology and build quality of a unit under test.  They tend to take things apart and look at the 'guts' and the circuit layout, parts used etc.  We always come off looking great under these circumstances so I think they appreciate the engineering side of the equation more so than NA.

james

How about in Asia? I know Bryston is usually spoken of highly in China, I think moreso with amps?

[James Tanner]

How about in Asia? I know Bryston is usually spoken of highly in China, I think moreso with amps?

Yes we do OK with preamps but especially DAC's and speakers in Asia.

james

[Armaegis]

Hmm, it would be really fascinating to see a "heat map" type representation of how different products do in different regions. Especially if we could collect data from other manufacturers.

[Bretson]

James,

Thanks for the offer to keep an eye peeled for the BP 1.5, but you seem like a busy enough guy.  I will keep an eye on the market and I'm sure I'll come up with one. 

Thanks for the recommendations.

All the best to you and your team!