newbie here, but not a bryston newbie...
I owned a 2b-lp for almost 15 years and loved it. sold off my first good hifi system during a hard time. system 1 was audio research ls3, california audio labs delta transport, adcom 500? d/a converter, audio reasearch d110? SS amp and monitor audio 1200g speakers with esoteric accupath speaker cables. also had sunfire 11" sub...
I rebuilt my system after I got back on my feet. I vowed to myself I'd have bryston components again! especially in the amp section of my system. around 2006/7 I found the B100 and read great reviews about it and got one with remote and d/a card. my cd is a tascam dvd player, speakers are dynaudio audience 72se (special edition model with drivers from dyn's higher line of contour speakers). same speaker wires. also added a dyn sub300...
ok with my background story out of the way... I can say that I've been reasonably happy with my system. I don't remember all the characteristics of the old vs. new, but was happy with the way things sounded until.....
on a whim I bought a small chinese tube amp!? I had no clue what I was in for, but I am still shaking my head everytime I switch back and forth with the bryston. for the record I AM USING THE bryston as my preamp/converter feeding the qinpu a6000 mkII amp (16.5wpc, yes 16 !) I know I know maybe not tons of bass or SUPER loud, but the clarity and focus of the image is BLOWING MY MIND!!
I'm not real clear on all audio terminology, but the bryston image and placement of instruments seem a bit "blurred" or "smeared" (heard smear somewhere, but don't know if I'm using it right) the stereo placement of instruments seems more cluttered and harder to pinpoint where each instrument sits. even melodies and sounds of instruments are harder to tell apart from others?
I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT I AM EXPERIENCING HERE??? (i'm not yelling mad...lol) just wondering why my beloved bryston could sound so different against a $300, yes $300 tube amp??
p.s. I only switched the speaker cables back and forth...
p.p.s. I am not trying to bash bryston, I just want to understand what I am experiencing here....
p.p.p.s I would also like to say that NO this tube amp is NOT perfect, and the bryston is still a very nice piece of equipment! The bryston still has the edge with musicality and dynamics. while the qinpu seems drier and less musical, the clarity and insight into the mix if fascinating on some recordings and bland on others. overall the bryston still comes out ahead, but I have been REINFECTED with the audio bug!!!
thanks for any bryston and forum people responses
mike
