[werd]

Can I drive the Bryston Zamboni?

[Samurai7595]

I didn't think a speaker could make that kind a difference with recordings.

It sure can.  I went from a pair of Linn Akurate 212 bookshelf speakers + Akurate 226 subwoofer combo to a pair of ProAc Response D30R floorstanding speakers and it has brought my system to a whole new level.

Better integrated/controlled bass and lots more detail from my music collection (vinyl & digital)!   It was a fantastic upgrade!

[James Tanner]

CANUCK AUDIO - Comments from Montreal Audio Show.

Okanaudio
Location: Penticton, BC, CA

Here are some random thoughts on my day at SSI

The Bryston model T not only lived up to the hype, it justafied it and made it look like an understatement



Oined:
Location: Sherbrooke, QC, CA   

The Bryston T speakers sounded great, they sounded big (which they are)

Sure to elicit snide comments of "sounds too much like hi-fi" from the small speaker lover brigade as well as nasty musings from the members of the "judge by the price cult" that are sure to find them way too much speaker for the money: a cardinal sin.

[spinner]

CANUCK AUDIO - Comments from Montreal Audio Show.

Okanaudio
Location: Penticton, BC, CA

Here are some random thoughts on my day at SSI

The Bryston model T not only lived up to the hype, it justafied it and made it look like an understatement   Bravo to that



Oined:
Location: Sherbrooke, QC, CA   

The Bryston T speakers sounded great, they sounded big (which they are)

Sure to elicit snide comments of "sounds too much like hi-fi" from the small speaker lover brigade as well as nasty musings from the members of the "judge by the price cult" that are sure to find them way too much speaker for the money: a cardinal sin.

[James Tanner]

lakesailor 
Senior Member

Montreal Audio Show - 2014

Bryston Demo   

After following the Model T thread on here closely I was looking forward to finally hearing them in person at SSI in Montreal. I toured the show from top to bottom meaning I encountered the Model T’s after listening to speakers such as Tannoy Canterbury`s, Focal Stella Utpoia`s, Harbeth 40.1`s, MBL 101 E MK II, Kef Blades and many others.

I am normally somewhat of a skeptic and don’t often use words like “blown away” lightly – however when I first heard the Bryston Model “T” I quickly began to understand why a 15 page thread has emerged here on AA about them. I was so impressed I came back Sunday morning early to hear them again. Was fortunate to meet James Tanner in person (great guy) and we listened to Chris Rea’s Daytona together.

One thing I noted about many of the speakers I heard at SSI is that they excelled at many things but would sometimes struggle in other areas. The Model “T” is a speaker that does it all. Very articulate and detailed in the highs, great texture and body in the mid-range, and very authoritative in the lower end without being sloppy. It is a speaker that is very engaging and makes you want to turn it up and hear your music. It seems odd to call a $7500 speaker one of the best bargains of the show, but compared too many speakers costing 2x – 3X (or more) it truly is. This speaker is to the point where I would caution someone looking for a speaker of this size/price range to not take the time to audition the Model T – it is that good. I don’t believe I met a single person at SSI who did not share similar views after hearing the Model “T”.

Probably my only complaint is that I didn’t get a chance to hear some of the other Bryston speakers in the smaller size ranges – however the Model “T” is a must hear. It is that enjoyable.

Thanks to James Tanner for taking the time to demonstrate a great product.
__________________
Analog system: VPI Classic 2 w/Lyra Delos cart – Pathos ”In the Groove” Phono Stage – Pathos “TT” Integrated (RR
Version) – Reference 3A deCapo BE speakers – Wireworld cabling Digital System: Toshiba S850/JRiver/USB Audio ASIO driver- Musical Fidelity A1008 Integrated – Totem Hawk speakers – Kimber/Wireworld Cabling

[James Tanner]

Feedback – Montreal Audio Show 2014:

And my vote for third place goes to the all-Bryston room, with their magnificent Model T Signatures, with external crossovers.

The Mini T's had got under my skin, but the Model T Signatures were simply stunning. Natural, never aggressive, and throwing a life-size sound stage that remained stable and tonally balanced as you walked around the room.

An incredible amount of top-notch speaker technology for relatively little money. $7500 CDN with internal crossover, $8500 with external crossover and future upgradability to triamping.

My future speaker

Jan-Erik Nordoen   
Member

[James Tanner]

Canadian manufacturer Bryston Ltd. showed its muscle at this year’s Salon Son & Image (or Montreal Audio Show) in one of the biggest rooms.  Just take a look at their amazing setup above. 



George de Sa is working on a full coverage of this room but I had a chance to sit down and have a listen, and snap some pictures, as well while at the show, which I wanted to share with our readers.  The large Model T Passive looked friendly and less imposing than you might think in the glossy white finish, and were powered with a couple of 28BSST² mono block amps.  The sound here was dynamic and powerful and certainly left a great impression and a big smile on my face.  I also discovered a very cool new (to me) Nine Inch Nails track called “Copy of a” thanks to James Tanner’s diversified taste in music.

[James Tanner]

Montreal Audio Show – April 2014

Spencer Holbert



As I’ve mentioned before, Byston was ubiquitous throughout the show, but also had their own showcase with their Model T Signature floorstanders and two 28BSST power amps.



The Model T sports a passive external crossover and had a huge soundstage (they are also huge, over five feet tall). I wasn’t able to play my reference material because everything was streamed from their music server, but I was able to play some familiar Stevie Ray Vaughan tracks, which are a great way to test the highs of a speaker. SRV can be extremely annoying on many speakers that over-emphasize the highs, but the Model Ts shined, had really solid and tight bass, and great imaging.

Maybe not as good as the pricier speakers from Wilson and Magico, but these Bryston speakers I would love to have at home!

Spencer Holbert
Absolute Sound Magazine

[James Tanner]

BRYSTON HOCKEY SHOW SWEATER







james

[James Tanner]

MEMO: To All Bryston Customers
SUBJECT: Montreal Audio Show - Review
 
 


Montreal 2014 Show Report

In the Bryston room, the main setup was familiar – similar to what was shown last year.  The system consisted of a full set of Bryston equipment, including source player (BDP-2), DAC (BDA-2), preamp (BP26, $2 with MPS-2 power supply), amplification (28B-SST2 x2) and speakers (Model T Signature).


 
Talk about synergy – you could basically say that this system was made to match. 
The speakers were in a gloss white, a finish I hadn’t seen before and presented themselves well, sitting just outside the massive flagship 28B-SST2 mono-blocks, which have an amazing 1000 watts/8 ohms or 1800 watts/4 ohms output capability. 

The sound as always was graceful but undeniably powerful and gave the impression of unrestricted dynamics and ultra-low distortion. 

Within the room was basically Bryston’s whole line-up of products, including their rather new A-Series loudspeakers: Mini A bookshelf and A1, A2, and A3 Towers .  Bryston’s impressive looking subwoofers were also on display, including their T SUB 3×8” driver, 600 watt sub and their Mini T SUB 2 x 8” driver, 600 watt sub. 
The boys at Bryston seem to have it down when it comes to setup at shows.

[James Tanner]

MEMO: To All Bryston Customers
SUBJECT: Enjoy The Music Montreal Show Report


 
So I strolled into the Bryston room that I had completely missed last year, and plopped down into a listening chair next to James Tanner of Bryston.
I said to him as the music played "You know, you've got a problem here." He looked at me askance as if I were suggesting there was something wrong with the sound. I said, "Yeah, it is hard to find this room. The doorway is obscured by the posters out front and no one sees it." There really weren't very many people in the room at that moment and he looked worried as though perhaps I were right. "Yeah," I continued, "you need to put a sign above the door." He turned his head, raised his eyebrows and looked at me as if I were a bit off my rocker. I looked him in the eye and said with a straight face, "Free beer!" He cracked a smile from ear to ear, not expecting that from someone south of the border.



We kicked back and revealed in some Dire Straits. The tall Model T in a gloss white finish sounded even better than I remembered them in Toronto where they showed the same speaker in a vinyl finish, I believe. James confided that they have switched the tweeter since late October. As it stands now, the A series and T series use the same drivers and crossovers, but the A series is in a conventional rectangular column with vinyl wrap and the T series has a tapered, shaped column with real wood veneer, except when they do the gloss white or black thing. This allows you to get on board with a less expensive speaker when you're still paying off your student loans and housing free range children, and graduate to a more elegant finish when the timing and career are right. The Model A1, for example is $3495 while the T version in piano gloss white that was playing is $7495. With a full range frequency response of 25 Hz to 20 kHz (+/-3dB) and ability to put out 118dB, this is a kick-ass speaker that will hold its own in any barroom brawl. It should do quite nicely in your living room, too. If your room or budget is smaller, models down the line will be just as big a value. The only question left to beg is "How do they sound with tubes?" And to answer that you will need to search beyond the very fine Bryston electronics.

This was one of the Best Rooms at the show!

Rick Becker
Enjoy The Music.com

[James Tanner]

MEMO: To All Bryston Customers
SUBJECT: BEST OF THE MONTREAL AUDIO SHOW 2014
   





BRYSTON ROOM



Bryston was showing no brand-new products, but they did exhibit an updated version of their Model T Signature speaker, which sells in Canada and the US for $7495/pair in vinyl veneer (add $1000/pair for a real-wood finish).

Each Model T Signature and Model T Passive has two tweeters, two midranges, and three woofers, and what’s new are the tweeters. According to Bryston’s James Tanner, the new tweeter is supposed to offer smoother on-axis response and better-controlled dispersion. Indeed, the sound from the Model Ts was notably cleaner and smoother in the top end than I recall hearing from them before -- and the clean midrange and ferociously deep bass that both Model Ts have long been known for were undiminished.

The electronics used in this system were, no surprise, all from Bryston: 28B SST2 mono amplifiers, BP-26/MPS preamplifier, BDA-2 DAC, and BDP-2 digital player. When I asked about the interconnects and cables, Bryston president Brian Russell said it wasn’t brand-name stuff, mainly because the company doesn’t believe in going crazy on exotic cables, preferring to focus instead on the electronics and speakers. Fair enough -- the sound in the room was great!

Doug Schneider
das@soundstagenetwork.com