30-Year Recording Veteran Recommends Bryston

audiophile39 · « **on:** 21 Jan 2006, 06:44 pm »

Hi, I'm in the process of sketching out a new audio system and looking at all sorts of exotic gear, and so I was caught offguard yesterday when, while speaking with a prominent audio engineer who owns his own recording and mixing studio, about speakers (Lipinski speakers, which he recently purchased), he told me that he thinks Bryston makes great electronics. I guess given his backround I would have expected him to recommend some of the same exotic amps and preamps I'm hearing about here and elsewhere, but his recommendation kind of brought me back to Earth and gave me pause for thought about the merits of the tried and true products from Bryston.

SWG255 · « **Reply #1 on:** 21 Jan 2006, 07:52 pm »

I think many audio engineers whether in the recording side, or in sound reenforcement, will praise Bryston. This is because the gear is neutral, and is extremely well built.

In a recording studio it is more important that the sound be predictable and as neutral as possible. A "prettier" sounding amplifier might work better at home, but it will skew the way recordings mixed and mastered using it will sound. A pretty sounding amp may also obscure sonic information that can cause a recording to have problems that go unnoticed until it is played back on other gear.

So, I guess it depends on what one wants from their audio system, and more specifically, the amplifier in it. This doesn't mean "pretty sounding" amps are bad, they're just not the right tool for many professional applications. I also believe that many pro audio systems are not right for home listening. Each person should listen and decide which is right for him or her.

audiophile39 · « **Reply #2 on:** 21 Jan 2006, 08:02 pm »

Good points. During a conversation about amps and preamps creating the "emotional" dynamics of a recording, someone made what I thought was a refreshing point that the music should possess emotions, not the audio components. I'm just a neophyte, but it makes sense to me.

James Tanner · « **Reply #3 on:** 21 Jan 2006, 08:12 pm »

Our mission at Bryston has always been to provide as accurate an amplifier as posssible.

The "INTENT" of the recording engineer is what is important in playback.

Think of it like a movie. You know that message that always comes up on your TV before the movie starts - "movie formatted for this Screen".That means the movie was shot in Widescreen and the Director intended you to see it in Widescreen. Because it is formatted does not mean you can not enjoy the movie but it is not as the director intended.

I have always felt a quality playback system should "Reproduce" not "Produce".

james

bsmith15 · « **Reply #4 on:** 21 Jan 2006, 08:46 pm »

One of the attributes of Bryston that drew me to the brand was the neutral / faithful reproduction of source equipment & material. Before I upgraded I thought that I had made a mistake on my speaker selection; after introducing first the BP-20P and then the 4B SST into my system the sound that I heard when I auditioned them was back. Add to that the 20 year warranty (a commitment to your satisfaction and a statement on the confidence they have in their products and people) that Bryston provides, and I am not surprised that someone who spends a good portion of their day with amplification equipment would recommend Bryston.