[Phil A]

I've only gotten a chance to hear a few songs.  It sounded good.  Definitely improved.  Going to get an album in now.  It took me forever to take out unnecessary stuff (it's a nest behind my rack with everything in the system.  I still have my 2 Richard Gray units in the main system as I have so many things.  The RM20 is for the important 2-channel stuff.  I'm going to move my other conditioner (Vansevers reference) to the basement system.  Hopefully I'll have my Oppo Blu-Ray player tomorrow or Friday.

[werd]

I've only gotten a chance to hear a few songs.  It sounded good.  Definitely improved.  Going to get an album in now.  It took me forever to take out unnecessary stuff (it's a nest behind my rack with everything in the system.  I still have my 2 Richard Gray units in the main system as I have so many things.  The RM20 is for the important 2-channel stuff.  I'm going to move my other conditioner (Vansevers reference) to the basement system.  Hopefully I'll have my Oppo Blu-Ray player tomorrow or Friday.

Does it sound like it needs to break in? Maybe a 1500 watt hairdryer on it for 20 or 30 minutes might speed the break in process  up a bit. I dont know if thats goofy or not? But iwill do it if i can see noticeable differences in it in a day or two.

[James Tanner]

I've only gotten a chance to hear a few songs.  It sounded good.  Definitely improved.  Going to get an album in now.  It took me forever to take out unnecessary stuff (it's a nest behind my rack with everything in the system.  I still have my 2 Richard Gray units in the main system as I have so many things.  The RM20 is for the important 2-channel stuff.  I'm going to move my other conditioner (Vansevers reference) to the basement system.  Hopefully I'll have my Oppo Blu-Ray player tomorrow or Friday.

Does it sound like it needs to break in? Maybe a 1500 watt hairdryer on it for 20 or 30 minutes might speed the break in process  up a bit. I dont know if thats goofy or not? But iwill do it if i can see noticeable differences in it in a day or two.

Please do not report me to Torus but IMO break-in required.

james

[werd]

I've only gotten a chance to hear a few songs.  It sounded good.  Definitely improved.  Going to get an album in now.  It took me forever to take out unnecessary stuff (it's a nest behind my rack with everything in the system.  I still have my 2 Richard Gray units in the main system as I have so many things.  The RM20 is for the important 2-channel stuff.  I'm going to move my other conditioner (Vansevers reference) to the basement system.  Hopefully I'll have my Oppo Blu-Ray player tomorrow or Friday.

Does it sound like it needs to break in? Maybe a 1500 watt hairdryer on it for 20 or 30 minutes might speed the break in process  up a bit. I dont know if thats goofy or not? But iwill do it if i can see noticeable differences in it in a day or two.

Please do not report me to Torus but IMO break-in required.

james

Thankyou sir

[werd]

Sweet Nothing........ I can think of no better way to start. Jerry Seinfeld was once asked what his show was about.... "its about nothing"  his reply. The same can be said about how the RM-20 sounds. You get absolutely nothing.... in the arena of sound intrusion. But what you do get becomes so very apparent from the moment it turns on. Super charged pure AC, again to talk about the way it sounds is more like offering feedback on associated equipment than the Torus itselt.

The frequency reponse is very horizontal. Flat but also very dynamic and with a charged sense of ease. An unmistakeable feeling that something was seriousily wrong with the power from the wall. My BP-25 seems to have improved the most. I was always under the impression that the pre was my weak spot in my chain. I never much like the volume control on the BP-25, i found it to have dead spots. There were only about 3 positions on the dial that i found musical. Points where the music kinda bloomed better than compared to other  positions on the dial. As it turns out the pre wasnt at fault at all. Infact i can start my volume from a near whisper and with every tiny movement up still have a soundstage that exibits a sense of headroom and ease that makes it easier to control what volume i listen to. (i am not sure if its the pre thats benefiting from this or another piece and its just showing up now in the volume control). The headroom is unrelenting. I never realised how loud my 4bsq was until now .

The Torus needs a bit of time to breakin. Obvious at first it sounds a little tied up and restrained.  I went at it and spend the last 5 day using a 1500 watt hairdryer, 300 watt halogen light and a DLP tele (2amps) on it (10 min intervals). I can say that is sounds alot better now from the first time i turned it on. I had all 3 of those plugged in and running, comes in at around 18 amps in total. Incidently if the Torus was going to show its weakness it wouldve been on the halogen light. The light certainly wouldve dimmed if the Torus was not up for the job. The Light showed no fade and the tv showed no hint of strain on ac also. It gives out all  power it claims ....in all its glory.

My only gripe is it's power cord. Harder to replace due to the 240 configuration. The power cord is generic and i know probably wont stand the test of time. Looks out of place along side a powerhouse such as the Torus RM-20.

This unit is unfortunately a must have(at 3k it makes it hard to obtain). It something that everyone should consider if the hobby is serious. I can pretty much guarantee that if you take one home its going to stay there..

[drummermitchell]

Great review Lorne .And they are keepers for sure.

[Moon Doggy]

 Glad your enjoying the Torus Lorne!  I haven't seen any up for resale. (unlike the PSA PPP)

[werd]

Hi Folks

Thanx moondoggy and drummermitchell. I mightve been a little tough on the power cord. After some consideration it dawned on me that cord itself is balanced and probably quieter than most aftermarket. Also i noticed how well the cord sits in the Torus, nice and tight for a good connect. I would still like to see 20 amp wattgate iec on it.

I am finding best results from not plugging my source into it, instead i use my Blue circle plugged into my 15 amp circuit. The bda sounds great plugged into it but my the Torus doesnt seem to like my sony or my pioneer for some reason.

[gtaphile]

I have a general question about the Torus.

The Torus site states that the RM20A balanced draws 10A on each of the balanced 120V circuits.

Does this imply that existing 14 AWG wire for 15A service is reusable when converting to balanced mode?

Thanks   

[James Tanner]

I have a general question about the Torus.

The Torus site states that the RM20A balanced draws 10A on each of the balanced 120V circuits.

Does this imply that existing 14 AWG wire for 15A service is reusable when converting to balanced mode?

Thanks

Yes - 14 Awg wire can be used for the RM 20 BAL

james

[gtaphile]

Thank you James

[werd]

T

Hi Folks

Thanx moondoggy and drummermitchell. I mightve been a little tough on the power cord. After some consideration it dawned on me that cord itself is balanced and probably quieter than most aftermarket. Also i noticed how well the cord sits in the Torus, nice and tight for a good connect. I would still like to see 20 amp wattgate iec on it.

I am finding best results from not plugging my source into it, instead i use my Blue circle plugged into my 15 amp circuit. The bda sounds great plugged into it but my the Torus doesnt seem to like my sony or my pioneer for some reason.

Hi folks

Just an update... after some evaluation, trial and error testing, its becoming clear that its not really a component issue here. What isnt jiving with my Torus are my Shunyata mains cables. They are stellar out of my blue circle, however the Torus has so much power response and  these cables are little  to responsive and they overdrive my highfreq. The good news i can free up some cash as these cables have excellent resale market. I was able to swap out my Shunyata with Blue circle cables on my BDA1 and 4B with success(for the time being). Its obvious that the Torus requires some attention to mains cables vs gear. Alot of expensive cabling are designed to be more responsive out of the wall (which is good) but the Torus provides that in spades and is the proper way to go in achieving good mains power imo.

So now i am off looking for new mains to accompany my Torus/Bryston setup. Any recommendations would be appreciated

thanx in advance

[BrystonFan]

Hey Werd,

If Mr. T uses the Bryston own (Van Damme) cables for the big demos, don't see why we shouldn't !
Just my $0.02 "Canadian" cents 

[werd]

Hey Werd,

If Mr. T uses the Bryston own (Van Damme) cables for the big demos, don't see why we shouldn't !
Just my $0.02 "Canadian" cents 

Thanx Brystonfan, I am considering those. Noticed  Ultralink has stepped up their performance. They offer cryogenically treated conductors and their patented twisted design for around a $150.00. got one on order. They call them selves Ultralink/XLO... did they merge with XLO?

http://www.ultralinkcables.com/#/products/compare/AC%20POWER%20CORDS/

[BrystonFan]

Yes, Ultralink acquired XLO about 6-7 years ago. Please let me know how you like their cryo-treated cable!

[werd]

Yes, Ultralink acquired XLO about 6-7 years ago. Please let me know how you like their cryo-treated cable!

Thanx for that info Brystonfan. I will let you know how that fans out with the Ultralink.  I also have a gutwire Power clef(sq) on loan too.

[werd]

Hello Folks

With the 4B i had trained myself to keep it on the 1v (louder) setting. With the power from the wall i found the 1 volt to be more responsive and musical imho. With the torus in play the 2volt in my setup seems to be way to go now. It has all the responsiveness as 1volt and yet seems to have better control of the soundstage in terms of placement and decay for some reason. It isnt as loud, but my AZ's are meant to be played very loud so its no biggie. Anyone who has a 4b  shouldnt forget about the gain switches (two different soundstages somewhat) in the back as its a whole new ball game with the Torus. Just something i thought i would pass on.

[James Tanner]

Wilson Sten [stenrw@mac.com]

Sat 6/6/2009 10:32 AM


Hello James,

Where do I start? I am simply overwhelmed with the amazing value the RM15 has added to my system.

At first the purchase was purely power isolation based to solve problems with varying voltage conditions resulting from my local grid. However, after removing two simple power conditioners and integrating the Torus RM15 into my system, I now realize the money spent went further than ever imagined.

The staging, sonically, everything has come together providing the ultimate experience. After being exposed and playing with various DBX products and sound processors the RM15 has confirmed without doubt that the basics are truly essential. Excellent clean isolated power is the essential starting point for any audio system.

If anyone should ever doubt the cost of the Torus Power units just refer them to me. In my opinion the Torus RM15 is the best money spent in my audio rack.


Thank you,
Sten R. Wilson

[James Tanner]

From: Andrew Sent: October 2, 2009 12:52 PM
To: jamestanner@bryston.ca
Subject: To AVR or not?

Mr. Tanner
 
I've been a Bryston customer for years; I currently own:
14b sst, 6b sst, SP1.7. I also have some pieces from BAT (51se pre-amp & VK-P10se phono stage)
 
I've been evaluating the RM20 in my system for a few weeks and have noticed a dramatic improvement over my previous power conditioner (Richard Grey Power Company). I'm considering getting the AVR version of the RM20 ? but would do so for only audible improvements (as opposed to interface enhancements)
 
Can you provide any details regarding the 'audible' differences between the RM20 and the AVR RM20?
 
Thanks in advance,
Andrew




From: James Tanner 
Sent: Friday, October 02, 2009 9:58 AM
To: Andrew.Netschay@confront.com
Subject: RE: To AVR or not?
 
Hi Andrew,
 
There is no sonic advantage with the AVR and that is why we offer it as an option. Unless you have serious fluctuating voltages I do not feel it is needed.
 
James




Hi James
 
First off, thanks for the extremely quick response
I?ve sent you emails over the past 6 years (since I bought my first Bryston gear SP1.7 and 9b sst) and your turnaround time is truly unique in this industry and others - greatly appreciated.
 
Secondly, thanks for your honest response as I could have been easily upsold.
 
My RGPC enhanced the sound of my system significantly; my system sounded very good with it installed. But replacing it with the TORUS took the sound to another level, my system now sounds great:

1. Wider dynamic range
2. Much greater detail in the mid-range frequence
3. Extended, detailed bass
4. More defined soundstage
 
Best regards
Andrew

[gordon]

I am interested in adding a RM15 to a system with a 4BSST, BP25, BDA1 and am unclear if the RM15 is a good match to a 4B.