[redsierra]

THE ONLY THING 'BRIGHT' ABOUT BRYSTON AMPLIFIERS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO BUY THEM!

james

James,

Speakers can sound bright.
State of the art amplifiers all "sound" the same. 

Sure, so if they all sound the same then why buy a Bryston?  I think that if that were the case then there would be a lot fewer players in the industry!

[Hififreak]

THE ONLY THING 'BRIGHT' ABOUT BRYSTON AMPLIFIERS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO BUY THEM!

james

James,

Speakers can sound bright.
State of the art amplifiers all "sound" the same. 

You see there is too much protection you have afforded yourself in that statement. Of course if you compare a 300 watt transistor (state of the art) amp to another 300 watt (state of the art) transistor amp there will be more similiarities than not. After hours of listening the diffs will appear. They may
only slight but diffs none the less. However u have to agree that a (state of the art)  25 watt class A tube isnt going to sound the same as a 300 watt (state of the art) transistor amp. I am sure you will agree to that.

We did a test.
Can we hear the difference between a budget Sony (170,00 Euro)


and a ASR Emitter



The used speakers:


B&W 801D

What is the difference between the amplifiers/sound?

[servingko]

redsierra,

I ended up going with the PP300 based on a number of considerations.  I really like the idea of a mono amplifier and the benefit of the design not only in terms of physical/electrical isolation from other channels, but the from hearing a small improvement by going with a VERY short speaker cable and a longer balanced interconnect.  In addition, as my system changes mono amplifiers seem to be much more flexible in accommodating those changes.  Finally, I really like to have things hidden from view.  While I can appreciate stacks of shiny new equipment with glowing lights and LED's, I have grown to enjoy a dedicated room that is very clean with no clutter.  Perhaps it is my small children that make me a little nervous or the greater WAF, but I too, like entering a dedicated listening room that isn't dominated by the equipment - excluding speakers of course!

We will be creating a new room in a new home in the next two years which will be a "room within a room" that will have access around the entire perimeter.  Each amplifier will be located in this space right behind the speaker it is assigned to and all equipment will be hidden from view, including all the speakers, which in the case of the LCR will be behind either the screen for the center, and a "false" wall at the front of the room.  The surround speakers will be hidden in "false" columns with solid bases with a soffit at the ceiling and the entire column wrapped in GOM.   The perimeter space around the room will also be used as the "cabinet" for an infinite baffle subwoofer system.

In the end you need to take into consideration the frequency of changes to your system - including the room - to determine the best course of action.

[redsierra]

Well, I have to preface this by saying that it pained me to make a brand change, as I have been loyal to Bryston for years.  I played with the idea of getting a couple Bryston amps and using a new "squared" more powerful unit up front, but this is what I ended up doing:

I bought a new amp back in May and ordered Vandy Quatros to replace my 3A Signatures and the two 2WQ subs.  Unfortunately the speakers took 6 months to get (long story), so I am just now setting things up.  The amp, a new Theta Dreadnaught II with 5 225 modules.  Although I havent yet played with speaker placement, nor properly set up the Quatros, I CANNOT BELIEVE THE DIFFERENCE IN SOUND! 

Craig at Theatermax in NJ is awesome!  Great pricing too.

I realize that there can be compatability issues with components and that may very well have been the case with my previous speakers and the Bryston 9BSST.  What ever the reason, the bass is sooo much better.  Full, tight, controlled.  The imaging and detail blows my mind!  Most importantly, the harshness or brightness is a thing of the past.  Wow.  It is so easy to listen to now.  The only unfortunate thing is that I dont know for sure what made the most dramatic difference...the amp or the speakers.  I can hardly wait to get things dialed in.

I will still keep my Bryston phono stage and my SP2 for now and probably upgrade to an SP3 (or have mine upgraded). 

One of the reasons that I decided not to go with a Bryston was because I really wanted everything in one unit (as opposed to having multiple amps) due to the existing set up of my room, audio cabinet and wiring.  But holy....is that Theta HUGE!  I can't say that I was excited by that when it arrived.  I never even thought to look at the dimensions before I ordered it!

Man...I feel like a teen ager...the excitement is back!

I look forward to the SP3 for the next upgrade.

[math-geek]

As a former Bryston owner and now a Krell owner I feel the need to chime in.  All state of the art amps do not "sound" the same.  Bryston and Krell both make incredibly great products, yet they do not sound the same.  I prefer the Krell "sound" but Bryston comes in a close second to my ears, tubes need not apply. 

That said I was not happy with the 2B SST.  It sounded way tipped up in the treble to me.  I may give one of the newer models a chance with my Dynaudio Contour 1.3 SEs and if so I will let you guys know the results.