Bryston fans. Please show some support, love and photos ....

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
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Hey Joe,

Have you heard the 28BSST2? I have heard it is something else...and particularly many have noted that its effortlessness plus the latest tech from Bryston have added almost a 'sweetness' to this amp. I have heard stunningly good.
 

joeinid

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2011
1,543
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Hey Joe,

Have you heard the 28BSST2? I have heard it is something else...and particularly many have noted that its effortlessness plus the latest tech from Bryston have added almost a 'sweetness' to this amp. I have heard stunningly good.


Hi Lloyd,

I want to hear the 28BSST2's. I have only heard the 4BSST2 and was so impressed by it, I am considering the 28's at some point.
 

audioguy

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
2,794
73
1,635
Near Atlanta, GA but not too near!
Until I went to powered speakers, I used Bryston exclusively. They will drive anything with ease. A pair of 7B-SST's were my last pair. I discovered that amazing sound of Bryston by accident. I was using 18 year old beat up 4B for driving a sub and a guy suggested I try it on my mains (Dunlavy SC-VI at the time). My current amp was the latest and greatest Mark Levinson (don't recall the model number). Long story short is that the beat up Bryston was clearly the superior for my speakers in my room so I acquired my first pair of 7B's and upgraded from there.
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
14,411
2,509
1,448
Until I went to powered speakers, I used Bryston exclusively. They will drive anything with ease. A pair of 7B-SST's were my last pair. I discovered that amazing sound of Bryston by accident. I was using 18 year old beat up 4B for driving a sub and a guy suggested I try it on my mains (Dunlavy SC-VI at the time). My current amp was the latest and greatest Mark Levinson (don't recall the model number). Long story short is that the beat up Bryston was clearly the superior for my speakers in my room so I acquired my first pair of 7B's and upgraded from there.

Great story! Which powered speakers do you now use...and what did they replace? (Bryston 7Bs and ____ speakers?)
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
14,411
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Hi Lloyd,

I want to hear the 28BSST2's. I have only heard the 4BSST2 and was so impressed by it, I am considering the 28's at some point.

If i may be so presumptuous (with your wallet)...given the quality of your system, your high standards, and the company of equipment you already keep...i think you should go straight in for the kill. Do not equivocate and try the 28BSST2. Your speakers will enjoy the limitless power, and for many, once you have it...it is hard to go back even without playing at volume. Whether it will be your 'ultimate amp' i cannot say (nor should I...that's for you)...but i suspect that you may well as go for their top monos which by all the accounts i have ever read...are stunning and a singularly greate achievement by Bryston.
 

joeinid

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2011
1,543
12
400
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If i may be so presumptuous (with your wallet)...given the quality of your system, your high standards, and the company of equipment you already keep...i think you should go straight in for the kill. Do not equivocate and try the 28BSST2. Your speakers will enjoy the limitless power, and for many, once you have it...it is hard to go back even without playing at volume. Whether it will be your 'ultimate amp' i cannot say (nor should I...that's for you)...but i suspect that you may well as go for their top monos which by all the accounts i have ever read...are stunning and a singularly greate achievement by Bryston.

Lloyd,

I sincerely appreciate your advice. I am actually very happy now with what I am hearing, but I realize I love to play around with this stuff. My Dartzeel 108 will always be with me. It's not going anywhere because I love what it does to my TAD CR-1's. I do want to try the Dartzeel preamp with it as well.

I love the idea of the 28BSST2's and am just looking for some happy Bryston owners to give a little feedback. I know there are many.
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
14,411
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Lloyd,

I sincerely appreciate your advice. I am actually very happy now with what I am hearing, but I realize I love to play around with this stuff. My Dartzeel 108 will always be with me. It's not going anywhere because I love what it does to my TAD CR-1's. I do want to try the Dartzeel preamp with it as well.

I love the idea of the 28BSST2's and am just looking for some happy Bryston owners to give a little feedback. I know there are many.

You should be happy with your current system...it is killer! I am just hoping to hear the Brystons vicariously thru you! I am very curious myself what it can do. I dont think i will be tempted enuf to bring a pair home as i am so satisfied with Gryphon.

Still...would be neat to hear! Or read what you think of them with your TADs! ;)
 

flez007

Member Sponsor
Aug 31, 2010
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I had a Bryston 2B (older model) for quite a while and liked it a lot!
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
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Mobiusman

Well-Known Member
May 24, 2010
704
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Jersey Shore- waterside
I have owned a number of Bryston products and can say a few things that apply to all experiences, they always sound good and keep getting better with each improvement, they have never broken, they provide great value for the money and are incredibly easy to sell. I currently own their BDA-1 DAC and a 4BSST2, but have owned several earlier 4b's and sets of 7b's. I also have heard the 28's in a number of installations and can offer the following without hesitation.

1)Unless you have heard the most recent offerings from this company, your opinions based on older versions are not really valid. The newer equipment is much less analytical sounding than the old stuff. The top end is truly smooth, a former weak spot and they are fast and very powerful.

2) Bryston equipment does not sound like tube equipment, although it is probably the closest to tube of any SS equipment with the exception of Spectral. Bryston mid bass and low bass is probably the best out their with the possible exception of a pair of JL Gothams $25k.

3) While the whole line is amazing, the 28's are in a class by themselves probably because of their filtration and the gobbs of power they provide. There is a reason that Magnepan always designs and demo's with them.

4) Spectral 400's might sound better, but then you need a Spectral preamp and thousands in MIT wire and thus the flexibility and cost propositions go out the window.

5) For me it is not about tubes versus SS, because both have their strengths and weaknesses. It is about getting what I like and not spending my retirement in the process so that I will be able to listen and retire. I like tube front ends and Bryston power amps because they make for the best of both worlds. A sleeper in the tube preamp market is BAT, especially if you get the se versions of the 30 or 50 series preamps. For some reason they do not hold their initial value, but then become very stable. A used VK 32 se can be had with a phono section and remote for $4k or slightly more, which when linked with a 4B SST2, you have a hell of an electronics chain.

6) The BDA-1 DAC is incredible and reasonable, but probably due for an upgrade at CES.
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
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Sounds great Mobiusman...thanks for that...another confirmation from an experienced Bryston owner about the latest generation of Brystons and in particular the 28SST2 Monos...in a class by themselves among the Bryston family is precisely what i hear EVERY time from people...something magic if you will. and a 20-yr warranty and while expensive...not in the 5-star price range compared to what we are seeing a la Constellation, FMA, which literally cost as much as 3-5x the price, etc.

Would really love to hear.
 

joeinid

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2011
1,543
12
400
NY
Thanks Mobiusman for your thoughtful reply. I agree totally with your points. I confess I did not like the Bryston of old. I'm talking about the 80's-90's vintage. It was not my cup of tea. I heard a 4BSST2 a few months ago and was floored. You are right, the new gear is absolutely amazing and an amazing value for the money. I've been thinking about Bryston ever since and plan on getting a pair of 28's. I also like a little tube flavor in the mix and am eager to hear the combo. There is no other company offering anywhere near the warranty of Bryston (or faith in their product), outstanding. I also like the fact that James Tanner of Bryston frequents several forums and is easily accessible always. Who else does that? No one.


There's a BDA-2 coming

Bryston BDA-2 DAC



BDA-2 FEATURES:
• Dual 32Bit AKM DAC’s
• Independent Dual Power Supplies
• Discrete Class A analog output stage
• Oversampling
• Synchronous upsampling (176.4K/192K)
• Selectable upsampling feature
• Independent Analog and Digital signal paths
• USB (1), COAX (2), OPTICAL (2), AES-EBU (1) BNC (2) inputs
• 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176, 192K sampling
• 16-24Bit, 44K-192K PCM and USB
• Fully Differential Balanced XLR and Unbalanced RCA Stereo outputs.
• Transformer coupled SPDIF and AES EBU

Digital inputs.
• SPDIF COAX Bypass Loop Output
• RS-232 software upgrade
• Optional Remote Control
• Remote 12 Volt Trigger
• Compatible with CD Drives, Sound Cards, Computers, Music Servers.
• Cosmetically matches C-Series

New asynchronous USB input capable of 192/24bit resolution.
 
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caesar

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2010
4,290
767
1,698
I still have a 4B ST in my hoard of stuff, but to be perfectly truthful, I don't love it. It's just there as insurance policy...

Bryston has had so many changes in the last few years that I'm confused. Can someone please describe the sonic difference between the the SST2 and SST2^2?
 

joeinid

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2011
1,543
12
400
NY
I think the SST2 and SST squared are the same. It seems to be a matter of how it comes out on the keyboard. From a review ...

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0409/bryston_7b_sst2.htm

A Redesigned Product
Let us now however look to the product on hand for today’s review. Until just recently Bryston made 7B SST amplifiers but has now switch to the designation Squared ( [SUP]2 [/SUP]) to attach at the end after the "SST". So what is the difference between these new 7B SST[SUP]2[/SUP] amplifiers and the original 7B SST's? Below is an impressive list stating these differences:
New power supple transformer design
New push on/off power switch
New chassis design
New Soft-Start circuit
New Balanced input stage
New Power Supply board
Bridging mode performance improvement
Reduced point to point wiring
Reduced circuit board count
Redesigned output chokes

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0409/bryston_7b_sst2.htm
 

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