Bryston produces only two full chassis mono-block amplifiers, the 7B and the flagship 28B. They do also make three different versions of the Powerpack mono amps which are designed to be installed directly onto the cabinets of certain loudspeakers. All other Bryston power amps are either two three or five channel. They used to make a four channel amp but that one, the 8B ,has been dropped from their lineup. The Bryston amps have undergone progressive upgrades during the course of their history. The earliest Brystons had only the model designation with no suffix, except the baby 2B LP. Then came the suffixes starting with and then in chronological order the NRB, the ST(the initials of the designer Stuart Taylor), then SST for Super Stuart Taylor, then SST "C" series then the SST squared "C" series which are the current models. While I have also heard that Brystons amps are a good match for Maggies I can't imagine that they would outperform even your older Levinson, with possibly the exception of the very expensive 28B. The Levinsons are just in another class altogether in my opinion. I am also very surprised by your customer service experience as Bryston is extremely well regarded in this area. They have a forum that is basically just about Bryston stuff and a wealth of info can be found there as well as regular contributions from James Tanner who is the head honcho at Bryston who regularly answers inquiries at this site. Unfortunately the name of the site escapes me at this moment , maybe audio circle or something like that. I'm sure someone else here will be able to furnish the correct name of the site and possibly even a link.
Best Value in Used Bryston Amps and Monoblocks
As a long time fan of Magnepan's, I have always wanted to try Bryston amps, especially their monoblocks which are rumoured to be a very good match for my speakers, and have also been recommended by Magneplanar over the years, albeit off the record.
What I can't figure out, however, is the logic to the Bryston product line, where there is value in the used market, or which version or vintage I might buy for a reasonable price.
I can't tell which ones are monoblocks vs single chassis stereo amps, I don't care about "THX" designations or multi channel and I don't know what "SST" means.
From time to time, I will see a SINGLE monoblock for sale, which I keep in mind for my next mono system, or perhaps when I want a mismatched, high powered center channel.
I find weird ads which supposedly have brand new, never opened, but 5 years old "NOS" (new old stock) which I suppose were obtained through a time machine or recovered from a sunken ship in perfect shape.
Then I find ads for what look like basically new ones, which are suprisingly expensive, or battle scarred old amps with faceplates so scratched they look like they were traded in a drug deal and ended up in a pawn shop.
I read good things about Bryston's customer service, but every time I have reached out to them to try and better understand this, I get more than a whiff of we really don't care if you buy our products or not attitude, despite the fact that there is no dealer in my area.
So in summary, can someone please explain the history of these amps, which ones sound best, and what vintage might represent the best value in today's market?
I don't have a set budget, but thinking I would sell my Levinson 23.5 for $2-2500, so < $3K would be great.
Thank you,
cwlondon
What I can't figure out, however, is the logic to the Bryston product line, where there is value in the used market, or which version or vintage I might buy for a reasonable price.
I can't tell which ones are monoblocks vs single chassis stereo amps, I don't care about "THX" designations or multi channel and I don't know what "SST" means.
From time to time, I will see a SINGLE monoblock for sale, which I keep in mind for my next mono system, or perhaps when I want a mismatched, high powered center channel.
I find weird ads which supposedly have brand new, never opened, but 5 years old "NOS" (new old stock) which I suppose were obtained through a time machine or recovered from a sunken ship in perfect shape.
Then I find ads for what look like basically new ones, which are suprisingly expensive, or battle scarred old amps with faceplates so scratched they look like they were traded in a drug deal and ended up in a pawn shop.
I read good things about Bryston's customer service, but every time I have reached out to them to try and better understand this, I get more than a whiff of we really don't care if you buy our products or not attitude, despite the fact that there is no dealer in my area.
So in summary, can someone please explain the history of these amps, which ones sound best, and what vintage might represent the best value in today's market?
I don't have a set budget, but thinking I would sell my Levinson 23.5 for $2-2500, so < $3K would be great.
Thank you,
cwlondon
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- 21 posts total
- 21 posts total