Bryston was originally a manufacturer of high tech blood analyzers that began business in 1962. In 1976 James Tanner purchased a pair of Dayton Wright electrostatic speakers which his current amplifiers were having a heck of a time driving. So, using high-tech and sophisticated parts, we modified the amplifier and boy it sounded terrific! We then decided to build an amplifier with no holds barred, from scratch, using medical grade parts. Bryston was born!

We believe our customers appreciate our high performance standards, where the cost behind the product design is "no object" but the prices are not beyond the costumers reach. Our motto is “you can spend more money but you can't buy better performance, if ‘linearity of signal’ is what you’re after.”

We have looked into shifting manufacturing to other countries (countries which offer cheaper manufacturing) and for reasons both business and ethical, we decided against it. Given our hands-on approach and commitment to old world craftsmanship, we choose to maintain all production and design in-house.

We used to offer a 3-year warranty, but we realized that our products were still performing well within specifications, even after 18 years. So, in 1990 we decided to extend the analog warranty to 20 years (as an aside, from 1976 to 1990 we never charged for a repair even though the equipment was well outside the then stated 3 year warranty). The 20-year warranty was retroactive to all our previous customers as well.

With digital products we are currently limiting the warranty to 5 years because we do not have a long history with the technology. This will probably be extended, if all goes as planned.

Many times we get asked how Bryston has been able to bridge the gap between what is perceived to be two distinct and different markets, the Professional and the Audiophile. Bryston has been fortunate enough over the years to be well accepted in both of these demanding and sometimes different marketplaces. Our experience on both ends of the reproduction chain (studio vs. home) has allowed us some insights into the differences and similarities between these two areas, which few manufacturers get to observe.

The equipment choices for a system in a recording studio are the same as the requirements in a "state-of-the-art" playback system in your home, namely; reproduce the input as accurately as possible. Professional recording engineers are attempting to record sounds as accurately as they can. They may have different methods (equipment choices, microphone techniques, microphone placement, or microphone types) but the purpose is the same; capture a space and moment in time and allow the listener to experience that moment in their home environment. We do not think that the recording end of the chain is at odds with the playback end, if accuracy of this "moment in space and time" is the ultimate goal.

It is true that professional users demand playback monitoring systems which do not break when being played at realistic levels, do not color the sound or voice it in a specific manner, or reduce their ability to assess what exactly is recorded on the master. We do not see this parameter as being contrary with the audiophile attempting to playback, in their home, the "intent" of the engineer. Maybe in the past, systems that where capable of playing reliably at realistic levels without dynamic compression necessitated the use of large systems. These systems somehow did not deliver the kind of staging, imaging and micro-dynamics that audiophiles have hungered for, but "the times, they are a changing".

The fact that Bryston amplifiers, for example, have achieved acceptance from both the professional studio engineer and the audiophile is predicated on the assumption that accuracy remains the foremost concern. An accurate amplifier is an accurate amplifier no matter where it is being utilized. Same for the loudspeaker etc. The success of a given product in both the studio and home listening environment is a direct result of recording engineers and audiophiles alike being able to agree on the merits of accuracy in the playback chain. James had a very prominent engineer say to him "wouldn't it be nice to know that the amplifiers and loudspeakers I am using as recording equipment where in fact the same amplifiers and loudspeakers the listener were using in his home environment".

This ability to "Close the Loop" between the recording and playback side of the industry is certainly a desirable goal. If you consider the film industry and companies such as DTS, THX, Dolby Digital etc. you recognize that they are attempting to provide systems which in fact will playback the film in your home in a manner that serves the "intent" of all the people involved in the film (director, sound engineers, actors etc.). We feel music should be the same. We want to know what we hear in our homes is as close a rendition as possible to the intent of the producer.

In closing, we would like to point out that we perceive the difference in audio equipment as the difference between "Production and Reproduction". If your goal is to reproduce the input, then your choices of equipment will be different than someone who desires to produce a particular sound or result because they may personally prefer it.

To continue to do what we do best: provide our customers with as transparent an audio signal path as possible, given current technology.

James is Brystons resident audiophile and part owner. He has been involved in audio since his teens. Originally, he wished to be a professional saxophone player, spending his life in small smoky rooms, but he settled for his current position. He loves what he does and enjoys every minute of it, being involved in a business that brings pleasure to others is, in his view, without peer.

James prefers not to reveal what he does, feeling that if his superiors don't know his responsibilities they can’t fire him. Joking aside, James is the Vice President of Bryston and responsible for marketing and all its aspects.

There aren't many issues with well designed solid state gear and vibration (as opposed to tube gear), so it is not something we dwell on. Obviously, making sure everything is solid and well attached is important while making certain all solder points and mechanical connections are sturdy.

Jitter is a mistiming of data being moved from point A to point B in any synchronous digital system. Think of jitter as individual ticks on a clock, however each tick is not occurring at exact one-second intervals. Some are slightly less than a second and some are slightly longer, and they average out so that no time is being gained or lost over a large number of seconds. Jitter is the difference between the shortest and the longest second, and in digital audio systems this specification is usually measured in nanoseconds. Both the frequency and the jitter characteristics of the system’s digital clock will affect the accuracy of reproduction. The frequency, if not accurate, can cause the pitch and speed of the music to change, and in some systems cause drop outs if there isn't any data available.

Using the BDA-1 DAC as an example, we re-sample and re-clock the digital input in order to reduce jitter. The result is a significant reduction in jitter (1/1000 of a nanosecond). It isn’t enough to just get the bits right; those bits have to be converted back into music with the same timing reference as when the music was first digitized. The input signal of the BDA-1 is re-clocked and re-sampled to reduce any possibility of jitter affecting the sound quality. Even the input receiver and the sample rate converter serve to further reduce jitter.

The incoming digital signal contains data at over 1 million bits per second, requiring bandwidth of 5 to 10 million hertz (cycles per second). At these high frequencies, it is very important to maintain the quality of the signal by having the correct termination at the digital inputs. The Bryston BDA-1 DAC provides for this termination in the best possible manner using devices called impedance matching transformers. Impedance matching transformers provide the optimal interface to the incoming source under all sorts of signal conditions. Lesser quality terminations will degrade the signal, causing increased jitter.

Over-sampling is when the samples are re-read (2x, 4x, 8x, etc.) to create a new sampling frequency. The new samples are then run through an interpolation filter to create a more analog-like waveform.

Up-sampling converts the digital signal from one sample rate and bit depth to another. For example: In the BDA-1, the sample rate is increased from the input sample frequency (32K, 48K, or 96K up-samples to 192K and 44.1K or 88.2K up-samples to 176.4K). The 16 bits of depth (the CD standard) is increased to 24 bits.

Phase inversion refers to reversing the polarity 180 degrees on the signal. Some electronics invert phase (depending on the number of amplifying circuits) and some do not. Bryston products do NOT invert phase, this is sometimes refered to as maintaining ‘Absolute Phase’.

Once upon a time a few record companies would make sure that their recordings maintained Absolute Phase throughout the recording chain, stating this on their product (Ex. Sheffield Records, simple single microphone recording techniques).

When you record an instrument (lets say a drum) the pressure wave striking the microphone is positive pressure. When you play back the recording, you want the woofer in your speaker to move forward and create that same positive pressure in your system. Depending on the audio system and the number of inverting or non inverting components it has a 50/50 shot. So, knowing what each component is doing and whether or not it inverts absolute phase is something that may be important given specific recordings.

The problem with multi-mic recordings is, depending on the microphone and amplification stages used in a specific recording, you may get some instruments with inverted polarity and others in absolute polarity. In James Tanner's experiments, maintaining absolute polarity can sometimes be heard on instruments that have very well defined transient behaviour.

Listen to a rim shot or a trumpet blast and see if you can detect a difference using the polarity switch on the BP26, you can use the BR2 remote and do it from your listening seat. Also, listen to voice and see if the singer moves forward or back in the soundstage. The problem sometimes is that the chances of a recording engineer maintaining absolute polarity with any given recording and any particular instrument in a recording is a 50/50 shot and many times there is no detectable difference at all.

Damping factor is a measure of the amplifier's ability to control the woofer, and is measured by dividing the speaker impedance (normally 8 ohms) into the amplifier's output impedance (usually in the range of 0.02 ohms). The lower the amplifier's output impedance, the less the amplifier's output level is affected by variations in the speaker impedance. Also, since the woofer's voice-coil can act as a generator, within its magnet structure, the amplifier needs a low output impedance to act as a method of damping the woofer's tendency to keep moving after the signal has stopped. In the example above, the damping factor would be 8/.02 = 400.

Bryston amplifiers have output impedance slightly below 0.01 ohms, and therefore have a calculated damping factor of over 800, (though we conservatively rate them at 500). This parameter is affected by the speaker cable resistance. Even heavy 12 gauge wire has a resistance of about 0.0016 ohms per foot. (Remember we need to double that for twin-lead speaker cable). Thus, it would require only 6.25 feet of 12 gauge per speaker to have a total resistance of 0.02 ohms, (.0016 X 2 X 6.25 = 0.02), cutting a damping factor of 400 in half, to 200. Bryston recommends keeping speaker lead length to a minimum for this reason.

Keep in mind that damping factor is also affected by other real-world impedances, including the speaker-cable resistance, and the varying resistance of the speaker's own voice-coil. The voice-coil of a typical 8-ohm loudspeaker has a DC resistance of between 4 and 6 ohms. This resistance increases with temperature by 0.4%/Deg. C. It would thus require only a 25-degree rise in voice-coil temperature to increase its impedance by 10%. If it started with a DC resistance of 4 ohms, the extra 10%, (0.4 ohms), would reduce the actual damping factor to twenty, (8/0.4=20)!

It is worth noting that it would probably take only about 5-10 Watts to raise the voice-coil temperature by that amount. Add in the likely speaker-cable resistance of about 0.1 ohms, (10 feet of 16 gauge. cable), and it is obvious that the amplifier's contribution to the overall, real-world damping factor of the system is close to nil.

Whether the amp measures 300 or 3,000,000 under ideal conditions, the actual damping factor of the system will almost never exceed 100 anyway.

Audio (MP3)

32 kbit/s – MW (AM) quality
96 kbit/s – FM quality
128–160 kbit/s – Standard Bitrate quality; difference can sometimes be obvious (e.g. bass quality)
192 kbit/s – DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) quality.
224 – 320 kbit/s – Near CD quality.

Audio (Other)

800 bit/s – minimum necessary for recognizable speech (using special-purpose FS-1015 speech codecs)
8 kbit/s – Telephone quality (using speech codecs)
32 - 500 kbit/s - lossy audio as used in Ogg Vorbis
500 kbit/s – 1 Mbit/s – lossless audio as used in formats such as FLAC, WavPack or Monkey's Audio
1411.2 kbit/s – PCM sound format of CD Digital Audio

Video (MPEG2)

16 kbit/s – videophone quality (minimum necessary for a consumer-acceptable "talking head" picture)
128 – 384 kbit/s – business-oriented videoconferencing system quality
1.25 Mbit/s – VCD quality
5 Mbit/s – DVD quality
15 Mbit/s – HDTV quality
36 Mbit/s – HD DVD quality
54 Mbit/s – Blu-ray Disc quality

If you have followed power amplifier technology for any length of time, you will have noticed mention of "class", as Class A, Class AB, etc., and perhaps wondered exactly what this nomenclature pertained to. These terms do not refer to quality, but to the operating parameter of the output section. Most power amplifier output stages operate in a push-pull configuration, where the power is delivered from two power supplies on either side of ground, or zero volts. (There are some which do not, but they are relatively non-linear, and need not be considered here).

Operating in push-pull, the output transistors share the load, and are theoretically required to do work only as the signal swings away from ground, in either the positive or negative direction. If the transistors are completely switched off at zero output, and only start conducting when signal is present, this is defined as Class B operation. This is an efficient way of operating the output, and the amplifier runs cool at no signal, but there is one disadvantage; The output devices always have some lag time in their operation, and thus there appears a small but potentially annoying dead zone, called "crossover distortion", at the zero point. Although this crossover nonlinearity does not necessarily add large amounts to the distortion numbers, (0.05% is probably typical), it is easy to is that hear.

Fortunately, crossover distortion can be reduced to negligible proportions by the simple expedient of running the output transistors "biased" slightly "on" at idle, so they start conducting before the output swings through the zero point. When an amplifier runs this biased output mechanism, it is referred to as "Class AB". Moderate amounts of bias are all that is needed, and as it produces only a bit of heat, this type of amp is still reasonably efficient. Crossover distortion has a number of ways to pop up its ugly little head, however, even if there is a fair amount of bias present, so the engineering of this type of amplifier must be very exacting and precise to give the lowest distortion at all frequencies. If done properly, however, there is no more accurate or lower-distortion type of amplifier available; 0.01% is typical, and 0.001% is attainable.

Some engineers prefer not to have to deal with the possibility of crossover distortion in their designs, and they choose another bias system, called "Class A", where the output transistors are biased on so much that they continuously conduct more than the full load current, even at idle. Thus, they never turn "on" or "off', theoretically obviating crossover distortion.

Unfortunately, this operating system has some obvious, (and some not-so-obvious), disadvantages. Running that much current generates a tremendous amount of heat, so the amplifier is not just inefficient, it is large and expensive, due to the huge heat-dissipating mechanisms required. This consequently warms up the whole room as a side-effect. (Nice in the winter, but remember electric heat is the most expensive kind there is).

A not-so-obvious disadvantage with class A designs is that this high idling current has consequences to the distortion levels far beyond the theoretical elimination of crossover artifacts, (which even in itself is debatable). Transistors have numerous types of distortion mechanisms, among which are deviations from linearity under conditions of simultaneous high voltage and high current. These are, of course, the exact parameters necessary to class A operation, and a typical Class A amplifier runs distortion levels at least 10 times, and often over 100 times, as high as a Class AB amplifier of similar power, or around 0.1%. A careful inspection pf the distortion spectrum also reveals that all the'harmonics are increased, including those represented by the crossover distortion at which the class A operation was aimed in the first place!

Going in the other direction, Class D offers high efficiency through a very different approach to output operation. Class D, often erroneously thought of as "digital amplification", is actually an analog system which varies the width of the top-versus-bottom duty-cycle of a squarewave carrier frequency. The amplifier still traverses from negative to positive voltages and back again, but does so continuously, at a high frequency of perhaps 500 kHz. The time it spends at one extreme or the other is proportional to the locus, or exact voltage-time relationship, of the desired signal at that moment.

Since the output devices spend almost all their time at either full-on or full-off, (areas of absolute minimal dissipation), efficiency is very high, from 80 to 90%. Thus, these amplifiers produce very little heat, and do not have to be as heavy or as large as typical class AB amplifiers, (to say nothing of the class A monsters)! There are naturally disadvantages as well. Class D, by definition, uses very large RF signals, and must be shielded and well-filtered to prevent interference and speaker-damaging outputs. This in turn harms overall linearity, as well as adding to the cost, thus this is not an inexpensive technology. The overall distortion is usually on a par with Class A amplification; good but not great, at around 0.1% or so. If efficiency is your requirement, though, this is the way to go.

One question which keeps coming up over and over is the controversy regarding audio components being "fully balanced" versus what is sometimes referred to as "balanced converting to single ended", at the input of the electronic component (preamp, electronic crossover, amplifier etc). The correct term for this balanced converting to single ended is more accurately referred to as "differential amplifier balancing".

Popular mythology has seen fit to 'bless' the concept of 'fully-balanced' (meaning of course, two completely separate signal paths through a component, with its attendant doubling of parts cost and complexity, and halving of reliability). This approach completely misses the point, which is, of course, to eliminate hum and noise picked up by the audio cables feeding the component.

The reason for this is that a differential amplifier (this is REALLY IMPORTANT) ‘rejects any common-mode noise’ which appears at its input, by a factor equal to its common-mode rejection ratio (normally over 1000:1). A 'fully-balanced' circuit has a common-mode rejection ratio of precisely zero, since all signal, common-mode or not, is simply amplified and passed along via the two signal paths. It then remains up to the following component to attempt to reject that amplified noise, if it has a differential amplifier.

Thus, fully-balanced circuitry passes along any noise which might be picked up on the cables. Then it hits the final component in the system, usually the power amp, where the differential amplifier at its input is left to deal with the sum total of the common mode noise in the signal path (multiplied by all the gain in the system). If each component (source, preamp, electronic crossover, power amp) had its own differential amplifier input, it would cancel any common-mode noise which appeared ahead of it, rather than amplifying it.

All the above simply points out that what has been called fully balanced circuitry has a host of disadvantages, from cost to noise overload, to complexity and reduction in reliability. It has no useful advantages in the digital or analog signal chain beyond the microphone preamp. Bryston audio components all operate their balanced inputs on ‘differential amplifier technology’.

When the transistor was first invented, it functioned only in one polarity. That meant that there was asymmetry in amplification circuits, resulting in distortion of the signal. Later, the other polarity of transistor was developed, making it possible to have a symmetrical, ‘complementary’ circuit, thus reducing distortion.

Unfortunately, these opposite polarity transistors are not exact matches to each other. They have differences in bandwidth, differences in threshold voltage, and differences in the way their respective gains track both voltage and current changes. Thus, there continued to be small variations in symmetry, revealing subtle but audible amounts of distortion, even in supposedly ‘complementary-symmetry’ amplifiers. These distortions were worse with increasing frequency, giving a characteristic haze or graininess to transistor amplifier sound.

In most of the amplifier circuitry, the above asymmetries can be compensated for with proper design, but the output stage of a power amplifier is in direct contact with the speaker load, and thus experiences large variations in both voltage and current with the signal. It is thus subject to ‘worst-case’ conditions for the asymmetrical distortions left in these opposite-polarity transistors. It was for this reason that Bryston developed the Quad-Complementary output stage. This nomenclature stems partly from the fact that it requires at least four transistors to assemble the final section of the output stage, one of each polarity on both sides of the push-pull output section.

In this way, it became possible to eliminate almost all of the remaining asymmetry in the output stage of an amplifier, because each transistor is paired with another of its opposite number. This creates what amounts to a compound device, displaying the mixed characteristics of both. Thus, the upper and lower halves of the output stage match each other’s dynamic characteristics exactly, at both high and low levels. Signal distortion is virtually eliminated.

This circuit also displays advantages in some other areas, like faster response and lower input drive current for the same output power. Those characteristics give the amplifier lower distortion in all areas, but especially in the important high frequencies. Thus, a Bryston amplifier does not display the characteristic high frequency haze or grain often heard in other transistor amps.

The length and resistance of the loud-speaker cable in your audio/video system is very important. In fact, any speaker cable is a compromise and the shorter you make your speaker cable the more accurate the sonic result.

Keeping speaker cables as short as possible is essential for maintaining good (damping) control over the loudspeaker drivers. Music is a dynamic 'transient' (stopping and starting) condition and the better the amplifier can control the motion of the drivers in your loudspeakers the better the performance. The normally extremely low output impedance of the power amplifier will be compromised by any addition of 'series resistance' associated with speaker cables. Therefore, no cables (as in powered speakers) are best followed by keeping the speaker cables as short as possible.

Most loudspeakers have impedance curves which will vary all over the map with frequency, but this does not mean that adding a small ammounts of series resistance due to loudspeaker cable is unimportant. In fact, if you add a small ammount of resistance between the amplifier and the speaker, you will create an interesting result. The loudspeaker's frequency response will start to vary directly as its own impedance! The magnitude of this effect increases directly with the magnitude of the series resistance added. What you can end up with is a frequency response from your speaker which is a direct mirror of the impedance curve of your loudspeaker.

This undesirable effect can be minimized with short, low resistance cables and low output impedance amplifiers (no tubes please). The output impedance of any decent modern power amp will be practically zero ohms (Bryston amplifiers are typically .01 ohms). To optimize the damping factor (ratio of speaker impedance over amplifier output impedance plus speaker cable impedance) any resistance between the speaker and the amp is undesirable.If we had a perfect amp with an output impedance of zero ohms and a perfect speaker cable with a series resistance of zero ohms then the damping factor would be infinite.

Note: In this case the damping factor would be infinite regardless of speaker impedance (something, even if it changes, divided by nothing is always infinite). At the other extreme, power loss in your speaker cable contributes to audible dynamic compression because:

Cable Power loss = Current² x Resistance of speaker cables.

On dynamic peaks, output current can be in the 'tens of amperes'. That squared, times what might seem an insignificant amount of cable resistance can cause significant power loss. This may explain to some degree why some people hear substantial quality increases in their systems when they bi-wire or tri-wire while others claim little or no improvement. In some cases the extra set of speaker wires would significantly reduce the resistance (and improve the damping factor) between the amplifier and the loudspeakers, especially in long runs.

With the advent of multi-channel audio systems utilizing rear/back channels, usually positioned 20 to 30 or more feet away from the amplifiers, this lack of control becomes a serious issue. The Bryston PowerPAC Series of amplifiers are an attempt to minimize this problem by allowing the amplifier to be placed adjacent to each loudspeaker or attached directly to it using long interconnects (preferably balanced). The reason that cable length is relatively unimportant for component (Preamp to Amp) interconnects is due to the magnitude of signal current in the conductors of interconnect cables being so small that the power loss is insignificant.

You must always try to preserve the dynamic integrity of the recording, so reducing the resistance of your loudspeaker cables is one giant step in the right direction!

Part of the problem with choosing cables is that there is an awful lot of marketing going on and not much science. The 'elaborate packaging' of these interconnects and speaker cables may make you feel warm and fuzzy but the electrical characteristics are still the primary issue of concern. Simply stated, the geometry (where the plus is relative to the minus) of a cable determines the inter-relationship between the measured performance of a specific cable. These measured performance criteria's are called the 'Primary Constants'. They are R-resistance, L-inductance, C-shunt capacitance and G-shunt conductance. You can play around with all the different types of exotic packaging and add-on appendages you like but ultimately the measured performance (primary constants) tell the tale.

Bryston does not think cables should be 'voiced' to sound a specific way. The best cable is no cable at all, so we contend that the best cable is the cable that changes the signal the least.

COAX INTERCONNECT CABLES:

An analogue Preamp/Amplifier connection is a 'high impedance interface' therefore; you are looking for low measured Capacitance. An interconnect cable acts like a capacitor in the signal path so the better that capacitor the better the interconnect. We use an interconnect wire with (very low capacitance) and the RCA connectors are made for us in Switzerland. The RCA cables 'make and break ground' first and last when connecting and disconnecting. This prevents ugly pops and bangs from going through your system with possible negative results.

XLR INTERCONNECT CABLES:

The XLR cables we use are also very low in capacitance. Actually the XLR cable we are currently using is in fact low noise balanced microphone cable with 100% shield coverage against RF. The advantage of Balanced XLR cables is that they have a noise canceling effect know as 'common mode noise reduction'. This helps prevent noise and hum from affecting your system. With today's complexity of audio and video surround systems this is a big plus, so if you 'got em - use em'.

DIGITAL INTERCONNECT CABLES:

With 'Digital' interconnects things are a lot different. The wavelengths of digital signals are 'very short' (same for FM) so the lengths and terminations are much more critical than with the analogue signals previously discussed. When the wavelength of the signal the cable is used for approaches 1/30th of the length of the cable then transmission line effects start to appear and much more attention has to be paid to the connection and termination. If not, then reflections and cancellation of data is a real possibility. For instance the AES/EBU digital connection on the back of the Bryston SP1 should be used with a cable having an impedance of 110 ohms.

VIDEO CABLES:

Video cables also operate at very high frequencies - typically 5-6 MHz for Composite and S-Video and 8-30 MHz for Component Video depending on the scan rate and resolution. So again understanding the wavelengths of the signals and interfaces involved is important.

SPEAKER CABLES:

The Amplifier/Speaker interface is a 'low impedance' connection. Therefore, in a speaker cable you are looking for low 'self inductance' (because inductance rolls off the top end) as opposed to 'low capacitance' required in the RCA or XLR analogue interconnect. For speaker cables we use a stranded 9 gauge linear crystal copper with 'Heavily Gold plated' Spade lugs or Expandable Banana plugs specially made for Bryston.

A/C POWER CABLES:

When you plug your power cord into the wall outlet you are in 'SERIES' with all the wire on the other side of the wall all the way back to the power source. The small length of power cord from the wall to the amp is insignificant compared to the miles of wire it is connected to. As long as the power cord can deliver the current and voltage required to drive the amplifier to full power it is as good as it can get.

There are 4 basic things to remember about these issues:

1. The connection should be of similar metals (preferably gold) and be airtight. If not airtight it will break down molecularly over time and begin to rectify or produce a diode effect on the signal.


2. With all the RF floating around today the better the 'Shield' on the interconnect the less intrusive the RF will be.


3. The connection between your analogue Source components (Preamplifier, CD Player, Tuner, DVD Player etc.) is a 'High Impedance' connection and the interface between your power amplifier and your speakers is a 'Low Impedance' connection. So, the requirements are totally different for optimizing these interfaces.


4. Digital and Video cables are much more susceptible to reflection/phase/cancellation problems because of their short wavelengths relative to cable length.

As you can see from the above, it's no surprise that people hear differences in cables when connected to the variety of equipment in the market today. Given the differences in input and output impedance's between transistor and tube gear, the lack of understanding of the high impedance and low impedance interfaces, the world of RF, and the digital/video connection issues, its no wonder we have these differences of opinion.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

I highly recommend keeping the speaker wires as short as possible and utilizing XLR balanced lines if available. Given the choice of long interconnects and short speaker leads or short interconnects and long speaker leads - choose long interconnects (preferably Balanced) and short speaker leads. With digital and video cables finding the sending and termination requirements is very important due to the very short wavelengths relative to cable lengths involved. The cables Bryston recommends represent a scientific approach to these issues and are the cables we use in all our professional studio installations. All of these cables are available in "Other Products" and "Cables".

The BDA-1 uses 24-bit Crystal DACs while the BDA-2 uses 32-bit AKM DACs. The DACs that are available today are within a hairs breath of equality when it comes to performance. How they are implemented is the important part.

We have found that independent power supplies for the analog and digital stages, independent circuit routing for analog and digital sections, fully discrete analog output stages, and transformer coupled inputs have much more to do with pushing the performance envelope of digital audio rather than the specific DAC chosen.

Speakers carry a 10 year warranty.

Because of the excellent dispersion the Model T is suitable in rooms as small as 13'x17'x8' and as large as 25'x36'x10' with good results.

Given the high efficiency (91dB anechoic) the model T can be driven with moderate power and various types of amplifiers (transistor, Class D, Tubes etc.) Power amplifiers between 100 to 900 watts can be employed depending on room size and listening levels required. The Model T has a benign impedance curve as well so nothing exotic is required.

First and foremost we wanted to build an accurate loudspeaker, not a piece of furniture (not that there’s anything wrong with that). We also wanted to offer our customers an accurate product incorporating state of the art technology at the most competitive price possible. Vinyls are quite cosmetically exceptional and it is tough to tell the difference between real woods and vinyl. An added bonus is that vinyl will typically wear better over time and deal better with spills, etc.

If you want real wood veneers or exotic finishes we can do it at additional cost but it does not provide better performance than the base models. Please contact us for a quote.

Outriggers are optional, the speakers comes standard with spikes and furniture feet.

James Tanner (Vice President of Bryston Sales and Marketing) had known Ian Colquhoun (owner of Axiom) casually for years. Their relationship stretched back to the days of Floyd Toole and the National Research council in Ottawa, where most of the Canadian companies got their start developing their philosophies of speaker design.

James Tanner (Vice President of Bryston Sales and Marketing) was aware that speaker engineer Andrew Welker had moved to Axiom after Canadian speaker company API was purchased. He contacted both Andrew Welker and Ian Colquhoun (owner of Axiom) to see if they would be interested in building a reference loudspeaker for James' personal use to evaluate Bryston electronics. James was aware that Axiom was one of the few companies with an anechoic chamber on site and had sophisticated equipment capable of facilitating complex speaker measurement techniques.

James' initial request was for a fully Active system with no performance compromises. He and Axiom then spent almost 2 years with a variety of versions until James was happy with the results, installing a finished Active system in his personal sound room. Long story short - distributors, dealers and friends heard them and convinced James to offer them commercially. Given the complexity of Active systems we set about to develop Passive versions of the Model T which came very close to the performance level of the Active version.

At that point the project just took on a life of its own as our dealers and distributors said they wanted Centers and Surrounds and Subs to match – so here we are with a complete line of Bryston loudspeakers available to our customers and a way to acquire ‘Predictable Performance' for Bryston customers all the way from the source to the speaker.

The cabinet has a 1.5 inch thick front baffle, a vertical brace from top to bottom in the centre of the cabinet, and 12 interlocking braces front and back of the vertical brace. All the braces are uniquely spaced so as to have no dominant resonance mode.

The woofers use a ceramic-coated composite aluminium cone, large diameter voice coil on a high temperature fibreglass former, die cast aluminium frames, and FEA optimized motor system.

The midranges use a ceramic-coated composite aluminium cone, die cast aluminium frames, and FEA optimized motor system.

The tweeters use a 1 inch pure titanium dome, Ferro-fluid damping/cooling, temperature stable ferrite magnets, and FEA optimized motor system.

The dominant advantage to multiple drivers is the increased power handling and sheer SPL achievable before compression occurs; this is a big deal as even at modest levels the dynamic peaks can be very demanding. There is also an advantage that can be achieved in the soundstage presentation if the design is done carefully. The disadvantage would be it is much more complex to design as the interaction between all the drivers means many more on and off axis listening window and power response curves need to be looked at and worked with.

The crossover points for the Model T are 160 Hz and 2.3 kHz. All of the components used have been carefully selected for ultra-low distortion and the high power handling requirements of the Model T. The Model T Signature provides an outboard ‘Passive’ crossover to allow for tri-wiring applications as well as an easy transition to a fully Active system using an external active crossover in the future.

Yes, all the crossovers are built in house.

The air in a port is travelling faster in the center, relative to the sides due to friction. All ports have some level of noise. The concave/convex port walls add surface area to the port wall, thereby minimizing friction thereby reducing port noise. The ports also have curved edges at both the entrance and exit of the port, further reducing port noise.

One of the limitations of an anechoic chamber comes from measuring very low frequencies. Even very large anechoic chambers have limited accuracy below approximately 85 Hz. In order to obtain completely accurate measurements of the very long sound waves that come from low notes, we utilize a 90 foot tower upon which we hoist subwoofer prototypes. To obtain 4-pi 360-degree measurements, the tower must be used in early morning or evening, when the wind is still.

We could bury the subwoofer in the ground and get a true 2-pi measurement or we could use the more widely utilized gated near-field technique. However, we don’t because we ‘have the ability’ to make a true 4-pi measurement. It is the 'purest' and most direct and correct way. It is also very consistent, something that cannot be said for ground plane or near-field methods, unless an identical environment is used and the subwoofer position is not changed.

We also need this 4-pi ability to make the appropriate low frequency correction curves for our anechoic chamber and this must be done for each subwoofer model. Finally, near-field computer techniques are fine for response at low volume levels, but impossible when trying to characterize subwoofer performance at high levels. It’s simply a matter of microphone overload levels when measuring near-field. We also use the tower to confirm the low frequency response of our larger speakers like the Model T and Middle T.

The new SP3 maintains the superiority of discrete analog class A circuits while taking advantage of the ‘software control’ is in our new digitally controlled volume. The digitally controlled volume utilizes a resistance network on a chip. This technology, in reference to the signal path, is still implemented in the analog mode. It offers many advantages, for instance perfect channel balance, a simple integrated balance adjustment without additional parts, practically zero adjustment noises, first class behaviour in reference to noise and distortion, as well as adjustment via software.

The new SP3 maintains the superiority of discrete analog class A circuits while taking advantage of the ‘software control’ is in our new digitally controlled volume. The digitally controlled volume utilizes a resistance network on a chip. This technology, in reference to the signal path, is still implemented in the analog mode. It offers many advantages, for instance perfect channel balance, a simple integrated balance adjustment without additional parts, practically zero adjustment noises, first class behaviour in reference to noise and distortion, as well as adjustment via software.

The 7B SST² has eight 10,000uF capacitors per module, for a total of 160,000uF per channel. The 14B has four 22,000uF capacitors per channel, for a total of 88,000uF per channel.