I've read a great deal about how Bryston gets things right and it's almost unanimous. With my Bryston CD player and now the 4B Cubed, I'm singing in that same choir. I'm fond of the sound that my Focal speakers produce, but I'd love to hear what Bryston has to offer. My gut tells me that I wouldn't go wrong adding Bryston anywhere in my audio playback line-up. Great to hear from you slimpikins5!
Finally took the Bryston 4B Cubed plunge
Back in January, I solicited folks on the forum for input on the Bryston 4B cubed amp. I was kicking around the idea of replacing my Parasound A21 amp. After dealing with poor health for the past few months, I finally did it! My take on the Bryston is: it's a keeper. It is a better sounding amp than my A21, but by only a very small margin. The Bryston gives the feel of being in a concert hall. An extremely full sounding amp with great detail and there's more emphasis on instrument placement than I've experienced before. The bass doesn't suffer at all either, very tight and clear. In comparison only to the two amps I'm discussing, if the Bryston were a "10", the Parasound would be a close "9". If I were to improve on my system (God forbid, I already have $35K into it), the 4B cubed would definitely be driving it. A premium solid state amp.
To all the the forum members that were willing to guide me with their opinions, I give a heartfelt thanks. My previous posts (inquiries) were met with sincerity and am grateful that none of the discussion went off the rails. A few members contacted me personally, some I couldn't respond to. I didn't try to ignore anyone, there's simply a downside to old age and a weak heart.
To all the the forum members that were willing to guide me with their opinions, I give a heartfelt thanks. My previous posts (inquiries) were met with sincerity and am grateful that none of the discussion went off the rails. A few members contacted me personally, some I couldn't respond to. I didn't try to ignore anyone, there's simply a downside to old age and a weak heart.
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- 89 posts total
I have listened to a variety of speakers. Hours upon hours before I purchased a pair of SVS Ultra Towers due to the price point. But when I had the SVS Ultra's set up next to a pair of Bryston Middle T's, I was longing for the Bryston's, there was no comparison. I ended up getting a pair of Middle T's lent to me on in home demo; the dealer never got back to me with a reasonable offer on them, so I returned the Middle T's. However I had the opportunity to use them at length in my own 9000 cubic foot space against my SVS's and I just had to have a pair of Brystons. I ended up finding a hell of a deal on a used pair of the full sized Model T's, I had not ever heard them, but if the Middle T's were this good, the Model T's just had to be that much better. When they arrived, I was able to play them side by side to the Middle T's, not three songs played and I knew that I made the right choice. If you like the Middles, you'll absolutely LOVE the Model T. These speakers are amazing and gorgeous to look at. |
Late to the party, but I’m currently reviewing the 4B3, so thought I’d chime in. Initially, I found the sound with the BP-17 Cubed preamp to be underwhelming. It lacked resolution and was rather dull and lifeless. How much of this was the pre vs. the amp I’m not sure, but thankfully with a LOT of burn-in, it improves immensely. Now I can say that the 4B3 is a quite excellent amp - powerful, neutral and smooth with terrific bass. It’s not quite at the level of the really high-end stuff I’ve heard (Ayre, Pass, Chord, etc.) - those brands have a bit more resolution, sense of space, inner dynamics, harmonic completeness and sweetness - but you need a pretty high-resolution system and picky ears to notice it. On the other hand, I think it’s easily more neutral and musically accurate than a high-end Naim stack I’ve heard. Anyway, my point is, if you think the 4B3 sounds a little uninvolving, make sure you’re listening to a unit that’s fully run in. I’m at least 200 hours in and I’m pretty sure it’s still improving. Given the warranty, bullet-proof build and features, and considering the stupid amount of money you can spend on gear these days, it’s an excellent value. BTW the BP-17 pre is MUCH more transparent than past efforts, no doubt because it appears to be (and sounds) direct coupled. All the older models (even the BP-26) used bipolar electrolytic coupling caps in the signal path which killed any chance of them being really transparent. I’ve compared the BP-17 to no preamp at all and it is quite excellent, with great dynamics and bass and only the tiniest hint of upper midrange/treble glare. Some more thoughts here: http://taww.co/post/175557320172/top-10-impressions-bryston-4b-cubed-bp-17-cubed Cheers, TAWW |
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