The high end never sounded so good
Pros:
The sound and build quality are second to none.
Cons:
Very expensive
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
Bryston The amplifier built like a tank! If the 20 year warranty does not give you an idea of the build quality then just pick one up and its weight will convince you. Everything about this amplifier oozes quality of construction and attention to detail. The industrial look of the 7B ST is different from many of its rounder edged competition. The 7B looks like it means business with its rack mount and oversized handles. Sound quality aside, this amplifier will be a solid purchase that will last forever. If something goes wrong in the next 20 years then Bryston will fix it promptly. You cant ask for much more from a company.
Now on to what really matters
sound quality! The thing may be built like a tank, but if it does not perform then you just have a heavy, expensive, industrial looking piece of junk on your rack. I will come right out and say that it does not disappoint in the sound quality department. Before I get further into the sound quality, I will go over what I auditioned. As with all of my comparisons, all listening is done with MY system in MY listening room. You need to audition equipment in your setup to see what works for you. These are the amplifiers that I auditioned with the Bryston 7B ST:
Harmon/Kardon Signature series
McCormick Audio DNA 1
Proceed Amp 2
Krell KAV 300I
Yamaha 2090 (Dont laugh, I had it in another system)
I will give a recap of the others before I get to the 7B. The Yamaha as you can imagine is out classed buy the competition. It is (was) a very good receiver but it is no comparison in any category. The H/K (Harmon/Kardon Signature series) amp was unimpressive although it looked very cool. It has a brushed metal face and an eerie blue light with the H/K logo on the front. Sound quality was a disappointment to say the least. It had a harsh sound and was soft in the bass department. The McCormick was like butter. Super smooth and silky with just an ever so slight hint of grain somewhere in the treble. I like the McCormick but I prefer the Krell and Bryston in my setup. The Proceed had a dark sweet sound to it but I did not find it as open as the Krell or Bryston. The Krell is one great little amp. The 300I is an integrated amp that is tiny compared to the others. It only has 150 watts per channel while the Bryston has a whopping 500 WPC. How then did this become my second favorite you ask? Simple, sound quality! The Krell excels at precise imaging, low end slam, and great sound. I ultimately preferred the Brystons because the Krell paired with my NHT 3.3's made the upper treble a little harsh.
OK, thats great
but how do the Brystons sound?
The Pair of Bryston 7B STs make my NHT 3.3s sing. The midrange is accurate and lacks any hint of grain or harsh sound whatsoever. The amplifier produces the fastest and most controlled bass of all the competition. Many amplifiers have a solid bottom end but do not preserve the speed and tempo, this makes the recordings sound muddy. The 500 watts per channel may help quite a bit with this aspect of the sound quality. The imaging of the 7Bs are simply superb! Complex recordings are handled with ease. Recordings using Q-sound (I believe that is the name) like Roger Waters Amused to Death never sounded so good. Pick this disk up if you have a quality 2-channel system and want to hear some neat things with imaging. You will want to throw all of your home theater stuff in the trash. The soundstage is equally impressive. It is huge deep and precise, just the way it should be. This amplifier has the whole package! For those that care, it is a Stereophile class A recommended component. The amplifier also does very well at driving speakers with low ohm loads because it can operate in parallel (current) or series (voltage) mode. Highly Recommended!!
This amplifier is obviously not for everyone. In fact it is hardly for anyone due to its steep price. This amplifier is only one channel, which means that you have to buy at least two of these bad boys. The entry price of $5000 will keep many from owning this amazing amplifier. Even with the steep price, Bryston manages to sell quite a few of these every year due to the sound quality it is capable of producing. With that said I would not hesitate to recommend this to an audiophile/enthusiast.
For reference purposes, I have included the auditioning equipment.
Proceed AVP preamp & DAC
2 Bryston 7B ST main ch. Amp
1 Bryston 8B ST center/surround AMP
Pioneer Elite Laser Disk
Pioneer Elite DV-05 DVD
NHT 3.3 main speakers
NHT AC-1 center
Velodyne FSR-18 sub
Cables by Wireworld
