solid build, awesome control and beautifull tonal purity. Unbeatable 20year transferable warranty

none.

These amps are exactly what the doctor ordered for my Magnepan 3.5r's. Huge soundstage both in width and depth, the speakers' bass extends much deeper than before and there are details that I have never heard before in familiar recordings. At over 1000 watts into the Maggie's 4 ohm load, these amps really make inneficient/hard to drive speakers sing.

Now my gripe, why do people like this Lester character who posted prior to me write so much complete crap about an excellent product that they obviously have never even heard? It brings down the score of a very reputable product in a false manner. The fact that these rediculous posts are allowed to remain here falsely dragging down the scores of good equipment makes me want to look elsewhere for information about hi-fi gear.

Similar Products Used:

Sonic Frontiers, Conrad Johnson, Quicksilver, Pass Labs, Audio Research, Gryphon...........

I would agree that the Bryston 7BST's were a bit bright, listened to with ML No.39 direct into power amps and Dynaudio 3.3s. We tried inserting an ATC pre-amp which helped to reduce the brightness but also reduced the presence and impact. Overall, clarity is brilliant and bass drive/rhythm superb. Doesn't do it for me though - but then I do prefer tubes.

I put together a new system within the past year, from top to bottom, and the Bryston 7B's stand as the most remarkable pieces in my whole system. Offering the sound quality of the most expensive amps on the market for a very reasonable price. I moved up from a Hafler 9505 and the difference was staggering. As others have said, the dynamics are superb. I also love the Brystons ability to accurately reproduce what they're fed, which is what great amps should do. Any change in source gear is easily discernable through the 7B's. Bass is very tight, ultra-fast and deep. Mids are excellent, in particular when the 7B's are driven by a good tube preamp. My Melos SHA-Gold Reference seemed to warm things up. Highs are very airy and have a crystal clear quality to them. Build quality is excellent and you can't beat the 20 yr. warranty. Plus, the people at Bryston are great to talk to. I've called a couple times with questions and they were fabulous. I intend to keep these for a long time!!
Hales Revelation 3's
Melos SHA-Gold Reference
Bryston 7B-ST's
Harmonic Technology Cables and Interconnects
Rotel RCD-991
Yamaha TX-950 tuner
Monster Power HTS-3000 Line Conditioner

power to run any loudspeakers, cool operation, user friendly weight, superb build quality, detailed, neutral, transparent, very good bass control, understated good looks, 20-year warranty

the binding posts are not very (spade) user-friendly, cable re-termination will probably be required

These amps are the end of the line for me. The strengths listed above say it all. The Aragon 4004 mkII I used for several years is no slouch but the Bryston 7Bs are clearly superior in all sonic categories. I auditioned the heavy iron from Krell and Levinson but the weight and thermal baggage are not sonically justified in my opinion. Did I mention the Bryston 20-year warranty...WOW!

Other equipment used with the 7Bs:
Krell KRC-3
Levinson no. 36 DAC
PS Audio Lambda CD drive
Dunlavy SC4-A loudspeakers
Audio Truth Emerald balanced interconnects
Audio Truth Forest DBW speaker cables

Similar Products Used:

Aragon 4004 mkII

One of the best bass amplifiers!

None

I have just hooked a pair of these up for a customer,in a bi-amp setup,and they are being used on the bass,and find them to be one of the best bass amplifiers made today,tight airy,drive.They never breath hard.A great amp.20 year warranty,buy a pair and be happy.
http://www.greshaudio.com

Similar Products Used:

Many various brands

power - warranty- good building- astronomic value- delicate when needs -

poor very poor back pannel

the bryston monoblock sonds great whith all kind of music trough my proac 3.8 is not only a muscle kind of amp is also delicate and he has a big sense of space.
soundstage is very good and compared whith more expansive gear the value is double of the price.
not so good the rear pannel whit very poor switch.
But maybe is in Briston pholosophy.........

Similar Products Used:

classe plinius carver

Lots of jam, 20 year warranty, Canadian quality, Awesome on female vocal, They break in the amplifiers for 100 hours before you recieve it.

zero

Finally broke down and have my dream system (electronics, still working on speaker upgrades) 3 Bryston 7b's on the front end L/C/R and a 4b on the surrounds. Lexicon DC-2 on the way, currently using of all things a Pioneer VSX-D906 reciever as my preamp (no DTS) works surprisingly well, the sound quality is very impressive. To all you audio sales people go out tommorrow and purchase the following: Alison Krauss + Union Station's new CD titled New Favorite use tracks 13, 10, and 3 and I'll bet you speaker sales will go through the roof, this lady should replace Diana Krall as the demo queen. I currently use the new PSB Stratus Golds on the front end and the imaging and vocal clarity is superb (for the dough) Would like to go will B&W Nautilus 802 but need to build the bank account back up. I don't believe there is a better all around amplifier on the planet, you can spend many times as much and still not get the same quaility of sound. I will update this review when I recieve my DC-2 (about 1 week) Enjoy my CD recommendation Her voice is magical!!

Similar Products Used:

Too many to mention used to be in the biz.

The 7Bs offer incredible performance, and value, without any of the associated sacrifices 'value' may imply. I have had my 7Bs now for a little over two weeks (they have been running almost continuously).
Definitely solid state, and not shy in the midrange, or treble. But the midrange and treble of the 7Bs is not relentless, harsh, grainy, or gritty either. Its just very clear, well defined and balanced, and superbly detailed, with no distortion artifacts.

The bass is powerful, fast, and well defined. I couldn't want for more.

The sheer dynamic contrasts between soft and loud that the 7Bs are capable of is startling. These amps will not congest, distort, or change tonal character as the volume rises or when there are major dynamic peaks in the program material. All of this comes across as both very natural and effortless, but exciting at the same time.

The 7Bs are extended at the frequency extremes, and are well balanced tonally across the frequency spectrum. I imagine they work best in a system with quality, neutral components. Any tendency toward brightness, or hardness will be exacerbated.

The 7Bs now shipping have only one set of speaker binding posts which allows series and parallel modes to be changed easily. Parallel mode seems to offer better dynamics and a more focused, deeper soundstage, but is also a bit hard and bright until the 7Bs have had a chance to burn in. Series mode provides a larger soundstage, is a little more forward, and its presentation is smoother with softer highs. Series mode also picks up alittle more ambiance as well, but overall I prefer listening to parallel mode.

Build is very solid and professional looking. They are not huge, so they will fit in any normal cabinet or shelf, and they don't produce a lot of heat either.

Associated Equipment:

Meridian 561 (performs all D/A conversion)
Meridian 508.24
Sony DVP S7700
Byrston 7Bs and 5B ST
B&W Matrix 802s/HTM/805s
Transparent Ultra Interconnects and Cable
Illuminations D-60s

Dynamics, sweet high frequencies, big strong bass, pace, speed, pricing, warranty, support services, & brand name identification.

Reputation for a bright forward sound of previous models (old series).

Just looking at the strengths and weaknesses that I have noted is going to tip you off. I LIKE THIS AMPLIFIER!!!

Let's look at the system reviewed:

· EAD Ovation Pre/Pro (all digital conversions)
· Various CD players
· Pioneer DVD player
· Toshiba VCR
· B&W Nautilus 802s (mains)
· B&W Nautilus 805s (surrounds)
· B&W Nautilus HTM1 (centre)
· Paradigm Reference 15 Subwoofer
· RSC Tara Labs cable throughout

I recently upgraded from Krell & Totem Mani II's to the system listed above. I wanted to expand the soundstage, improve overall sound quality and enjoy a truly dynamic home theatre. I first auditioned speakers including: Aerial 10Ts, Snell XP series, Dunlavy 4As, Utopias and PMC. I took months to find the "right" speaker. Once set on the speakers I auditioned amplifiers, the list mentioned above being only the ones I can remember easily. When the 7Bs were installed I knew they were the ones immediately!

The 7B mono bloc were one of the few amps that can drive the 802s with any authority. You need to understand that the B&W Nautilus 802s are true monitor speakers. They will reproduce any signal without coloration. This is good and bad. Good if you have great sources fed by similar quality power and recordings. Bad if there is any weak link in the audio chain. Any change in amplification, cables, sources or recording labs; bingo, the B&W will reveal the changes for good or ...

I first heard the 802s with a Passion 1000 amp. That amp is one sweet piece. It was that amp that helped make the decision easier to choose the B&W line-up in the first place. However it is expensive. The highs were wonderfully sweet and palpable, however, it did not provide the dynamics that I was looking for. Read that comment as the transition from soft passages to loud dynamic passages in music were not as well defined and lacked the impact I was seeking.

The Tact amp was neat, being a digital device, however, that meant my system was going to have to reconvert the signal too many times. The sound was rather crisp and bright which did not please me at all. The Classe amplifiers are a fine Canadian competitor of Bryston. Their product is well designed and solid sounding. I am impressed with their line-up. However, with my choice of speaker, the Classe didn't have a chance. The sound was a bit dark and the rhythm a tad too slow for my tastes. I like a fast responding amp which doesn't get "lost" in the multiple layers of sound found in full orchestral recordings. Many amps lack this ability, to follow the layers of different instruments and faithfully reproduce them accurately. The X5 was my first experience with Pass Labs products. The amp is a multi (5) channel device designed for HT. It was not nearly enough power or current for the B&Ws. I then tried bi-amping it with the Bryston 7Bs. Much better, but the top end was veiled a bit. There was a distinct loss of dynamics also. Further along my audio journey I tried Krell Industries.

The Krells had the drive but the upper end high frequencies were a little "dry" for my taste. This is coming from a Krell junkie that was thoroughly comfortable with the Krell amp driving Mani II speakers for several years. There were plenty of dynamics, lots of bass and obviously high current demonstrated by tight bass and super transients. I decided that the Krell would be the way to go. At the last minute so to speak I was in a local dealer's store who suggested the Bryston line, specifically the 7B. I thought it was worth a look since I had heard good things about the 7 B.

I inserted two 7Bs into the system and powered them up, turned on the CD player and before I could even sit down to listen in my favorite arm chair I was "in love." The sound emanating from my system was distinctly different and BETTER! I said to my wife, who is an accomplished singer and lover of music, however, not the least bit interested in audio equipment, "this is it!" She responded; "wow that really sounds like we are there!"

The Brystons simply took the "Nautili" to another level of performance over the Krell. The dryness I was about to accept in the Krell amplifier was gone! It was replaced with a sweet, clear, distinct, and articulate top end. The human voice of singers such as Diana Krall and Barbara Streisand were wonderfully reproduced. I immediately began listening to performers such as Krall, Streisand, Ray Brown Trio, Tina Turner, Elton John, Rolling Stones, and large orchestral pieces that I have heard live. The Brystons gave me the whole enchilada! All were faithfully reproduced right down to the "nth." degree. The sound was unbelievably true. Deep, deep bass that was tight and fast. The bass was not bloaty or over done, but quick and bold. The mid range was a delight. The voicing was superb. I was mystified at the reality of this most important frequency. The B&Ws were of course a significant component in creating my nirvana, however, the Brystons were clearly "driving" the train! The high frequencies emanating from the tweeter was sweet, fast and not at all fatiguing. I didn't know digital could sound so great. It was sweet, not rolled off, but clear as Canadian winter day. A veil had been lifted from my system. It was like a clear, cold sun filled morning in early January on the prairies. No brightness. No digital fatigue. No wearisome bloated bass. No muddied mid range. No electronic glare. No worries!

On a more professional note, I made the following observations. The entire bass range was definitely tightly controlled and fast. No muddiness here. The detailing and timing were superb. This is not a subtle amplifier. It's dynamics are absolutely superb. The definition between soft and loud or large passages is incredible. The amp still wakes me up at times. I can be listening to a recording or a movie and be totally startled by the dynamics of this amplifier. The sound of an instrument coming out of the totally black background often alarms me. This amp is silent and it paints a perfect noiseless background or canvas from which to paint a musical masterpiece. The sound staging is immense. Spatial and image definition is surprisingly good as well. The infrastructure of music was accurate as well. One would not mistake this amp for a 50 watt tube type, but in all honesty, this amp sounds sweet enough to be a "tubey." The music played had a personality. It was sweet, palpable and properly voiced. I could easily hear Diana Krall part her lips to sing the next line. Ray Brown's breathing during his performance was notable.

The true test of fine equipment is comparison to live performance. No the 7b will not replicate a live performance 100%, but it will transport the listener to another world that certainly is akin to live performance. I carefully compared performers that I have heard live and know well to recordings using the 7B et al. I am impressed. The amp has what it takes. It has a unique ability to sound like a tube amp in the top end and a big boomer in the basement. The sound is not colored at all, or if it is, it is so unmeasurable my ear did not pick it up.

I didn't mention the overall build of these things. Wow, talk about over built. They must have 25 screws just on the top plate alone. Each one is counter sunk as well. Knock on the side or top off this baby and you will injure your knuckles,. No wonder they are engineered and warranted for twenty years. I ordered the silver front 7bs and was impressed with the new finish. It is well done and matches my EAD Ovation quite well. The choice of play back via a number of switches on the back of the amp is amazing. One can go high voltage for hard to drive speakers or switch in series for lower ohm requirements. There is a choice between balanced outputs or RCA connectors. There is even a ground loop switch which I found necessary to eliminate 60 Hz. hum. This amp is well designed, reliable and solid as a house.

A true measurement of success for me is; can you get lost in the music and not spend all your time analyzing the sound? With this combination I am repeatedly lost. The breadth of the sound staging, overwhelming dynamics, sweet, sweet highs, deep controlled bass, unrestrained rhythm, drive and an uncanny ability to transport the listener to "live" has sold me. I am going to purchase two more 7 Bs to biamp my 802s and have a fifth 7B for the centre channel.

Similar Products Used:

Pass Labs
Classe
Krell
YBA Passion
ATI
Naim