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Old Bryston 2B-LP
- Thread starter svtcontour
- Start date
I never heard bright sounding but work horses they are. Compared to Carver and others of the day Bryson’s were the best.
Murphonics
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This is my favorite amplifier of all time. I own 4 of them and just bought a 5th to use 9 channels for my Dolby Atmos theater. I’ve acquired pieces from eBay and have recapped a couple of them. They are VERY musical. Used with ribbon tweeters, it has one of the most musical, comfortable high end sounds I’ve ever heard.
I’m curious. The latest one I found on eBay has TRS inputs only (no XLR), so it’s not a 2b-LP PRO. It also has gain adjustments on back (never seen that before) and a CLIPPING ADVISOR port, looks like a VGA, on the back. The model number has CAE at the end instead of PRO. Anyone know what’s going on there? I ordered it but haven’t received it yet. I thought I knew everything about this amp, but this is different.
MAB
Major Contributor
I have some 2B-LP Pro, as well as 3B, 4B, 7B Pro. As you say, they have variable gain. Also, they are awesome amps.
According to James Tanner of Bryston:
So looks like your eBay item was from a Canadian flight-simulator. I would hit the BuyItNow button if the price is right...
Murphonics
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That’s excellent! I’m excited. Already hit BuyNow and got it for 550 including shipping. A steal! Allegedly perfect working condition. I’ll report back. Thanks so much for the fast response! AND the word from James Tanner. Great news.I have some 2B-LP Pro, as well as 3B, 4B, 7B Pro. As you say, they have variable gain. Also, they are awesome amps.
According to James Tanner of Bryston:
So looks like your eBay item was from a Canadian flight-simulator. I would hit the BuyItNow button if the price is right...
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Enjoy your Bryston! I have a 4B-ST and a B100–SST that are likely to be the last amps I’ll own.
jperel
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I bought 2 years ago an old 2B which was not in good shape (but quite cheap, knowing it was not working).
Inside it's worse:
Naturally, the culprit is the X2 cap. Exploded as usual.
A thoroughly cleaning, replacing the few capacitors (not many at all, filtering caps were slightly out of range), new grease on the transistors, taking out the pots on the faceplate (one wasn't working and I don't need them anyway), picture of the PCBs during progression:
Happy to share my winter workplace... (and the expresso cup)
After a full refurbishing, here it is :
Almost new.
Most important, how does it sound?
Well, it was kind of a shock to me. Here in France, Bryston is not very known. Good reputation but individuals seem to prefer more fashionable US amps, or UK (or French?) to the Canadian brand. Classe Audio, the other famous Canadian brand is probably better known. But concerning Bryston, it may be different in professional studios and like.
First time I plugged it was on my Apogee Duetta speakers. It replaced (for a listening session) the Levinson ML-9 which is usually in place. 50W vs 250W. 10kg vs 30. What I'd say is that it was good, very good. Of course, the small clipping red led came quickly when I was listening loud (as I like to play loud). But at a reasonable level, it shined like a clean and polished diamond. Dry and tout bass, clear medium with body, sparkling and delicate highs... Everything was there, with a balanced and immediate sense of pace, with an impeccable placement of instruments.
Duetta are not easy speakers to drive, with their unusually low efficiency (80dB if I recall). The baby Bryston didn't handle the power demand all the way, of course. But as long as it stays under clipping, I would say they do as well as the Levinson. I sometimes plug another 50W amp on the Duettas, a Cello Encore. I could make a comparison for a short period of time between the Cello and the Bryston, which turns in favor of the first one. The Encore amp is more delicate and transparent, more "real", the Bryston is not exactly in the same league then the baby Cello (I'd say that no amp plays in the same league than Cello, but I'm partial).
Anyway, 50W is not enough for these speakers, whether the watts (and Amperes) come from the Bryston or from the Cello. So now I'm looking for a 4B if I can find a cheap one to fix (my favorite hobby), sure enough it can be as good as any known large amp. The quality of Bryston manufacturing is top notch, very repairable. And when you ask them a question, they kindly and professionnaly and quickly answer. Even when you're way out of the 20 years guaranty period...
I bought the 2B to repair it, thinking I would sell it sometimes later. I won't do that.
I love my 2B.
My 2 cents.
Inside it's worse:
Naturally, the culprit is the X2 cap. Exploded as usual.
A thoroughly cleaning, replacing the few capacitors (not many at all, filtering caps were slightly out of range), new grease on the transistors, taking out the pots on the faceplate (one wasn't working and I don't need them anyway), picture of the PCBs during progression:
Happy to share my winter workplace... (and the expresso cup)
After a full refurbishing, here it is :
Almost new.
Most important, how does it sound?
Well, it was kind of a shock to me. Here in France, Bryston is not very known. Good reputation but individuals seem to prefer more fashionable US amps, or UK (or French?) to the Canadian brand. Classe Audio, the other famous Canadian brand is probably better known. But concerning Bryston, it may be different in professional studios and like.
First time I plugged it was on my Apogee Duetta speakers. It replaced (for a listening session) the Levinson ML-9 which is usually in place. 50W vs 250W. 10kg vs 30. What I'd say is that it was good, very good. Of course, the small clipping red led came quickly when I was listening loud (as I like to play loud). But at a reasonable level, it shined like a clean and polished diamond. Dry and tout bass, clear medium with body, sparkling and delicate highs... Everything was there, with a balanced and immediate sense of pace, with an impeccable placement of instruments.
Duetta are not easy speakers to drive, with their unusually low efficiency (80dB if I recall). The baby Bryston didn't handle the power demand all the way, of course. But as long as it stays under clipping, I would say they do as well as the Levinson. I sometimes plug another 50W amp on the Duettas, a Cello Encore. I could make a comparison for a short period of time between the Cello and the Bryston, which turns in favor of the first one. The Encore amp is more delicate and transparent, more "real", the Bryston is not exactly in the same league then the baby Cello (I'd say that no amp plays in the same league than Cello, but I'm partial).
Anyway, 50W is not enough for these speakers, whether the watts (and Amperes) come from the Bryston or from the Cello. So now I'm looking for a 4B if I can find a cheap one to fix (my favorite hobby), sure enough it can be as good as any known large amp. The quality of Bryston manufacturing is top notch, very repairable. And when you ask them a question, they kindly and professionnaly and quickly answer. Even when you're way out of the 20 years guaranty period...
I bought the 2B to repair it, thinking I would sell it sometimes later. I won't do that.
I love my 2B.
My 2 cents.
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Thank you, @MAB intrigued, can -85db/THD+N/8R be considered transparent? For consideration....
- ASR suggest >=95db/THD+N can be considered as Transparent (sufficiently so), is this correct?
- It has been suggested/indicated, re Masking (Effect), that if the Signal is 70db larger than Noise/THD that the Noise/THD will not be audible, is this correct? If yes, then this implys that the Signal/Contrast will not be (sufficiently/audiblely) affected/Masked by Noise/THD, doesn't it? Unfortunately, SNR is a ratio/% rather than db (difference, db is a Quantity/Measure, not Relative), isn't it?
- Consideration, for 20hz-20Khz, if SNR was SND (Signal to Noise Difference/db or SNDD (Signal to Noise/Distortion Difference/db, and the suggested/indicated Masking (Effect) is correct/reasonable, then SND/SNDD could indicate (a Type of) Transparentcy (>=70db), couldn't it?
- Consideration, for the old Bryston 2B LP, can -85db/THD+N/8R be considered Transparent (sufficiently so), with reference to the Signal to Noise/THD Difference (db Relationship)? The Impressions (perhaps a Repeatable Conclusion) are suggesting so, aren't they, but the (appropriate) Measure will confirm, won't it?
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