Toronto Audio Show

[James Tanner - Bryston]

I've mentioned the fine sound from a stand mounted three-way Bryston speaker (MINI T) in The Inner Ear room that put together a very fine sounding system for $10,000.

Now I had to make good on my vow not to short change them this year by visiting the large display in the Kensington room. Stevie Ray Vaughn playing Tin Pan Alley was being revisited and sounded very fine coming through the vinyl clad Model T floorstanders ($6495) driven by 28BSST2 monoblocks ($9600 ea.).

At the bottom of the rack was the BIT20 ($3000) that provides AC filtration and surge suppression to 10 medical grade duplex outlets. Above that was the fully balanced BP26 Reference preamp (2995) with RCA and XLR inputs. There is an optional DAC, MM or MC phonostage version available that work with a separate MPS-2 PSU power supply and optional remote, so you can have it your way. I noted a headphone jack, mono/stereo switch and a polarity inversion switch on the preamp, making it a very complete unit. And on top was their Digital Player along with their MDA-2 DAC. (In black, atop that, was their BDP-1 Digital Player presumably for comparison.)

In speaking with James Tanner of Bryston, he explained that the Model T speaker is available in a passive unit where the crossover is internal to the box and the Model T Signature with an external crossover. Ultimately they will have an outboard electronic crossover that will allow tri-amp'ing. The speakers all began when he collaborated with a speaker building colleague to build an active reference speaker for himself. But it was a very complex speaker when it was realized, so they simplified it into a passive design. In showing it around, it won great acceptance, but dealers demanded a center, surrounds and a sub to go with it. Consequently,

Bryston is now in the speaker business and sounding very good at reasonable prices, I might add.

They are in the enviable position of working with another speaker company so they do not have to re-invent the wheel, as in building a new facility as James said. This allows them to keep the cost down and offer better value. Down the road the T series will become wood veneer with vinyl by special order and a new A Series will be vinyl with wood by special order. It's going to be fun to watch them grow in this direction in the coming years.

Rick Becker
Enjoy The Music.com