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QUEBEC AUDIO
BRYSTON 4B-ST AMPLIFIER
Bryston, the Ontario manufacturer has long been
showered with praise by sound professionals for its reliability;
they have become a legend. In the early 80's, I had the opportunity
to listen to a regular stereo system with the original 4B. In spite
of its evident sturdiness, as much mechanical as electronical, and
a respectable output power, there was only a hint of finesse missing
in this model to make it into the high end category.
While certain manufacturers change models periodically,
others rather change the version under the same basic name. The
4B's last version, ST, has been named in tribute to Stuart Taylor,
Bryston's head engineer.
First class quality
As soon as the 4B ST comes out of the box, the sturdy casing with
its "standard 19 inch" front board displays an impression
of solidity and quality. The black glints of the anodized aluminum
hide another wonder: the coming of age of the internal circuits.
Military material has a reason to be envious. It's sturdily built,
and made to last! Two big toroidal transformers and oversized supply
parts confirm the impression of quiet strength coming from the internal
"double mono" construction. Everything in the 4B ST has
been designed for surviving rock tours.
20 years warranty
January 1st 1990, Bryston puts into effect a remarkable warranty
program that covers all audio products that have been manufactured
and sold by them, no matter when, under the name Bryston. This
guarantee covers repairs, parts and labour, as well as return
delivery costs to the original owner or any subsequent owner.
This automatic warranty on all construction defects takes effect
on the date of manufacture and is good for 20 years! Are there
any manufacturers in the world, who are as sure of the quality
and durability of their products?
Social classes in high-fidelity? Amplifiers, even if they have a 20 year guarantee, built with
exacting standards to survive "Heavy Metal" tours do
not necessarily fit in for domestic use, especially if "Heavy
Metal" doesn't meet the buyer's preferences. We assume that
material reserved for high end product use, although more fragile,
gives us the right to a more refined sound reproduction, more
subtle and more defined. This is virtually a question of aristocracy;
did Stuart Taylor add a pint of "blue blood" to the
latest 4B's incarnation?
The best of the two worlds: listening
My usual system is to use representatives of the old American "aristocracy":
a pair of Mcintosh MC-30's, which have been rebuilt with the best
available components. This pair of old "freaks' usually subdues
all other amplifiers heard in my sound studio, especially those
with transistors, whatever their power. Only a Treshold in pure
class A could get close. Not only has the just unpacked 4B ST allowed
itself to make fun of them, but it has also, after a night spent
playing the eighth track of "Sheffield/XLO Test and Burn-in
CD" added insult to injury by introducing itself into what
was their reserved field: the precision of the image and fine definition
of the treble.
Everything that goes through the 4B ST is beautiful
to hear: the bass has an exemplary balance and firmness, and above
all is true. My "standard test" for the definition of
the bass is currently "Hotel California" by the Eagles
(Hell Freezes Over, track 6), whereas "The Long Ships"
by Enya (Watermark, track 10) shows depth and power. The trebles
have a transparency without being surprisingly aggressive. The totality
of the tracks "VTL Sampler" 1 and 2 indeed reveals this
and even more, the tracks 4 and 5 of "Stereophile Test CD 3".
The whole spectrum is combined in the representation of sound images
with astonishing realism, so astonishingly truthful that "Secret
Story" by Pat Metheny and the latest "Beau Dommage"
were listened to without a break from beginning to end.
Another 20 years of aristocracy?
The new "aristocrat" not only
shows that he has "blue blood", but also that he has muscle:
250W/channel driven by 8 ohms and 400W/channel driven by 4 ohms
can wake anything that sleeps. It is also fitted with normal and
balanced inputs which can be switched at will. In case my old Mcintosh
dies (it's a question of time!), the Bryston 4B ST will, without
a doubt, be at the top of the list. It has the same heritage. Anyhow
with a retail price of approximately $2,600., it takes only $130
per year to get a new aristocrat in the family! In closing, I would
like to say that in the field of high fidelity, purchases of real
values are rare, but Bryston 4B ST is one of them. Check it out
for yourself!
We invite you to experience the Bryston SST2 Series amplifiers
20 Year Warranty - A Generation of Music
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