Amplifier Bryston 4B SST2

If we look for the differences between the new and old series SST2 without digital index, the first of which is on the surface, but not quite on the outside, but inside, under the hood. In the apparatus of the new model two toroidal transformers for each channel (the company always uses in his Assistant configuration "dual mono") is not stacked on top of each other "planes", but are vertically along the front, almost touching sides. Other changes are not immediately visible to the eye, found in the study of the technical documentation. In particular, as the main features of the observed new toroidal transformers for 600 V*A backfilled capacitance in the filter adapter - for 90 000 uF per channel, an improved scheme of balanced input circuit and reduced levels of noise and distortion. Amplifier is built on discrete components, which are used in its construction polypropylene capacitors, metal film resistors and transistors are selected manually.

Solid black "brick" is made in the typical corporate style: metal case with front panel of brushed aluminum thickness of 10 mm and a portion of the side edges of the radiator cooling output stages. Build quality is very high. The front of the amplifier is only the main power switch and two green LEDs on the number of channels. Patch on the back of the group are prepared in accordance with the rules in the top row are mounted input jacks and controls associated with input modes, and in the bottom row are placed speaker terminals, one pair without connectivity bi-wiring cable and socket network, accompanied by a set of inputs outputs on the 12 volt trigger for external control. Of the inputs have a pair of balanced and unbalanced (RCA) connectors, selectable for each channel strip-on-off switches. To provide the same power output of 300 watts per channel, regardless of the type of connection is the second pair of switches that change the input sensitivity - 1 or 2 (the gain will be 29 or 23 dB for balanced and unbalanced connections). The last switch is responsible for the functioning of the fashion choices - in stereo or bridged mode. "Bridge" provides up to 900 watts of output power, but the resistance of the load must not be lower than 8 ohms.

Implementation Bryston 4B SST2 in our test system gave a number of characteristics unique effect of a magnifying glass - the rhythmic texture of sound much clearer, were notable smallest dynamic contrasts, the records added significantly gradations volume, volume and air, clearly divided plans multipartite works. As an order of magnitude improved testing of dynamic peaks.

We can say that the system has brightened eyes and cleared his breath. In terms of timbre, it was not so simple. The amplifier has a neutral sound with a slight offset tonal palette to cold tones. Corporate bass suffered heaviness or fat, but at the same time, there were no pleasant creaminess and plasticity, so loved by the fans emotional sound. But never showed signs of poor control of the bass - "reinforced concrete" design worked flawlessly. Despite the abundance of details and a lot of noise recoverable overtones, to connect this amplifier remained hidden in the records, the unit can not be called completely surgically. Bryston 4B SST2 quite well poised on the boundary separating accented on the nuances of pitch and uncomfortable deadening analyticity.

Bryston 4B SST2 Amplifier photo