SDA 1.2TL + Bryston 4BST ... Incompatible?
puunda
Posts: 123
I've been running my 1.2TL's with my McIntosh MC2500 (500W) amp, until I had to sell it 2 nights ago. I'm now running the speakers with a Bryston 4BST amp. The gain on the Bryston is higher than on the McIntosh.
At loud volumes I noticed that vocals with 'S' of 'F' sounds seem to ring and drag on and sound really really horrible at loud volumes. Is it my imagination? Speakers are the same, everything else has remained the same. I must say I've never noticed this with the Mc.
According to the Mc power meters I don't normally listen to any music above 5W, so the Bryston can't be running out of steam.
Anyone has any ideas?
Thanks
At loud volumes I noticed that vocals with 'S' of 'F' sounds seem to ring and drag on and sound really really horrible at loud volumes. Is it my imagination? Speakers are the same, everything else has remained the same. I must say I've never noticed this with the Mc.
According to the Mc power meters I don't normally listen to any music above 5W, so the Bryston can't be running out of steam.
Anyone has any ideas?
Thanks
Post edited by puunda on
Comments
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What you are hearing is called sibilance. Bryston amps are known to be a bit on the bright/dry side or as some like to pretend and call it detailed. The result is what you're hearing. Mating with a tube pre amp should help tame the problem or it's time to get your Mac back.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Thanks for the info.F1nut wrote:What you are hearing is called sibilance.
It would make sense that it's the amp, since that's the only thing I've changed. However I wanted to make sure it's real, and not just in my head because I loved the Mac so much.F1nut wrote:Bryston amps are known to be a bit on the bright/dry side or as some like to pretend and call it detailed. The result is what you're hearing.
I've often heard people say that all solid state amps sound the same, and that it affects the sound very little. in fact, when I first got this Bryston I posted (possible here) saying that I've heard a difference, it was brighter. To which people replied are you sure?
I'm pretty sure now that I am actually hearing it because it's there.
So why would anyone buy a Bryston or any amp which does this?
I'd love nothing more than getting my Mac back. But it's harder than that. It's probably the only one like that in New Zealand. There are no resellers here, even if there were, I can't afford a new Mc ... one day I'll buy one again, maybe a better one.F1nut wrote:Mating with a tube pre amp should help tame the problem or it's time to get your Mac back. -
How can you say it's the Bryston's fault without knowing what the rest of his system is? Come on, I thought you were the source is everything manF1nut wrote:What you are hearing is called sibilance. Bryston amps are known to be a bit on the bright/dry side or as some like to pretend and call it detailed. The result is what you're hearing. Mating with a tube pre amp should help tame the problem or it's time to get your Mac back.
The Bryston could be revealing deficiencies in the rest of his system that the MAC may have been masking. Not saying I'm right, or you're wrong, just too many variables to pin it on the Bryston... From what I've read of Bryston is they just tell the truth, very neutral.
puunda, what is the rest of your system?Sony KDL-40V2500 HDTV, Rotel RSX-1067 Receiver, Sony BDP-S550 Blu-ray, Slim Devices Squeezebox, Polk RTi6, CSi3 & R15, DIY sub with Atlas 15 -
Bingo!F1nut wrote:What you are hearing is called sibilance. Bryston amps are known to be a bit on the bright/dry side or as some like to pretend and call it detailed. The result is what you're hearing. Mating with a tube pre amp should help tame the problem or it's time to get your Mac back.Rogue Audio stereo 100 tube amplifier - Lector Zoe preamplifier with 6H30 pi's
.Audience AU24SE speaker and ic cables- Chord Qutest DAC - Black Cat Silverstar II 75ohm digital cable-Tyler Acoustics Linbrook Signature system with large bass cabinets to accommodate 10" Seas magnesium woofers.
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tryrrthg wrote:How can you say it's the Bryston's fault without knowing what the rest of his system is? Come on, I thought you were the source is everything man
The Bryston could be revealing deficiencies in the rest of his system that the MAC may have been masking. Not saying I'm right, or you're wrong, just too many variables to pin it on the Bryston... From what I've read of Bryston is they just tell the truth, very neutral.
puunda, what is the rest of your system?
The reason I think it's the Bryston is that nothing in the system's changed except from Mc amp to Bryston amp. The Bryston does 'seem' a lot brighter than the Mc, but as I said before, it may just be because it's louder because the gain is higher.
Source:
PC, Xbox, Sony XA7ES CD
Pre:
Denon 2106 AVR
Power:
Bryston 4BST
Speakers:
Polk SDA SRS 1.2TL
Cables:
The cheapest thick sutff I can find. -
It all comes down to synergy, but in Puunda's case, the only thing he changed was the amp, so there you go, it doesn't work in his set up. What one calls very neutral to another is hell on earth.
Why buy Bryston? Because they are big, powerful amps that are reasonably priced with a 20 year warranty. Mate one with some tubes in the mix and you might be very happy.
As for my belief that it all starts with the source, well that's true IMO. Now, that I see Puunda's source selection I could see that if he made some changes there, it would be for the better.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Yup... the tl's are missing those output trannies...
Not to pry, but "had to"?puunda wrote:...I had to sell (my McIntosh MC2500 (500W) amp) 2 nights ago.More later,
Tour...
Vox Copuli
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb
"Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
"It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
"There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD -
Yeah, I'd like to know the answer to that one.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Back taxes? More later,
Tour...
Vox Copuli
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb
"Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
"It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
"There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD -
And I'm missing the output tranniesTour2ma wrote:Yup... the tl's are missing those output trannies...Not to pry, but "had to"?
One day I'll have one again.
It's always the same thing when you have to sell. The car, the wife, and finally the amp ... $$$
Needed the the $$$ for other things.
PS. I was kidding about selling the wife ... -
puunda-
I am also running SDA 1.2tls (with the new silk tweeters),
with a Bryston 4Bst amp and Bryston BP 25 preamp.
I couldn't be happier. Unbelievably clear, clean, sound with
very low distortion.
At 250 watts, yes there is no shortage of power.
I have had the system hooked up to both a Mac amp, and a couple of adcom amps, although I wasn't using a mac preamp,
and it was a warmer sound.
But after I gave the bryston some time, I found I actually preferred it to both the adcom and Mac. I do think it's a more detailed amp, but the addition of the new silk tweeters really made a big difference in toning down the sibilance. -
trubluluc wrote:puunda-
I am also running SDA 1.2tls (with the new silk tweeters),
with a Bryston 4Bst amp and Bryston BP 25 preamp.
I couldn't be happier. Unbelievably clear, clean, sound with
very low distortion.
At 250 watts, yes there is no shortage of power.
I have had the system hooked up to both a Mac amp, and a couple of adcom amps, although I wasn't using a mac preamp,
and it was a warmer sound.
But after I gave the bryston some time, I found I actually preferred it to both the adcom and Mac. I do think it's a more detailed amp, but the addition of the new silk tweeters really made a big difference in toning down the sibilance.
I too prefer the sound of the Bryston. It does seem clearer. And the problem isn't that bad. It's only when it's very loud that I actually hear it. It may be because it's at a louder level than my Mc (although I doubt it). I just find it strange why it's happening on the Bryston and not the Mc.
I have heard many good things about upgrading the tweeters. But just too much money to spend for me. The Polk's aren't a speaker which sells well here. -
Just set fire to all that gear, it's going to kill you.CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
