Bryston 3B-ST compared to HK-3480
wizzy
Posts: 867
So far I've only spent a few hours comparing. Use the same cables for each (swapping) and a SPL meter to make sure listening from each is at the same SPL levels.
Been through some classical, marley, diana krall, bjork, jazz, billie holiday, other various things, some bluegrass (tony rice, jerry garcia, doc, etc) and listened to LSi9 and JBL S-38
Definitely a difference. While the HK sounds good the Bryston has a quality to it the HK doesn't. Not as big as going from a standard AVR to the HK where it was an insane jump in quality, but a good medium size jump.
Not sure how to describe it. Things like piano strikes and guitar strings have this sort of "fuller" sound. Really any strings - banjo, upright bass, etc. just sound more real and right there. A strings pluck has this rounder, more three dimensional sound. Like your really hear, more realistically, the strings amplitude change from start to finish.
While there is a noticeable improvement across the board a couple things that really stand out. Cymbals on the high end and the sound of a xylophone. High frequency, gentle "taps" on a cymbal (think of a jazz recording) just sound much more ... umm, cymbal like. Scientific, eh?
Another standout improvement is the xylophone on the Pawnshop tracks.
Soundstage is improved with some recordings. I'm guessing this might have something to do with the amps ability to control the drivers when you have two, three, or more unique instruments/voices/etc that are being reproduced simultaneous from the same driver(s). It's not so much the width of the soundstage as much as positioning - an improvement in that separation of where things are, a reduction of jumbling together of the different instruments.
Not so noticeable when you have something simple like a four piece band, nice and simple drum, voice, guitar, bass, piano.
But now toss on a busy multi-instrument symphony. On the HK, sure, you have a soundstage. There is width and separation. BUT some things that sounded "together" at a point in space on the HK, the Bryston gives you a sense of "oh, they aren't together, they're just close to each other but oh yeah there is that little bit of space between them"
W
Been through some classical, marley, diana krall, bjork, jazz, billie holiday, other various things, some bluegrass (tony rice, jerry garcia, doc, etc) and listened to LSi9 and JBL S-38
Definitely a difference. While the HK sounds good the Bryston has a quality to it the HK doesn't. Not as big as going from a standard AVR to the HK where it was an insane jump in quality, but a good medium size jump.
Not sure how to describe it. Things like piano strikes and guitar strings have this sort of "fuller" sound. Really any strings - banjo, upright bass, etc. just sound more real and right there. A strings pluck has this rounder, more three dimensional sound. Like your really hear, more realistically, the strings amplitude change from start to finish.
While there is a noticeable improvement across the board a couple things that really stand out. Cymbals on the high end and the sound of a xylophone. High frequency, gentle "taps" on a cymbal (think of a jazz recording) just sound much more ... umm, cymbal like. Scientific, eh?
Another standout improvement is the xylophone on the Pawnshop tracks.
Soundstage is improved with some recordings. I'm guessing this might have something to do with the amps ability to control the drivers when you have two, three, or more unique instruments/voices/etc that are being reproduced simultaneous from the same driver(s). It's not so much the width of the soundstage as much as positioning - an improvement in that separation of where things are, a reduction of jumbling together of the different instruments.
Not so noticeable when you have something simple like a four piece band, nice and simple drum, voice, guitar, bass, piano.
But now toss on a busy multi-instrument symphony. On the HK, sure, you have a soundstage. There is width and separation. BUT some things that sounded "together" at a point in space on the HK, the Bryston gives you a sense of "oh, they aren't together, they're just close to each other but oh yeah there is that little bit of space between them"
W
Comments
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The Bryston 3B-ST is a much better amp than the Hk-3480.Linn AV5140 fronts
Linn AV5120 Center
Linn AV5140 Rears
M&K MX-70 Sub for Music
Odyssey Mono-Blocs
SVS Ultra-13 Gloss Black:D
