Price Paid:  $1900.00 from dont buy at Laserlan

Summary:
I bought this, *in 2 channel form*, from a local vendor I bought an SP-1 from, to complement my 4 channel 8b-st amp.Overall I'd say this is as good or better than the previous ST series of Bryston amps. Compared to my 8b there are a couple issues: the front handles on the rack-mountable mode are of a slightly different form factor (doesn't bother me though), the rear outputs can no longer take dual banana plug connectors (due to EU safety issues I believe), and there is no manual Ground Lift switch. However I've had no problem with ground loop humm so the lack of the button isn't an issue. I just miss the extra toggle switch. Good news is that the SP-1 can turn on this amp but can't turn on my 8b-st. Also I like the momentary power switch on this rather than the in/out switch on the 8b-st. The really great thing here is that the 9 series appears modular, so as I upgrade to a bigger home, or home theater technology advances to more speakers, I can likely upgrade by just filling in the blank spots in the amp since I only have 2 channels currently populated. The inability to bridge the 9b series of amps is a minor annoyance.

Strengths:
20 year guarantee, typically excellend Bryston sound, good integration with the SP-1 preamp/processor.

Weaknesses:
rear outputs won't take dual bananan plugs, no ground lift switch like the ST series, slightly different form factor of rack-mount grips, and external case (ST series had external heat sinks, 9 series has internal heat sinks). 5 channel amp is built of discrete channels and so cannot be bridged!

Similar Products Used:
Bryston 8b-ST

Price Paid:  $4400.00 from London Audio

Summary:
This amp is the latest addition to my home theater set up. Was looking for an amp that would do the job for not only home theater but two channel as well. I am totally impressed with this product.Its built like a tank! Its quality of sound is awesome.Very open and detailed.Was a little concerned about the 125wpc.rating but found the amp had no problem driving my Mirage "om" series speakers to extremely loud levels without compromise.theatre room is roughly 20'x25'.

Strengths:
Built quality.Very neutral and detailed. 20 year warranty.

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
Classe.Denon. Musical Fidelity.Rotel.

Price Paid:  $3800.00 from Laser Land

Summary:
This is one of the better amplifiers on the market, very clean and full sound. Fantastic for use with music. But inadequate to deal with THX ultra harsh specifications. You get the picture when you use this AMP with THX material and it begins to clip during extremely dynamic / loud passages (loud gun shots, high pitched screams, even some vocal passages) . To it's defense this is a problem for all amplifiers and is extremely difficult to get around because movie sound tracks are designed to be extremely harsh in order to propel sound through movie canvases and fill up very large rooms with sound. In my configuration I used it with Meadowlark Shearwaters Hot Rods. Shearwaters offer an unmatched detail in sound, and any variation or distortion in sound is very easy to pick up on. I will admit that run of the mill consumer electronic brands of speakers will work better with this amp, because of their inherent ignorance to detail as apposed to creating fantastic sound stages and crisp sound. If you are going to spend this much money on an amplifier then you owe it to your self to at least test an EAD Powermaster 6200. It has allot more power and its design has plenty of features to prevent sound from clipping. My system is a living testament to that.

Strengths:
Clean sound, great detail especially with music.

Weaknesses:
Not enough power, clips under loud passages. More aparent on sensitive, high detail speakers.

Similar Products Used:
EAD / Alpha Digital Tech Power Master 6200

Price Paid:  $3500.00 from Ref,Aduio,Video

Summary:
Let me start by saying that a lot of testing went into the devolopment of my home theater system, ran by my Bryston 9B. When I first cranked this baby up I knew it was something special, but there was a concern for more power.At this point I asked my dealer for some tweeks in this regard .So he suggested power cords all around ,PS audio and Acustic Zen.Again Acustic Zen Wow (Xlr) for my interconnect and Audioquest Bedrock's for the speakers. After all that the most devastating upgrade of all was in the digital domain . Now get this,because I'm using my Denon 2800 DVD player for music and movies ,I needed a coaixal cable that could outflank my $40 optical cable and bring true high end sound to my system. Again my dealer said Audioqest has a coaixal cable that could make your DVD player use my Bryston Sp1's dac to sound like a high end cd player on music and flawless on movies.This cable is the new Audioquest VSD-4, and man let me tell you I don't know what they did to it but this is a true high end piece. Before this cable everything was mere child's play . Now my system has the kind of detial that you can hear all the instruments so seperatly that it is breathtaking.The soundstage is huge , powerful ,clean ,and crisp.The midrange is smooth like a thick coat of velvet,the high's are sweet and the bass coming from my Sonus Faber Grand Pianos is so tight and well controlled that I sometimes wonder if I need a sub.So now that I have made these upgrades it has more then compensated for the lack in bass I thought I had. This is the kind of amp that is at it's best when paired with high end gear. My next upgrade will be Acustic Zen power cord Kracatoa for the 9B. I'm currently using a small Custon power cord witch sounds better then the standard Bryston issue.The fact thatI have 1 M PS audio mini lab'son my sub,Bryston Sp1,and dvd player gives me that beautiful black quite between segments and slam out of the gate that I'm so proud of. Each premium cable upgrade brought out of this amp. Now I can handle this amp like a piece of true high end pedigree . Oh and I can also save for Bryston new 5 channel analog for the SP1. With a 20 year warrenty and a kind gentalmen like James Tanner makes listening even more wonderful. Well done Bryston.

Strengths:
Very refinded dynamics,slugehammer bass that is well controlled, women voices sound great,and very musical.

Weaknesses:
I hav'ent seen anything,thank GOD.

Similar Products Used:
My 24 year old Harmen Karden amp.

Price Paid:  $3600.00 from Shelly's Audio & Video

Summary:
I had a pair of Energy Varitas 2.2 book shelf speakers and I was driving them with a Denon 1801 receiver. Ignorance was my bliss. I drop in an Audio store where they had a pair of Varitas towers playing. I told the salesman I had the 2.2s driven by the Denon 1801 and he told me the Denon would not drive those speakers. He showed me to a listening room with my 2.2s driven with a 200 watt Parasound amp. I said they sound great and by the way which sobwoofer is running. He laughted and told me no subwoofer was being used. To make a long story a little shorter, I got a B&K reference 30 pre/pro and a Rotel 993 (about $2000) 5 channel 200 watt amp. It sounded pretty good, but there was a buzz. I took back to the store, which sent it out to be fixed and they loaned me an Adcom 5 channel 100 watt (about $1000) amp. I was shocked to find the Adcom sounded totally different than the Rotel. It had more bass, but it sounded loose. I thought that all good amplifiers would sound the same. Was I wrong? I went back to the store and told them I was getting second thoughts about the Rotel and would like to try something even higher end. They sent me home with Bryston 9B ST (about $3600) amp. Just after I turned it on, my son came home and said "Dad that sounds great, what did you do?" You can figure out for yourselves which amp I bought.

Strengths:
Tight bass, clear midrange and highs. Does not color the music

Weaknesses:
The 12 volt trigger input is for bare wire, a connector would have been more convenient

Similar Products Used:
Denon 1801, Adcom 5 channel 100 Watt amp, Rotel 993(?) 5 channel 200 watt amp