Fronkle

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.50 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Audio T - Tunbridge

Summary:
Well, after 4 years I finally moved up from this unit. For its price range, it is great in terms of build, transparency and flexibility. I won't repeat what others have said here about the good things, they are all true. The only problem is that this once you are prepared to move north of what this unit costs, you can certainly do much better in terms of detail, bass extension and warmth. As a company, I love these guys, they are truly class leaders in terms of build quality and product support. they just need to start thinking about how to make a better preamp that costs more to build and delivers the level of detail you can expect at the top end. I know they can do it!!

Strengths:
Guarantee, excellent build qualiy, balanced inputs, a lot really.

Weaknesses:
Coldish sound compared to the best products out there. Detail could be improved in terms of information retrieval.

Similar Products Used:
Gamut D3 Audiolab 8000Q Pioneer A400

robmill

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $899.00 from UK hifi dealer

Summary:
I owned a Bryston pre/power for a while and kept on thinking that there was something missing in the sound. The cause was the BP.25. Don't get me wrong, it's good but just not as good as their power amps. I finally changed it to a Naim 82 and supercap.

Strengths:
slimline balanced inputs remote

Weaknesses:
not as good as it could be.

Similar Products Used:
Naim 82 Audio Research Conrad johnson premier 18 LS

Alfetta87

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $2200.00 from Some store in Vegas

Summary:
It's a killer preamp, all what you need. OK, it's no the cheapest, but well built, the comfort is great (balance, mono switch, phase switch, lots a imputs), balance in-outs etc.). The nice remote control give's you a feeling of having "some power" over the music; and the perampl is small and elegant (even though I didn't like the black finich and painted it in "blanc cassé"). I've changed some parts inside, like the voltage regulator (standard are cheap fixed regulators), bypassed the output caps, and varniched all with C37 lacqueer. Lots a work for little improvement, but now it's a great preamp. Have heard better (some tupe gear), at a little more money, but if you're looking for a trouble free high end preamp with a correct price ratio, it's your deal.

Strengths:
Sound Built quality Comfort (on front panel, remote is limited) Reliability Overall look, image, feeling

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
Homemade Tube (5687) preamp, works but not totally finished yet.

bigarchie

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00 from McCulloch Audio Winn

Summary:
The difference this unit made in my system was greater than switching cd players. I'm amazed. I was using an Arcam Alpha 9C with my Bryston 3B ST. (I wanted to save a few bucks.) The sound of the Arcam is complete mush. The Bryston has an excellent headphone amp too.( Something the Arcam claimed to have.)

Strengths:
Transparent sound, build quality, warranty

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
Arcam Alpha 9C Pre

Price Paid:  $3000.00 from abq

Summary:
WOW! Incredible preamp....lots of inputs, mm and mc phono, very good integrated headphoneamp that shuts off preamp out when plugged in, solid controls, functional minimalist remote (volume, mute and phase, and most importantly just gets out of the way of the music. Truly awesome. surpassed my expectations.

Strengths:
everything

Weaknesses:
nothing