Bryston SP-1 A/V Preamplifier

Bryston SP-1 A/V Preamplifier 

DESCRIPTION

DTS/Dolby Digital Preamp/processor

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 23  
[Oct 08, 2003]
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Reference 2 channel Legitimate Upgrade path Fantastic Surround Sound Retrieval Warranty and Customer Service Flexibility

Weakness:

If any exist I would say it tends to be trivial. Time will tell just how "future proof" connections and formats will be.

I just wanted to update the site with my continued experience with the Bryston SP 1 and the 1.7. I purchased an SP -1 some time ago and recently purchased a 1.7 from the previous reviewer in Texas. I have been auditioning both units for a little over 7 weeks and thought I would share some of my thoughts on the two. Like most I got the "bug" to upgrade once Bryston came out with the 1.7 always wanting to be on the cutting edge of technology and first looked into upgrading my current SP-1. I had some conversation with James Tanner at Bryston to get a better understanding of the upgrade and a level of comfort as to the performance gains I might expect. Unfortunately I don't have a retailer close by so I decided to instead purchase a 1.7 and really have a chance to listen to it. My intent was to compare the two from the "digital" perspective, but for those who may be wondering, I didn't hear any discernible difference between the 2 units in the analogue mode. If a measurable difference existed I couldn't hear it - but others certainly might. To say the least, it is one of the best analogue pre-amps I have heard or not heard depending on your perspective. Open and detailed to say the least. Out went the SP-1 and in went the 1.7. My first impression was that is was slightly different sounding in the DSP modes. The sound presentation was a little more to the back of my speakers and dynamics seemed just slightly compressed compared the SP-1 I was accustomed to. Since I was expecting some type of "change" I though that perhaps the "psycho acoustic effect" was to blame and put the SP-1 back in. Again I listened some time to various CD's and DVD's and then put the 1.7 back in and listened to the same tracks. Again I had the same impression. It was slightly different even with my gold plated brass ears. I listened to a number of "test" disks alternating between the 1 and the 1.7, again with similar results. After a week of this I felt that in my system and my room - and to my ears the 1.7's sound presentation was slightly to the rear with dynamics just slightly compressed compared to the SP-1. I decided to leave the 1.7 in my dedicated HT system for a longer time to evaluate the other surround capabilities. Initially I listened in 5.1 mode only for a more fair comparison. After some time I didn't seem to notice the difference between the SP-1 and 1.7 that I had felt confident I had justified. I just enjoyed the movies and music. I played with the surround options and really only found two to my liking - Neo 6 (without the center rear) and Prologic II. Both, on certain material, added to the overall effect of the movie and music experience. If you have a large collection of non surround encoded material the Prologic II in particular was a definite notch above the "old" prologic. I tried the various speaker systems that I had at my disposal in both 5.1 and 6.1 and ended up preferring a 5.1 surround in my room for the more diffuse surround effect. After a month of listening to the 1.7 only I decided to put the 1 back in to the system and have a listen. Again the same results. I preferred the sound of the SP-1. While I was thinking that perhaps I was missing something my very non audiophile wife came down and sat beside me for a little quality time I presume (she thinks this whole audio pursuit is a little nuts but if it keeps me from buying a motorcycle or getting a girlfriend it's worth it), she said "what did you do? It sounds better - more real." Well there you have it. Double blind testing logistics aside and taking out any psycho acoustic anomalies, she heard the same thing I heard after spending a great deal of time and money. However, not wanting to give up quite yet I started thinking that perhaps there was a synergy between the SP-1 and the 9B-ST that may exist between the SP 1.7 and the 9B-SST. So I bought one. Now I could test the "system." To make a long story keep from getting any longer, suffice it to say the 1.7 and SST make for a world class duo. If you can afford it and have to have the latest then I can make the recommendation without reservation to buy the pair together and work out a deal. You won't be disappointed in the least. If funds are a little more limited or you aren't looking to do 6.1+ or SACD multi channel audio, I would look for an SP-1/9B-ST combo. As for me, I decided to put both the SP-1 and 1.7 up for sale together and keep the one that didn't sale. Given my preference for the sound of the Sp-1 and my desire to have the latest, it really didn't matter. Last night I delivered the 1.7 to its new owner who I have no doubt will enjoy it for a long time to come. His preference was for multichannel SACD audio and the SP-1 just won't do it. The 9B-SST was shipped to it's new owner today.Either way you really can't go wrong and Bryston offers a legitimate upgrade path that won't leave you stranded if the new formats really take off

Similar Products Used:

Krell EAD Meridian Sunfire Theta B&K Proceed

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Aug 04, 2003]
tarichar
AudioPhile

Strength:

Analog Volume Control with discrete output stages. Incredible transparency and detail comparable to analog stereo preamps. Balanced outputs for front,center,& surrounds. 20 year warranty. 6 channel inputs for SACD and DVDA

Weakness:

No video switching. Heavy remote No auto calibration- have to enter in distances and levels

The Bryston SP 1.7 is the best AV preamp processor I have yet owned. I previously owned the Krell HTS, Proceed AVP-S, Meridian 568, and had personal experience with the Linn 5103 and Theta Casablanca. This Bryston unit when used in bypass 2 channel betters these other units by a large margin in terms of transparency, detail, and naturalness. I believe this level of performance of the Bryston unit is due to its lack of video switching, and its analog volume control and discrete output stages. I have owned many of the best stereo preamps and am able to subsitute the SP 1.7 into my 2 channel rig with no loss of muscality or naturalness. This is a big deal because no other AV preamp I've owned has been able to do this. Unlike their amplifiers, the SP1.7 can not be mistaken for bright or thin sounding in the high frequencies. In fact, the highs are natural and transparent, the midrange is warm and detailed, and the bass is phenomenal. It doesn't quite reach the spaciousness in the soundstage that I get with my Hovland but most stereo solid state preamps don't either. I particularly like its balanced outputs for long runs to the surround channel amplifier. Overall, this preamp has the best 2 channel performance of any AV processor I've yet heard. Its performance on surround sound is on par with the Theta and Krell units. It is more detailed and natural sounding than the Proceed AVP and Meridian units. This is the first processor that has had me seriously considering changing to one system for both audio and video. It doesn't have video switching but I use a Lumagen Vision Pro to scale all my material to 1080i anyway so I don't miss it. The companion switcher is $1500 or so I think, and must be purchased separately. Again, in 2 channel bypass, the preamp betters every other AV processor I've heard and is comparable to 5-6K stereo preamps. The SP1.7 definitely betters Bryston's own BP20. I do prefer my Hovland but I think it betters my VTL 5.5. This amazing preamp's performance can be summed up in 3 words: Transparent and Natural.

Similar Products Used:

Home Theater Apogee Stages(just replaced M&K S150P's) Magneplanar CC3 Center Krell KAV 3250 Anthem PVA7 Lumagen Vision Pro M&K 5000 sub Thiel SW1 sub Arcam FMJ DV27a Stereo System Merlin V

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Aug 04, 2003]
Troy Richards
AudioPhile

Strength:

Natural, detailed, with sound more consistent with a 5-6K stereo preamp. Balanced outputs. Has 6 channel inputs for DVDA or SACD.

Weakness:

No video switching. Clunky, heavy remote. Would prefer an auto-calibration setup procedure with a mic- instead you have to enter in the level and delay(distance).

I have the Bryston SP 1.7. This is the best surround sound processor I have had in my system in terms of transparency and muscality. Before this I had a Meridian 568, a Proceed AVP, and a Krell HTS. I can tell you that as a stereo preamp, it betters all these units and approaches my tubed Hovland preamp. This of course is only in bypass mode in which the surround is bypassed and the signal passes thru the analog volume control. Other preamps that have passed thru my system include a VTL 5.5 and a Rowland Concentra and I can say without hesitation that this bryston when used as an analog preamp can hold its own. Unlike bryston amplifiers that have great bass and lower midrange but often a thinner sounding high frequencies, this preamp has detailed and transparent high frequencies which are entirely natural. The midrange is entirely fleshed out with a surprising fullness. I believe that by not performing any video switching in the unit, the Bryston SP-1.7 is able to come closer than any other AV preamp to an analog setup. In addition, discrete analog output stages without opamps and an analog volume control also contribute to its lifelike reproduction of music. Soundstaging is first rate and on par with traditional stereo analog preamps. Most people will probably buy this unit strictly for movies, and its performance in this area is similar to the Krell HTS and Proceed AVP. Surround is well implemented and detailed with selectable crossovers, an extra bass mode, DTS EX, switchable THX,, balanced outputs for front, subs, center and surrounds, etc. But again, in bypass the Bryston is in a whole other league. I am a hardcore audiophile and had 2 systems one for music and the other for home theater. This unit is the first that has made me consider downsizing to one system.

Similar Products Used:

Meridian 568 Krell HTS Proceed AVP-S VTL 5.5 Hovland HP100 Rowland Concentra Spectral DMC-10 Current HT System Bryston SP 1.7 Lumagen Vision Pro Arcam FMJ DV-27 M&K S5000 sub Thiel SW1 s

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jun 24, 2003]
Robert Allen
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

20 year guarantee. Solid construction. Excellent customer support.

Weakness:

*I can only speak to the 1.0, not the current 1.7* in this respect, but I will say that I wish they had fewer toggles and more discrete IR codes in the remote software. I'm trying to program my Home Theater Master MX-700 remote to control this unit and it's tough to code a macro that switches from an analog to a digital source due to the fact that the "Digital" button on the remote is a toggle, not a discrete code. The one other thing I wish this unit had was, an LED on the volume dial so you could see what the volume was set at. Now, in an Uber setup in a Bill Gates style mansion I doubt you ever even see the unit, but for tweeks who live in apt's/condos, well, it would be nice since it would allow me to realize "You bozo, you selected VCR, not DVD!" before I turned the volume all the way up and sterilized my upstairs neighbors cats.

I just found my original review of the SP-1, #209, here and wanted to add to it, as well as to solicit comments on the upgrade Bryston offers to the 1.7. Please send me your comments on the 1.7 vs 1.0, or comments on the upgrade, to ottomatik@sbcglobal.net! So I've had the SP1.0 since Dec. 2000. I now use it primarily for home theater, but I still listen to music DVDs frequently. LD's have now become a deprecated inteface (the new 1.7 no longer has an "LD" button, it's just labled something like "AUX"). In the intervening year and a half I've discovered there were some issues with certain Laser Disks related to sampling, but I've never had a problem with DVD SPDIF decoding, and since LDs are deprecated, this is No Biggie. I've since added a Bryston 9b (?) 2 channel amp to my system so I have a Bryston 8b-ST, SP-1, and the 9 THX amp with 2 channels installed. What can I say, Bryston really delivers in the basic job of delivering top quality sound. Why can't all of life be this straightforward? I've put away my Cobalt DAC since the one in the SP-1 is better. I do wish I had the SP-1 Pro (were any ever made) so I had unbalanced inputs to hook up my CAL transport.

Similar Products Used:

Acurus ACT-1 - years later it's still trash :). Old fosgate decoder - video section burnt out a 2nd time, still have it in box, works great on audio, but it cheap from me ;).

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Jun 19, 2003]
levir
AudioPhile

Strength:

Easy to use. High build quality. Out of the box calibration is easy. It looks good in silver or black. It decodes Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic, DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, DTS-ES Matrix 6.1, DTS Neo:6, THX Surround EX, THX Ultra certified, as well as PCM (32, 44.1, 48, & 96 kHz) through 24-bit converters. It has 2-channel and 5.1-channel by-pass mode. Bass management. Solid aluminium remote control. It rivals the best pre/pro out there.

Weakness:

I have to charge admission for my wife and kids.

I really like the Bryston SP1.7 pre/pro. This processor is transparent. The clarity, the sense of space, involving music, the bass. You will love listening to music and watching movies over again. It will decode and process "all" the hometheater technology out there. Matrix, James Bond "die another day", Lord of the Rings, Star Wars. Diana Krall "live in paris" are all but exciting. Listening to SACDs is awesome. SACDs like rolling stones, Dark side of the moon, the police are my favorites.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Sep 15, 2002]
afflicted
AudioPhile

Strength:

Ease of setup, bypass circuits, very upgradeable, 20 year warrenty, and sound.

Weakness:

runs hot

The SP 1.7 and Bryston 9b sst amp have transformed my Paradigm 80v2 and cc450 speakers. Music is transparent now has incresed detail and dynamics without any of the former brightness that was present with my Denon 5700. The direct analog bypass feature allows the best of two channel while the surround processor sounds great for H.T. and SACD multichannel. Yes speakers may make the biggest difference in sound, but adding these Bryston components has totally changed the dynamics of my speakers (not that they were bad before). The greatest change is in the transparency, air and controlled top and bottom ends. Highly recommended!

Similar Products Used:

Denon 5700, proceed and anthem av20

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
5
[Aug 18, 2002]
FDW
AudioPhile

Strength:

Ability to work well with the best gear. Ski is the limit for upgrading,and this is the mark of a very refined system .High's are silky,midrange is almost liquid,and has vice grip controll on the bass.

Weakness:

Window is too small,needs a white mark on the volume controll knobe because the cable upgrades makes the unit more powerful, if that's a weakness.

This review comes from more then a year of refinments and observations to give a true unbias account of this unit. First of all this is avery powerful av preamp that longs for great cables.The that I have doubled my power output,made my fingers very lite when it comes to turning this piece up.I feel like I have a very involving two channel preamp. When you consider the fact of having a 20 year warrenty and a price point ratio,this lets me know that this unit is made for very refined gear. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking that power cords all around can't make a difference. It made my SP1 and 9B realy sing.The SP1 has got to be one of the best multichannel preamps on the market if not the best in terms of two channel soundstaging,dynamics,detial,quitness,and bass slamm. All this adds to Bryston's mystique of being able to shine over time, with the right gear in line. Now lets talk about sound. When it comes to being musical it's all there the Sp1 can be as good as it gets on strings,ladies voices,pianos,and many other musical setups.The bass is tank like on movies, grade A- on music,and midrange is on pare with some of the smoothest I've heard. One of the best things about this unit is it's ability to handle balance and unbalance,plus optical and coaxil cables connections.I went from RCA to XLR interconnects and experienced a wonderful leap in soundstaging,seperation,and bass quality,but when I went from optical to coaxil ,the new Aduioquest VSD-4 silver cooper coated cable I doubled everything.This cable is like fine wine,it's as if they out did them self's. Now when I turn on my system man oh man my is slamming. Now amp sounds like it weights 150 pound musical masterpiece. I know my neighbors are sick of my setup but I'am loving it,but at this point I put on power cords on everything and this gave me the door slamming dynamics and segment quitness that audiophiles crave.I'am currently using my SP1's dac for my Denon 2800 DVD player for movies and music,and VSD-4 bring's a somewhat liquid sound to the midrange,that my six sons say dad that sounds tight. All in all when it comes to upgrades Brystons refinedments give you something to look forword to. " Good job Bryston "

Similar Products Used:

ATI,HARMON KARDON .

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Aug 07, 2002]
MoodyDragon
AudioPhile

Strength:

Quiet, musical, neutral and very dynamic. Excellent remote, looks like it is carved out of solid metal. 20 year waranty!!!

Weakness:

User interface still a bit quirky. But then, I have not yet come across any other that I have liked either....So maybe it is me...

I have been using the new SP 1.7 for the last few months. It has a 5.1 analog bypass, better remote than the previous model and, 7.1 channels for the latest movie formats (including Prologic II). This system is by far the best I have heard so far. The sound is neutral, very musical and transparent (now, I too finally know what that means!:) with no undue emphasis to any particular frequency. Very clean, very very open. HUGE dynamics. In short, everything an audiophile would want in an preamplfier as well as a multichannel av processor. I am using it with Hales Rev 3 front, Rev 2 rear, Revelation Center speakers, Bryston 9-BST amplfier, Toshiba SD9200 DVD/DVD-A player, Sony XA777ES SACD player and Panamax line conditioner. Cables change, and include Kimber, Van Den Hul and Apogee (digital)

Similar Products Used:

Sony analog multichannel preamp TAP9000ES NAD stereo preamp Rotel AV preamp Proceed AV preamp

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 08, 2002]
ACC
Audio Enthusiast

Weakness:

A few nits to pick: 1. The volume level is difficult to see from a distance, especially in the evening. I plan on putting a white line or dot on the knob. 2. The digital bypass is not on the remote control, making it necessary to walk over to the unit when switching from video to audio programs, and using the bypass to get better sound quality. By the way, the bypass is a key factor for selecting the SP1 over other A/V pocessors. 3. The toggle switches for power and dynamic ranges appear to be out of character with the rest of the unit. These switches are too small and seem flimsy. The rest of the unit is quite sturdy. 4. The xlr connectors are on the left side of the SP1 back panel. While connecting the it to a 9B ST, I had to use 1m instead of 0.5m interconnect cables because the 9B ST connections are evenly spaced in the back, and I want the cables to be of equal length. Of course, the extra 0.5m costs a few more pennies.

Great sound as Bryston products are known for - details and soundstage are impressive, especially the bass. The sound is very natural and I did not get tired after hours of listening. The set up was straight forward and easy to perform. I found the +/- db readout to be very useful when balancing the volume from the 5 speakers. The controls and functions are logical. I did not have the chance to compare the SP1 with other products, but I like the simplicity of the controls and functions of the unit. I waited 6 weeks for the unit but it was worth the wait.

Similar Products Used:

The SP1 replaced a Carver CT 17. Equipment used currently with the SP1 include a Bryston 9BST THX, CAL CD player, Toshiba DVD player, PSB Stratus Gold front speakers, Stratus C6i center and Image Seri

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 31, 2002]
Mike Kuindersma
AudioPhile

Strength:

Stunningly clear presentation and purity of sound. Analog bypass. Good bass management. True audiophile pedigree.

Weakness:

No multichannel analog input. Somewhat slow to sync to digital sources. Sensitive to discontinuities in digital data stream - can lose signal. DACs handle 48 kHz maximum.

The only significant shortcoming of this unit is the lack of a multichannel analog input. The others issues (slow to sync, 48 kHz and lower digital input only) are minor and forgivable, especially in light of the superb sound quality. Bass management is excellent, even allowing for use of the subwoofer in Analog Bypass mode. I set the crossover to 40 Hz, using my main speakers full-range, with the sub filling in the ultra lows. Wonderful! So much information defining the size of an acoustic space is contained in the low frequencies. For DD and DTS 5.1 programs, steering and resolution are superb. The supremely low noise floor allows the smallest details to be fully realized. Bryston are readying an updated version (to handle 7.1 digital programs), to be known as the SP-1.7. However, the multichannel analog input is still missing. The SP-1 was designed to be upgradeable; only time will tell if Bryston will be able to upgrade the original versions to the new design, what the specifications of the DACs will be and what cost will be charged to update. Ratings: 4 Stars for Value; $5k CAN is a fair chunk of change 5 Stars Overall - hard to imagine a HT pre-pro bettering the performance significantly Associated Equipment: Bryston SP-1 Bryston 4B-ST Rotel RB985 Pioneer Elite DV-47A Paradigm Reference Studio/100 v2 Paradigm Reference Studio/CC Paradigm Reference Studio/20 Paradigm Servo-15 MIT Proline 2 (Balanced) MIT MI-330 SII MIT Digital Reference

Similar Products Used:

Anthem AVM-2, Denon AVR-5800, Nakamichi CA-1, Yamaha RX-V795, Parasound AVC-1800

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
Showing 1-10 of 23  

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