One of my ancient 2B's has developed a nasty hum, and is now producing distored sound out of one of the channels..
I know a few of you guys have sent stuff back to Bryston for a tune up and been really satisfied with the results. What's the process for getting this started?
I still have the original boxes for the amp, from 1979, if you can believe that.
That a boy!!! I would also send your 3B in for a tune up/upgrade and then stick it on a tube pre amp. Boom! Bryston metal speed, tube warmth.lol Just thinking out loud. :D
Call this number : 705 742-5325
This is the Peterborough On Service department. Talk to Mike Pickett (the MAN) and say you want to send one, possibly two(hehe) amps back for repair/tune up/upgrade (they will give you quotes before doing a thing). After chatting for a bit he will ask you for an email address in which he will send you an RMA number and instructions on how to send it back. Send it in and wait. If you do decide to send the 3B in and dont have original box add an extra 30 bucks for a new 3b box. Sound expensive? Not really. Having the box adds more than 30 dollars value if you ever want to sell it IMO. Have them upgrade the power cable and gut the thing with as much upgrades as possible (boy its fun spending other peoples money lol) It wont cost you much at all. You also will get a upgrade/repair sheet back with the units with a test measurement on the amp. Keep the upgrade/repair sheet as they give you warranty on the repairs. I believe 5 years but I could be wrong.
I am actually pretty excited about this David. Is that normal? lol.
For both the .5 pre and 3B amp with taxes, shipping and two dings of 35 dollars for two new boxes was 585 final. That was both the pre amp and amp full re-haul. Now theres hardly anything to my pre amp, so the total cost on it was only around 175. The rest was the amp. I also had them put two new power cables on and replaced two of the heat sinks on the amp. The list of parts inside the amp they replaced with new ones was pretty long.lol.
Nick pretty much summed up the process. I called and spoke to Mike Pickett. He's very easy to talk to - he'll explain things simply and will let you know what makes sense to do and what doesn't.
Even though my B60's original box was fine, they sent it back in a new one with all new packaging. No idea why, but there wasn't any charge for that.
They quoted me $125, but it actually came to $115. Best $115 I've spent on it by far.
I gotta send my 3B-ST in as well. The hum is quite low, only can be heard when the volume is very low or at the most silent parts while playing music but I'd love to see what they could do with it. Alas, I haven't been able to locate a box that I feel comfortable in shipping it to them in. Not just the box - but what would be the best way to pack (I know to stay away from the packing peanuts). I have this hard, plasticy type of foam, not styrofoam, this is more like plastic that has been bubbled into foam. I thought I could cut and shape it around the 3B-ST to get it nice and tightly packed for the trip. What would you ship with Dave or do you plan to do a family trip to Peterborough, maybe visit the factory...something I've thought about.
Hey George, I have all the original and packaging for all my Brystons - the 3B and the two 2B's!
But, I have shipped many amps sans original box, and what I usually do is wrap the whole unit in bubble wrap (multiple layers), then put in a box with styrofoam all around (the kind you buy for insulation) and away you go. Never had anything arrive damaged except for a NAD 272 that apparently the UPS guy was jousting with with a piece of re-bar. Go figure.
Bryston may require a Bryston box. If that's the case, they'll mail you a box to fill with your gear. May cost a few bucks, but not an excessive amount. I'm pretty sure they'll only ship back in a Bryston box, which you'd have to pay for anyway. I guess it comes down to do you pay for the box to ship it there, or pay for it when they send it back. Might as well get a Bryston box from the get go.
When I was going to send mine in, after talking about what I wanted done, I'm pretty sure the first question was if I had the original box.
I don't mind paying for the Bryston box - like Nick mentioned, I agree that it's an investment and you'll get it back when you sell - if you every sell.
If Bryston will ship me an empty box for $35, which will take my 3B-ST, then that's the route I'll go for sure. I should get on it.
Good for you Dave. I'm still dragging my feet - I don't know why because it's sitting unused in the basement, in a box - like many other boxes post move.
Bryston will still be there when you decide to send it in. Mike is a cool guy and will be eager to get your amp tip-top. He was pretty interested to hear I had a 2B from 1979, with original packaging to boot. According to Mike the 2B I'm sending in was the 217th 2B to ever come out of there. Pretty neat. I'll be sending my other one in eventually and maybe used them bridged as monoblocks for a SS system. The 3B will go back when funds allow too!
I checked the serial on the other 2B and it was 2248, which means it was the 248th 2B ever made. Haven't check the serial on the 3B, but that'll be going back to Bryston too for a tune up. Sure enough.
Awesome stuff David. Can't wait until you get the 2B back and have a listen. Are you having it just fixed, or upgraded with new parts in certain areas as well?
I asked for a complete tune-up. They're obviously going to fix the one messed up channel, but he also mentioned dropping in all new caps as well. Once they have a look at it, Mike will send a detailed estimate on all the work. I'll keep you posted.
So you'll be getting more snap with those new caps. I'm sure it's going to blow you away when you get it back - probably will put your 3B to shame - until it goes for its makeover.
Sounds like a great deal to me too. What other amp can you get for $150 that'll sound anywhere near as good?
It's good to see a company that stands behind their products, let alone one that's 30 years old, and not charge more to fix it than a new one would cost. Bryston's pretty expensive brand new, but you definitely get what you pay for. Not just from a sound quality perspective, but from an overall perspective. There's pretty much nothing they can't fix/overhaul and make as good as it was when new, if not better.
If company did that, I'd never complain about spending money. Well, maybe just a little bit.
You mentioned using the 2Bs as mono-blocks. I think that instead of having them send you the finished one you should send them the other 2B and tell them your intentions. That way they can dial in the 2nd one to be a match to the first or visa-versa.
Just a thought.
My MAC 240s were both wired and capped differently due to different hands in the box so to speak. I had them both to Les Simms and they are now twins as they should be.
Not a bad idea. But if they're being without too much time in between, they'll probably get the same treatment. I doubt today's parts will be unavailable tomorrow. Never know. I'd let them know when you talk to them, I'm sure they have a record of what was done and used.
Instead of bridging them as monos, why not bi-amp if you can? I think when you bridge an amp, it sees half the impedence it normally sees. Can't remember where I read that. I think James Tanner advised bi-amping over bridging as monos. I'm sure Mike Pickett would be able to give you the best advice concerning his amps.
Let me guess, it was raining and they left it outside uncovered. Then when you called to complain, the person who answered asked how are you sure it was raining at your house even though they acknowledge that it was raining all day at the warehouse which is literally 2 miles away.
The only experience I've had with UPS is shipping it to a buyer, only to hear that it arrived in a box that looked like it had been run over by a tractor-trailer, and the little bits rattled inside.
I may hang around tomorrow morning a little late, to see if it shows up again.
Isn't that one of the rules? Some guy from UPS or Fed-Ex hangs out around the corner and calls the driver when you leave. Just to make sure you're not home.
When I get something shipped and I'm not here, I just typically drive the few miles and pick it up over the counter.
Saves a lot of hassles in the long run and you don't have to worry about stuff bouncing around in the back of a truck for several days.
When I shipped my old Carver Cube I bubble wrapped the amp. Built a fairly tight fitting box, then bought a box with enough space for a couple inches of peanuts all 'round. No complaints on the other end.
So the Bryston was waiting for me when I got home from work today and I hooked it up in my 2 channel system. First, I tried bi-amping my Sttafs with the 2B driving the woofers and the 840A driving the tweeters. This was an epic fail, as Nuck predicted. It was just way off.... So then I put the jumpers back on the Sttafs and alternated between having the 2B hooked up and the 840A. I gotta say that the Cambridge actually wins surprisingly. It sounds beefier, more musical and has way better imaging. Who would have thought? Keep in mind this is a 32 year old Bryston so I guess there's only so much a tune up can do.
Another interesting thing is that they wired up the stereo/mono switch backwards. Originally I had it on stereo but was only getting sound out of one channel. Switching over to mono gave me stereo.
Yeah, I gotta say, I've reconsidered the idea of sending my other old Brystons back for tune-ups. The return on a 32 year old amp just ain't worth it. The CA trounces the 2B, and soundly (no pun intended). Now, if the 2B were an SST2 or even and SST, pretty sure the results would have been different.
David, you have listened to a lot of gear of late and have experienced a lot of different sounds. You know as well as I do that bigger isn't always better. Ofcourse I WOULD say that as I really love low to mid powered amps, both solid state and tube. The Sonneteer Alabaster I have has been a dream of an amp. Everything I play, old or new, regardless of genre or format, just sounds excellent.
I picked this one up several years used and want to pick up a new one in black one day...It is just all around fabulous. The only thing that could possibly derail it is an Italian tube amp...even then I dunno.
I have Art. Been trying lots of different things. The 300B SET amp is a nice, NICE sounding piece of gear, but (there's always a but with me!) for the type of music I listen to, it is not ideal. Perfect for Pink Floyd, for Slayer... um, no.
I've also beens spending a lot of time fixing my room too. I got rid of the ridiculous gas stove, and I've moved my equipment rack between my speakers (small steps), but it's making a noticeable difference. I'm getting closer...
I like the look of the Sonneteer. I have a soft spot for integrateds, both tube and SS.
I was using the 840A as a pre Nick. From what I understand, the 840 has discrete pre/amp circuits, and the 840A innards on the pre side is pretty much the same as the CA 840E pre-amp.
I bought the 840A second hand from Agon, from what I remember. Got it for less that 1/2 price what it retails new for.
Have you ever heard the 840W? I'd be interested in finding out a CDN price for them.
Never heard any Naim at all Art. I believe there actually is a dealer here in town. Whats the price range on them?
Oh and frankly the Sonneteer rocks like crazy as well. I listened to Yes...LOUD a few weeks back and was amazed at how much better it sounded than I'd ever heard it before.
You have a ton of stuff laying around. In your shoes, I'd find a system that sounds great, and sell most if not all of the stuff you have to finance it. Quality over quantity IMO. But that's just me.
The Nait XS is a great integrated. The SuperNait is even better and has an onboard DAC. $2550 and $4550 respectively.
I really like the Naim Uniti. Nait 5i, CD5i, DAC, and FM and internet tuner in one convenient and great sounding package. I couldn't tell the difference between it and the 5i integrated and CD combo. $3850 ain't cheap, but considering all you get its a great deal.
Yup Stu, I definitely have lots of gear sitting around. Problem is, I'm basically using all of it. Basically I sold the Mac cause I was bored of it. When I bought it I was expecting to be blown away by it cause it was very expensive, and well, it was Mac. After awhile it was just so-so to me.
Looking back now I think part of the reason I've gone through so much gear is that my room sounded like crap, and I was trying to fix that by blaming it on the gear. Now that I've started to address the problems in the room, I finally have a system that's starting to sound good to me.
Interesting results Dave. It says something about putting good quality new gear against much older gear.
That said, from all I've read - Bryston really was not considered an "audiophile" brand until it introduced the ST series amps. ST, SST and SST/2 are the series that really got them noticed by the audiophile community. Before that they were considered "professional". The ST series brought a lower noise floor, and more air to the top end plus better imaging and soundstage.
No price at this point - they need to see it first but since it still has five years warranty on it, they're on the hook for bringing it back to original spec. The mechanical hum has never gone away and you can hear it in a quiet room from up to 5ft away. Mike (Bryston) thought it could be the bias that needs to be adjusted or possibly a new power supply - either way, they'll get her back to original spec. which should meet my needs. I'm willing to throw up to $100 or so at her, if they say they can raise her above spec by replacing with new caps etc.