Bryston9B-STusedBryston 9B-ST 5 Channel Amplifier for Home Theater!Bryston 9B-ST 5 Channel AmplifierFor sale is my 9B-ST. This is a 5 channel 120 watt per channel Home Theater amplifier made to Bryston's exacting standards. Pair this baby with the Bryston SP3 Surr...2500.00

Bryston 9B-ST 5 Channel Amplifier for Home Theater!

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Condition
7/10
Payment methods
Ships fromLa Jolla, CA, 92037
Ships toUnited States and Canada
Package dimensions26.0" × 26.0" × 11.0" (80.0 lbs.)
Shipping carrierUPS
Shipping cost$100.00
Original accessoriesBox
AverageResearch Pricing

Bryston 9B-ST 5 Channel Amplifier

For sale is my 9B-ST. This is a 5 channel 120 watt per channel Home Theater amplifier made to Bryston's exacting standards. Pair this baby with the Bryston SP3 Surround Sound Processor that I have also listed and you are on your way to a killer Home Theater system that delivers excellent 2 channel stereo reproduction as well!


Stereophile Review


Conclusions
My listening revealed the Bryston 9B-THX to be not only a surprisingly powerful amplifier with strong dynamics, but also the equal of more expensive solid-state amplifiers in its ability to deliver powerful midbass, wide dynamic contrasts, and involving vocal reproduction.

Bryston's 9B-THX is a beefy, rugged, reliable home-theater amplifier whose 20-year warranty and midpoint price make it a real value. It's powerful, built to last, and appears to be very easy to service. Sonically, it resembles the other ST Brystons, particularly the 3B-ST's midbass punch and solidity, and equals top two-channel audiophile amplifiers like the Bryston 4B-ST and 7B-ST. While these two-channel stereo amplifiers have slight edges in transparency, high-end openness, and soundstage depth, they can't deliver the Bryston 9B-THX's ultra-clean power to five separate loudspeakers. Such pristine power makes it a perfect choice for someone who wants to have a home-theater system, yet have a basic amplifier for multichannel music-only recordings.

So sit forward and join the action: Put on a DVD and enter the new world of multichannel home-theater sound. The 9B-THX five-channel amplifier took me there on that bright spring day in April. It could take you there, too.

Bryston is not only a company that has been in business for more than 20 years, but it is the only company that warranties their products for 20 years. They started out two decades ago just fixing anyone's Bryston amplifier for free, because so few of them broke down. So, when they went bigtime, they had to choose a warranty period. How about 20 years? OKAAAAAAAAY!

The Bryston 9B-ST is the five-channel power amplifier version of the 3B-ST (two channels) and 5B-ST (three channels). All of these amplifiers are modular, with each module having its own complete power supply, including an 0.25 kVA (250 watts) toroidal transformer, dual 15,000 µF power supply capacitors, and ±60 Volts on the rail, providing 54 Joules per amplifier channel (that's 1,250 watts of toroid and 270 Joules of energy storage total, which is a LOT for a 120 watt/channel, five-channel power amplifier). Four bipolar output transistors per channel deliver 120 watts per channel into 8 Ohm loads and 200 watts per channel into 4 Ohms.

On the surface, it doesn't look intimidating does it, in a world filled with five channel home theater amplifiers rated at 120 watts per channel? One thing though: look at the weight . . . 59 pounds. That's pretty heavy for a multi-channel amplifier of such a modest rating. The reason? An absolute KILLER build quality. After all, this thing is supposed to be around for at least 20 years.

If you look at the main photo of the 9B (next to the specifications above), you can see some of the 28 screws that hold the cover on the chassis. Four screws attach each side, and four screws hold each of the five amplifier modules in place. There are so many, I decided just to use a stock photo of the 9B insides (photo at right). You can see the five toroids and the upper power supply capacitors. What you can't see is the fact that each module is covered on both lateral sides (in other words, covering the transistors, resistors, etc., and also covering the underside where the solder joints are) by metal plates to seal out dust (the edges of each module are covered too), which over time, can decrease the heat dissipation of various circuit parts in uncovered amplifier boards.

The rear of the 9B has an AC cord recepticle on the left, and then each of the modules' end panel, having an XLR balanced jack, slider switch for selecting balanced or unbalanced RCA (gold plated), and a +6 dB position for increased sensitivity in the balanced input (1 volt input produces 100 watts output into 8 Ohms instead of 2 volts input with the normal balanced switch setting).

The front panel has a push button on/off switch and five LEDs that indicate power on. They turn red at channel clipping. Massive handles let you carry the amplifier or move it around on a shelf. Actually, the handles add kind of a nice look to the front. The only handles I have are on my waistline.

We tested the Bryston 9B-ST with our reference home theater system. The first thing I would like to say is that the Bryston performed like a much more powerful amplifier. Undoubtedly, this is due to the massive amount of current available from the power supplies. 270 Joules is a large number for a five channel amplifier of this rating, so transients are given the large (short term) juice that they ask for. Bryston amplifiers had a reputation, some years back, of slight brightness. That has all been worked out of the design now, and the 9B sounded terrific at any volume I cared to set it to. Also, there is a tremendous amount of fine detail in this amplifier, something I only rarely hear in home theater power amplifiers.

The square wave response (10 kHz ±15 Volts) is practically straight up and down with nice tight corners, and only a small amount of overshoot. Measured bandwidth was 360 kHz (down 3 dB from 10 kHz sinewave value at ±20 Volts). This is a very wide bandwidth, which means no phase shift in the audible band. The 9B uses two voltage gain stages and four current gain stages, which give the large bandwidth.

In summary, the Bryston 9B-ST is a real wow product, with astonishing build quality and great sound. It has been designed for very high fidelity at modest power. However, I consider it to be conservatively rated. It is obvious that Bryston has chosen to set standards rather than follow them.

John E. Johnson, Jr.

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