My first impression of The Sound Organisation exhibit room was how beautiful it was, not so much because of all the gorgeous equipment they brought but because of the room itself. Say what you will about the Gaylord Resort, but it’s eye candy from one end to the other. I’ve known Steve Daniels and the products he distributes for years (he’s the reason why I use Quadraspire speaker stands and equipment racks), so it’s always a pleasure to stop by and see what’s new. What I didn’t expect was the strong Bryston presence in the room, and how much I would enjoy the main system they presented.
My exposure to Bryston has been limited over the years. I was once close to buying a Bryston B-60 integrated amp many years ago, and I think we once did a room share using one of their network players back when I was distributing, but that’s it. Mention Bryston to me and the first thing I’ll think of is that incredible 20-year warranty on their products. The system that The Sound Organisation brought to the 2019 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest consisted of the brand new BDA-3.14 streamer/DAC/digital preamp ($4195), the BAX-1 digital crossover ($3495), the 21B Cubed three-channel amp ($10,995), the Model T Active loudspeakers ($9555/pair) and the BIT20 AVR power isolation transformer ($6495). This was a huge, powerful system with a huge, powerful sound.
On the title track of Tool’s new album, Fear Inoculum, the Bryston system in The Sound Organisation room was truly extended, with a soundstage that stretched out in all directions, especially to the sides. I was particularly impressed with the deep, deep bass coming out of the Model T loudspeakers, and the very specific way that the music hit me in the chest and made me sit up straight. I have one friend who loves Bryston and has one of their power amplifiers hooked up to a huge pair of JBLs–he’s a real metal-head, and now I get it. Tool and Bryston are a match made in heaven.
I really should have spent more time with the other displays in The Sound Organisation room since they represent many of my favorite brands such as ProAc and Rega, but in my mind it was all about Bryston and that system’s ability to rock out like few others can. I don’t always listen to progressive metal bands, but when I do it’ll be with Bryston amps. (They might be sending something for review soon, in other words, and I can’t wait to alienate everyone in my neighborhood.)
