Canadian hi-fi stalwart Bryston doesn’t sit still. Known for decades as a manufacturer of robust analog amplification, they got into digital audio approximately 20 years ago, eventually offering a full suite of digital front-end gear. Soon they had launched their first loudspeaker, the Model T, which Aron Garrecht reviewed for SoundStage! Hi-Fi in 2013. Within three years, Bryston had added a turntable to their catalog (sourced from Italy’s Gold Note, and since withdrawn) to complement their upgraded phono stages. Presently, they’re on the cusp of introducing a line of digital amplifiers.
As Aron explained in his review, the Model T was never intended to be made commercially available. It was a pet project of CEO James Tanner, who at the time was Bryston’s VP of sales and marketing. James’s objective was to develop a fully active loudspeaker that he could use to evaluate Bryston electronics in his home, but friends and dealers who heard the Model T convinced him to start selling it. Since the added expense of an external crossover and multiple channels of amplification steers most audiophiles away from active systems, a passive version was made available too. Leveraging the expertise of Andrew Welker and Ian Colquhoun at Axiom Audio, Bryston ultimately developed a full range of passive speakers, several of which could be purchased in an active configuration.
To commemorate the Model T’s tenth anniversary, Bryston recently introduced a completely new line of speakers. Unlike their predecessors, which could be configured as passive or active speakers at the time of purchase, these new models ship with a module that can be easily installed to convert the speakers from passive to active anytime, an upgrade path inherent to the design.
For this review, I was shipped the flagship Model T10 ($18,000/pair, all prices in USD) configured for passive operation. It was the first time I’d ever heard such large speakers in my basement, and similar to the experience I had reviewing Hegel’s H600 integrated amplifier last year, it marked something of a watershed moment for me.
Description
As one can see from the photos, these are huge towers. Each speaker measures 72″H × 12″W × 17″D and weighs 133 pounds. My initial concern was that I’d need to enlist some help to get them unboxed and put into position. Despite my initial reservations about their size, unboxing them wasn’t as difficult as I feared it would be, and I applaud whoever designed the packaging. Once I’d guided the boxes down the stairs to the basement and removed the front of each box, the speakers slid out fairly easily. After that, I simply needed to unfold the soft polystyrene that was wrapped around each speaker. With this done, I proceeded to “walk” the T10s into position, slowly pivoting them back and forth on their footings until I’d gotten each one into place. Their heavy-duty metal outrigger plates come preinstalled at the factory, so no assembly was required. Non-marring feet come attached to the outriggers, but these can be swapped for spikes if needed.
I asked Tanner about the idea for the design, and he told me the T10 drew inspiration from the double Advents that were popular in the 1970s. The Advent was a two-way design that combined a tweeter with a massive 10″ woofer. At some point someone figured out the Advents sounded better when two of them were stacked on top of one another, with the top speaker flipped upside down. Bryston tried exactly this approach by stacking a pair of Model Ts one on top of the other to create a design appropriately dubbed the Model T-Rex. This speaker was truly enormous, and at a jaw-dropping 9′ tall, it wouldn’t fit in most listening rooms. As big as the T10 is, it would be dwarfed standing alongside the T-Rex.
A bass-reflex design with no fewer than eight fluted ports on the backside of each enclosure, the T10 certainly channels the spirit of the double-Advent system. If one were to bisect the tower between the tweeters, the driver arrangement above and below would be symmetrical. Each T10 boasts a total of eight drivers, including dual 1″ tweeters, dual 5.25″ midrange-woofers, and four 8″ woofers. The tweeters are crossed over to the midrange-woofers at 2kHz, and these in turn hand off to the woofers at 250Hz. Specified frequency response is 25Hz–20kHz, ±3dB.
The drivers themselves are the same as those in the Mini T that I reviewed nearly a decade ago, with one exception: while the tweeter still employs a titanium dome, there is now a screen in front to help control its dispersion. As Tanner explained, since the drive units are identical across all models, the decision on which model to buy is based on application, not performance.
Rather than use steep crossover slopes that narrow the frequency band over the drivers’ operating range, shallower crossover slopes have been implemented to allow them to overlap and integrate over a broad frequency range. Ian Colquhoun has honed this approach over time because it provides a smooth on- and off-axis polar response, so the speaker sounds like a single full-range driver rather than multiple independent transducers.
The cabinet itself is manufactured as three separate sections, with the central section wrapped in a piece of aluminum mounted to an inset baffle that serves as a diffraction plate for the midrange-woofers and tweeters. This is flanked by the upper and lower sections, to which the woofers are attached. The baffle is 1.5″ thick to provide a solid mount for the drivers.
The trapezoidal cabinets, designed to prevent internal standing waves, are the same shape Bryston has always used, and in my opinion, these are the best-looking speakers the company has designed yet. While I like the symmetry of the driver arrangement, it’s the aluminum-wrapped central section that gives the T10s a distinct and attractive character, at least to my eyes. Happily, the company has dispensed with the multi-panel grilles that were employed in their first generation of speakers. They were chunky, and made the speakers appear dated. The T10s don’t even come with grilles, which suits me just fine, since I never use them unless a manufacturer designs them to be kept in place (as with the GoldenEar T66s that recently departed my listening room).
The T10 is available in lacquered hardwood veneers in standard stock colors (Walnut, Boston Cherry, and Black Ash), as well as in custom finishes from a larger selection of natural wood and highly durable painted veneers.
What makes the T10 unique is the ability to switch from a passive to an active configuration (and vice versa) by simply swapping a module on the back of the speakers. If one chooses to run them as active speakers, Bryston sells the BAX-1 DSP crossover, the software for which is designed uniquely for the sound power (total radiated energy) of each specific Model T speaker. After that, one simply needs to add three channels of amplification (all with equal gain) for each speaker. Naturally, Bryston favors using their own amplifiers.
The T10s actually ship with four modules per speaker. In addition to the active module, three other modules permit single wiring, bi-wiring, and tri-wiring, as well as bi-amping and tri-amping. Bi- and tri-amping a loudspeaker differs from actively powering it because the crossover comes after the amplifiers, whereas in an active design the crossover precedes the amplifiers. To accommodate all of these applications, each T10 has three sets of binding posts that accept banana plugs, spades, or bare wire.
System
With nominal 4-ohm impedance and 88dB sensitivity, the T10 presents an average load for an amplifier. However, Bryston still recommends a minimum of 50Wpc and specifies a maximum output power of 1200Wpc. I had no problem driving them to sufficiently loud levels with my Bryston B135 SST2 integrated amplifier (135Wpc into 8 ohms, 180Wpc into 4 ohms), although I also spent some of my time with them using a 300Wpc Bryston 4B3 amplifier mated to a Bryston BP-19 preamplifier.
Both amplifiers were connected to the T10s using Nirvana Audio Royale speaker cables. Digital content was provided courtesy of an NAD C 565BEE CD player linked to a Bryston BDA-2 DAC using an i2Digital X-60 coaxial cable. I also sent music wirelessly from Apple Music on my iPhone to a Bluesound Node 2i streamer. The Node was connected to the BDA-2 with an AudioQuest Forest TosLink optical cable. The BDA-2 was connected to the B135 SST2 through Nordost Quattro Fil RCA cables. While I was using the BP-19, it was linked to the BDA-2 using balanced interconnects supplied by Bryston.
A Thorens TD 160 HD turntable with a low-output Sumiko Songbird moving-coil cartridge mounted on a modified Rega Research RB250 tonearm was used to play records. A Pro-Ject Audio Systems Connect it RCA-CC cable linked the Thorens to Pro-Ject’s Phono Box DS3 B phono stage (powered by a Pro-Ject Power Box S3 Phono outboard power supply). The DS3 B was linked to either the B135 SST2 or the BP-19 using Kimber Kable Tonik interconnects. All electronics were plugged into an ExactPower EP15A power conditioner.
Listening through the B135 SST2 integrated
I wanted to get a sense of how the T10s performed in a system I knew well, so I first connected them to my Bryston B135 SST2 integrated amplifier. Before it was discontinued, the B135 was the least-powerful amplifier in the Bryston catalog, but it’s stable into a 4-ohm load, and it was a good platform for assessing the T10s’ capabilities.
Early on, I formed some impressions of these large towers that never wavered during my time with them. Powered by either a Bryston integrated or separates, they were highly resolving, clean-sounding transducers that produced a sense of scale, both dynamically and spatially, that I’d never experienced in my listening room. Similar to the GoldenEar T66 loudspeakers I recently reviewed, the T10s had an even-handed character that didn’t portray much personality of their own, nor jump out to grab one’s attention.
Since its release early this year, I’ve been enjoying the Smile’s sophomore album, Wall of Eyes (16-bit/44.1kHz ALAC, XL Recordings). “Bending Hectic” is a standout track, one of the most thrilling rock songs I’ve heard in some time. This tune has sufficient reverb to make it sound spacious, creating an expansive atmosphere. It starts by panning from an electric guitar on the right side of the stage to the sparkle of the cymbals coming from the drum kit on the left. When the strings of the London Contemporary Orchestra enter, the music extends further back, expanding the stage. The song builds slowly, the lyrics describing a vintage sports car cruising the mountainside along the Italian coastline before intentionally driving over a cliff and crashing onto the rocks below.
The tension from the strings as the car descends and the sound of what seems like a jet falling from the sky are nerve-wracking, creating extraordinary suspense. When the car finally reaches the bottom, the music explodes, unleashing the tension that had built to that point. Unsurprisingly, “Bending Hectic” deserves to be heard at high volumes, so as to create visceral impact. The T10s were effortless in their ability to communicate the scale of the track, sounding composed and resolute at volumes I could barely tolerate. When being driven by the more powerful 4B3, the T10s were unflappable. Bryston claims they can play up to 118dB before they start to distort, and while I’d never test the veracity of such a claim, I’ve no reason to doubt it.
On “War Dance” from Ottorino Respighi’s Belkis, Queen of Sheba suite, performed by the Minnesota Orchestra under Eiji Oue (CD, Reference Recordings RR-95CD), the T10s conveyed an enormous stage across which the Minnesota players were precisely delineated, making it easy to imagine being at the performance. As much as I love the solo by the clarinet midway through the dance, as well as the pounding rhythm of the drums that herald its arrival, the piece’s thunderous dynamics, rapid-fire percussion, and jarring sense of urgency are really what make it so exhilarating. Having never heard such large speakers in my room, I had never experienced the degree of big, powerful sound that I did with the T10s. The dynamic swings on “War Dance” are far more jolting than those on “Bending Hectic,” and the Bryston towers made them seem so natural.
Listening through Canadian speakers and electronic components, it seemed fitting to cue up a Canadian artist, so I reached for Colter Wall. “Sleeping on the Blacktop” from Wall’s debut, Imaginary Appalachia (16/44.1 ALAC, La Honda Records–RCA), sounded incredibly upfront, a function of the recording, not the speakers. The handclaps spanned the width of the stage, and the reverb added to Wall’s voice served to imbue the studio with more space. Through the Brystons, his acoustic guitar was warm and full-bodied, underscored by the powerful thump from the beat of the kick drum. The T10s imaged well, conjuring up a broad, voluminous stage, whose focal point was Wall’s captivating baritone.
Similar to “Sleeping on the Blacktop,” Wall’s reverb-soaked voice on “Living on the Sand” further accentuated his commanding presence, bringing him right into the room. Colter Wall reminds me of Johnny Cash, and I’m surprised this artist, the son of a former Canadian provincial premier, isn’t more widely known. The impeccably clean sonics of the Bryston amplification and speakers were the perfect conduit to Wall’s gruff delivery, which sounded remarkably lifelike and present across all 22 minutes of this EP.
The transparent and open midrange I heard on Imaginary Appalachia was something I appreciated across a number of albums, and it certainly had me listening to vocals to hear how candidly the Bryston towers portrayed them. By this point, I can’t say I was surprised to hear how clearly the speakers reproduced Bob Dylan’s voice on “Key West (Philosopher Pirate)” from Rough and Rowdy Ways (16/44.1 ALAC, Columbia). Dylan’s singing is intimately captured on Rough and Rowdy Ways. There’s simply an abundance of detail in his voice, and the T10s readily revealed the coarse grit and occasional hiss in his delivery.
Through the 4B3 and BP-19
Playing “Glory Bound” from Martin Sexton’s Black Sheep (16/44.1 ALAC, KOCH Records) through the B135 SST2 integrated, Sexton’s voice sounded realistic, neither forward nor recessed, and it was nicely balanced against the strumming of his acoustic guitar. The system’s overall character was one of unerring clarity. Switching to the 4B3 and BP-19, there was a considerable improvement in the overall ease of the presentation, particularly as I dialed up the volume. Sexton’s soaring falsetto was effortless, encouraging me to listen more loudly than I had with the B135. Through the Bryston separates, my attention was more drawn to Sexton’s guitar playing, specifically the force with which he struck some notes. The T10 is designed to handle a lot of power, and going from the 135Wpc B135 to the 300Wpc 4B3 only improved upon everything I was already hearing, while managing to sound even more relaxed.
On Angela Hewitt’s Chopin: Nocturnes & Impromptus (CD, Hyperion SACDA67371/2), the ease with which I could follow the decay of the final note of Nocturne no. 20 in C-sharp minor from Hewitt’s custom-built Fazioli grand piano further underscored the highly resolving nature of these speakers, as the decay dissipated gradually before disappearing into the ether. This level of quiet is synonymous with the sound of Bryston electronics, and the T10s boasted their same revealing personality.
Choral music occupies a growing portion of my listening time, much of it recorded in cathedrals or grand concert halls. Part of the appeal of this music is that the better recordings convincingly convey the acoustics of these venues and can help transport me there. Through the T10s, I consistently enjoyed a bigger presentation and grander sense of space on these albums than with any other speakers I’ve previously had in my room. Listening to the Kyrie from Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem (CD, Hyperion, CDA66292), the cellos were rich and weighty. The decay of the cellos and the pipe organ clearly communicated the large space under the domed ceiling of London’s Church of St Jude-on-the-Hill. Emerging from further back on the stage, the bass was deep and significantly added to the overall perception of space. Fauré’s Requiem is a sublime, soothing piece, and hearing it through speakers as large and dynamic as the towering Brystons was a new experience for me because of the sense of scale they conveyed.
Of course, the T10s’ immaculate rendering of scale transcended religious music. On “Your Rocky Spine” from Great Lake Swimmers’ Ongiara (CD, Nettwerk 30691 2), the banjo that opens the track was carved out precisely inside the left speaker, while the acoustic guitar emerged from the right tower with the same exacting presence. However, it was the upright bass that grabbed my attention. It had such heft and control, sounding more powerful than any I’ve heard before. This wasn’t bass for the sake of bass—the T10s are too disciplined for that. And while it stood out to me on a track I’ve heard countless times, it didn’t overwhelm it. The T10 simply dug deeper than any speaker that’s ever come into my room, energizing it in a way that I’d not heard before. Those are the sorts of things that stand out, the ones that leave lasting impressions long after the review gear has been returned.
Comparison
By way of comparison, I listened to the Model T10s alongside a pair of Monitor Audio Gold 300 5Gs (discontinued, $9500/pair when available). The Monitor Audios stand just under 40″ tall, making them nearly 3′ shorter than the Brystons. Like the T10s, the Gold 300s employ 8″ woofers, but two, rather than four of them. Additionally, whereas the T10s have titanium-dome tweeters, the 300s use a Micro Pleated Diaphragm, which is Monitor Audio’s version of an AMT (air motion transformer) tweeter. Standing alongside one another, the Canadian speakers dwarfed the British towers.
Returning to Ongiara, I found both sets of floorstanders sounded neutral in that they tended to impart little of themselves onto the music. The Monitor Audios revealed an abundance of detail in “Your Rocky Spine,” and like the Brystons, they produced a precise, wide soundstage. In terms of their level of transparency, the Gold 300s conceded nothing to the Brystons, which cost nearly twice as much. If resolution was of the utmost importance to me, I’d buy the Monitor Audios.
However, as revealing as the Gold 300s are, they were no match for the impact delivered by the T10s. Yes, the Gold 300s can move a fair amount of air, but they couldn’t compete with the T10s’ octet of 8″ woofers. Listening to “Your Rocky Spine,” the bass was far more powerful than what I heard through the British speakers, yet every bit as controlled. I could feel it in my body, and in this battle between David and Goliath, the giant won.
Revisiting various choral and orchestral selections, the sense of acoustic space created by the T10s was far grander than what I heard through the Gold 300s, reproducing cathedrals and concert halls more voluminously. On Respighi’s “War Dance,” the T10s’ intense dynamics were more forcefully delivered—on another level than what the Monitor Audios could achieve.
Conclusion
I’ve never heard a pair of speakers as large as Bryston’s new Model T10s in my listening room, and the experience was revelatory. These enormous towers delivered the most abundant yet evenly balanced bass I’ve ever heard in my room, and along with their effortless dynamics, grand sense of scale, and high level of resolution, they achieved an extraordinary level of performance.
I can imagine some people not warming to the Brystons’ sound because they prefer speakers with more of a discernible character. The T10s are fairly honest in that they’re not really trying to sound like anything at all. This is typically better for a long-term investment, unless of course there’s a particular coloration you’re after.
What sets the Brystons apart from any other speaker I know, and what further underscores their candidacy for a long-term relationship, is the ability to easily swap out a module on the back of each tower to convert them to a fully active design. Yes, this means adding the external crossover module and three channels of amplification to each speaker, but it’s a built-in upgrade path that, to my knowledge, isn’t offered by any of Bryston’s competitors. I won’t go into detail here, but I spent some time listening to the T10s in their active configuration in James Tanner’s listening room, and they were so powerful, well controlled, and evenly balanced that I can imagine them as an endgame purchase for many people.
However, I’d say the same is true based on what I heard from the passive T10s driven by Bryston amplifiers. A fair amount of review gear comes and goes through my listening room, and while I’m always grateful for the opportunity to hear equipment I’d otherwise have no opportunity to spend time with, I’m usually happy to send stuff back to make way for the next thing. I spent about a month listening to the T10s, and during the weeks following their return, I found myself thinking about the time I spent auditioning them. That doesn’t happen much, and it speaks to the lasting impression they made on me. If you’ve got the room and budget for them, the T10s are an easy recommendation.
. . . Philip Beaudette
philipb@soundstagenetwork.com
Associated Equipment
- Speakers: Monitor Audio Gold 300 5G
- Preamplifier: Bryston BR-19
- Power amplifier: Bryston 4B3
- Integrated amplifier: Bryston B135 SST2
- Digital sources: NAD C 565BEE CD player, Bryston BDA-2 DAC, Bluesound Node 2i streamer
- Analog source: Thorens TD 160 HD turntable, Rega Research RB250 tonearm, Sumiko Songbird MC cartridge
- Phono stage: Pro-Ject Audio Systems Phono Box DS3 B and Power Box S3 Phono outboard power supply
- Speaker cables: Nirvana Audio Royale, AudioQuest Robin Hood Zero BiWire Combo
- Interconnects: Nordost Quattro Fil (RCA), Pro-Ject Connect it Phono RCA-CC, Kimber Kable Tonik (RCA), generic RCA
- Digital links: AudioQuest Forest (TosLink optical), i2Digital X-60 (coaxial)
- Power conditioner: ExactPower EP15A
Bryston Model T10 Loudspeaker
Price: $18,000 per pair
Warranty: Twenty years, parts and labor, on drivers and cabinets
Bryston
2885 Highway 60
Dwight, Ontario
Canada
P0A 1H0
Phone: 1-800-632-8217
Website: www.bryston.com
