Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.

If you’ve followed my work on SoundStage! Network, you probably know that I’ve been using Bryston amplifiers for many years—18 to be exact. My hi-fi journey began in 2002 with a Yamaha home-theater receiver. When I realized I would never use four of its six channels, I replaced it with an NAD integrated amplifier. In 2007 I upgraded to a Bryston B100 SST integrated, and in 2013 I purchased the B100’s successor, the B135 SST², which I’ve used ever since. The B135 SST² was succeeded by the B135³ integrated amplifier, which I reviewed in 2021. Although I slightly preferred the sound of the B135³ over that of my B135 SST² and found the new amp to be quieter, the difference was not enough to justify upgrading. Suffice it to say, I’ve become quite familiar with Bryston components.

The Bryston B100 SST, B135 SST², and B135³ integrated amplifiers had a lot in common. Each was built around the company’s least-powerful standalone amplifier at the time—the 2B SST, 2B SST², and 2.5B³, respectively—and all three delivered 180Wpc into a 4-ohm load. Each offered the same suite of unbalanced connections, and each could be equipped with an onboard DAC and a moving-magnet phono stage.

In 2024 Bryston announced its newest integrated amplifier, the Bi‑200, which represents a major advancement over the B100 and B135 models. The Bi‑200 employs a more powerful amplifier and a completely redesigned preamplifier section. I wasted no time after the Bi‑200 was announced and contacted Bryston’s CEO, James Tanner, to request a review sample.

Design

The Bi‑200 ($8495, all prices in USD) combines the company’s 3B³ power amplifier ($5995) and BP-19 preamplifier ($5195) into a single chassis. This union produces the same sound quality as its constituent parts do when separate, Bryston asserts—impressive, considering it costs nearly $2700 less!

Equally impressive is Bryston’s candor. Hi-fi audio makers typically push the higher-price-higher-performance paradigm, although the two are often woefully disproportionate to each other. But coming from Bryston, such a claim is not surprising. In 2006 when I met Brian Russell, the company’s late CEO, he informed me that Bryston’s amplifiers all sound the same; it is the power requirement and number of channels needed, he said, that ought to determine which model to get, not sonics. Candor, it seems, is part of the corporate culture.

With 200Wpc into 8 ohms or 300Wpc into 4 ohms, the Bi‑200 isn’t a massive leap in power over the B135³, which delivers 135Wpc into 8 ohms, 180Wpc into 4 ohms. The Bi‑200’s extra power does provide additional headroom, which owners with uninhibited listening habits who have demanding speakers or a large listening space (or both) will surely appreciate. Given that Bryston’s components have often measured better in our lab than their published specifications, the Bi‑200 is probably rated conservatively.

Like Bryston’s Cubed Series amplifiers, the Bi‑200 employs a patented input stage that uses an array of 12 active devices and serves as a highly linear input buffer that eliminates audio- and radio-frequency noise, particularly from the power line. According to Bryston, it reduces distortion to less than 0.001%, the lowest of any amplifier the company has ever made. Like the standalone 3B³ power amplifier and other Bryston class-AB amplifiers, the Bi‑200 is a dual-mono design that is built from discrete components. Aside from sharing a power cord, the two amplifiers in the Bi‑200’s chassis are entirely independent.

In addition to being Bryston’s most powerful integrated amplifier yet, the Bi‑200 is also the first to offer a fully balanced preamplifier section. (Remember that in a balanced transmission, the audio signal for each channel is sent over two conductors, known as “hot” and “cold.” The audio signal in the cold conductor is inverted at the source component and then again at the receiving component and combines additively with the signal in the hot conductor. But any noise the two conductors picked up ends up in opposite phase and cancels out.) Balanced transmission is especially important in studios and concert venues, which use long cable runs that are susceptible to electrical interference.

By using closely matched components and minimizing signal paths through surface-mount technology, a process whereby components are soldered directly onto a circuit board, Bryston claims to have significantly lowered noise in the Bi‑200.

The Bi‑200 offers two balanced and four single-ended inputs. It also provides one balanced and one single-ended output, both of which can be configured as fixed or variable. I used the latter as I wanted to include my SVS SB-4000 subwoofer in the system. Connections for USB, ethernet, and RS-232 control are also provided, as well as a trigger output for initiating startup in compatible devices.

Unlike its predecessors, the Bi‑200 is a purely analog device. It cannot be augmented with an onboard digital-to-analog converter, but it can be ordered with a phono-stage module. The base module is designed for a moving-magnet-type cartridge and provides 41dB of gain at 1kHz. When equipped with this module, the Bi‑200, now designated Bi‑200P, is priced at $9495. Optionally, for compatibility with a moving-coil-type cartridge, the module can be configured with an internal step-up transformer. This version, the Bi‑200MC, is priced at $10,245.

The MC phono stage can be paired with one of two step-up transformers: one providing 20dB of gain, the other 26dB. It is the voltage output of the MC cartridge that determines which one to use. Bryston advises that with a 0.1mV–0.2mV cartridge the 26dB transformer should be used, with a 0.3 mV cartridge either transformer could be used, and with a 0.4mV–0.5mV cartridge the 20dB transformer should be used. Unfortunately, I couldn’t evaluate the Bi‑200’s phono-stage performance as my review unit didn’t have one installed.

Casework and remote

Following the unexpected death of Bryston’s CEO Brian Russell in 2020, the company was acquired by Axiom Audio and relocated to Axiom’s manufacturing facility in Dwight, Ontario, Canada. Bryston products are now built alongside Axiom loudspeakers, and with access to Axiom’s metal fabrication capabilities, the company can manufacture its own faceplates and offer several finish options.

Previously, Bryston electronics were available only in silver and black aluminum faceplates. Today, one can also choose from white, gunmetal gray, or a nickel-like finish called Champagne, as well as specify a custom color. An additional flourish available to buyers is a recessed border around the left, center, and right sections of the faceplate. (By default, a recessed, narrow border circumscribes the central faceplate section only, with the engraved Bryston logo and input-selection buttons.) My review sample was finished in silver and had the full groove treatment. It had the typical utilitarian aesthetic of a Bryston component, which I find quite appealing, and the typical solid build, with thick aluminum casework and faceplate.

The Bi‑200’s front panel is a clean and uncluttered affair with a large volume knob, power and mute buttons, channel-balance buttons, and six input-selection buttons. A green LED above each button indicates that it’s been selected or activated. The color can be changed to blue, which is a first for Bryston.

The volume control on the Bi‑200 allows adjustment in 0.5dB increments and is the most precise of all previous Bryston integrated amplifiers. A small white OLED display on the left shows the current volume level in dB. It’s nice to know the exact volume level, but it is difficult to read from across the room. Below the display is an IR sensor for the remote and a headphone output. The Bi‑200’s onboard headphone amplifier is more powerful than any previous headphone amplifier built into a Bryston component, and its low-output impedance allows it to drive even the most demanding headphones.

The Bi‑200 comes with Bryston’s BR-4 infrared remote control, which I did not particularly like. I found that the rubbery volume buttons on this remote could occasionally get stuck underneath the faceplate when pressed. Fortunately, this did not result in a continuous, rapid change in volume level, but it was certainly annoying. The machined aluminum enclosure of the BR-4 felt reasonably sturdy, but it is a far cry from the robust remote controls Bryston previously offered, which were hewn from a solid piece of aluminum—you could literally drive a small SUV over them without causing much damage. Those remotes, however, were sold separately for about $300.

To me, the old Bryston remotes were iconic. Whenever visitors came over to listen to music or watch a movie, I would pass them the remote so they could adjust the volume to their liking. Invariably, people were shocked by its weight. It made a huge impression—this was palpably high-end audio. I do hope Bryston brings them back someday.

The Bi‑200 carries a transferable 20-year warranty, as all Bryston analog products (and loudspeakers) do.

System

I connected the Bi‑200 to a pair of Monitor Audio Gold 300 5G speakers 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 by an i2Digital X-60 coaxial cable. I also streamed music wirelessly from Apple Music on an iPhone SE to a Bluesound Node 2i streamer. I connected the Node to the BDA-2 using an AudioQuest Forest TosLink optical cable and the BDA-2 to the Bi‑200 using Nordost Quattro Fil RCA cables.

To play records I used a Thorens TD 160 HD turntable with a modified Rega Research RB250 tonearm to which a low-output Sumiko Songbird MC cartridge was mounted. A Pro-Ject Audio Systems Connect it RCA-CC cable linked the Thorens to a Pro-Ject Phono Box DS3 B phono stage (powered by a Pro-Ject Power Box S3 Phono outboard power supply). The DS3 B was linked to the Bi‑200 using Kimber Kable Tonik interconnects. All electronics were plugged into an ExactPower EP15A power conditioner.

Sound

How does one characterize an audio component with nearly imperceptible sonic traits? Going over my listening notes, I found that generally they reflected the sound characteristics inherent in the recordings themselves, not those of the Bi‑200. With its vanishingly low distortion and impossibly low noise floor, the Bi‑200 presented recordings in their true colors. It provided exceptionally transparent amplification that brought to light every little detail record grooves and CD pits could offer.

I found that the Bi‑200’s whisper-quiet presentation, where music is depicted over a silent background, rewards low-volume playback. Music remained dynamic, and subtle details were not obscured by noise. At the other extreme, it demonstrated such effortlessness at high volume levels that I found it hard to resist playing loud.

Loreena McKennitt’s To Drive the Cold Winter Away (CD, Quinlan Road QRCD102) is a compilation of winter and festive tunes, mostly traditional, but with a few of her own. The album was recorded at the Church of Our Lady in Guelph, Ontario, and in a couple of locations in Ireland.

The first song, “In Praise of Christmas,” recorded in Guelph, conveyed some of the grandeur of the century-old basilica as McKennitt’s voice permeated its cavernous space from floor to soaring ceiling. The sound was exceptionally clean. The accordion that opens the track emerged from deep in the soundstage and was slowly brought forward in the mix, though not quite to the forefront. The strings of the harp were arrestingly incisive, but they never detracted from the attention that McKennitt’s voice commanded. What drew my attention most, in fact, was the lifelike reverb, which had a remarkably authentic decay.

“Banquet Hall” had the warmer acoustics of the smaller recording space at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig, an artists’ residence in Ireland, but it still sounded spacious. On this track, it was the shimmer of the tambourine and the splash of the cymbals that I noticed most. Those thin metal plates resonated brightly with a sparkle that was captivating even at low volume.

The next track, “Snow,” is a personal favorite. It is a gorgeous piece of music with evocative lyrics that conjure a vision of walking in the stillness of the countryside on a cold winter night. The open acoustics of the large hall in Ireland’s Glenstall Abbey, where this track was recorded, created an atmosphere that intensified the sense of a desolate, wintry landscape. An airy tin whistle pierced deep into the vastness of the night, highlighting its endless expanse. The Bryston, for its part, simply provided a black canvas on which these images were depicted, imparting nothing of itself onto the sound.

Curious to hear how the Bi‑200 would handle a live-performance recording, I loaded Townes Van Zandt’s Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas (Fat Possum FP1118-2) into the CD tray. This two-disc album is replete with ambient sounds—dragging chairs, clinking glasses, coughs, chatter—that lend it an air of realism and make you feel as if you are right there. Everything is in the recording, including the opening announcement that informs the audience where the bathrooms, pool tables, and cigarette machines are. A live recording truly comes to life with such peripheral sounds, and Live at the Old Quarter has them in abundance.

That intimate feeling of being there became much stronger when the performance actually began. Townes Van Zandt’s voice and the sound of his guitar were so lucid that it felt as though he were there right before me. Again, I noted the Bi‑200’s high degree of transparency, which made low-volume listening a pleasure. And, as before, it was that same clarity and sense of ease that made listening to this album at higher volumes equally satisfying. The Bi‑200 retained full control over the speakers, never sounding grating or harsh. It also maintained its composure on more challenging, bass-heavy material, even at high volume levels.

I then tried some jazz, with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers’ Moanin’ (Blue Note ST-84003) on my turntable platter. This 1958 album joins the ranks of John Coltrane’s Blue Train, Charles Mingus’s Mingus Ah Um, and Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue as a stunning example of an early stereo jazz recording. My jazz collection is small, but I do have these records, and vinyl is my medium of choice for this music.

On the title track from Moanin’, the bass was full and rounded and had a strong, almost physical presence in the room. The trumpet and trombone, coming from opposite sides of the soundstage, had a rich and vivid tone. The impressive depth and width of that soundstage seem typical of late 1950s Blue Note and Columbia recordings. The Bi‑200’s high level of transparency allowed details to emerge that provided ample positional cues; imaging was unambiguous and distinct.

I’m a jumpy person, easily startled by loud unexpected sounds. I’ve been jolted from my chair so many times while listening to music that I’m certain years have been taken off my life. A case in point: the opening track on Beethoven Songs (CD, Hyperion CDA67055), “An die Hoffnung” (To Hope), featuring baritone Stephan Genz and pianist Roger Vignoles, which I listened to next. The pensive, delicate opening notes of the piano were so soothing I could practically feel my blood pressure dropping. Genz soon enters, his deep, strong voice soft and equally calming. This atmosphere of serene quietude then shatters abruptly when Genz’s voice dramatically crescendos for a brief moment. My heart skipped a couple of beats the first time I heard it.

“An die Hoffnung” was a showcase of the Bi‑200’s fine sonic character: clear, quiet, dynamic. I could discern every aspect of each piano note, from attack to decay, and enjoy the full richness of Genz’s baritone. The Bi‑200 renders music against a black background, which seemed to accentuate dramatic musical moments and heighten their emotional impact. For highly affecting classical music, it proved to be ideal.

Comparison

I was eager to put the Bi‑200 to the test against my own B135 SST² (discontinued, $4695 when available). The Bi‑200 is not significantly more powerful than the B135, as mentioned, offering a mere 65Wpc increase in power output into 8 ohms, a 120Wpc increase into 4 ohms. It has new amplifier and preamplifier sections, however, a new, fully balanced preamp section, and an input stage of much lower distortion.

The 2007 album Ongiara (CD, Nettwerk 30691 2) by Toronto’s Great Lake Swimmers revealed an interesting difference in presentation between the Bi‑200 and B135. I’ve used Ongiara for years in auditions to evaluate how well components handle the big sound of Aeolian Hall in London, Ontario, where most of this album was recorded. The Bi‑200’s presentation, I observed, was quite laid-back. The banjo and acoustic guitar appeared to be set far back on either side of the soundstage. In the B135’s presentation, the music was more upfront, as though the performers had taken a step forward. In terms of immediacy of presentation, the two amps would likely appeal to different listeners. Some prefer a laid-back presentation, others a more forward presentation.

I noticed that the Bi‑200 was the quieter of the two amps. Not so much that I could hear details I couldn’t hear with the B135, but enough to draw my attention to details I don’t normally notice. For example, while listening to “Your Rocky Spine” with the Bi‑200, my ears were piqued by what sounded like a shaker inside the left speaker, something I had never paid much attention to before. Going back to the B135, I could still hear the shaker, but it was not quite as clear, not enough to catch my attention.

I also noticed that the performers were better separated with the Bi‑200—more sharply outlined, with more space between them. But to be fair, the B135’s presentation was far from congested.

Conclusion

The Bi‑200 marks a significant departure in sonic character from Bryston’s earlier integrated amplifiers. In 2021, after auditioning the B135³, I concluded that its slight performance edge over my B135 SST² did not warrant an upgrade. Now, having spent several weeks with the Bi‑200, I am tempted to upgrade.

To be clear, the Bi‑200 is more similar to the B135 SST² than it is different from it. Bryston’s overarching design goals of transparency and neutrality are still paramount, and this is evident in both amplifiers. Where the Bi‑200 surpasses the older amplifier is in its crisp sonic imaging, relaxed demeanor at high volumes, and dynamic range at low volumes. I relished the Bi‑200’s outstanding performance at the volume extremes and spent much of my listening time there.

The essential Bryston sound that I’ve known and loved for many years is still manifest in the Bi‑200. Like its predecessors, the Bi‑200 embodies the strong, quiet, relaxed type—only more so and more laid-back. As a Canadian-made, high-performing integrated amplifier that costs well under $10K and carries a 20-year warranty, the Bi‑200 is great value and is easy to recommend.

. . . Philip Beaudette
philipb@soundstagenetwork.com

Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.

Associated Equipment

• Speakers: Monitor Audio Gold 300 5G
• 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
• 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 Bi‑200 integrated amplifier
Price: $8495 ($9495 with MM phono stage; $10,245 with MC phono stage)
Warranty: 20 years, parts and labor

Bryston
2885 Highway 60
Dwight, Ontario
Canada
P0A 1H0
Phone: 1-800-632-8217

Website: www.bryston.com