The Bryston Bi-200 integrated amplifier is yet another example of the Canadian company’s enduring commitment to high-end, no-nonsense audio engineering. It builds on the extensive development efforts Bryston invested in its BP-19 preamplifier and 3B3 power amplifier by joining these two components into a single chassis. The design goal of the Bi-200 was ambitious: to provide a convenient integrated solution with the sonic strength of separate components. Philip Beaudette’s review of the Bi-200 was published on this site earlier this month.
The Bi-200 is priced at $8495 without an internal phono stage, which is $2700 less than the total cost of the BP-19 and 3B3 if purchased separately. The Bi-200’s price rises to $9495/$10,245 when it includes a moving-magnet/moving-coil phono stage. Philip’s review unit had neither option.
The Bi-200 exudes the durability and reliability that Bryston is known for—qualities reflected in its lengthy 20-year warranty. It also exhibits refined aesthetics: a machined aluminum case that minimizes resonance and interference along with an attractive faceplate available in silver or black, a dark shade of gray that Bryston calls Gun Metal Grey, and a nickel-like gray called Champagne. A custom finish can also be requested (at additional cost). Inside, the Bi-200’s fully balanced preamplifier circuitry minimizes noise and distortion. The amplifier is rated at 200Wpc into 8 ohms or 300Wpc into 4 ohms, which Philip’s review unit exceeded when tested in our lab.
Apparently targeted at analog purists, the Bi-200 lacks both DAC and streaming capability. It has six pairs of line-level inputs—four single-ended (RCA) and two balanced (XLR)—buffered pre-outs, and an independent headphone output via a 1/4″ jack on the front panel. The digitally controlled analog volume system ensures precision without compromising signal integrity. It operates in 2, 1, and 0.5dB increments, depending on the volume level, with negligible channel-to-channel disparity. System integration is facilitated by RS232 control. Bryston’s BR-4 remote rounds out the package. Like all Bryston products, the Bi-200 is made in Canada.
Philip auditioned the Bi-200 with his Monitor Audio Gold 300 5G floorstanding loudspeakers and Nirvana Royale speaker cables. In his extensive listening sessions, the Bi-200 distinguished itself by virtually disappearing sonically, delivering music as it was recorded—uncolored and unrestrained. The sound characteristics he did observe, Philip realized, were “those inherent in the recordings themselves, not those of the Bi‑200.” He credits this remarkable transparency to the amplifier’s “vanishingly low distortion and impossibly low noise floor,” writing that it “brought to light every little detail record grooves and CD pits could offer.”
Philip was impressed by the Bi-200’s delivery of To Drive the Cold Winter Away by Loreena McKennitt. On “In Praise of Christmas,” recorded in an old church in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, as McKennitt’s voice filled the cavernous space “from floor to soaring ceiling” with lifelike reverb, he felt a strong sense of the grandeur of the place. One aspect of this recording that caught Philip’s ear was the progressively increasing prominence of the accordion in the mix after emerging deep in the soundstage. Another was the “arrestingly incisive” sound of the harp. On “Banquet Hall,” which was recorded at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig in Ireland, the shimmering tambourine and splashy cymbals retained their sparkle even at low volume, Philip writes, noting generally that the Bi-200 rewards low-volume playback: “music [was] depicted over a silent background . . . . and subtle details were not obscured by noise.”
Live recordings demonstrated the same strengths. Philip describes Townes Van Zandt’s Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas, as “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.” That sense of intimacy deepened when the performance started: “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.” Here again, the Bi-200’s transparency “made low-volume listening a pleasure.”
The amplifier’s ability to preserve both dynamics and imaging was apparent in Moanin’ by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. The bass, Philip writes, was “full and rounded” and had an “almost physical presence in the room.” The trumpet and trombone appeared on opposite ends of the soundstage, their tone “rich and vivid.” Once more, Philip points out the Bi-200’s high level of transparency, which “allowed details to emerge that provided ample positional cues.” Imaging, he reports, was “unambiguous and distinct.”
To challenge the Bi-200 with music from the classical genre, Philip played “An die Hoffnung” from Beethoven Songs, with baritone Stephan Genz and pianist Roger Vignoles. This was “a showcase of the Bi‑200’s fine sonic character: clear, quiet, dynamic,” Philip writes, recounting how he “could discern every aspect of each piano note, from attack to decay, and enjoy the full richness of Genz’s baritone.” Dramatic musical moments seemed heightened against the Bi-200’s black background.
For comparison, Philip used his Bryston B135 SST2 integrated amplifier, an older design with a lower power rating of 135Wpc into 8 ohms. He found the B135 to be the more “upfront” of the two, “as though the performers had taken a step forward.” In contrast, the Bi-200 was more laid-back. It was, however, quieter. Subtle details, such as a shaker on “Your Rocky Spine” from Ongiara by Toronto’s Great Lakes Swimmers, stood out more clearly. In the end, Philip concluded that although the Bi‑200 is “more similar to the B135 SST2 than it is different from it,” it surpasses the older amplifier in its “crisp sonic imaging, relaxed demeanor at high volumes, and dynamic range at low volumes.”
By joining two of Bryston’s most popular separate components into a single case and chassis, the Bi-200 offers exceptional sound at a reasonable price, especially given its outstanding build quality and extensive warranty. For being a high-value amplifier that’s easy to recommend, as Philip puts it, the Bi‑200 received a Reviewers’ Choice award when the review was published. It is solely for its performance that it has now earned a Recommended Reference Component award.
Manufacturer contact information:
Bryston
2885 Highway 60
Dwight, Ontario
Canada
P0A 1H0
Phone: 1-800-632-8217
Website: www.bryston.com
