Bryston 10B Sub Active Crossover

[jdandy]

My new Bryston 10B Sub (balanced) active crossover was ordered today. Many thanks to Ivan and Legend Audio for presenting a great buying opportunity.

The new Bryston 10B Sub will go into the tube system in the studio. I plan to route the frequencies from 70Hz and down to the two McIntosh XLS112 powered subwoofers using a 12 dB slope, and passing everything above that point to the Sonus Faber Guarneri Memento's using a 12 dB slope. The 10B Sub crossover will be placed in the signal path between the C1000T and the two MC275's. By pulling the lower octave off of the mono MC275's, which output approximately 175 watts each, and routing the low frequencies to the XLS112's, which output 400 watts each, I will be increasing the dynamic headroom available from the MC275's. This will allow both MC275's to work easier not having to produce the lowest octave.

The Bryston 10B Sub also provides the advantage of removing the lowest octave off the Guarneri Memento's, which as Serge (PHC1) has pointed out to me, will open up the midrange detail on the Memento's. Studying the frequency graph of the GM's shows they begin to roll off at 48Hz, falling rather quick below 42 Hz, so removing the requirement to reproduce approximately 70 Hz and below from the Memento's should allow the mid/bass driver more freedom to accurately reproduce those frequencies above that point.

I am excited to get the Bryston 10B Sub into the studio system. I have been procrastinating this addition for about a year. I had been waiting for a Bryston 10B Sub to show up on Audiogon, but very few have appeared, and either were much older versions, or were unbalanced models, so I finally bit the bullet today and ordered a new one. It seems Bryston 10B owners don't often part with them.


6moons audio reviews: Bryston 10B-Sub

[gtubes]

That's going to be ammmaaazzzing Dan, can't wait for your analysis!

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by mc602

That's going to be ammmaaazzzing Dan, can't wait for your analysis!

Greg.......I am really looking forward to playing with the Bryston 10B Sub in the studio system. This system is already sounding quite spectacular, but I believe I will be able to extract some additional improvements. The broad selection of both low and high frequency crossover points and slopes should allow me to find the perfect mating of the two XLS112 subs to the Memento's. I am hoping to have the Bryston 10B Sub active crossover in my hands by next week.

[hkval]

This new adventure is going to be fascinating for many of us. I have always thought that an effective crossover could release a speaker's full potential in the midrange by allowing the subwoofer to do its thing and easing the load on the main speaker. Let's hope that Bryston's fully balanced outputs are not actually unbalanced.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by hkval

Let's hope that Bryston's fully balanced outputs are not actually unbalanced.

. .

Howard.......I am comfortable with Bryston 10B Sub. I think the 20 year warranty says it all.

[PHC1]

You will love it Dan. The advantages of an active crossovers with monitor speakers and outboard subs are undeniable, especially when it comes to tube amps. My own experiments with the 10B/MC275/SF GM's and Fathom subs were educational and jaw dropping. The new found levels of coherence from a drop in intermodulation distortion of the speakers themselves as well as a new found level of power and drive from the mc275 not having to struggle with deep bass combined in a one-two sonic knockout punches. The difference was night and day.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by PHC1

You will love it Dan. The advantages of an active crossovers with monitor speakers and outboard subs are undeniable, especially when it comes to tube amps. My own experiments with the 10B/MC275/SF GM's and Fathom subs were educational and jaw dropping. The new found levels of coherence from a drop in intermodulation distortion of the speakers themselves as well as a new found level of power and drive from the mc275 not having to struggle with deep bass combined in a one-two sonic knockout punches. The difference was night and day.

Serge.......Ever since I read your posts regarding the Bryston 10B Sub in your system I have wanted one. I was lackadaisical for not purchasing your 10B Sub when you offered it. I could have saved some money. The clincher for me was listening last week to some music that had synthesized bass, combined with acoustic bass and kick drum. I was hearing some IM distortion that smeared the synth bass, acoustic bass and kick drum sounds, not drastically, but none the less audible. Bypassing the two subs demonstrated that the SF Guarneri Memento's were having some difficulty with the three instruments being play simultaneously, coupled with the long cone excursion from the kick drum on top of the synth and acoustic bass instruments. I was even hearing a tiny bit of huffing from the Memento's rear ports as the bass/midrange driver was struggling with the lowest combinations of frequencies. This was the first time I had experience this with the GM's, at least to the level of clear audibility. That is when the decision to purchase the Bryston 10B Sub active crossover was solidified. As you said, the monitors need that lowest octave removed from their task, and by doing so many other audible improvements come into play.

I am also looking forward to having the additional dynamic headroom from the two mono MC275 amplifiers. Transfering the heavy lifting to the two XLS112 subwoofers with their 400 watt solid state amplifiers will free up power in the MC275's that won't be required for the deep bass. I am excited to get the 10B Sub into the system, and begin to play with it. The settings I stated above will likely be just the starting points until I have had enough time and experience with the 10B controls to dial the XLS112's and the GM's in perfectly. I may have some questions for you once I get started.

[Masterlu]

Seems like X-Mas every day here on AA...

[hkval]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

Seems like X-Mas every day here on AA...

Thanks to the SantaMaster!!!!

[Masterlu]

Ho, Ho, Ho...