BRYSTON 14B SST

Pre owned. In good condition. Shows signs of wear. Without original packaging included.

The Bryston 14B-SST represents the pinnacle of solid-state bridged-output amplifier engineering, a design that traditionally can pose risks for low-impedance speakers but in this case is leveraged to achieve maximum power and minimal distortion. Each amplifier channel consists of two amplifiers wired in series and operating out of phase, with two ±65V rails allowing a total swing of nearly ±130V. The dual-mono architecture provides a separate power supply for each bridged channel, housed within the same chassis, while common circuit boards handle power-up, fault detection, logic, and front-panel LED control. The distance between the 27,000 µF electrolytic filter capacitors and the output circuitry is minimized to ensure optimal performance. Built-in protection handles shorts and DC offset, and discrete input circuits with ST buffers ensure symmetry and low noise on both balanced and single-ended inputs.

The output section uses 32 bipolar transistors (eight pairs per channel), with a single driver transistor for each PNP/NPN pair. The power devices are hand-selected for matched gains and increased reliability, based on an advanced redesign developed for Bryston’s five-channel 9B-THX, including optimized grounding and toroidal transformers with special low-leakage, low-noise steel cores. Filter capacitors are mounted on the PCB with five-pin connectors to prevent torsion during use. The 14B-SST features thermal control that shuts the unit down before the capacitor temperature exceeds 70°C, while the capacitors themselves are rated to run at 105°F for 5000 hours.

The massive chassis, featuring Bryston’s “thermal monolith” design with side heat-dissipating fins, accommodates two versions for the North American market (120V 15A and 20A) and a 240V 10A version for Europe. The front panel only includes a power switch and two tricolor LEDs indicating channel status, overload/distortion, or thermal shutdown, with red flashing during voltage stabilization on power-up. All additional switches and controls are located on the rear panel, including the circuit breaker, power-up mode, external trigger, balanced input gain (+0 or +6 dB), and individual level controls for each channel. Balanced inputs accept XLR or 1/4” TRS plugs, while speaker outputs use Bryston 60A-rated five-way binding posts certified to CE standards. Internal wiring is minimized, PCBs are double-sided epoxy-glass, and components are hand-selected with 0.1% metal-film resistors to reduce noise and distortion to an absolute minimum.

The 14B-SST combines extraordinary power, precision, and robustness, using the bridged output to deliver high current with minimal distortion, providing dynamic, detailed, and engaging sound even with demanding speakers, and establishing itself as a definitive reference in high-end solid-state amplification.

Technical specifications:

• Solid-state, dual-mono power amplifier with balanced and unbalanced inputs
• Rated output power (at 2 kHz): 600 W per channel into 8 Ω (27.8 dBW); 900 W into 4 Ω (26.5 dBW)
• Harmonic distortion: 0.007% 20 Hz–20 kHz; intermodulation distortion: 0.002% 60 Hz + 7 kHz, 4:1 mix
• S/N ratio: 112 dB ref. full output, input shorted, 20 Hz–20 kHz
• Power bandwidth: 1 Hz–100 kHz (-3 dB)
• Damping factor: >300 at 20 Hz, ref. 8 Ω
• Input sensitivity: 2.2 V unbalanced; 4.5 V balanced, both for full output
• Input impedance: 50 kΩ unbalanced; 20 kΩ balanced
• Polarity: non-inverting
• Dimensions: 490 × 180 × 490 mm (W × H × D)
• Net weight: 38.5 kg