The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle, is
intended to alert the user to the presence of un-insulated “dangerous voltage “ within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute
a risk of electric shock to persons.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user
to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions
in the literature accompanying the product.
1. Read these instructions.
2. Keep these instructions.
3. Heed all warnings.
4. Follow all instructions.
5. Do not use this apparatus near water.
6. Clean only with dry cloth.
7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions.
8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or
other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A
polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type
plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third
prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your
outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs,
convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
11. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
12. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the
manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used use
caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury
from tip-over.
13 Any terminals marked with the preceding symbol are HAZARDOUS
LIVE and any wiring connected to these terminals must be installed
by an INSTRUCTED PERSON or with ready-made leads or cords.
14. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of
time.
15. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the
apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is
damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the
apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has
been dropped.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS
APPARATUS TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO DRIPPING OR
SPLASHING AND ENSURE THAT NO OBJECTS FILLED WITH LIQUIDS, SUCH AS VASES, ARE
PLACED ON THE EQUIPMENT. TO COMPLETELY DISCONNECT THIS EQUIPMENT FROM THE AC
MAINS, DISCONNECT THE POWER SUPPLY CORD PLUG FROM THE AC RECEPTACLE.
THE MAINS PLUG OF THE POWER SUPPLY CORD SHALL REMAIN READILY OPERABLE.
BRYSTON LIMITED WARRANTY
Bryston analog audio products are warranted to be free from manufacturing defects for twenty (20) years from the original date of manufacture. The warranty includes parts and labour.
Bryston digital products and cables are warranted for five years from the original date of manufacture. The warranty includes parts and labour.
Bryston products having motorized moving parts, excluding motorized volume controls, are warranted for three years from the original date of manufacture. The warranty includes parts
and labour.
Bryston will remedy the problem by repair or replacement, as we deem necessary, to restore the product to full performance. Bryston will pay return shipping only for the full length of
the specific product's warranty.
In the event of a defect or malfunction, contact Bryston’s repair centers for return authorization. Products must be returned using original packaging material only. Packing material may
be purchased from Bryston if necessary. This warranty is considered void if the defect, malfunction or failure of the product or any component part was caused by damage (not resulting
from a defect or malfunction) or abuse while in the possession of the customer. Tampering by persons other than factory authorized service personnel or failure to fully comply with Bryston
operating instructions voids the warranty. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which may vary from province to province and country to country.
As of 2006-02-22 Bryston will only warranty Bryston products purchased through authorized Bryston dealers. Bryston products with a date code of 0608 or higher (date code format is
“yyww”, where “yy” is the two least significant digits of the year and “ww” is the week of the year) must be accompanied by a copy of the bill-of-sale from a Bryston authorized dealer to
qualify for warranty service. The warranty is transferable from the original owner to a subsequent owner as long as a copy of the bill-of-sale from the original authorized Bryston dealer
accompanies the re-sale. The copy of the bill of sale to any subsequent owner need ONLY include the Name of the Bryston Authorized Dealer and the Model and Serial number of the
Bryston product The warranty will only be honored in the country of the original purchase unless otherwise pre-authorized by Bryston.
BRYSTON SERVICE in CANADA:BRYSTON SERVICE in the USA:
Postal address: P.O. BOX 2170, Stn. Main
PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO
CANADA K9J 7Y4
Thank you for your purchase of a Bryston 14B3
(Cubed) amplier! Decades of ongoing research
and development have produced our highest
performing ampliers yet. Our customers are
a tremendous resource to whom we look for a
measure of success. Please feel welcome to contact
us with feedback and suggestions.
Description
The 14B3 is a dual-mono design audio power
amplier with two channels capable of 600 watts
each intended for use in very high performance
professional audio systems. Robust yet beautiful
machined aluminum enclosures house our
proprietary industry-leading circuit designs
resulting in exemplary performance observed both
in the listening space and in the laboratory.
C-Series variants are available in your choice of 17
inch or 19 inch wide non-rack mountable aluminum
dress panels anodized in clear (silver toned) or
black. All models feature rear handles. Nineteen
inch wide C-Series ampliers include front mounted
handles. PRO ampliers feature 19 inch wide rack
mountable dress panels with handles in a black
anodized front nish and also include individual
channel trims located on the rear panel.
you must use the proper packing material. Ship
the amplier only in the original packing material,
as the unit is not insurable by carriers otherwise.
Replacement packing materials consisting of a
shipping carton with plastic foam inserts is available
from Bryston for a small fee.
Installation and Usage
Ventilation
Bryston has deliberately chosen to omit fans from
our ampliers in an eort to minimize the noise
level in your listening environment. Instead, we use
only passive heat sinks which are fully capable of
maintaining a safe operating temperature of the
amplier even under loud playback conditions.
For them to work most eectively, air must be
permitted to pass freely through the heat sink ns
and around the amplier. Maintain a minimum of
3.5 inches of space to each side, top and back of the
amplier when in use. Do not stack the ampliers
immediately on top of one another in an enclosed
cabinet. If you must stack the amps, you may need
to utilize fans or another active cooling mechanism
to ensure uninterrupted operation. If you repeatedly
experience channels shutting down due to heat,
rearrange the ampliers to have more surrounding
free space, or employ an active cooling solution.
Never operate the amplier in a vertical position.
Features
Bryston 14B3 includes the following features:
• Switchable gain: 23dB or 29dB
• Balanced (XLR or TRS) input. Pin 2 positive.
• Single ended (RCA) input.
• SoStart circuitry for managing inrush current
upon initial power up.
• Wired remote control AC/DC trigger input and
passthrough with supplied connector.
Shipping Box and Packing Material
Please keep the original shipping box and all
packing material. This will ensure the amplier is
protected in future transport. In the unlikely event
you have a problem and must return it for service,
4
Connecting to A/C Power
Please check the Data Plate on the right rear of the
amplier to verify power requirements agree with
your location. See “11. Data Plate:” on page 9.
Before plugging in the power cord, make sure the
Master Circuit Breaker (“7. Master Circuit Breaker:”
on page 9) is switched to the ‘ON’ position. Plug
the IEC-320 C14 end of the power cord into the
amplier, then plug the other end into an approved
and grounded A/C receptacle. The STATUS LED
should ash green, then switch to red indicating A/C
power is present in the unit. See “10. Power Status
Indicator:” on page 9. The amplier is now ready
to be powered on.
14B3 Amplier
O
N
F
F
O
o
I
Connecting to Loudspeakers
Connection to loudspeakers is accomplished by
attaching high quality speaker cable to the Output
Binding Posts (see “Rear Panel” on page 8) per
the following instructions.
The RED binding post is connected to the positive
channel output. Connect this post to the (+)
terminal on the loudspeaker.
The BLUE binding post is connected to the negative
(-) output. Connect this post to the (-) terminal on
the loudspeaker.
Never connect either binding post to a ground! The
amplier is balanced.
The output binding posts provide three dierent
interconnect options. Combinations may be used
when bi-wiring. Cables should be kept as short
as practical and should never be terminated with
connectors that may become confused for AC
power connectors. Cables should be dressed away
from input and power cables.
Banana plugs oer a quick disconnect option.
Before inserting a banana plug into the binding
post, be sure to tighten the post nut to avoid rattling
and to provide full insertion of the banana plug.
Gold plated locking banana plugs are available from
Bryston.
Post diameter is 5/16”
(8mm ), lug width 5/8” (16 mm).
Gold plated spade lugs are
available from Bryston.
Stripped bare wire up to 3 gauge
can be inserted through the hole in the binding
post and held in place by tightening the post knob.
Additional tightening pressure can be achieved
using a coin in the slots of the knob. Do not over
tighten or the binding post may become damaged.
Note that copper wire is malleable and may require
further tightening aer the initial installation.
To prevent the risk of equipment damage or
personal harm, use only Class 2 rated loudspeaker
wire properly terminated and connected securely to
the binding posts.
Connecting Audio Inputs
The Bryston Cubed amplier can receive analog
audio from any preamp or surround processor with
volume controlled line-level outputs. Balanced XLR
and TRS as well as singled ended RCA inputs are
both available and can be selected using the Input
Select switch on the rear panel of the amplier.
Spade lugs provide high contact area and
secure fastening. Lugs should be gold plated.
From Preamplier
WARNING
DO NOT CONNECT ANY
TERMINALS TOGETHER OR
TO GROUND.
RISK OF HAZARDOUS
ENERGY. MAKE PROPER
SPEAKER CONNECTIONS.
USE CLASS 2 WIRING.
AVERTISSEMENT
NE PAS BRANCHER LES
BORNES ENSEMBLE OU À LA
TERRE. RISQUE DE ÉNERGIE
DANGEREUSE. FAIRE
CONNECTIONS ENCEINTE
ADÉQUAT. UTILISATION CÂBLAGE DE CLASSE 2.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK - DO NOT OPEN
ATTENTION
RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE - NE PAS OUVRIR
CAN ICES-3 (B)/NMB-3(B)
CH2
OUTPUT
600W/8Ω
PUSH
BALANCED
2 1
+
2
1
3
_
3
INPUTS
BALANCED
SINGLE
ENDED
SINGLE
ENDED
LEVELLEVEL
See operating manual
for further details.
12V POWER UP
LOCAL
OUT IN
CIRCUIT BREAKER
CIRCUIT BREAKER
POWER SWITCH
POWER SWITCH
G
_
+
G
GAIN
29dB
23dB
EXTERNAL
IEC320 POWER INLET
2
PUSH
3
1
SINGLE
ENDED
STATUS
made in/fabrique au
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
CH1 OUTPUT
600W/8Ω
3
WARNINGDO NOT CONNECT ANY
TERMINALS TOGETHER OR
TO GROUND.
RISK OF HAZARDOUS
ENERGY. MAKE PROPER
SPEAKER CONNECTIONS.
USE CLASS 2 WIRING.
AVERTISSEMENT
NE PAS BRANCHER LES
BORNES ENSEMBLE OU À LA
TERRE. RISQUE DE ÉNERGIE
DANGEREUSE. FAIRE
CONNECTIONS ENCEINTE
ADÉQUAT. UTILISATION
CÂBLAGE DE CLASSE 2.
To Loudspeakers
5
Balanced vs. Single Ended Input
The balanced input requires a balanced pre-amp
source. Balanced systems provide noise rejection
from external electrical interference, so cable
length can be very long—50 meters or longer. The
single ended or unbalanced input is provided for
pre-amps without balanced output. Single-ended
cables should be kept to 20 feet (6 meters) or less.
In general never use longer cables than necessary,
never coil excess cable length, and keep signal wires
away from AC power or speaker cables.
Power Conditioners
Bryston urges caution in choosing a power
conditioner for your audio/video system. Large
power ampliers can draw very substantial current
from the wall plug, and many so-called power
conditioners can in fact hinder the supply of current
by inserting resistances in series with the line cord.
However, there are now power conditioners that
can reduce or eliminate RF and ‘hash’ from the AC
supply and may actually improve current delivery
to your system. This type of power conditioner
(exemplied by Bryston BIT products) uses the
energy storage in a large toroidal transformer to
provide high instantaneous power and reduce
the substantial AC output resistance of the wall
socket and house wiring. This resistance can be in
the range of 0.5 to 1 Ohm and is typically reduced
to only a few milliohms by the power conditioner.
That in turn considerably reduces voltage drop in
the power line on high current surges and quite
substantially increases the stability of the power line
improving audio (and video) focus, precision and
clarity.
External Control Voltage
To power-up the amplier using an external control
voltage, supply a 5V to 12V (AC or DC) control
voltage to the ‘IN’ terminals of connector (g. 1). Use
paired wire of 22 to 18 gauge between the source
device and the Bryston Cubed series amplier. The
appropriate mating connector is supplied with each
amplier.
Set the External Turn-On switch to “External” See
“9. Remote Power Up:” on page 9. Place the
front panel switch in the ON position. The amplier
will now power-up only when the control voltage is
present (on). Immediately following power-up, the
control voltage will appear at the ’OUT’ terminals
of connector for the control of other equipment.
The removal of the control voltage (0v) causes the
amplier to turn ‘o’, and the control voltage at the
‘OUT’ terminals is interrupted.
In the “Local” setting of the External Turn-On switch
the amplier will ignore the control voltage and
power up only by using the front panel push-button
power switch. If a control voltage is present at the
‘IN’ terminals, it will still be available at the ‘OUT’
terminals aer the power-up sequence.
Note:
The ‘OUT’ terminals are connected to the ‘IN’
terminals once the amplier has powered-up.
The control current is determined by the source
equipment. The carrying current of the ‘OUT’ relay
is 2 amps.
The amplier’s control circuitry itself draws less
than 2 mA from the control current when operating.
REMOTE POWER TURN-ON
PLUG-IN CONNECTOR
Insert stripped ends of insulated wires revealing
approx. 1/4" of bare, stranded copper wire between
24 and 12 AWG (.5mm to 2mm dia.) into open elevator
style wire clamps & tighten with a slot screw driver.
Do not over tighten or wires may eventually come
lose. Maximum tightening torque is 4.5 lb-in (0.5Nm)
Figure 1
6
14B3 Amplier
17.00"
7.50"
12
Front Panel
1. Power/Standby Switch:
The front panel features a push-on/push-o
type latching power switch used to apply or
remove A/C line power to the SoStart circuitry.
Note that the rear circuit breaker must be on for
the amplier to power-up.
CLIPPING (ashing red)
Clipping occurs when the channel output level
no longer can follow the level increase at the
input (over driven input condition). When a
channel is driven into clipping, the channel
LED will change from green to red then back to
green when the level is reduced. Momentary
clipping can be tolerated, however it indicates
2. LED Indicator:
Each amplier channel has a front panel LED
indicator to monitor the following conditions:
Unlit Amplier not powered on (OFF
MODE)
Red Channel is muted during power up
Green Channel operation is normal
Flashing
Channel is clipping. Reduce input
Red
level!
Orange Thermal protection mode
that maximum undistorted power has been
surpassed and potential speaker damage
may result if overload conditions persist. Any
amplier that is constantly operated into
clipping indicates a more powerful amplier is
needed for that application.
THERMAL SHUTDOWN (orange)
Each channel has thermal shutdown circuitry
to prevent damage due to overheating. Should
thermal shutdown occur, the channel will mute,
and the channel LED will turn orange. When
POWER UP SEQUENCE
Aer pushing the power switch, each channel
LED will turn from unlit to red (mute). When the
power supplies have stabilized, the channel will
come out of mute and the LED will change to
green (normal operation).
the channel has cooled to a safe operating
condition, the channel will return to normal
operation. Persistent thermal shutdown
indicates steps need to be taken to increase
airow across the channel or channels heat
sink. See “Ventilation” on page 4.
UNLIT LED (No power)
The amplier channel LED when unlit indicates
no A/C mains power is present at the channel
power transformer. This usually indicates
that the amplier probably needs only to be
powered on.
In some markets the LED indicators, which are
normally red/green, may be red/blue instead.
When red/blue LEDs are supplied green is
replaced with blue and orange is replaced with
magenta in the above descriptions.
7
O
N
F
F
O
o
I
3
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK - DO NOT OPEN
ATTENTION
RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE
NE PAS OUVRIR
PUSH
2
3
Ch2
LEVEL
-14 0dB
1
BALANCED
SINGLE ENDED
1
BALANCED INPUTS
¼” PHONE or 3-Pin XLR
¼” PHONE or 3-Pin XLR
INPUT
2
SINGLE
ENDED
INPUT
45
G
G
+
+
2
1
2
1
3
3
G
G
+
+
-
-
GAIN
29dB
23dB
PUSH
2
h1
C
LEVEL
-14 0dB
11
1
3
SINGLE
ENDED
INPUT
made in/fabriqueau
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
3
CH
2
WARNING
DO NOT CONNECT ANY
TERMINALS TOGETHER OR
TO GROUND.
RISK OF HAZARDOUS
ENERGY. MAKE PROPER
SPEAKER CONNECTIONS.
USE CLASS 2 WIRING.
AVERTISSEMENT
NE PAS BRANCHER LES
BORNES ENSEMBLE OU À LA
TERRE. RISQUE DE ÉNERGIE
DANGEREUSE. FAIRE
CONNECTIONS ENCEINTE
ADÉQUAT. UTILISATION
CÂBLAGE DE CLASSE 2.
OUTPUT
600W/8Ω
Rear Panel
1. Input Select Switch:
Select either Balanced or Single Ended audio
input.
2. Balanced Audio Input:
This input connector accepts standard XLR (pin
1 = Ground, pin 2 = Positive, pin 3 = Negative) or
1/4” Phone plugs (sleeve = Ground, tip = Positive,
ring = Negative). Use quality, 100% shielded
cables with gold plated connectors.
3. Single Ended Audio Input:
This input connector accepts standard ‘RCA’ or
‘Phono’ connectors. Use quality, 100% shielded
cables with gold plated connectors.
4. Gain Select Switch:
The optimum gain setting will depend upon the
source pre-amp operating level, and or personal
preference.
The 29dB setting is used when the source is
12V POWER-UP
EXTERNAL
LOCAL
IN OUT
See operating manual
CIRCUIT BREAKER
CIRCUIT BREAKER
POWER SWITCH
POWER SWITCH
for further details.
IEC320 POWER INLET
78910
single-ended or from a transformer coupled
balanced source. This is the typical for single
ended or un-balanced operation. The 29dB
setting provides the most amplier gain and
equates to 100w @ 8 ohms output for a 1V input
(noise -115 dB).
The 23dB setting is used when the source
output is actively balanced. This is the typical
setting for balanced operation. Or use this
setting whenver less gain is required. The 23dB
setting equates to an output of 100w @ 8 ohms
for 2V input (noise -119 dB).
The noise is referenced in dB below rated
output. Dierent input congurations result
in slightly dierent noise readings. The above
noise ratings represent minimum readings.
Actual readings may be better.
5. Channel Level Attenuator (PRO
ONLY):
The level control will attenuate the input signal
level from 0dB through -14dB.
STATUS
CH1 OUTPUT
600W/8Ω
6
WARNING
DO NOT CONNECT ANY
TERMINALS TOGETHER OR
TO GROUND.
RISK OF HAZARDOUS
ENERGY. MAKE PROPER
SPEAKER CONNECTIONS.
USE CLASS 2 WIRING.
AVERTISSEMENT
NE PAS BRANCHER LES
BORNES ENSEMBLE OU À LA
TERRE. RISQUE DE ÉNERGIE
DANGEREUSE. FAIRE
CONNECTIONS ENCEINTE
ADÉQUAT. UTILISATION
CÂBLAGE DE CLASSE 2.
8
14B3 Amplier
6. Output Binding Posts:
The RED binding post is connected to the
positive amplier output. Connect to this post
the (+) terminal on the loudspeaker..
The BLUE binding post is connected to the
negative (-) output. Connect to this post the (-)
terminal on the loudspeaker.
Never connect either binding post to an
electrical ground!
The output binding posts provide three dierent
interconnect options: banana plugs, spade lugs,
and bare wire. Combinations may be used when
bi-wiring. Cables should be kept as short as
practical and should never be terminated with
connectors that may become confused for AC
power connectors. Cables should be dressed
away from input and power cables.
Only use Class 2 Rated Wiring. No other wiring is
permitted for use.
amplier, check that the voltage rating on the
data plate or ratings label conforms with your
locality. With the circuit breaker ‘ON’ insert the
power cord into the Cubed series amplier, then
plug the other end to an appropriate A/C outlet.
9. Remote Power Up:
When in External position, the Power On state
is governed by voltage applied to IN terminals
of the Remote Power Up connector. The front
panel power switch must remain in the ‘ON’
position. “External Control Voltage” on page
6 for instructions regarding connection and
usage.
10. Power Status Indicator:
Plugging in the power cord applies power to
the amplier. The status indicator will initially
ash green. The number of ashes indicates the
revision of the so start circuit soware. This
puts the amplier in Standby mode and the LED
turns red indicating power is present.
7. Master Circuit Breaker:
The Cubed series amplier uses a magnetictrip circuit breaker to protect the amplier.
This breaker is not an on o switch and must
be in the ‘ON’ position during the installation
and normal operation. Use the front panel
push-button power switch or an external
control voltage to power-up or power-down
the amplier. Should the breaker trip, or switch
“OFF”, lower or remove the amplier input
signals. Remove the AC power by disconnecting
the power cord from the amplier for 20
seconds. Switch the breaker to the ‘ON’ position.
Reconnect the power cord, then power the unit
up normally. The circuit breaker must be ‘ON’
at all times for the Cubed Series amplier to
operate.
8. A/C Power Input:
An IEC-320 C14 power inlet provides for
connection of an IEC-320 C13 equipped power
cord. Before connecting the power cord to the
Engaging the front panel on/o switch initializes
the startup sequence. During the so start ramp
up, operation the status led will turn orange
when connected to 60Hz power or red when
connected to 50Hz power. The Status LED
switches to green when the ramp up sequence
ends then turns o ten seconds later. Turning
o the front panel on/o switch returns the
amplier to the Standby mode.
11. Data Plate:
Unit specic information is printed here
including model number, operating voltage,
frequency, and serial number.