BRYSTON 9B3 Owner’s Manual

9B3 Amplifier

Owner’s Manual

Important Safety Instructions

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of un-insulated “dangerous volt-

age “ 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.Caution: unit weighs in excess of 65 lbs / 29.5 kgs. Please always use two persons to lift and carry the device.

13.	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.
14.	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.

15.Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

16.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. NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE

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:

Postal address:	P.O. BOX 2170, Stn. Main
	PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO
	CANADA K9J 7Y4
Courier address:	677 NEAL DRIVE
	PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO
	CANADA K9J 6X7
PHONE:	705-742-5325
FAX:	705-742-0882
E-mail:	[e-mail]

BRYSTON SERVICE in the USA:

79 COVENTRY ST., Suite 5

NEWPORT, VERMONT

U.S.A. 05855-2100

PHONE:	802-334-1201
FAX:	802-334-6658
E-mail:	[e-mail]

BRYSTON SERVICE outside Canada and the USA:

contact your local distributor or
CHECK OUR WEB SITE:	www.bryston.com
E-MAIL BRYSTON DIRECTLY:	[e-mail]
FAX BRYSTON DIRECTLY:	01-705-742-0882
PHONE BRYSTON DIRECTLY:	01-705-742-5325

Table of Contents
Important Safety Instructions.....................................	2
General.........................................................................	4
Installation and Usage.................................................	4
Welcome.................................................................	4
Description.............................................................	4
Features..................................................................	4
Shipping Box and Packing Material.......................	4
Ventilation..............................................................	4
Connecting to A/C Power.......................................	4
Connecting to Loudspeakers.................................	5
Balanced vs. Single Ended Input...........................	5
Power Conditioners...............................................	5
External Control Voltage........................................	6
Front Panel...................................................................	7
Rear Panel....................................................................	8
Network Connection..................................................	10
Firmware Update.......................................................	10
Remote Control..........................................................	11
Serial Protocol......................................................	11
Command Format................................................	11
Remote Control..........................................................	11
9B3 Specifications......................................................	15
Dimensions.................................................................	15

General

Welcome

Thank you for your purchase of a Bryston 9B3 (Cubed) amplifier! Decades of ongoing research and development have produced our highest performing amplifiers 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 9B3 is modular multi-channel audio power amplifier available in 3, 4, or 5 channel versions with each channels capable of 200 watts. 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. 19 wide C-Series amplifiers include front handles. PRO amplifiers feature 19 inch wide rack mountable dress panels with handles in a black anodized front finish and also include individual channel trims located on the rear panel. All versions include rear panel handles.

Features

Bryston 9B3 includes the following features:

•Switchable gain: 23dB or 29dB

•Balanced XLR input. Pin 2 positive.

•Single ended (RCA) input.

•SoftStart circuitry for managing inrush current upon initial power up.

•Wired remote control AC/DC trigger input and passthrough with supplied connector.

•Network connected control and information.

Shipping Box and Packing Material

Please keep the original shipping box and all packing material. This will ensure the amplifier is protected in future transport. In the unlikely event you have a problem and must return it for service,

you must use the proper packing material. Ship the amplifier 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 amplifiers in an effort 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 amplifier even under loud playback conditions. For them to work most effectively, air must be permitted to pass freely through the heat sink fins and around the amplifier. Maintain a minimum of

3.5 inches of space to each side, top and back of the amplifier when in use. Do not stack the amplifiers 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 amplifiers to have more surrounding free space, or employ an active cooling solution.

Never operate the amplifier in a vertical position.

Connecting to A/C Power

Please check the Data Plate on the rear of the amplifier adjacent to power entry module to verify power requirements agree with your location. See “12. 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 amplifier, then plug the other end into an approved and grounded A/C receptacle. The STATUS LED should flash green, then switch to red indicating A/C power is present in the unit. See “10. Power Status Indicator:” on page 9. The amplifier is now ready to be powered on.

9B3 Amplifier

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 BLACK 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 output binding posts provide three different 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 offer 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.

Spade lugs provide high contact area and secure fastening. Lugs should be gold plated. 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 after 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 amplifier can receive analog audio from any preamp or surround processor with volume controlled line-level outputs. Balanced XLR 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 amplifier.

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 amplifiers 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 (exemplified 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

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