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Bryston 3B Cubed Dual-Mono Amplifier
Way back in 1973, a young engineer named Chris Russell took his new prototype amplifier, the PRO 3, to an A list studio in Toronto for an audition. He left with an order for two. Nearly five decades later, that amp has evolved into the Bryston 3B Cubed. It's twice as powerful as the original and ten times as impressive. Though it's one of our smaller amplifiers, it features all the same technology found in our venerable 4B. One big advantage, however, is the shallow depth. The 3B Cubed is a great all around amp, but is especially useful for shallow mounting depth applications.
Features
- Balanced XLR and Single ended RCA input
- 2 Channels each with fully independent power supplies including transformers
- 200W into 8 ohms (and up to 300 into 4 ohms) per channel
- The patented Salomie circuit found in all Cubed Series amplifiers
- Switchable gain (23dB or 29dB)
- Fully convection cooled means no noisy fans
- Machined and anodized aluminum enclosure and dress panel
- Less than 500mW standby power consumption
- SoftStart microprocessor controlled startup sequence won't trip circuit breakers
- DC trigger for automated turn on and turn off
- Legendary Bryston 10 Year Warranty
Options
- Silver or black faceplate
- 17” or 19” faceplate (non-rack mountable) 19" comes with front mounted handles
- PRO version includes 19" rack mount dress panel in black plus rear panel channel trim pots (-14 to 0dB)
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Bryston 3B Cubed Dual-Mono Amplifier
Bryston’s 3B Cubed Dual-Mono Amplifier distills power-supply muscle into a compact, neutral performer that prioritizes musical detail and control. Its sonic signature is transparent and non-fatiguing, with tight, authoritative bass, natural midrange and silky treble that renders strings and vocals with clarity and ease. Review measurements and listening notes from John E. Johnson, Jr. highlight vanishingly low distortion and a deep, stable soundstage; Tom Martin and others credit the Cubed topology with combining tube-like musicality and solid-state control. The amp’s dual-mono modular build—each channel with its own transformer and abundant capacitance—delivers headroom, channel separation, and industrial-grade cosmetics. Best suited to small-to-medium rooms and critical listeners seeking neutral transparency and speaker control, the 3B Cubed is a high-quality power amp that focuses on fidelity over coloration.
Pros
- Exceptionally low distortion and very quiet background allow revealing, non-fatiguing playback and excellent microdetail.
- Dual-mono modular power supply and substantial per-channel capacitance deliver strong headroom, channel separation and authoritative speaker control.
- Natural treble and wide, stable soundstage render strings and vocals smoothly while retaining solid imaging and musicality.
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Cons
- Less outright output than Bryston’s larger 14B—excellent for small-to-medium rooms but may not deliver the extreme SPL some large-room listeners want.
- Bass can sound a bit ‘‘boomy’’ or less well-defined with certain speaker matches, so system pairing is important.
Sound Quality
90/100
Dynamics
90/100
Bryston's dual-mono design and robust power supply (200 W/8 Ω, 300 W/4 Ω; 30,000 µF per channel noted in reviews) deliver authoritative, well-controlled bass and excellent transient response. Measurements cited in reviews (very low IMD 0.007%, vanishingly low distortion) back up the amplifier's strong headroom and speaker control; a reviewer did note it isn't as massively powerful as the larger 14B model, so while dynamic performance is excellent for its class it stops short of reference-level monstrous output.
Soundstage Imaging
89/100
Reports of a 'nice deep soundstage' and excellent channel clarity reflect strong imaging and separation, helped by the amplifier's low noise and low distortion. Spatial cues remain stable and well-defined even as the amp exerts authoritative control over the speakers.
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Build Quality
93/100
Robust industrial design with a handsome brushed-aluminum front and a modular, dual-mono architecture (each channel with its own transformer and 30,000 µF capacitance) indicates premium construction and power-supply design. The unit's solid weight and detachable AC cord, sturdy binding posts, and conservative thermal layout reported in reviews further support a high build standard.
Value for Money
86/100
At the MSRP reported ($5,995) the 3B Cubed offers strong performance (200 W/8 Ω, dual-mono power supplies) relative to high-end peers; however reviewers do not explicitly comment on price or value. Per guidance, absent explicit reviewer value judgments the score defaults to a neutral baseline while acknowledging the unit's solid feature set and performance for its price band.
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