Bryston A1 Speakers $4990 Per Pair

(47.5h, 9.25w, 17d, 71 lbs, 88dB, 4 ohms, Walnut, Black, Boston Cherry, Walnut Expresso)

Bryston’s A1 is my favorite tower on the market for the popular $5k per pair price point!

There are hundreds of competitors at $5k. But none do everything that the Bryston A1 does.

Before reading about A1 here, please take a minute to read my treatise on Bryston speakers on our yellow tab.

I cover specific information there that distinguishes Bryston from “the other guys” and won’t repeat it here. Bryston has a better build and superior consistency and QC process than anyone else in our biz- especially at A Series pricing.

If you haven’t had A1 on your radar, you’re forgiven. During Covid, Bryston was waaaaay behind on making EVERYTHING. It wasn’t uncommon for Bryston orders to take 6 months to receive. During Covid, Bryston decided to concentrate on its bread and butter, which is building electronics. We thought the Classic A Series speakers might go away entirely. For a couple years of Covid, for all intents and purposes, it did.

While Bryston’s A series was in hibernation due to Canada’s tough lock down during Covid, the Chinese took over the market share. They just kept pumping out speakers without a hitch. Container after container just kept comin’.

Most American, Canadian and Euro companies acquiesced and just ordered speakers from China. We were locked down HERE. They were NOT over there. Not only did the Chinese keep pumping, they “played” the market with opportunistic pricing. As soon as Covid hit they realized their unique position. They cranked prices up a good 10% in March of 2020. Then they did it again before the year was out. Then they did it again in the spring of 2021. Yup, like the price of gas, they cranked speaker pricing up a third within a year. As Covid eased, guess what? They started lowering prices. By summer of 2022 the prices were virtually back to where they started.

During this process, the sneaking skunks told us their supply was tight, so they had to raise prices. Then a couple years down the road when everyone was making product again and they reduced prices from the top- they lied and said, hey, we’re running A SALE. REALLY?! I don’t think so. You smelly dogs were caught with your hand in the cookie jar, milking the situation for all you could.

We saw this with the Chinese made lines we were selling too. GoldenEar was right there at the head of the pack, along with B&W, Kef and all the rest of ‘em. Well boys, I didn’t like it then, and I don’t like it now. I’m thrilled to be able to say that as of summer of 2022 Bryston got back to making its A Series.

The Bryston As are flat out BETTER speakers than what the Chinese make for the same money. They have deeper bass, a smoother top end and are flat out TOUGHER than any of these imports. Further, their impedance swing won’t make the same demands on your amp that the more generic speakers will. Bryston puts you in a win-win scenario. As for the Chinese who bilked their position- may the pox be upon them. They have been thrown out the door at Audio Emporium.

With Covid in the rear view mirror now, Bryston has largely caught up in its production and has resumed making its Classic A Series speakers. A1 is the top dog in the A Series and my favorite $5k value out there.

A1 is a taller, heavier weight version of the ever popular A2. A1 has a muscular edge on A2 with the addition of an extra woofer, more substantial cabinet and crossover network. A1 presents an even grander soundstage than A2 and moves from a center linebacker to defensive tackle in terms of the size of its musical impact.

A1 is a speaker that can appeal to many prospective buyers. First of all, it is Steinway smooth in the middle and high end. There is no harsh bite with any of the Bryston speakers. At 88dB, A1 can be driven by any number of moderately priced integrateds. Think Rogue Sphinx Magnum, Pharaoh 2, or NAD C399.

Where A1 really steps away is when you drive it with truly first rate electronics- like Bryston’s!

A1 has much more to show you with top tier electronics vs bargain offerings. Further, A1 has so much to give that you might even consider bi-amping. A1 will show you the improvement. An especially exciting combo is A1 with Rogue’s Pharaoh 2 with tubes in the preamp section. This is real esoteric and reasonable money, all made in N America.

While the agreeable Sphinx can do very well for the money, if you listen to A1 with Bryston’s BR20 preamp and 4B Cubed power amp- you’ll think it’s an entirely different and more sophisticated speaker. Or for a good chunk less, consider Axiom’s ADA1000 power amp. With superior electronics, A1 is a chameleon.

What A1 is doing- is being transparent. A1 is like looking through a clear window. You see what’s on the other side without squinting. If you run A1 with the Bryston electronics it’s like having a brand new RX on your glasses. If you run A1 with a surround receiver, it will still sound pleasant. But of course, when you put those fresh new glasses on, you can see each individual leaf on the tree.

It’s a logical question to ask, “Is A1 worth a grand over A2?” After all, A2 is among the best bangs for your buck available. My answer is yes- if you’re considering stepping up in electronics in the affordable future. If there’s a bigger integrated or perhaps some solid separates in your gleaming eye, yep, go A1.

A1 does produce a taller, more spacious image. With this size and breath, comes a more 3D and convincing sound stage. You hear overtones and nuances with A1 that are a tad more revealing than A2. The improvement is more than just another few percent of bass performance.

As you look at the $5k competition from the most common competitors…B&W, Dali, Definitive,

Dynaudio, Elac, GoldenEar, Kef, KLH, Logan, Mission, Monitor Audio, Polk, SVS, Wharfedale… while they all sound OK, they’re all made in China by the same schnooks who played us during Covid. No thanks!

Did you notice that Bryston speakers come with a 20 year warranty? As in, two full decades. Bryston has being doing it with electronics for 60 years, which is a more difficult category than speakers. The vast majority of Bryston’s competitors quit making parts a decade down the road. If you purchase your Bryston speakers new from us- you’ll still be under warranty in TWO!

Bryston’s A1 is so powerful and transparent at mere $5k, we have let the lovely Amphion LS7 go by the way side. The LS7 was $5k in 2020 but is now $7200 and nowhere near the A1 in bass performance or muscle. They’re apples to apples in beauty.