Bryston A3 Speakers, $3270 Per Pair

(37.5h, 9.25w, 15d, 53 lbs, 87 dB, 6 ohms, Walnut, Black, Boston Cherry)

Bryston’s A3 speakers are absolutely PRODIGIOUS! These are speakers with a small footprint, yet they have major league power. They’re made in Canada. The warranty… is only 20 years. Virtually everyone else quits supporting parts for its speakers at the ten year mark. A3 will still be running strong in 20.

At this price point the alternatives are invariably Chinese imports. When you turn them up, they’re gutless wonders. Bryston’s A3 delivers significant, tectonic plate moving power. I kid you not!

Even in a fairly big room, the bass is deep and through the floor boards. We can play a variety of music on A3 for you. You listen to a track with good bass, you’ll be impressed. We can raise the ante a bit, and you’ll be surprised it was the source material, no the speakers, that limited the performance. If we go to something positively staggering, you’ll be shocked and awed that the same speakers, A3s in modest profile, can wield a sledgehammer! They make the imports sound flimsy and mushy.

We’ve sold many a theater system with A3, where the customer doesn’t want a sub in the room. With A3… it’s no loss.

Success starts with the cabinet design. A3 is a heavy cabinet that features a complex lattice of internal bracing. Bryston uses Canadian Rangerwood in its enclosures. It measures a third more dense than the standard MDF everyone else uses. There’s an advantage to being born in Canada!

The cabinet is shipped with substantial “puck” shaped, leveling feet. You can replace them with spikes if you’re careful not to impale your hand.

A3 uses two, 6.5”, cast frame, aluminum cone woofers. When you see these drivers out of the cabinets, they’re surprisingly deep and heavy.

These aren’t stamped drivers out of a bin by a generic vendor. The fact is, almost all of the Chinese imports are made by job houses that make multiple brands. They label and box them as the guy writing the check prescribes.

If we were to open a dozen different brand names that land at the $3k price point, you’d be shocked at how similar, and minimal, they are. You could literally miss mash the drive elements and not know which came from which- because they’re all similarly flimsy and unimpressive. Given the famous brand names on the boxes… you would have expected much more.

A3 uses one 4”, cast frame, aluminum cone midrange driver. This, likewise, is a heavy, deep driver that handles big power.

A3 uses one, 1” Titanium tweeter. It accepts loads of power and never sounds tizzy.

I categorize the Bryston sound as STEINWAY SMOOTH. There is no bite or zing to Bryston’s flavor. This further distinguishes ALL Bryston speakers from the cheaply built imports. The balance of musical timbre with Bryston is smooth and beautiful, vs lean and harsh.

Rated to accept 250w, A3 can can deliver the muscle required by an earth shaking drum kit. It can also reveal the beauty of Hilary Hahn’s violin in Vaughn Williams’ “Lark Ascending.” From power, to the most exquisite beauty… that needs no power. A3 does it all, at a fair price, for 20 years plus!