Surge protection for Bryston amp

an iso xfmr won't protect against transients
If that were true then the power supply transformers in your equipment would be all that you ever need - which is obviously not the case.

Why not an isolation transformer? You can get 2kVa which is nearly 20 amp capacity for under $300.

solid state amps are certainly vulnerable to line transients as much as anything else: take it from an unhappy personal experience of mine.
No matter what the builder says, they can also benefit from upgrade AC cords & from line conditioning; again taken from personal experience.
I recommend the Chang Lightspeed 9900 amp, a 30 amp capacity unit that does not constrain dynamics & has built in MOV transient protection.
However if you want to get by on the cheap; get some GE V130LA20B MOV's or equivelant from an electronics supply such as Allied or Newark. Install at your wall outlet screws, paralleling directly across the hot to neutral, neutral to ground, & hot to ground. I used crimped spade lugs fastened under the outlet screws (crimps backed up by soldering - crimping to solid conductors is iffy).
This isn't the best approach but it beats nothing at all. Equipment should still be powered off & unplugged during thunderstorms no matter what protection you have; I use whole-house gas discharge protection at the fusebox, MOV's, Changs, & I still suffered damage when a direct lightning strike hit the pole right outside. Damage was minimal & repairable though, would not have been at all fixable if I hadn't had all that protection, but as it was only one single semiconductor was blown up.
MOV's are metal oxide resistors BTW.

Bryston is worried about current limiting their amps.
"felt it tamed the amp somewhat" is what they want to avoid.
It's my understanding that SS Amps with large transformers are the least sensitive audio componets to surge damage, so I don't think it's crazy to just plug your amp into the wall.

Take a look at this

http://www.brickwall.com/

I think these guys are really honest. I've been very happy with my brickwall, but I just plug my Bryston into the wall.

Nik

I would not take too seriously Bryston saying their amps should be plugged directly into the wall. This sentence was probably written by their lawyer. It is a polite way of saying; if we blow up the amp playing around with the power, then it is not their responsibility.

All Blue Circle tube gear has wording in the manual saying there are NO user serviceable parts; so the case should not be opened under any circumstances. Now almost every audiophile who buys tube gear will most likely experiment with different tubes at some point. I am sure Blue Circle knows this. But once again they are politely saying that we roll tubes at our own risk. Even without tube rolling, how many people ship gear back the the manufacturer even to have worn tubes replaced?

I've also seen manuals for gear that has an IEC socket have wording to the effect that we should only use the supplied power cord. Now, why put on an IEC, if we have to use their power cord? Once again is it their lawyer talking CYA.

Hi Rgd,
Check out the Inner Ear Report, vol.6 #4 regarding use of a Bryston amp with a Chang Lightspeed. You'll find it at changlightspeed.com.

Why not just unplug your stuff during bad weather?

Hey Rgd -
I had the exact same post as you a few months ago and after dismissing the conditioning solutions, I came down to two choices: The Panamax Max 8 and the Monster AV800. Any more than those and you get conditioning thrown in - which I agree with you is not necessary for all amps. I will be getting one or the other soon. The Panamax has better insurance (whatever that means) and a higher Joule rating. Hope this helps. Arthur

Like Sugarbrie I'm using a Vansevers Unlimiter on my main amp, I hardly notice a change in performance.
Peace of mind is a great thing.

I was aware that Bryston advised that their amps should be plugged directly into the wall but this path offers no protection. Again I'm not looking for something to alter the power or sonics of the amp (have tried numerous aftermarket power cords with no success) but something solely for protection of spikes & surges. I'm very sure that the amp's design minimizes effects due to power fluctuations but it still doesn't ensure that it won't get "hurt" with a serious spike. I have heard of an outfit called Brick Wall or something like that so maybe thats worth looking into. All opinions are greatly appreciated especially those looking to save me money!!!

If you want to persue something like this, you might consider whole house surge protection right at the electrical panel. I had whole house surge/spike done when I had the dedicated lines for my amp installed. It was about an additional 200.00 to the cost.

I believe Bryston says not to use such things.

Rgd,
I used to own 4 Bryston amps, and I remember them telling me that you should plug it to the wall directly, the power supply is a good one and it has a wide range of operation. please check with Bryston on this. You might save yourself some money.

Hi,
I've had pretty good results using a Chang Lightspeed 9600 with my Bryston 7B monos. You could probably pick up a used 9600 or 6400 for close to your budget

Used Vansevers "Unlimiter". It is also conditions some (can't hurt).