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What You Need to Know
What Is This Product and What Does It Do?
The Bryston 28B³ (say it “28B Cubed”) is a monoblock power amplifier. A monoblock is a power amp that handles just one channel. For a stereo system, you use two — one for the left speaker and one for the right.
Each 28B³ puts out 1,000 watts into 8-ohm speakers. Into harder-to-drive 4-ohm speakers, it puts out 1,800 watts. This is more power than most people will ever use. That’s the point: an amp with this much headroom never works hard, so it stays clean at any listening level.
The 28B³ is Bryston’s flagship power amp and the top of their Cubed Series. The flagship label isn’t casual. Bryston has been building pro-grade amps in Canada since the 1970s, and the 28B³ sits at the peak of their consumer line.
Inside each chassis sits a patented Salomie input circuit — the same input stage that all Cubed Series amps use. It’s designed to block Wi-Fi, cell, and switching-supply noise from getting into the music. The result: a very quiet background at any power level.
The 28B³ is a Class A/B design. Class A/B means the amp runs in pure Class A — the cleanest mode — for the first several watts. It switches to a more efficient mode for bigger power demands. Most of your listening stays in the clean Class A range.
Cooling is passive. There are no fans and no moving parts. The big aluminum chassis and heatsinks carry the thermal load silently, even at high output. Standby draw is under 500 milliwatts.
The 28B³ is hand-built in Canada. Bryston covers it with a 10-year warranty on parts and labor — the company’s standard coverage for analog products. The warranty is for the first-time buyer and does not transfer.
What Are Reviewers Saying?
Dorgay awarded the 28B³ monoblocks one of TONEAudio’s Exceptional Value Awards for 2019. His verdict: at $25,000 a pair, they punch far above their price. In his words, “you won’t find a $100k pair of amplifiers that best these.” He praised the build quality and the “top-level performance.”
Papadimitriou described the 28B³ as full-sounding and powerful, with a sense of weight and density that gives music real substance. He called the presentation “very warm, musical, and natural” — noting that the amp never sounds harsh, clinical, or aggressive. High praise for a large solid-state amp.
Jasparro reviewed the 28B³ on his own B&W speakers. He highlighted a “very solid bottom end” that improved the overall tonal balance of his system. His take on dynamics: “outstanding” authority — the kind of grip and control you’d expect from an amplifier with this much power in reserve.
Who Is This Best For?
You own — or plan to own — very demanding speakers. Low-sensitivity designs, hard-to-drive 4-ohm loads, big panels, or large floor-standers. The 28B³ is overkill for most speakers. That’s exactly when it shines.
You listen in a large room. The 28B³’s headroom is best used in a room where music needs to travel.
You’re building a reference-grade two-channel system and want monoblocks — one amp per channel, short speaker cables, no compromise.
You’re running big ribbon or electrostatic speakers (Magnepan, Martin Logan, Apogee, etc.) that thrive on current.
You value hand-built Canadian gear, a factory test sheet in every box, and a 10-year warranty.
If your speakers are smaller bookshelves or efficient designs, Bryston’s 3B³ (200 W/ch) or 4B³ (300 W/ch) may be a better fit — and save you considerable money.
How Does It Connect to Your System?
Each 28B³ accepts a signal from any preamp or processor with line-level outputs. You get both balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) inputs — select between them with the rear-panel switch. Balanced is the preferred connection for long runs and the lowest noise.
For speakers, the 28B³ has dual pairs of heavy-duty binding posts. Dual pairs make it easy to bi-wire a single speaker, or to connect two sets of cables without splitters. Accepts spade lugs, banana plugs, or bare wire.
A low-voltage DC trigger input lets the 28B³ power on automatically when you turn on a compatible preamp. This is essential for a pair of 28B³s sitting behind a cabinet or in a separate rack.
You can also pick between two gain settings — 23 dB or 29 dB. That lets you match the amp’s sensitivity to your preamp so the volume control lives in a normal range.
Keep in mind: the 28B³ is a power amp only. It needs a preamp to drive it — Bryston’s BP-19 or BR-20 are natural matches. For a stereo system you’ll need two 28B³s plus a preamp, plus speakers. Sizing up a full system? Call us at 800-942-0220.
Professional Reviews
Dorgay gave the 28B³ monoblocks TONEAudio’s Exceptional Value Award for 2019 and followed up with a full review. His bold claim: “you won’t find a $100k pair of amplifiers that best these.” He praised the build quality, the performance at any listening level, and Bryston’s long-standing dealer support. His closing line: “These amplifiers were an absolute pleasure to use.”
Papadimitriou described the 28B³’s sound as full-bodied, powerful, and drenched in drive. The music, he wrote, has weight and density — “real substance to it.” He characterized the overall presentation as very warm and natural, noting that the 28B³ never turns harsh, clinical, or aggressive — qualities not always associated with high-power solid-state amps.
Jasparro tested the 28B³ on his reference B&W speakers. He singled out the bottom-end improvement compared with his previous amp — a “very solid” bass that lifted his system’s tonal balance. His overall verdict: the 28B³ delivers “outstanding” dynamic authority, with the grip and control of an amp that never runs out of power.
Earned Recognition
Category: Monoblock Power Amplifiers
TONEAudio’s Exceptional Value Awards recognize products the editors consider standouts for what they deliver at their price. Jeff Dorgay followed the award with a full review in March 2020.
Watch It in Action
Embed 1–3 videos from Bryston’s official YouTube channel or reviewer channels covering the 28B³. Verify URLs before publishing.
Pairs Well With
A pair of 28B³s is the power-amp piece of a reference system. Here’s what fits around them:
- A second 28B³. For stereo, you need two. Many dealers and customers buy them as a matched pair. Shop monoblocks »
- A reference-grade preamp — required. Bryston’s own BP-19 (analog) or BR-20 (with built-in DAC and streamer) are the natural matches. Shop preamps »
- Heavy-gauge speaker cables. A 1,000-watt monoblock can push serious current on musical peaks. A quality speaker cable matters here more than in most setups. Shop speaker cables »
- Balanced (XLR) interconnects. The 28B³ supports both XLR and RCA; XLR is the preferred run from a high-end preamp. Shop XLR interconnects »
- A serious power conditioner. Each 28B³ can draw over 1,400 watts from the wall at full tilt. Clean AC matters. Shop power conditioners »
Features & Specifications
Amplifier Performance
1,000 Watts into 8 Ohms — Into harder 4-ohm loads, the 28B³ puts out 1,800 watts per channel. Few speakers will ever ask for it — which is the point.
Very Low Distortion — Total harmonic distortion stays below 0.005% across the full 20 Hz – 20 kHz band at rated power (1,000 W into 8 Ω). The amp reproduces your signal with almost no added color.
Wide Bandwidth — Frequency response runs from below 1 Hz to above 100 kHz (–3 dB). That’s flat across the entire audible range and well beyond.
Strong Speaker Control — Damping factor above 500 at 20 Hz into 8 Ω. In practice: the amp has a very firm grip on the woofer during big bass notes and dynamic swings.
Fast Slew Rate — Rated at greater than 65 V/µs. That’s the speed at which the amp can respond to sharp musical transients. Faster means cleaner reproduction of leading edges — snare hits, percussive piano notes, the attack of a plucked string.
Topology & Design
Patented Salomie Input Circuit — Bryston developed this circuit with Dr. Ioan Alexandru Salomie. It uses 12 active parts and handles the first 6 dB of gain. Bryston says its distortion is less than 1/1000th of 1%. Built to block RF and EMI noise.
Quad-Complementary Output Stage — Bryston’s output topology is designed to deliver the harmonic character of a Class A design while keeping Class A/B efficiency. The result: low distortion and clean reproduction at any power level.
Regulated Power Supplies — Every voltage gain stage inside the 28B³ has its own regulated supply. That keeps each part of the amp electrically isolated from the others and reduces stray noise.
Energy Storage Power Transformers — Bryston uses oversized transformers with large energy reserves. When a dynamic peak hits, the amp has power in the bank to deliver it cleanly — no sag.
Build & Cooling
Fully Convection Cooled — No fans, no moving parts. The aluminum chassis and passive heatsinks carry thermal load silently, even under heavy use.
Hand-Built in Canada — Every 28B³ is put together at Bryston’s Ontario factory. Each unit runs 100 hours of burn-in at the factory before it ships — and every one includes a printed test sheet showing exactly how your specific amp measured.
Black, 19-Inch Faceplate With Handles — This SKU is the black model with the wider 19” dress panel and front-mounted handles. The 17” no-handles version is available separately. Silver is also an option.
Connectivity & Control
Balanced (XLR) and Single-Ended (RCA) Inputs — Both on the back panel, selected via switch.
Dual Pairs of Speaker Binding Posts — Accepts spade lugs, banana plugs, or bare wire. Easy to bi-wire a single speaker or run two cables without splitters.
Switchable Gain (23 dB or 29 dB) — Match the amp’s sensitivity to your preamp.
DC Trigger & SoftStart — Auto power-on from a 12 V source. The microprocessor-controlled start sequence keeps the amp’s big inrush from tripping a breaker.
Power & Warranty
Low Standby Draw — Under 500 milliwatts in standby. At full rated output, the amp draws about 1,465 watts from the wall — that’s real one-kilowatt power.
10-Year Factory Warranty — Bryston covers the 28B³ for 10 years on parts and labor — standard for Bryston’s analog products. The warranty is for the first-time buyer only and does not transfer. Save your bill of sale, or register your purchase on bryston.com.
Quick-Reference Specifications
| Type | Monoblock power amplifier (sold individually) |
| Amplifier Class | Class A/B (Quad-Complementary output) |
| Power Output | 1,000 W (8 Ω) | 1,800 W (4 Ω) |
| THD (20 Hz–20 kHz, 1,000 W, 8 Ω) | < 0.005% |
| Frequency Response | < 1 Hz – 100 kHz (–3 dB) |
| Noise (below full output) | RCA: –116 dB | XLR: –117 dB |
| Damping Factor | > 500 at 20 Hz, 8 Ω |
| Slew Rate | > 65 V/µs |
| Gain (switchable) | High: 29 dB | Low: 23 dB |
| Input Impedance | Unbalanced: 5 kΩ | Balanced: 5 kΩ per leg |
| Inputs | 1× balanced XLR · 1× single-ended RCA (rear-panel input select) |
| Speaker Outputs | Dual binding post pairs (spade, banana, or bare wire) |
| Trigger | Low-voltage DC trigger input |
| Cooling | Fully convection cooled (no fans) |
| Standby Power | < 500 mW |
| Dimensions (H × W × D) | 8.1 × 19 × 18.4 in (with handles) | 206 × 483 × 467 mm |
| Weight | 93 lb | 42 kg |
| Finish | Black dress panel, 19” wide, with front-mounted handles |
| Warranty | 10 years, parts and labor, non-transferable (Bryston) |
| Country of Origin | Hand-built in Canada |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to buy two 28B³s for a stereo system?
Yes. Each 28B³ handles one channel. A stereo system needs two — one for the left speaker and one for the right. The listing price is per unit. A pair runs close to $28,000 at the current Audio Advisor price. Ordering a pair? Give us a call at 800-942-0220.
Is the 28B³ overkill for my speakers?
Possibly. 1,000 watts per channel is a lot. The 28B³ earns its keep on demanding speakers — low-sensitivity designs, hard 4-ohm loads, big panels, or large floor-standers in a big room. For easier-to-drive speakers, Bryston’s 4B³ (300 W per channel stereo) or 3B³ (200 W) may be a better fit at a much lower price.
Why a monoblock instead of a stereo amp?
A monoblock handles one channel only. That means the left channel can never affect the right at a circuit level — they’re physically separate boxes. You also get to place each amp close to its speaker, which shortens the speaker cable run. The trade-off: you need two boxes, and you pay for two power supplies.
What speakers is the 28B³ suited for?
Any speaker, really — the 28B³ has more than enough to drive anything. It shines on demanding designs: Magnepan and other planar-magnetic speakers, Martin Logan and other electrostatics, Apogee ribbons, and large low-efficiency floor-standers like big Wilsons or Focals. Bass-heavy speakers with low impedance dips also benefit from the 28B³’s current reserves.
How does the 28B³ compare to other amps in Bryston’s line?
Bryston’s amplifier lineup has three stereo amps — the 3B³ (200 W/ch), 4B³ (300 W/ch), and 14B³ (600 W/ch) — plus monoblocks at the top. The 7B³ is a 600 W monoblock; the 28B³ is the flagship at 1,000 W. Not sure which is right for your system? Call us.
Does the 28B³ run hot?
At idle, it’s just warm. Under heavy use, it warms up as any high-power Class A/B amp does. The chassis is designed for convection cooling — leave clearance above and on the sides for airflow. No fans means no noise, but also means you need to give it some breathing room.
What are the physical requirements?
Each 28B³ is 19” wide, 8.1” tall, and 18.4” deep with the handles, and weighs 93 lb. Two units side-by-side on a rack shelf take up significant space. Many 28B³ owners put each amp on a dedicated amp stand next to its speaker — which also gets you shorter speaker cable runs.
What does the Bryston warranty cover?
Bryston covers the 28B³ for 10 years on parts and labor — Bryston’s standard coverage for analog products. The warranty is for the first-time buyer and does not transfer. Save your bill of sale, or register your purchase on bryston.com.
Can I mount this in a rack?
The 19” faceplate with handles makes it look like rack gear, but Bryston lists all Cubed Series amps as “non-rack-mountable.” The handles are for lifting (each amp weighs 93 lb) and for the look — they’re not designed to support the amp’s weight hanging from rack rails. Use a shelf.
What’s in the Box
- Bryston 28B³ Monoblock Amplifier (Black, 19” faceplate with handles) — one unit
- Detachable IEC power cable
- Factory test sheet (matched to your amp’s serial number)
- Owner’s manual
- Warranty and registration info
A single 28B³ is sold per unit. Two are needed for a stereo system. Packing contents may vary by region and revision. If you need a specific item confirmed before you buy, give us a call at 800-942-0220.
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