Thanks for the correction as to specular halo. One of those as soon as someone says it, you go Yup! That's it! moments. As to the crisp shadows, short of C4D (which has a shader to do just that) I think you would have to trick it in Bryce. Those premium render settings are costly but oh so cool!

Pass no temptation lightly by, for one never knows when it may pass again!