Bryston has drawn the curtain on its all-new BP-19 preamplifier, which for the first time sees the Canadian company offer its BP-2 moving-magnet phono stage circuitry as an onboard option.
That BP-2 phono is, in Bryston’s words, “highly accurate, offers extremely low noise, minuscule distortion, and provides headroom margins sufficient to prevent overload from any known phono source”. And vinyl junkies with moving-coil cartridge-fitted turntables can also be catered for via Bryston’s custom-made outboard step-up transformers to accommodate the lower output of MC designs.
Integrated inputs, meanwhile, include two pairs of balanced XLRs and four pairs of RCAs, the BP-19 being an all-analogue design. While it benefits from design innovations that were achieved during the development of the next-model-up BP-20 preamplifier, according to the company, it omits its well-featured sibling’s DAC, AES/EBU, optical, coaxial and USB digital connections, and streaming transport. Each of the BP-19’s six analogue inputs has a corresponding button on the front panel and supplied infrared remote for easy switching.
As for outputs, there are two pairs of RCA outputs (one fixed, one variable) and two pairs of balanced XLR outputs (one fixed, one variable). And that signal path from input to output is a fully balanced design.
In the name of musicality, Bryston says it has implemented an oversized toroidal power transformer, an "advanced" volume attenuator and “only the finest hand-selected premium components”. The distortion claim is an extremely low THD+N measurement at or below 0.0006 per cent.
Made in Canada and with Bryston’s 20-year warranty, the BP-19 is pretty versatile as preamplifier builds go. It is available in five standard faceplate finishes, in 17- or 19-inch widths, though custom colours are also on the menu alongside 19-inch rack mounts for professional applications.
The Bryston BP-19 preamplifier will be available in the coming months with a suggested retail price of $5195. UK and Australia pricing information will follow.
MORE:
Best phono preamps 2023: budget to high-end phono stages
Goldmund's flagship Telos 8800 is one of the world's most powerful amplifiers
New issue of What Hi-Fi? out now: it's a high-end hi-fi special!
