Bryston BP-2 DAC/Preamp can be upgraded with HDMI and optional phono stage
Canadian company Bryston has announced the release of the BR-20 Pre-DAC / Preamp. The novelty is dedicated to the memory of the president of the company Brian Russell, who died in September 2020. The company said the BR-20 incorporates Bryston’s best technology. The novelty achieves total harmonic distortion values below 0.0006%. The rest of the signal parameters have not yet been published.
Almost a dozen analog and digital audio sources can be connected to the BR-20, and the analog part uses a fully balanced circuitry. The device used independent power supply of analog and digital circuits and relay switching of inputs.
The digital part of the BR-20 is supplemented with the functions of a network player and is ready to work with both local audio storages, and with Tidal and Qobuz. The onboard DAC decodes PCM up to 384 kHz / 24 bit and DSD 256. In addition, it is capable of receiving DSD via HDMI, for this the device has an optional HDMI module with four inputs. It will be convenient to connect a SACD player to it, and it is also ready to process audio from 4K and HDR signals, for example, from Apple TV or Blu-Ray.
As for analog switching, besides the line inputs (2 RCA and 2 XLR), the rear panel of the BR-20 also has a port for installing an optional MM phono amplifier – its circuit is borrowed from the external Bryston BP-2 model. In addition, the BR-20 features a Bryston Low Z headphone amplifier.
Control of the novelty is available not only from the front panel: there is also a customizable remote control, and control via the WEB interface provides for the selection of inputs with the “removal” of unused and volume control. The LED indication is also disabled. The Bryston BP-2 can be integrated into a smart home system using IP, RS232, and I / O trigger.
To match your existing audio components, the BR-20 comes with a 17 ”or 19” bezel in black or silver. In these variants, it will be available from November. The Bryston BP-2 has a suggested retail price of £7,500 in the UK for the Bryston BP-2 phono pre-DAC / DAC. An additional £1,200 costs an additional HDMI card, and a phono stage can be installed for £950.
