Bryston BP-19 Analog Preamplifier

One Job, Done Without Compromise

Some preamps chase every feature. The Bryston BP-19 chases one: analog amplification done properly, fully balanced from the input jacks to the output jacks. Feed it from a DAC, a disc player, or a turntable, and what goes in is what your amplifier hears.

Six analog sources connect at once. Two pairs of balanced XLR inputs, four pairs of RCA. Outputs come in both flavors too. There is a variable pair and a fixed pair of each, so your power amp and a recorder can run at the same time.

Plug In Headphones and the Speakers Stand Down

A quarter-inch headphone jack sits on the front panel. It has its own amplifier behind it. Insert a plug and the main outputs mute themselves. Late-night listening is one cable away, and there is no separate headphone amp to buy.

Bryston hand-builds the BP-19 in Dwight, Ontario, and backs it for ten years. Choose a 17-inch or 19-inch faceplate in silver or black. A professional rackmount version is offered too. The BR-4 remote is in the box either way.

What Fully Balanced Actually Buys You

The signal travels as a mirrored pair the whole way. Noise picked up along the path cancels at the far end. Bryston's discrete opamp buffer measures THD+N at or below 0.0006%. Intermodulation sits at or below 0.0003%, and noise 110dB down on both output types.

Volume in Half-Decibel Steps, Not Guesswork

Volume runs through a digitally controlled analog step-ladder. Steps are half a decibel. The two channels track each other to within a tenth of a decibel. Response stays flat within 0.05dB from 20Hz to 20kHz, so nothing is tilted on the way through.

The XLR inputs want 1 volt and present 15K ohms. The RCA inputs want 500mV and present 50K. Both output types drive 12 volts into loads of 1K ohms or more. The headphone jack sits below 5 ohms, so long runs and demanding headphones are both covered.

Wire It Into the Rest of the House

RS232 and an Ethernet port let an installer fold the BP-19 into a control system. A trigger input puts it into standby on command. Trigger outputs wake your power amp with it, so one button starts the whole rack. Standby draw is half a watt.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Malcolm J. Gomes of Positive Feedback, reviewing the BP-19 on July 26, 2024, made it his reference preamplifier, writing that Bryston had "achieved the holy grail of combining precision and accuracy with truly seductive musicality."

Andrew Dewhirst of Future Audiophile, in a January 20, 2025 review, wrote that the preamp "is built to last, doesn’t add any color, and will easily compliment systems with components costing much more."

Who Is This Preamplifier Best For?

• You want the signal to stay analog end to end — every stage is discrete and balanced. Your source components are the only things shaping what you hear.
• You keep components for a decade or more — hand assembly in Ontario, and a ten-year warranty. This is a buy-once box, not a stopgap.
• You listen in headphones as often as through speakers — the front-panel jack has its own amp. That saves you the cost and the shelf space of a separate one.
• Your system lives in a rack or a control system — three faceplate widths, plus RS232, Ethernet and triggers. Your installer works around nothing, and the power amp comes up on cue.
• If your sources are digital, add a converter first — the BP-19 is analog from end to end. A USB, coaxial or optical feed needs converting before it arrives. Pair it with one of our DACs and the digital side is covered.

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Run the variable XLR or RCA outputs to your power amp. Balanced is the better choice once the run passes about ten feet. Your sources fill the two XLR and four RCA inputs. The fixed pair runs at full level, so keep it for gear with its own volume control, such as a recorder.

Then the BP-19 does the purist's job: nothing added, nothing lost.

Pairs Well With

Building a system around the BP-19? These are the natural companions:

• Turntable: The obvious partner for an all-analog preamp — see our Turntables.
• Phono Preamplifier: Feeds a cartridge into any line input — see our Phono Preamplifiers.
• Interconnects: Balanced XLR cables carry the signal to your power amp — see our Interconnect Cables.
• Audio Rack: A proper home for a Canadian workhorse — see our Audio Racks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What comes in the box?

Bryston ships the BP-19 with its BR-4 infrared remote, which covers volume, mute, power and all six source buttons.

How many sources can I connect at once?

Six. Two pairs of balanced XLR inputs and four pairs of RCA. Each source has its own button on the front panel and on the remote.

Can I play vinyl through it?

Yes. Connect an outboard phono preamp to any line input. Bryston also builds the BP-19 with an internal moving-magnet or moving-magnet/moving-coil phono module, fitted at the factory.

Can I listen through headphones?

Yes. The front panel carries a quarter-inch TRS jack, and inserting a plug mutes the main outputs so the speakers stay quiet.

Will it fit a professional rack?

Yes. Faceplates come in 17-inch and 19-inch widths, and Bryston offers a professional 19-inch rackmount version.

What warranty does it carry?

Bryston covers the BP-19 for ten years from the date of purchase. Buy from an authorized dealer, and register it in your name as the first owner.

See It in Action

Hifi Pig Television covers the BP-19 at its launch:

Tabi walks a full Bryston system built around the BP-19 at Montreal Audiofest 2024:

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