Bryston BP-19 Analog Preamplifier with MM Phono

Your Turntable Plugs Straight Into It

This is the Bryston BP-19 with the moving magnet phono module fitted at the factory. The cartridge leads go to Input 1 and the ground wire to the post beside them. Nothing else changes: the rest of the preamp is the same all-analog BP-19.

Two pairs of balanced XLR inputs and four pairs of RCA take your other sources. Outputs come as a variable pair and a fixed pair, in both XLR and RCA, so your power amp and a recorder can run at the same time.

Bryston Built the Analog Circuit for a Bigger Box First

The BP-19 takes its analog section from the BR-20, Bryston's flagship. Strip out the DAC and the streamer, keep the preamp, and this is what is left. Every stage is discrete and fully balanced from input to output.

Bryston hand-builds it in Dwight, Ontario, and backs it for ten years. Faceplates come in 17-inch and 19-inch widths, silver or black, with custom colors offered. The BR-4 remote is in the box.

What the Phono Board Is Doing

The moving magnet side is Bryston's standard RIAA equalization stage, the same circuit found in the MM/MC version. It gives 41dB of gain at 1kHz. It presents 47K ohms and wants 5mV, which is where the great majority of moving magnet cartridges sit.

The line stage around it measures the way Bryston line stages do. THD+N sits at or below 0.0006% from 20Hz to 20kHz. Intermodulation is at or below 0.0003%, noise is 110dB down on both output types, and response holds within 0.05dB across the band.

Turn It Down Without Losing the Balance

Volume runs on a digitally controlled analog step-ladder in half-decibel steps. The channels track closely, so low-level listening stays centered. A quarter-inch headphone jack on the front panel mutes the main outputs the moment you plug in.

RS232 and an Ethernet port hand control to an installer. A trigger input drops the preamp into standby, and trigger outputs bring your power amp up with it. The chassis is 4.6 inches high and 13 deep, and it weighs 12 pounds.

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 play records and want the phono stage inside — the moving magnet board is fitted at the factory and wired to Input 1, so there is no outboard box to buy, power, or find a shelf for.
• Your cartridge is a moving magnet — 41dB of gain into 47K ohms suits the great majority of moving magnet cartridges, so the one on your arm now is almost certainly already matched.
• You want the signal to stay analog end to end — every stage is discrete and balanced, with no converter anywhere in the path. What you hear is your cartridge and your system, not a chipset.
• You keep components for a decade or more — hand assembly in Ontario and a ten-year warranty come with it. This is a buy-once box rather than a stopgap.
• You play a moving coil cartridge — this board is moving magnet only. Bryston makes the same preamp with step-up transformers fitted — the BP-19 with the MM/MC board adds selectable 20dB or 26dB of gain for cartridges in the 0.3 to 0.5mV range, so you get the identical line stage with the right front end for your arm.

How Does It Connect to Your System?

The turntable goes to Input 1 and its ground wire to the post beside it. Line sources fill the other three RCA pairs and the two XLR pairs, so a CD player, a DAC and a tuner all have a home.

Your power amplifier takes the variable output, XLR or RCA. The fixed pair of each feeds a recorder or a second amplifier at full level. Headphones plug into the front. Trigger and RS232 handle switching the rest of the rack.

Pairs Well With

Building a system around the BP-19? Start here:

• Power Amplifier: The BP-19 is a preamplifier and needs one — browse Amplifiers.
• Turntable: The moving magnet stage is fitted and waiting — browse Turntables.
• Interconnects: Balanced end to end suits a preamp this quiet — see Interconnect Cables.
• Headphones: The Low Z stage on the front panel will drive them — see Headphones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which cartridges does the phono stage accept?

Moving magnet. The stage gives 41dB of gain at 1kHz, presents 47K ohms and expects 5mV, which covers the great majority of moving magnet cartridges.

What if I move to a moving coil cartridge later?

Bryston builds the same preamplifier with step-up transformers fitted. That version offers selectable 20dB or 26dB of extra gain for cartridges putting out 0.3 to 0.5mV.

How many sources can I connect?

Six line-level pairs plus the turntable: two balanced XLR pairs and four RCA pairs, with Input 1 given over to phono.

Can I run a recorder alongside my power amplifier?

Yes. Each output type has a variable pair and a fixed pair, so the amplifier follows the volume knob while the fixed pair stays at full level.

Does it drive headphones properly?

Yes. Bryston's Low Z headphone amplifier feeds a quarter-inch jack on the front panel, and plugging in mutes the main outputs.

What does the warranty cover?

Ten years, on a preamplifier hand-built in Dwight, Ontario. Confirm transfer terms with us if you are buying second-hand.

See It in Action

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

Tabi runs the BP-19 in a full Bryston system with the BDA-3 and 7B³ monoblocks:

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Learn More

Want to learn more about phono cartridges, balanced preamplifier connections, or building a system from separates? Visit our Learning Center for guides, tips, and expert advice.