Bryston to unveil new preamp and speakers at Audiofest Montreal 2023
Canadian audio electronics and acoustics manufacturer Bryston has unveiled its BP-19 preamplifier at Montréal Audiofest 2023, held at the Bonaventure Hotel in Montreal from March 24-26. The novelty is based on the successful BR-20 premium preamplifier, released in memory of the president of Bryston Ltd. Brian 2 years ago.
The BP-19 is fully balanced throughout the signal path and, according to Bryston, is "designed for the dedicated music lover, delivering true-to-life performance, enhanced detail and a greater sense of spaciousness and dynamics in all recordings." Precise matching of the components of the circuits and compact mounting allowed to further reduce the intrinsic noise of the circuit. The BP-19 preamp is handcrafted in Canada and backed by a 20 year warranty.
Also at the show, Bryston introduced the Model T 10 Active speaker system from its new T 10 series. The series includes three floorstanding and three shelf models, both active and passive. Their names - T 10, Middle T 10, Slim T 10 (floor) and Tiny T 10, Compact T 10 and Mini T 10 - shelf. Prices for new Bryston products have not yet been announced.
About foodm :
Volumio Primo came to the test not alone, but with a very unusual "support group" in the face of the iPower X audiophile power supply from the iFi brand. Against the background of a modest regular network adapter, the alternative one looks much more solid and weighs significantly more. It is also pulsed, but, according to the description, it is equipped with an advanced filtering system for electromagnetic and radio frequency interference.
It is not a set of passive components, but an active electronic circuit that works on the principle of noise cancellation in headphones. Thus, from iPower X, the player will receive impeccably clean power, which allows us to expect a noticeable increase in quality. This is what happened in practice.
Replacing the power supply has done a real miracle. When listening from the analog outputs of Volumio Primo, the top became richer and more detailed, the bass was deeper and more precise, the resolution increased throughout the range, and the transmission of space improved. If you use an external DAC, the changes are not so grandiose, but still noticeable.
They are expressed in a sense of the integrity of the sound picture, the transparency of the high frequencies and a lighter, more relaxed presentation of any musical material. Even under the condition that the power supply only affects the digital part of the path, the effect is noticeable - and the thought that it is possible to return to the standard version does not arise.
Definitely, iFi takes money not only for beauty. Proprietary technologies work "for all the money." DIY enthusiasts will immediately object that for the same amount they themselves will assemble the best linear power supply in the world on a toroidal transformer, but this does not change the essence of the matter. The main thing is that if you invest in labor or money in a power upgrade, Volumio Primo will play even better. And which way to go to perfection is a personal matter for everyone.
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Outcome :
In my opinion, the main value of Volumio Primo is that even before buying this device, you can evaluate its demo version by installing the operating system of the same name on the computer at hand. If the interface, functionality, customization options and other operational properties suit you, feel free to take Volumio Primo.
In terms of price / sound quality, the option is extremely interesting, and with an external power supply iFi iPower X (or other similar in quality), this device can successfully survive many system upgrades, since you first need to find a decent external DAC, and then you have to save money for a digital transport with the best sound.