Bryston, based in Peterborough, ON, Canada, has announced the release of the BDP-1USB digital music player, which is priced $1795 in the United States. The BDP-1USB looks almost identical to and borrows most of its technology from the company’s flagship BDP-2 player, but is designed to work exclusively with USB DACs and lacks the pricier unit’s internal sound card, which their September 3 press release says, “reduces the cost of the new player without any penalty in sound quality and opens the world of high-resolution audio playback to a broader audience.”
Features of the BDP-1USB include: compatibility with an array of low- and high-resolution music formats, including FLAC, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV, and MP3; gapless, bit-perfect playback; a linear power supply; asynchronous-USB-DAC compatibility; DSD over PCM (DoP) playback (with compatible DACs); four USB inputs; Ethernet connectivity; and library support for up to 30,000 tracks. According to Bryston’s CEO, Chris Russell, “Our digital music players have been tremendously successful for us globally, and with the increased prevalence of USB DACs available in a wide range of prices, the BDP-1USB opens the door for music lovers seeking Bryston performance and build quality in an affordable package. Of course we suggest that consumers consider the Bryston BDA-2 DAC -- audio writers and reviewers agree that the Bryston BDA-2 is one of the very finest DACs available on the market today -- but the BDP-1USB can also be the foundation of an amazing multifaceted sound system.”
The BDP-1USB comes with a five-year warranty and will be available through Bryston’s dealers in October.