[stonedeaf]

I'm a cartridge polygamist (mostly MM/IM) and really appreciate my 20 year old BP-1.5. I switch carts a lot -made the mistake of buying old digital input loudspeakers that have made preamps and power amps unnecessary  -so I just pay attention to sources and ADC's. The 1.5 has a front panel mute switch is just plain handy when switching headshells on and off the tonearm -it also has front panel switching between MM and MC high gain -so my occasional dip into the world of LOMC is convenient and no fuss. But what I really like is the reasonable range of capacitance switching on the back panel-especially zero (which in the real world isn't actually nothing because there's always some tonearm cabling capacitance)-which so far has made every Audio Technica MM I've ever heard thru  the the BP-1.5 sound better than any other pre-amp I've tried with those cartridges. And those even older Ortofon VMS ,Stantons and Shures sing their best within the range of capacitance that those four nice big switches that can be  set with a finger and by memory give me. And like every other Bryston phono stage I've heard -dead quiet and seems to make the best of every MM cart I've hooked up to it so far. Have always run it in the 35 dB gain position -still prefer Denon SUTs with Denon LOMC carts (probably just me from established habit).So thank you Bryston for many hours of pleasurable music.

[James Tanner]

 

[Stefan_DR3]

Have always run it in the 35 dB gain position -still prefer Denon SUTs with Denon LOMC carts (probably just me from established habit).

You know that Bryston phono stages use high quality Jensen SUTs?

[stonedeaf]

Most of the carts I enjoy/use are MM/IM - but do have a motley assortment of LOMCs floating around. Does anyone know what the input impedance of the two "gain" settings are on the BP-1.5 ? TF-1 transformer used in the BP-1.5. BTW-found a use for the extra gain -tried my 1.5m mV output Grado MCZ thru the 1.5 at the higher gain -very useful and as has become the norm -somehow the best I've heard from that remarkable cartridge.

[alexone]

...i have a 26 paired with a 1.5 ...just today i did some vinyl recordings (5.6 Mhz and 176.4@24) and yes - the 1.5 is dead quiet
man, i love the sound of vinyl!!!

al.

[JeffS.]

I have an older BP-1.5 which I really like, but the silk screen lettering has partially worn off.  Mike Pickett searched for a couple of months for a replacement dress panel or the original silk screen to restore the lettering, but came up empty.

Does anyone have unique suggestions on what I could do to get the lettering restored?  I've thought about taking the panel into a local firm for laser engraving or electro-chemical etching, but have not explored it fully.  I have a silver panel but what I really want is a black one, which complicates my choices.  I did post a WTB on the Trading Post for a black panel, but no nibbles thus far.  An even further complication is that the newer BP-1.5 dress panels (if I were to find one) require a bracket modification to accommodate its studs on the older units.

I may just end up deciding the aesthetics are not worth the journey. 

[James Tanner]

I have an older BP-1.5 which I really like, but the silk screen lettering has partially worn off.  Mike Pickett searched for a couple of months for a replacement dress panel or the original silk screen to restore the lettering, but came up empty.

Does anyone have unique suggestions on what I could do to get the lettering restored?  I've thought about taking the panel into a local firm for laser engraving or electro-chemical etching, but have not explored it fully.  I have a silver panel but what I really want is a black one, which complicates my choices.  I did post a WTB on the Trading Post for a black panel, but no nibbles thus far.  An even further complication is that the newer BP-1.5 dress panels (if I were to find one) require a bracket modification to accommodate its studs on the older units.

I may just end up deciding the aesthetics are not worth the journey.

Hi Jeff - we are doing our own in factory metal work now so we may be able to replicate the older panel.  We also use a new UV Laser printer for the graphics so we may be able to re-finish the old panel. 

Email Jim Spence and see what he suggests. jspence@bryston.com

[JeffS.]

Thank you!  Will write to him today!