Bryston PS-3 External DC Regulated Power Supply

The mains transformer, moved out of harm's way

The Bryston PS-3 External DC Regulated Power Supply is the outboard supply Bryston's phono and line stages are designed around, feeding regulated DC through a locking 6-pin XLR umbilical. Putting the transformer in its own chassis keeps its magnetic field away from circuitry handling very small signals. One PS-3 powers one unit, so a system with more than one Bryston component needing external power needs a supply for each.

Why You'll Love It

• Distance is the best filter. A mains transformer radiates a field that a phono stage will happily amplify. Moving it into a separate box, on the other side of a cable, deals with the problem at the source.
• Matched to the range. The same third width chassis and black or silver finish as the BP-2 phono stages, so it stacks or sits alongside without looking like an afterthought.
• More than just power. The umbilical carries the positive and negative rails, a 12V line, a mute line, ground and chassis, so the supply is part of the system's control rather than just a plug pack.

Under the Hood

• High regulation linear supply feeding a single locking 6-pin XLR DC output, with pins carrying V positive, V negative, 12V, mute, ground and chassis.
• Region specific mains input of 120V at 60Hz, 220V at 50Hz or 240V at 50Hz through an IEC-320 C14 inlet, drawing 4W.
• Designed to power a single Bryston BP-2 phono gain stage or a BP-26 line preamplifier.

CHT Insider Verdict

This is not an optional upgrade for BP-2 owners, it is how the phono stage is powered, so treat it as part of the purchase rather than an accessory. What it buys beyond simply working is a genuinely low noise floor, which is the whole reason Bryston splits the two boxes in the first place. If you run two units needing external power, budget for two supplies.

Pro Tip: Put the PS-3 on the opposite side of the rack from the phono stage and let the umbilical do the work. It sounds obvious, but people often stack the supply directly under the component it powers, which undoes most of the benefit of separating them.