I am quite invested in Bricasti, having put 15 years into adding and upgrading their products as the core of my ever-changing audiophile reference system. When the news came across my desk of the new Bricasti Design M19 (M19) transport, I had to get my hands on it. As a child of the Lost Generation, my CD collection of 900-plus sits dormant these days, thanks to high-resolution streaming options like what I find in HD on Qobuz. However, as I learned over 15 years ago, when first shown by Brian Zolner, the President of Bricasti Design, there is much to be had (and, some would argue, all you need) from 16-bit/44 kHz when the data stream is taken from a pure source with no other codecs, compressions schemes or software between it and a DAC. These same rules apply to the SACD format, too, which is equivalent to the digital streaming format DSD64. Many times, by the time DSD gets to your loudspeakers, it has been converted to and from PCM so much that it is not truly the DSD signal us audiophiles think we are getting, regardless of the display on the front of your DAC.
Back to the M19 Transport … We all know there has been fall-off in physical media sales, yet it seems that the physical mediums of vinyl and the Compact Disc (CD) are making a comeback. I attribute this to the authenticity of the signal, and the ability for physical media to truly deliver the like-for-like experience that a mastering engineer so carefully put their “done” stamp on. Since Bricasti Design believes in the providing the best possible experience from their components, they look to the source first and, if the years of development that have gone into the M19 Transport bear fruit, this should be a very exciting component to read about.
What Makes the Bricasti Design M19 Transport So Special?
- The Bricasti M19 is an exercise in excellence in detail and execution. Transports are nothing new in the audio world. They have been mainstream (often with a built-in DAC that changes their name to a CD player) for nearly 40 years. What is new? 40 years of deeper understanding and refining of how digital signals are handled. 40 years of components that have gotten better, thanks to advanced manufacturing practices. 40 years of, you get the picture … Now take the forefront of every lesson learned over the past 40 years regarding how to handle digital signals, and you have the foundation that the M19 was built upon: Perfection of CD/SACD transport technology.
- The Bricasti M19 uses proprietary power supplies. One of the most important aspects of any electronic component is the power supply. So much so in digital electronics that our fearless leader, Jerry Del Colliano, took the time to explain how power supplies affect the sound of audiophile DACs in an article. While it may seem simple enough, the power supply or, in the case of the M19, multiple power supplies, are just as important of an engineering feat as any part of the digital section. How a power supply is handled in a component like the M19 can either make it sound like a $10,000 component, or lower its capability to that of a $1,000 component. As expected, Bricasti has perfected multiple linear power supplies that remove the chance of unwanted noise contamination, or limitations to the dynamic range of the M19.
- Bricasti has developed a system based on the standard data protocol, called I2S, to interlink the M19 to other Bricasti DACs. Simplified, I2S is the same protocol that digital components use on circuit boards to talk to each other in just about every piece of electronics out there. This allows the M19 to send the most untouched and pure digital signal straight into the very world-class DACs Bricasti is known for.
- Like all Bricasti electronics, the detailed build quality of both the electronics and chassis are top tier. Internally, this means extremely short, optimized signal paths that maximize accurate signal transfer (while rejecting RF interference), high-precision matched components, and full shielding around critical digital components.
- The Bricasti M19 loads CDs/SACDs quickly and works flawlessly. Many transports have their hiccups. The Bricasti M19 works without quirks via the front panel and remote, as one would expect it to. This goes a long way toward a great musical experience.
Why Should You Care About the Bricasti Design M19 Transport?
I do not think physical media is going anywhere for audiophiles for a while. Even if physical media disappears from retail, there are people like myself with large legacy collections. Audiophiles of all ages are beginning to see the advantages of physical media, too. Being at the edge of the physical media rebirth (vinyl has been there for some time) is a smart move, and Bricasti knows it. There is a sonic purity to physical media that does not come from streaming. This has to do with data compression schemes and the tampering of data integrity that at times is done on purpose, but most of the time is simply an artifact of streaming technology. Bricasti has understood this downfall of streaming for years, and has been on the edge of technology like personal networking from local (at home) media libraries, whether through their standalone M5 network player, or as an upgrade to their DACs (including my Bricasti M1 Series II DAC – read the review). Bricasti has also demonstrated, time and time again, that starting at the source is a best practice for the highest-quality sound. The M19 transport is a physical embodiment of this belief that when paired with a Bricasti (or any) high quality DAC, will show you that 16 bit/44kHz CD audio is all you need, and SACD can be much more than what streaming DSD has to offer.
Some Things You Might Not Like About the Bricasti Design M19 Transport
- The transport in the Bricasti M19 is a little finicky as to how well you center the disc before closing the drawer. Bricasti sought the highest-quality components in the M19, including the carriage mechanism, but sometimes this can come at the expense of minor bothers. Several times when I loaded a disc, walked across the room, sat down, and got ready to hit play, the M19 would say “No Disc.” Then I would need to get up, walk across the room, eject the disc, look at the disc in confusion, re-center it perfectly, and repeat my get comfortable and listen process once again to be off to musical bliss. While this bugbear is pretty much the norm of any tray-loaded CD player, I thought to highlight it, since there may be Bricasti customers who are new to physical media, since they did not grow up 40 years ago…
- The I2S system provides a worthwhile fidelity upgrade. However, it is an either/or with the network player built-into Bricasti DACs. It’s your choice: The I2S or the network player. I want both, which means I am pigeonholed into the Bricasti M5 Network player (and Jerry Del Colliano already has that in for review, while I have the input card built into my Bricasti M1 DAC) … And I am scraping together pennies for an M19 at the moment, so I am going to be a persnickety brat about not being able to have both in my M1 Series II at the same time. So there. Unfortunately, switching between the two in a Bricasti DAC is not a user-capable thing, and must be done at the factory.
- The Bricasti M19 is a high-end value in terms of performance. A $10,000 transport is not for every audiophile. In order to be on the bleeding edge of technology, countless hours of design detail, precision, and only the highest-quality components and workmanship must be put into every M19 built. It is what makes fine watches, fine automobiles, and fine electronics like the M19 expensive.
Listening to the Bricasti Design M19 Transport…
I started my experience with the M19 by utilizing the AES/EBU digital output to my Bricasti Design M1 Series II. I had my system in full reference form, including the Bricasti Design M20 preamp, Bricasti Design M30 monoblock amplifiers, and PSB Synchrony T-800 loudspeakers for the duration of the M19 evaluation. After a substantial amount of time through the AES/EBU output, I switched to the I2S output and found everything to have more texture, finer detail, and a larger soundstage, so I left the M19 set up with I2S. I quickly found myself experiencing old CDs from my collection like I have never heard them before. Of course, this brought back fond memories of why I love the music from the bouquet of artists so much that I wanted a physical record of it.
Lorde is no exception. Lorde’s CD Pure Heroine contains the track “Royals” that arguably launched her career back in 2013. From the very first slam of the bass drum, the M19 presented a sense of soundstage precision, spacing and air that did not exist on the Qobuz 24-bit/96 kHz version of the same song. Lorde’s voice had breath and more texture, and the layered harmonies (all sung by Lorde) were well-separated from each other. The harmonies never came so far forward in the soundstage as to overpower Lorde’s main vocal track. This is the first time I have heard this resolved so well in the presentation. Remember: This more resolved sound is at 16-bit/44 kHz resolution, which is not considered hi-res. The deep bass track always stayed separated from the hard-hitting bass drum, and the remainder of the instrumentation was presented with a gigantic soundstage that was never forward or fatiguing to listen to. I was especially impressed by how dynamic the finger snaps were, which appeared to echo in a never-ending hall that sounds as if it had infinite height and width.
Eric Clapton’s live CD One More Car, One More Rider captures an arena-sized performance of Clapton. It also contains some of my favorite performances of Clapton’s greats, and some not well-known tracks. “Have You Ever Loved a Woman” is a wild, eight-minute, 12-bar-blues ride that pulls me to the edge of my seat every time I listen to it. The Bricasti M19 presented the feeling of being in a large arena with Clapton’s first three notes on his guitar, which has the midrange bite Clapton is known for, but without being harsh on the ears. The classic blues-beat emphasis had my foot tapping, as the drums were very dynamic, and the booming bass line (inherent to this recording) set the foundation of the music with no problem. Clapton’s voice was bluesy and distinct. The Hammond B3 organ is a staple in these kinds of blues tracks, and recording engineers have always tried to simulate the rotating speaker with a slight pan back and forth. The M19 resolved this panning well, and it made the B3 organ sound rich and full. The piano solo was excellent. In spite of being in a huge arena, when the band softened its roll to let the piano shine through, the piano remained dynamic and lightning-fast. Finally, the gigantic ending had crash cymbals floating above the separated, full stage of instruments, with Clapton’s guitar shredding making me want to jump out of my seat. “Have You Ever Loved a Woman” is a big track, and a difficult one for many systems to reproduce well. The M19 has no problem retrieving all of the complex data off the silver spinning disc that is needed to truly preserve the integrity of this energizing performance.
One of the earlier audiophile recordings I fell in love with is Diana Krall’s album Love Scenes. I have this recording in several formants, including the SACD. Aside from Krall’s fantastic piano playing and vocals, Christan McBride really carries the rhythm with just his upright bass, and Russell Malone’s guitar dances perfectly with Krall and McBride’s performances. A great-quality recoding truly meets performance excellence. On the SACD track “All or Nothing at All,” McBride’s bass comes launching out of the gate with fine, audible finger work on the strings, and a body that gives a sense of how big an instrument an upright bass truly is. Krall’s vocals enter with dynamics and texture, and it is easy to tell just how close she is to the microphone when you hear her breathing out while singing. The heavy-bodied jazz guitar bounces, and the complex harmonies warm up the entire recording while supporting the meaning of this upbeat tune. When compared to the CD version played on the M19, which I found to be better than the streaming hi-res version once again, the SACD version brough a higher level of texture, soundstage, dimension, and finer dynamic range. A truly eye-opening experience that had a room full of my long-standing audiophile friends in awe.
Will the Bricasti Design M19 Transport Hold Its Value?
The Bricasti M19 is not the kind of component that will flood the market, and for many (like me), it is a strategic decision to purchase. I do not picture Bricasti M19 owners giving them up easily (or ever). The propensity for owners to keep the M19 in their systems for years to come will drive limited availability on the used market, and likely keep the price lofty.
The need for many audiophiles to replace their universal players (think: a tired-old Oppo, for example) carves out a niche for the Bricasti M19, too. Even if you are a 90-percent streaming guy (or 90-percent vinyl for that matter), you might still want a rock-solid, world-class spinner of silver discs, and that’s what we have here, thus I think your investment is quite safe, as compared to other $10,000 digital audiophile upgrades to your system.
What is the Competition for the Bricasti M19 Transport?
Ringing in at $4,595 is Jay’s Audio CDT3 MKIII (read the Brian Kahn review). When reading what my colleague Brian Kahn had to say about it, I was surprised in regard to how much the CDT3 packs in for the money. Perhaps the real price one pays is in the 12-month warranty, versus two years on the Bricasti M19, or that the CDT3 does not play anything other than (you guessed it) CDs. Regardless, if you have a weighty CD collection and are looking to step up your physical media capability without the $10,000 stretch, check out the CDT3.
There are many transports between the CDT3 and the next contender. However, I believe the Bricasti M19 would still be a tough competitor against the $24,995 Accuphase DP-1000. Both are built under extremely similar methodologies: Precision. The Accuphase DP-1000 is bult like a tank, extremely simple, and is executed in the same fashion as the M19. If you must have the classic look and Accuphase nameplate in your rack, the price is the price you pay.
Final Thoughts on the Bricasti Design M19 Transport…
While the audiophile world is beginning to rekindle its love for physical media, audio equipment manufacturers are figuring out new ways to maximize the fidelity of physical musical discs. The Bricasti M19 CD/SACD transport represents the edge of modernity when it comes to perfecting an age-old technology with today’s precision capabilities … And the resulting sound is glorious. It does come at a price of $10,000 and, to truly optimize its performance, you need a Bricasti DAC with Bricasti’s proprietary I2S interface. Yet even when utilized as a traditional digital transport hooked in with any of the digital outputs found on the rear panel, the M19 is another example of a Bricasti component that is going to be nearly impossible to beat, at any practical price.
I mentioned earlier that I am saving pennies to round out my system with an M19, and understand that a component like a CD/SACD transport is not going to be for every audiophile out there. I will, however, give my highest recommendation to the Bricasti M19 and urge any audiophile with a healthy CD/SACD collection like mine to give it serious consideration sometime soon.
Wow, at $10,000 I hope you did due diligance on the financial viability of Bricasti & their comittant to servicing the player with a new laser or entire mechanism in 10+ years time*. Otherwise you may end up with an expensive paper weight. Let us know if that’s a corncern or not?
*My high end Denon & NAD CD players both lasted 10 years (at approx 1000 discs/year played) before a weak laser caused persistant skipping.
This constant prevalence of using a retail price to qualify a product for comparison is useless and misleading. There is no mention of what drive unit they’re employing, are they using a dual element laser or a re-focusing unit for the SACD discs? The continued use of the term “high res” in its connotation with any PCM commercially available disc is virtually non existent. This is more of a press release for the manufacturer than a review of the product. Many words of embellishment and little technical content. This is fine for a generalized men’s magazine, however, no usable comparison with other transports. Also, all of this effort and attention for SACD is and has been baffling to me over the years. This is a failed format which never had a presence in the marketplace. Hardware manufacturers continued to develop playback units for years with almost no presence of discs to be found. The only reason this format was developed and pushed was because companies like Sony wanted a copy free format as they were fearful of copying of CD based material. This is overlooked and the format was pushed as a technical improvement with high resolution. I could go on, however, I see no reason to respond any further on a product introduction.
John,
You sound really bitter and angry.
You put down the product, our insightful review and pretty much everything else.
Maybe cheer up a little bit before commenting again? Perhaps remember that this hobby is about fun and enjoyment? R/Audiophile or AVSForum.com are perfect places for you if you can’t cheer up a bit. They love the misery. We don’t.
This player is a killer “last disc player” for people who still play discs. It is expensive. It doesn’t cover all of the failed/dead formats. We cover that in the article clearly.
Well said, Jerry.
I am not bitter in the least. I simply stated facts. I have been in and around the Hi-Fi and pro audio business since the early ‘70’s and what I see these days is a preponderance of the notion of higher priced goods automatically translates to better performance. That is marketing. The Philips swing arm CD drives were the finest ever made and the early multi-bit CD players which employed them were the pinnacle for CD playback. I would like to see a stable comparison of the current offerings of CD transports, all inserted into the same system with only the transport being the variable. Nobody in the audio press has attempted this with a small exception with Alpha Audio in the Netherlands. Kudos to them for that effort.
Because I have insight and a different perspective on the progress or lack there of with digital transports should not bother anyone. Yes, this is just a hobby for the listener. I just think that the promotion of a $10,000.00 device needs serious comparison and technical justification for its claim to fame. I am afraid that the model by a number of manufacturers is to have a minimum number of exclusive dealers, charge enormous amounts for each item and make large margins at the expense to a very small clientele base. This model has diminished the audio business and will only continue that transecting path.
Seems to me John Shepard that you’re simply not a fan of the evolution of “high end audio” and where it sits today on the playing field. Most expensive high end audio products are not intended for the masses because well under 50% of music listeners actually know how to listen regarding what they are listening for. And I don’t care how many years they my have spent in the music business because I’ve dealt with plenty of “pro” musicians who don’t know how to listen to much more than what they desire to listen to (usually the instrument they’re most interested in).
Given that any expensive well designed piece of audio gear is subject to the concept of incremental diminishing returns is NOT a reason to balk at an expensive SACD transport for example. In the present case concerning Bricasti’s M21/M19 combination, there are very specific proprietary design efforts (the I2S connection scheme) which are no doubt expensive, but more importantly, not of ANY consequence to most of the listening population. Whether listening to the attack and decay of a grand piano, the air stream directed into a mouthpiece and reed, the rosin on the hair of a cello bow as it makes contact with a string, etc etc, MOST listeners ARE NOT aware of those individual sonic characteristics in relation to the musical whole. Most are entirely oblivious to the effect of those particular characteristics – yet they enjoy the end result of the music as it is presented through their system. These people, aside from purchasing bragging rights, have no real reason for buying a Bricasti DAC/transport set-up because they will often not discern the sonic benefits. Of course most of these listeners, especially those who consider themselves to be audiophiles, will not acknowledge the limits of their listening skills. And let’s face it, the majority of so-called audiophiles are retired old guys with diminishing hearing acuity. Regardless, while hearing is a natural function, listening is a life long learning process that often only evolves with specific training. Yet many who have the disposable income will always purchase the most expensive item in a manufacturers line-up.
With that said, there is indeed a certain status associated with high end audio gear while every expensive high end brand is challenged by the creation of a marketing plan to hype the design of the product and its exorbitant price. And I say, so what if 25% of the total price is superfluous IF I have the money to spend and my children are not starving. Seriously though, most expensive products do have theoretically unique designs (ie, dual mono, etc) and premiums parts packed into that design. Is it overkill?…probably!
Lastly, too often the synergy of the entire 2-channel system is overlooked with too much focus on a single component. For me, $26k plus on a Bricasti M21/M19 SACD playback system, as it sits in my 2-channel reference system, out performs to my trained ears (ie, or should I say sounds better to my conditioned ears) than many very high priced digital playback systems I’ve auditioned including an Esoteric K-01XD at $24k, a dCS system at $30k plus, a Mark Levinson No 519 at $24k, Linn Klimax at $42k, and a Playback Designs system at greater than $40k, etc etc. For me personally, given my listening preferences and expertise in certain musical styles, the Bricasti set-up provides more of the incremental sonic detail that I have been trained to focus on, while preserving the coherency in the entirety of the musical presentation. Now I’m being redundant….the Bricasti player is in a different league than any other player, using MY specific listening criteria. It’s a personal thing (and notice it’s not the most expensive of the bunch that I’ve auditioned).
My experience, not unlike Michael Zisserson’s, when comparing physical media against streaming and files has resulted in better sound and “more music” from discs.
An exception would be hi-rez files from MA Recordings, all of them superb.
If the R&D, materials, and manufacturing costs justify the M19’s $10,000 price tag, then I suppose the only other consideration is how it fares when compared to other transports.
With respect to the varied lifespan of a transport. . . ?
I’ve had the good fortune to use Pioneer stable platter transports that continue to work without issue after more than 30 years, albeit some required re-installing/re-gluing of the laser lens after it fell out of the module (a known quirk).
As one with an anachronistic fondness for the stable platter transport (and noted improved performance after adding some mass loaded vinyl to the tray and laser carrier plate), maybe now would be a good time for Pioneer to bring it out of retirement.
Correcting a misrepresentation
I purchased an M19 and a M21 about three months ago. My M21 includes both the internal media renderer and I2S connectivity. The either/or described in your review is out of date and needs correction.
Another fairly lofty, despite its prodigious 44lbs!, is the Electrocompaniet EMC-1UP CDP. Its Cirrus DAC and discrete Class A output stage are so good that despite 6 iterations over decades, EC hasn’t been able to better the sound. It also used the now-extinct Phillips PRO drive, and comprises the heart of my ref system.
Will I chase the Bricasti to be able to play the few SACDs I have? probably not. Is a budget-priced Audiolab or Cambridge transport feeding the Bricasti M3 sufficient? Maybe. ErnieM ArgentPur.audio