Network Audio Players/Servers

Taking care of the BR-20's networked music playback is the 'Manic Moose' platform also found on other Bryston models. It's based on locally stored open-source MPD (Music Player Daemon) software, tailored towards Bryston's hardware and file playback capabilities. Getting started is straightforward – just connect the BR-20 via its 'Streaming' Ethernet port to your router (or wirelessly with a USB Wi-Fi adapter), open my.bryston.com in a browser on a connected device, and the software automatically finds the preamp's IP address. You're then presented with an interface that provides access to files stored on your network (once shares are established), connected USB drives, and from Qobuz and Tidal subscription services.

Album artwork is supported, and the media player has flexibility around creating and editing playlists. In my experience it worked fine and was responsive, but lacked the simplicity and visual appeal of app-based solutions (such as Bluesound's BluOS or Sound United's HEOS). It can also be used to run firmware updates and switch inputs – a stripped-down version with this functionality is also accessible via the preamp's secondary Ethernet service port.