[Grant Hill]

Hi TJ,

No I don't but maybe in the future

[CanadianMaestro]

Hi TJ,

No I don't but maybe in the future

Dec 25 is just 7 weeks away.....

[FlyoverGuy]

I am fine with the PI and I don't use the buttons. Navigating that way is just too painful.

Just grab the table or laptop and fire it up. No it is not the most elegant interface ever but I can find and load the music I want to hear quickly enough and it sounds awesome.  Except for turning everything on I don't move from the sofa. The tablet and the remote take care of all my needs.

I am well past the slick interface requirement. It is nice but not necessary. So long as I can do what I want/need to do the interface is secondary. I do expect further improvements in the future but that is just gravy at this point.  I downsized from separates and disk players to a hard drive solution with the 135 and BDP-PII and could not be happier.  I still keep my turntable but have not used it in 10 years.

Sonically, my gear has never sounded better. And that is what I care about.

[NorthMac]

Sorry I missed this thread, as I just added my dissatisfaction re. Bryston software in the MM thread... but I agree with much of the discussion regarding Bryston's software side for their otherwise excellent digital players. I would only add that for my uses, the original vision, well stated by James, of an audio component that would be network-enabled but otherwise firmly in the tradition of audio separates, is still valid. Turning to Roon, as an example, to sort out my mess, brings the audio system back into the version treadmill of MS or Apple, something I chose to avoid by purchasing the BDP.  I tagged my audio right the first time, and do not need to pay Roon to do it (which they cannot for classical in any event), and I love the fact that when my Adobe Lightroom needs upgraded because Apple OS requires it, etc etc, I can just play music on the Bryston without thinking about it.  IMO we need to keep that option - maybe there needs to be a more connected series of digital players for those who will constantly be trying the next big thing in streaming etc.

[Marius]

lately I've found myself living at least 2 lives:


1 - as a BDP1- user, being rather underwhelmed because of the limiting factor the hardware forces upon my library, (not helped by the firmware getting bigger, probably heavier on the processor, and too cumbersome to use all functionality )
2 - as a Bryston enthousiast (wouldn't call myself a cultist) trying to help in finding obstacles in MM and reporting back about that. Considered by some being a beta-tester. Enjoying the imperfections ;=)


all of the above has led me to want for upgrading the BDP1, but also to fearing the upgrade won't be a BDP. At or below the price point the bdp3 is going for, there's a lot of competition. And though i believe James with my eye closed and would trust the man with my house keys, without ever having met him, the result of MM thus far forces me back to my hesitation described above.


Playing around with a 60 RaspberryPi setup just about compares to the BDP-Pi, give or take an extra quality power supply, though even that is prone for discussion. Never understood this device, and couldn't imagine buying it. Same goes for the BOT. Very well built maybe, but very very overpriced. Not even talking import taxes et all.


A BDP3 is very necessary for anyone with a medium to larger library, especially when using it for more than what I've been forced to do: only use default view, browsing the file-library. I don't mind that, even like it that way. Miss that functionality in Roon to be honest. But buying a BDP3 without several modernizations being described in this thread would be solely bought for the larger memory and processor capacity. (and dsd, and better and more usb 2 out, and ..... ). Which wouldn't justify the tremendous cost compared to the competition...
Imho.
Please prove me wrong here. a bit of a cultist after all..
Cheers,
Marius

[NorthMac]

A BDP3 is very necessary for anyone with a medium to larger library, especially when using it for more than what I've been forced to do: only use default view, browsing the file-library. I don't mind that, even like it that way. Miss that functionality in Roon to be honest.
Please prove me wrong here. a bit of a cultist after all..
Cheers,
Marius

Marius I have never been clear - do you use folder view because you have 3000+ CDs, or because you do not have appropriate metadata tags on your music that would allow various sorting?  To me, browsing (and first maintaining in a consistent order...) 1000's of folders is not really much of an improvement over keeping organized my plastic CD cases in the pre-digitial era... that is why I went digital, even more so than for SQ, for the instantaneous access which itself is a joy, and for that you just need tags, but also a UI that can use these tags... 

And it is exactly here where the MM evolution has been such a disaster for me - in adding all the functionality for the streaming world which I am not interested in, Bryston has paid little attention to the basic functionality to sort one's collection, with album art visible at all times, using the most common tags - Artist (yes MM has this), Album (MM-No), and Genre (MM-No), Composer would be even more wonderful but this is almost always ignored in this Pop-oriented music age.  This was essentially the job that MPad did - it seems little to ask that the native Bryston UI, which will "live with the hardware" forever, at least do this.

[CanadianMaestro]

Marius,
How about a BDP-2?  it's fast enough for loading/updating attached 2-TB drives. Some audiomarts have it for relatively less $$.
cheers

[Marius]

Marius,
How about a BDP-2?  it's fast enough for loading/updating attached 2-TB drives. Some audiomarts have it for relatively less $$.
cheers

I can't see myself spending over 1000 euri for 'obsolete' hardware. If they come that cheap. And yet, the BDP2 isn't capable of building the DB over 30k tracks? Especially for the artist/album view. I take it it will do for default view.


Cheers,
Marius

[Marius]

Marius I have never been clear - do you use folder view because you have 3000+ CDs, or because you do not have appropriate metadata tags on your music that would allow various sorting?  To me, browsing (and first maintaining in a consistent order...) 1000's of folders is not really much of an improvement over keeping organized my plastic CD cases in the pre-digitial era... that is why I went digital, even more so than for SQ, for the instantaneous access which itself is a joy, and for that you just need tags, but also a UI that can use these tags... 

And it is exactly here where the MM evolution has been such a disaster for me - in adding all the functionality for the streaming world which I am not interested in, Bryston has paid little attention to the basic functionality to sort one's collection, with album art visible at all times, using the most common tags - Artist (yes MM has this), Album (MM-No), and Genre (MM-No), Composer would be even more wonderful but this is almost always ignored in this Pop-oriented music age.  This was essentially the job that MPad did - it seems little to ask that the native Bryston UI, which will "live with the hardware" forever, at least do this.

I use folder view because thats the way my mind works
I do like to browse and enjoy coverart, but couldnt care less about the recommendations Tidal offer me.
Ive spent some time tagging with the Music Brainz app, and that worked really well. So its no issue of having appropriate metadata. That is to say, in the classical department we're on our own mostly. So I've given up on that for now.


All in all, i would like a BDP with updated hardware.
Cheers,
Marius

[CanadianMaestro]

I can't see myself spending over 1000 euri for 'obsolete' hardware. If they come that cheap. And yet, the BDP2 isn't capable of building the DB over 30k tracks? Especially for the artist/album view. I take it it will do for default view.


Cheers,
Marius

As a player, and for SQ in a properly set up system, BDP's not "obsolete". Not even close.
There's probably nothing out there that meets your fussy specs.
Design your own, for now.  Or just keep on fantasizing.

cheers

p.s. If I sound like a "cultist", no apologies. I'm not the one writing stuff like:
"And though i believe James with my eye closed and would trust the man with my house keys, without ever having met him,.."
LOL 

[Marius]

As a player, and for SQ in a properly set up system, BDP's not "obsolete". Not even close.

sure it is, its been around for 5 or 6 years thats prehistoric in computer terminology. Seriously, when investing another couple of Grand, it hope for it to last another 5 or 6. And 'need' the latest specs. nothing fuzzy. Remember BG's most famous quote about internal memory? 

p.s. If I sound like a "cultist", no apologies. I'm not the one writing stuff like:
"And though i believe James with my eye closed and would trust the man with my house keys, without ever having met him,.."
LOL 

Cool. that was a bit overstating things.. no apologies needed on your behalf.


Cheers,
Marius

[artur9]

I have a BDP-1, only 4,000 tracks.  I use MinimServer running on an old laptop to provide the search and browse functionality.  I use upmpdcli to "bridge" that MinimServer to an iPad running Linn Kazoo.

I have my library tagged with composer, compositions, ensemble, performer, period and instrument as well as the normal album, album artist, conductor etc.  MinimServer/Kazoo can browse through any of those.  Or I can search for any of those things.

The experience is quite good and better than Roon for classical (because Roon is terrible at classical).

Some NAS have MinimServer included.  If you have a something you can use to run upmpdcli then that's all you would need.

The minimserver author is quite helpful.  I could share with you how I have upmpdcli configured and then you'll be much happier, I think, and won't need to upgrade your BDP-1 ever.

[NorthMac]

I have a BDP-1, only 4,000 tracks.  I use MinimServer running on an old laptop to provide the search and browse functionality.  I use upmpdcli to "bridge" that MinimServer to an iPad running Linn Kazoo.

I have my library tagged with composer, compositions, ensemble, performer, period and instrument as well as the normal album, album artist, conductor etc.  MinimServer/Kazoo can browse through any of those.  Or I can search for any of those things.

The experience is quite good and better than Roon for classical (because Roon is terrible at classical).

Some NAS have MinimServer included.  If you have a something you can use to run upmpdcli then that's all you would need.

The minimserver author is quite helpful.  I could share with you how I have upmpdcli configured and then you'll be much happier, I think, and won't need to upgrade your BDP-1 ever.

Artur, thank you for that option - not one I had come across, though needing a computer as part of my system is a no-go, running a server app on a NAS might be acceptable.  Will look into this.

[Larry Dickman]

And though i believe James with my eye closed and would trust the man with my house keys, without ever having met him...

I have no doubt who plays Santa Claus at the Bryston Christmas party

[CanadianMaestro]

I have no doubt who plays Santa Claus at the Bryston Christmas party

...or Scrooge, judging from all the glitches identified in Manic Moose....

[BigGeek]

Marius I have never been clear - do you use folder view because you have 3000+ CDs, or because you do not have appropriate metadata tags on your music that would allow various sorting?  To me, browsing (and first maintaining in a consistent order...) 1000's of folders is not really much of an improvement over keeping organized my plastic CD cases in the pre-digitial era... that is why I went digital, even more so than for SQ, for the instantaneous access which itself is a joy, and for that you just need tags, but also a UI that can use these tags... 

And it is exactly here where the MM evolution has been such a disaster for me - in adding all the functionality for the streaming world which I am not interested in, Bryston has paid little attention to the basic functionality to sort one's collection, with album art visible at all times, using the most common tags - Artist (yes MM has this), Album (MM-No), and Genre (MM-No), Composer would be even more wonderful but this is almost always ignored in this Pop-oriented music age.  This was essentially the job that MPad did - it seems little to ask that the native Bryston UI, which will "live with the hardware" forever, at least do this.

I have to say, NorthMac, your opinions mirror mine to a tee on the topic of MM usability. I have tagged everything in my library as well as I can, and I want to be able to sort on those tags. Also I use the cover art to browse my library, whether sorted by date, artist name, album title, ... to pick what I want to play... much like I use to browse albums in the record store to pick what I wanted to buy. I have grown use to the album art being tied to particular music and I use the visual cues to remind me what I have. Folder lists don't let me move through my music collection the same way.

Cheers

[TJ-Sully]

Nicely articulated BigG. makes a ton of sense to me.

[unincognito]

Sorry, no relation to anyone in the company, not that i haven't been mistaken as Jame's or Brian's son.

[TJ-Sully]

Marius, just keep the BDP-1 and be done with it. I still have mine and love it.
After all, it's really about listening.