BDA-3 DAC

mrhyfy · « **Reply #640 on:** 24 Nov 2016, 12:49 am »

Great review on Stereophile!

The reviewer loved it so much, he bought it..recommended for Class A+! (no surprise!)

http://www.stereophile.com/content/bryston-bda-3-da-processor#LJVkYZwPKlC7fyke.97

CanadianMaestro · « **Reply #641 on:** 24 Nov 2016, 02:41 am »

^ That review: Why was there a 9-sec delay when switching between USB inputs on the BDA-3??

Ouch. That's an eternity in the digital universe.

mrhyfy · « **Reply #642 on:** 24 Nov 2016, 02:49 am »

In the real world,, would one be switching usb inputs very often??

Armaegis · « **Reply #643 on:** 24 Nov 2016, 03:42 am »

I'm guessing it's gotta do the handshake protocol each time you switch to usb?

James Tanner · « **Reply #644 on:** 24 Nov 2016, 10:45 am »

Quote from: Armaegis on 24 Nov 2016, 03:42 am

I'm guessing it's gotta do the handshake protocol each time you switch to usb?

Yes USB and HDMI need to handshake and that has improved a lot with the newer software.

What got my attention though was the other DAC reviewed in the same issue was $36,000 !

james

CanadianMaestro · « **Reply #645 on:** 24 Nov 2016, 11:32 am »

Quote from: mrhyfy on 24 Nov 2016, 02:49 am

In the real world,, would one be switching usb inputs very often??

In my world, I avoid USB altogether for playing digital music.
AES and BNC.

obe0009 · « **Reply #646 on:** 25 Nov 2016, 04:02 pm »

Quote from: James Tanner on 24 Nov 2016, 10:45 am

Yes USB and HDMI need to handshake and that has improved a lot with the newer software.

What got my attention though was the other DAC reviewed in the same issue was $36,000 !

james

Did the $36,000 DAC have a resolution of approx 20 bits and the BDA3 a resolution of approx 21 bits?

James Tanner · « **Reply #647 on:** 25 Nov 2016, 04:07 pm »

Quote from: obe0009 on 25 Nov 2016, 04:02 pm

Did the $36,000 DAC have a resolution of approx 20 bits and the BDA3 a resolution of approx 21 bits?

Hi

Yes the BDA-3 actually measured better in a number of areas.

Which brings me to what I have been saying for years - "you can spend more money but you will not get better performance than Bryston"

james

James Tanner · « **Reply #648 on:** 3 Dec 2016, 06:12 pm »

Hi James,

I just got my new BDA-3 all hooked up.

I finally sat down and started to play different sources and WOW!…What a difference from what I had before! I have played some SACDs, DVD-audio, DSD and my ripped CDs and in some, hear things I hadn’t heard before.

BTW, I found out that you can actually control the BDA-3 with a Harmony remote, you just have to set it up, I can actually switch inputs! (I had read some posts complaining it couldn’t be done?)

Anyhow, thanks for all your support and putting up with all my questions.

Denis

James Tanner · « **Reply #649 on:** 3 Dec 2016, 06:41 pm »

Hi Folks,

Here is the GUI for your IPAD if you want to remote control your BDA3 DAC.

BSC · « **Reply #650 on:** 4 Dec 2016, 12:25 am »

James how does that iPad GUI work?

James Tanner · « **Reply #651 on:** 4 Dec 2016, 05:23 am »

Quote from: BSC on 4 Dec 2016, 12:25 am

James how does that iPad GUI work?

You just type in the IP address of the BDA3 into your browser and the GUI will load. Has to be connected to your network router.

james

Bretson · « **Reply #652 on:** 8 Dec 2016, 01:09 pm »

One question.

Does the BDA-3 offer enough gain to give a proper signal to another component connected with 50' Mogami Gold Studio XLR's? I have a Luxman590 integrated between the speakers, but the dac needs to be located 50' away.

Will there be significant degradation of sound?

Regards,

Brett

James Tanner · « **Reply #653 on:** 8 Dec 2016, 01:33 pm »

Quote from: Bretson on 8 Dec 2016, 01:09 pm

One question.

Does the BDA-3 offer enough gain to give a proper signal to another component connected with 50' Mogami Gold Studio XLR's? I have a Luxman590 integrated between the speakers, but the dac needs to be located 50' away.

Will there be significant degradation of sound?

Regards,

Brett

Hi Brett

You have 4 volts out on the Balanced XLR outs from the BDA3 so you should be fine.

james

Bretson · « **Reply #654 on:** 8 Dec 2016, 01:42 pm »

Cool, Thanks James.

Jim Pearce · « **Reply #655 on:** 12 Dec 2016, 06:55 pm »

My brother has had the BDA-3 for several months now. He says it blows away his Meridian 508 and that's good enough for me as it is still the best CD player I've heard in my system. I would drive it with an Oppo BDP-95 via HDMI (to accommodate SACD) which I assume is non-problematic. While I would love to use the balanced outputs into my Anthem AVM20 my experience with the Oppo and the Esoteric DV-50 before it is that the 5.1 single-ended input into the AVM20 and a separate copy of the signal into my Outlaw Audio ICBM-1 (connected between the player and AVM20) just sounds better with jazz. In terms of speakers the difference is using the front L.R Paradigm 100 v3s alone versus adding the Servo 15 sub.

So my scheme is to use the xlr outputs with short xlr to rca cables and 6 dB rca attenuators into an unused channel in the ICBM while using the rca outputs to drive the front L.R. Is there any problem with this?

schmidtmike76 · « **Reply #656 on:** 12 Dec 2016, 09:18 pm »

I would call this a upgrade from the BDA-2 not a lateral move. The BDA-2 is very good and but the 3 I found with a larger sound stage and more refined than the 2. This is not a knock on the 2 as it was the best dac I ever heard...until I heard the 3.

Tympani · « **Reply #657 on:** 13 Dec 2016, 04:57 pm »

Quote from: Jim Pearce on 12 Dec 2016, 06:55 pm

My brother has had the BDA-3 for several months now. He says it blows away his Meridian 508 and that's good enough for me as it is still the best CD player I've heard in my system. I would drive it with an Oppo BDP-95 via HDMI (to accommodate SACD) which I assume is non-problematic. While I would love to use the balanced outputs into my Anthem AVM20 my experience with the Oppo and the Esoteric DV-50 before it is that the 5.1 single-ended input into the AVM20 and a separate copy of the signal into my Outlaw Audio ICBM-1 (connected between the player and AVM20) just sounds better with jazz. In terms of speakers the difference is using the front L.R Paradigm 100 v3s alone versus adding the Servo 15 sub.

So my scheme is to use the xlr outputs with short xlr to rca cables and 6 dB rca attenuators into an unused channel in the ICBM while using the rca outputs to drive the front L.R. Is there any problem with this?

[/b]

Connections have Consequences

Jim Pearce · « **Reply #658 on:** 13 Dec 2016, 08:45 pm »

Quote from: Tympani on 13 Dec 2016, 04:57 pm

[/b]

Connections have Consequences

Yeah, it isn't going to work. I'm stuck with either the xlr output into my Paradigm 100s (no sub) or I'll need to buy a preamp that has 1. HT bypass 2. xlr inputs 3. analog bass management. Unfortunately the only preamp I'd want that fits the bill is the Parasound P5 - and Parasound does everything possible to keep their products out of Canada.

Johnny2Bad · « **Reply #659 on:** 15 Dec 2016, 04:34 pm »

Also in the same issue of Stereophile, a well-known brand of integrated amplifier with an integrated DAC had some unusual measurements. I don't intend to knock on the other product, so I won't mention the brand, and also feel that if there are issues with it, the company will figure them out. But I was amused with John Atkinson's remark in the test phase of the review:

" ...
However, with S/PDIF and AES/EBU data and upsampling, which KM didn't audition, some of the measurements were perverse—see the Bryston review elsewhere in this issue for how these measurements should look
..."