[zoom25]

Hi

It has been that price for about 6 months now.

james

$1295...$1395...$1695...$1950

After looking around. Indeed.

[zoom25]

After getting good results with HD 800 through Sonarworks calibration, might seriously consider the BHA-1 and other neutral SS amps.

[CanadianMaestro]

After getting good results with HD 800 through Sonarworks calibration, might seriously consider the BHA-1 and other neutral SS amps.

What are you using so far -- tubed amp?

[zoom25]

What are you using so far -- tubed amp?

Right now just using them straight out of the Dangerous Music Source's built in headphone amplifier. In the past I had other headphone and amps, but sold them off because I went to speakers. Then I heard the HD 800 and figured it might be worth building a headphone rig around one.

Before Sonarworks, I thought I might try a tube to tame the high end. Although, I am not too fond of tubes. I like to leave my components ON and not worry about accidentally leaving them on for too long and damaging them. Solid state is easier to live with.

[CanadianMaestro]

Before Sonarworks, I thought I might try a tube to tame the high end. Although, I am not too fond of tubes. I like to leave my components ON and not worry about accidentally leaving them on for too long and damaging them. Solid state is easier to live with.

Try the Project Polaris. I have it, it's beautiful -- just a touch of tubular warmth without the tubes. Tons of power too. And adjustable gains and freq attenuation. The clear acrylic casing is amusing -- you see everything.

[Pundamilia]

The Home Theater Hi-Fi review alludes to a comparison between the BHA-1 and the BP-25: "It also worked really well inserted in my studio 2 channel rig for a short stint, providing a welcome upgrade in sound over the onboard headphone jack in my own Bryston BP-25 preamplifier". Has anyone tried a systematic comparison between the BHA-1 and the HP jack from the BP25/26?

@James: Are the circuits significantly different? Are they both Class A?

[James Tanner]

The Home Theater Hi-Fi review alludes to a comparison between the BHA-1 and the BP-25: "It also worked really well inserted in my studio 2 channel rig for a short stint, providing a welcome upgrade in sound over the onboard headphone jack in my own Bryston BP-25 preamplifier". Has anyone tried a systematic comparison between the BHA-1 and the HP jack from the BP25/26?

@James: Are the circuits significantly different? Are they both Class A?

Hi

Yes they are totally different circuits.  The BP25/26 headphone amp is a very low power unit designed for fairly easy to drive headphones and single ended whereas the  BHA-1 is a 'take no prisoner' design with balanced circuitry.

james
 

[Brinn]

Hello,

Sorry if this has been addressed before, but there are just too many pages to go through. I have an opportunity to purchase a used/demo BHA-1 from a dealer, but I noticed that it's a very early model and looks different than the newer BHA-1. It lacks Balanced outs and the toggle switches seems to be different. I have no need to use the BHA-1 as a preamp. Is the sound-quality about par with newer models? Are there other differences I should know about? Thank you.

[James Tanner]

Hello,

Sorry if this has been addressed before, but there are just too many pages to go through. I have an opportunity to purchase a used/demo BHA-1 from a dealer, but I noticed that it's a very early model and looks different than the newer BHA-1. It lacks Balanced outs and the toggle switches seems to be different. I have no need to use the BHA-1 as a preamp. Is the sound-quality about par with newer models? Are there other differences I should know about? Thank you.

Hi Brinn

Yes the XLR outputs were added after SN 50 but all else is the same.

james

[schugh]

I have a question about the specs which I've always been a bit confused about when I look at them on the Bryston web site.
On the web site it shows this type of information at different loads.

Load @ 600 Ohms
Hi - 10.9V Out @ 001% Power 200 mW
Lo - 5.45 V Out @ 001% Power 50 mW
Lo - 2.50 V Out @ 001% Power 10 mW
Lo - 788 mV Out @ 001%¹ Power 1 mW

Is the Hi setting when the gain switch is in the high position?
Why are there three different Lo specifications? How do I know which one applies to my unit?
What difference does does it make to the numbers if I use the balanced input and balanced output?

Thanks.

[CanadianMaestro]

^ here are some numbers I had on my audioblog, taken from Bryston a while back.


Power (continuous):
Max: 2 W/chan into 32 ohms @ 1% THD
Rated: 500 mW/chan into 32 ohms @ 0.005% THD

Also this:

http://bryston.com/PDF/brochures/BHA1_BROCHURE.pdf

That imo, is plenty of juice to drive anything under the sun, at a modest load.
Actual output may be even higher than stated.

Bryston should chime in here to correct or comment.

[rob80b]

Another great combo IMHO...AKG K812s....adds that little extra something over my Sennheiser HD800S...with regards to clarity, layering and base definition.

[95Dyna]

Has anyone heard the new Grado PS2000e with the BHA-1?

[shawngt2]

Another great combo IMHO...AKG K812s....adds that little extra something over my Sennheiser HD800S...with regards to clarity, layering and base definition.

Hi Rob, How do you find the SE vs Balanced connection with the 800S. Would there be a significant audible difference in blind test?

[95Dyna]

Has anyone heard the new Grado PS2000e with the BHA-1?

Since nobody responded to my post in July I'll respond to it myself, I have  Just installed my new BHA-1 and Grado PS 2000e's and can report that after a couple hours I became addicted.  My Focal Sopra 2's are getting a well deserved vacation and I'm not sure when they will return.  This combo sounded fantastic right out of the box even using a garden variety Monster single ended IC from BP26 tape out > BHA-1. Unbelievable balance from top to bottom with deep refined bass and extra-cranial 3D soundstage. I had the Cardas Clear HP cable installed at the Grado factory with 4 pin balanced connector.  Can't wait to get a few hundred hours on the phones and cable.  Plan to try balanced connection directly from Esoteric K-05 > BHA-1 this week.

[James Tanner]

https://www.audioaficionado.org/showpost.php?p=882893&postcount=1

[CanadianMaestro]

https://www.audioaficionado.org/showpost.php?p=882893&postcount=1

Probably time to produce BHA-1 with only bal headphone outputs. 

[95Dyna]

https://www.audioaficionado.org/showpost.php?p=882893&postcount=1

+1

Picking up on my post just above I switched to a pair of balanced WireWorld Silver Eclipse 6's from Esoteric K-05>BHA-1 and it too took the Grado PS2000e's to another level of clarity, spaciousness and definition (and they were good to begin with).  As mentioned I'm using the Cardas Clear 4 pin balanced cable from BHA>Grado.  If you haven't checked out the PS2000e I highly recommend you do so if you ae in the market in the $2-4K range. They are a great match for the BHA-1.

[CanadianMaestro]

+1

 As mentioned I'm using the Cardas Clear 4 pin balanced cable from BHA>Grado. 

Nice upgrade.  Curious: what benefits did the Clear XLR cable bring to your listening? Versus say, something like a Blue Dragon (Moon Audio) or even a Canare cable (Take Five Audio)? The Clear can co$t more than some headphones. 

cheers

[95Dyna]

Nice upgrade.  Curious: what benefits did the Clear XLR cable bring to your listening? Versus say, something like a Blue Dragon (Moon Audio) or even a Canare cable (Take Five Audio)? The Clear can co$t more than some headphones. 

cheers

I didn't have the opportunity to audition various cables to compare to the Clear.  I just retired recently and wanted to get a top notch HP setup that would outlast me.   The Cardas Clear seemed to me after reading a multitude of reviews to be universally accepted as one of the few best.  I had it boiled down to the WireWorld  Nano Silver Eclipse (all my other cables are WW) and the Moon Black Dragon.  My dealer made me a deal on the Grado/BHA-1/Cardas combo that was hard to pass up.  My cable is 4 m and cost about 1/4th the cost of the headphones.  Another consideration was the level of headphones that are the PS2000e's I wanted to pair them with an amp and cable that would be of equal caliber..  All I can say is the setup is fabulous and I'm not looking back.