[James Tanner]

Hi!

I think if there is going to be a BDP-3, it won't be based on an Intel solution. It will be based on the Raspberry Pi like the BDP-Pi. So it would be a completely different platform.

One has to keep in mind that the "IAD", as Bryston calls it, is essentially a BUC-1 circuit board fitted with PCI-Express interface to fit the BDP-2's motherboard. This is why the BDP-2 recognises it as a "BUC board". So unless you see Bryston coming out with a newer version of this circuit board, I doubt there will be a BDP-3.

I think the main reason why Bryston replaced the Juli@ board from ESI with the BUC board is an economical one. ESI Juli@ is an expensive board to make, even if the list price is 200 Euro. ESI sold a lot of these and they're based in Taiwan where raw materials and machine work are a LOT less costly, even though physical labour is far more costly than people realise. Taiwan is not exactly mainland China. In other words, where it is viable for ESI to make a lot of these and sell them with minimal profit margin, the Juli@ came as a significant cost to Bryston. Having a proprietary board built was more economical for them I think, especially when the cost was amortised with the BUC-1 USB-S/PDIF interface. That doesn't mean it's not better than the Juli@ however, even if I personally couldn't identify any discernable difference.

Cheers!
Antun

Hi Antun

If we were to look at a BDP-3 it would not be based on the Raspberry Pi.  We would want a mother board with many more capabilities than the current board in the BDP-2.

We chose to label it as a BUC board to be transparent about the hardware as to not mislead people

ESI simply couldn’t keep up with our demand and after months of delays we chose to repurpose the BUC’s electronics to fit the BDP-2’s needs

Like the BUC-1 the IAD uses a internal USB bus not PCI-Express

The advantage of the BIAD over the Juli@ card was:

BENEFITS:

• No reliance on the quality level of third party products or having to modify said products
• Improve the performance by hand selecting and testing all the components in house
• Eliminates 3 connection points
• Integrates the output module and the sound processing section into one circuit instead of two.
• The Bryston audio device is directly powered by the high quality linear power supply rather than the motherboard.


james

[bicycle_john]

and it sounds better....much to everybody's surprise who replaced the old board

[R. Daneel]

Hi Antun

If we were to look at a BDP-3 it would not be based on the Raspberry Pi.  We would want a mother board with many more capabilities than the current board in the BDP-2.

We chose to label it as a BUC board to be transparent about the hardware as to not mislead people

ESI simply couldn’t keep up with our demand and after months of delays we chose to repurpose the BUC’s electronics to fit the BDP-2’s needs

Like the BUC-1 the IAD uses a internal USB bus not PCI-Express

The advantage of the BIAD over the Juli@ card was:

BENEFITS:

• No reliance on the quality level of third party products or having to modify said products
• Improve the performance by hand selecting and testing all the components in house
• Eliminates 3 connection points
• Integrates the output module and the sound processing section into one circuit instead of two.
• The Bryston audio device is directly powered by the high quality linear power supply rather than the motherboard.


james

Hi James!

Thank you for a most elaborate reply!

So the IAD is USB bus powered rather than with PCI-X? Interesting! I didn't know that!

As for the BDP-3, I know you can't really give us a definitive reply, but do you feel there are some features that the BDP-2 lacks but you would like to offer?

Cheers!
Antun

[zoom25]

Wi-fi would be one.

Hmmm, maybe an HDMI out on the BDP-3 to send the video feed of MPD/Manic Moose or whatever else displaying the cover art along with other information. It would look especially nice on bigger screens/TV. Almost like a Roon experience. Could work well considering the BDA-3 has HDMI inputs/outputs as well.
 
Its settled folks, you heard it here first!

[James Tanner]

As for the BDP-3, I know you can't really give us a definitive reply, but do you feel there are some features that the BDP-2 lacks but you would like to offer?

Cheers!
Antun


Hi Antun

Just a a faster processor with more features would be the next logical step. 

The BDP products started out with a simple concept - 'design a dedicated computer and operating system to play digital music files at a state of the art level' - and it has morphed into a much more feature based product which was never my original intention.  So the need to add features has necessitated the need for more and more horse power. I do not think we will build in WiFi though as it adds to much noise.

james
 

[R. Daneel]

Hi Antun

Just a a faster processor with more features would be the next logical step. 

The BDP products started out with a simple concept - 'design a dedicated computer and operating system to play digital music files at a state of the art level' - and it has morphed into a much more feature based product which was never my original intention.  So the need to add features has necessitated the need for more and more horse power. I do not think we will build in WiFi though as it adds to much noise.

james

Hi James!

Considering BDP-2 rear panel is now removable, do you think you will be able to offer some kind of upgrade path that doesn't involve buying an entire new machine?

There is one thing that concerns me though and it is cooling. The faster the CPU is, the more heat it generates. It will be interesting to see if a passive radiator without the assistance of active fan cooling will be adequate.

Cheers!
Antun

[James Tanner]

Hi James!

Considering BDP-2 rear panel is now removable, do you think you will be able to offer some kind of upgrade path that doesn't involve buying an entire new machine?

There is one thing that concerns me though and it is cooling. The faster the CPU is, the more heat it generates. It will be interesting to see if a passive radiator without the assistance of active fan cooling will be adequate.

Cheers!
Antun

Yes that is the challenge - the more powerfull the more heat dissipation you require and I do not want any fans in the BDP's.

james

[CanadianMaestro]

Yes that is the challenge - the more powerfull the more heat dissipation you require and I do not want any fans in the BDP's.

james

james,

how about fins like on the old B100 integ?

pete

[R. Daneel]

Thermodynamics is trickly business, especially with generators like CPUs as heat production changes from one second to the next.

One solution would be to use a CPU with as few nanometers per transistors as possible and that runs on a lower voltage rating but also, use special thermo-conductive filament between the core and the heatsink. Copper would be the material of choice for the heatsink core but the fins themselves would have to be aluminium. An aluminium top panel would be a good idea as well. SInce BDP-3 would inevitably cost more than the BDP-2, this would be preferrable to steel.

In fact, I'd feel a lot better if the BDP-2 top panel was aluminium as wwll. I live in  pretty humid and hot climate and it does get uncomfortably hot.

Cheers!
Antun

[CanadianMaestro]

A top panel with slits/vents.

Strangely, the BHA-1, which REALLY heats up when cranked, has no such vents. Thermal shutdown can occur if cranked too long.

[James Tanner]

A top panel with slits/vents.

Strangely, the BHA-1, which REALLY heats up when cranked, has no such vents. Thermal shutdown can occur if cranked too long.

Hi

Although it seems counter intuitive vents actually make things worst - a solid top acting as a heat sinc - works much better at dissipating heat than open vents.

james

[R. Daneel]

Yes! That's because vents decrease the effective dissipating surface.

[unincognito]

Considering BDP-2 rear panel is now removable, do you think you will be able to offer some kind of upgrade path that doesn't involve buying an entire new machine?

There is one thing that concerns me though and it is cooling. The faster the CPU is, the more heat it generates. It will be interesting to see if a passive radiator without the assistance of active fan cooling will be adequate.

The removable panel was added to the BDP-2 early into its production cycle for this very reason.  We did this because the lack of an upgrade path for BDP-1 users and by the time the BDP-2 was released the next generation of atom chips were already available.  The new chips were faster, required less power and ran cooler, meaning only a board swap would be required.

If you look at the history of Intel atom chips (or even Intel chips in general).you'll notice a pattern with each generation, they get faster and generate less heat. Just browsing today they have a quad core atom with individuals cores that are faster then the BDP-2's single core n455 and has a power disapation rating 2watts lower then the BDP-2's CPU.  No i don't believe any type of radiator or additional cooling would be required in a retrofit of a BDP-2 or a BDP-3 if when we make it.

Cheers,
Chris

[R. Daneel]

The removable panel was added to the BDP-2 early into its production cycle for this very reason.  We did this because the lack of an upgrade path for BDP-1 users and by the time the BDP-2 was released the next generation of atom chips were already available.  The new chips were faster, required less power and ran cooler, meaning only a board swap would be required.

If you look at the history of Intel atom chips (or even Intel chips in general).you'll notice a pattern with each generation, they get faster and generate less heat. Just browsing today they have a quad core atom with individuals cores that are faster then the BDP-2's single core n455 and has a power disapation rating 2watts lower then the BDP-2's CPU.  No i don't believe any type of radiator or additional cooling would be required in a retrofit of a BDP-2 or a BDP-3 if when we make it.

Cheers,
Chris

Cool! Pun intended!

So, one could argue that you can upgrade the current BDP-2 platform with the new quad-core platform you speak of?

Cheers!
Antun

[R. Daneel]

Hi Chris!

What's current BDP-2 serial number being manufactured. Just trying to figure something out over here.

Thanks!
Antun

[unincognito]

Cool! Pun intended!

So, one could argue that you can upgrade the current BDP-2 platform with the new quad-core platform you speak of?

Cheers!
Antun

The next gen BDP could very easily be a quad perhaps even an octa core.  The utm that protects our support server runs an octa core atom with a tdp rating over 15watts (I think, that system was setup awhile ago).

Cheers
Chris

[Grant Hill]

Good morning everybody!

I did not understand if Bryston is planning a BDP3 or these are only conjectures...

Best!

[James Tanner]

Good morning everybody!

I did not understand if Bryston is planning a BDP3 or these are only conjectures...

Best!

Hi Grant

We are always looking for ways to improve our products but unless something comes along that offers a performance advantage it is just conjecture, 

james
 

[Grant Hill]

 

a nice improvement could be the capability to play Sacd's ISO files

[James Tanner]

a nice improvement could be the capability to play Sacd's ISO files

Hi Grant

No that would mean a non Redbook CD drive and we wanted to optimize for standard CDs.

James