Please help me decide: BDA-2 or BDA-3

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WillyP

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Please help me decide: BDA-2 or BDA-3
« on: 23 Aug 2017, 07:59 am »
Hi all,

This is a difficult choice for me. The DAC will be used in combination with the BDP-3 player.

Pro BDA-2
. More inputs than I need
. A nice combo with the BDP-3 player and BR2 remote
. Sound quality is (almost) as good as with the BDA-3
. Less expensive

Pro BDA-3
. Newer model, has more options for the future
. Has a connection for Ethernet, so it can be used with a web browser, like the BDP-3

Let me know what you would decide.

Thanks,

Willy

Hoiman

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Re: Please help me decide: BDA-2 or BDA-3
« Reply #1 on: 23 Aug 2017, 09:28 am »
I have bought the BDA-3, because of the pro's you wrote down. I think the BDP-3 sounds better with the BDA-3 then with BDA-2, but that is just my opinion. :wink:

Grant Hill

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Re: Please help me decide: BDA-2 or BDA-3
« Reply #2 on: 23 Aug 2017, 12:29 pm »
Hi Willy,

If budget it's not a big problem definitely BDA3.

gene9p

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Re: Please help me decide: BDA-2 or BDA-3
« Reply #3 on: 23 Aug 2017, 01:45 pm »
You can get great deals on a BDA-1..about 650- 900 on AGON. I know it's the older model and less features but don't let that fool you. It is a great DAC. I have no plans to ever part with mine.  :thumb:

CanadianMaestro

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Re: Please help me decide: BDA-2 or BDA-3
« Reply #4 on: 23 Aug 2017, 02:44 pm »
You can get great deals on a BDA-1..about 650- 900 on AGON. I know it's the older model and less features but don't let that fool you. It is a great DAC. I have no plans to ever part with mine.  :thumb:

Truly a great DAC. Will be viewed by historians of audio as a Model-T of its kind, in due time. Not many had twin BNC at the time, despite limitation of its USB. Or upsampling on the fly..... :thumb:

CanadianMaestro

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Re: Please help me decide: BDA-2 or BDA-3
« Reply #5 on: 23 Aug 2017, 02:45 pm »
Deleted

R. Daneel

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Re: Please help me decide: BDA-2 or BDA-3
« Reply #6 on: 26 Aug 2017, 11:39 am »
Willy,

my advice to you is to buy whichever suits your needs at this moment. There is no such thing as "future-proofing" as it is always inevitably expensive.

I'll give you a few examples.
1) BDP-2 can be upgraded to BDP-3 for 1.500 dollars. The motherboard in qustion cannot possibly cost more than 150 dollars and this is if you order one or two, not a hundred of them.
2) BDA-2 was an upgrade to the BDA-1 with a promise of DSD playback through future firmware update. That firmware never came because of limitations in the sample-rate converter within the DAC.

So you are either looking at a very expensive upgrade or no upgrade at all.

In any case, I have a feeling Bryston will move in a different direction withing the next few years and start making integrated DAC/preamp solutions. This is what others are doing and Bryston will have to follow so whichever you buy, it might be technologically obsolete within the next few years.

My advice would then be this: if you need DSD, buy the BDA-3. If you don't, buy the BDA-2. The differences are more subtle than you think.

WillyP

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Re: Please help me decide: BDA-2 or BDA-3
« Reply #7 on: 27 Aug 2017, 05:20 pm »
Thanks for all answers. Indeed, money is important. I also need to budget for a processor and a multichannel power amplifier so all things considered it seems that a BDA-2 will be good enough for me.

Kind regards,

Willy

gene9p

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WillyP

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Re: Please help me decide: BDA-2 or BDA-3
« Reply #9 on: 30 Aug 2017, 07:01 pm »
Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately a bit complicated for me as I don't live in the USA.

Kind regards,

Willy

gene9p

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Re: Please help me decide: BDA-2 or BDA-3
« Reply #10 on: 30 Aug 2017, 07:14 pm »
ok...sorry did not know that...

WillyP

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Re: Please help me decide: BDA-2 or BDA-3
« Reply #11 on: 30 Aug 2017, 07:16 pm »
No need for apologies! You were just trying to help.

Kind regards,

Willy
« Last Edit: 1 Sep 2019, 05:57 pm by WillyP »