AudioCircle
Industry Circles => Bryston Limited => Topic started by: Stu Pitt on 15 Oct 2018, 05:35 pm
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I've been out of the "hifi scene" for a while now. I haven't bought any components or anything else related to my main system for going on 8 years now. The only thing I've bought is new speaker cable so that it was long enough last time I moved. I haven't spent much time here during that time either.
There are a lot of things I'm just frankly trying to figure out why...
Digital preamps.
Why? I understand sources these days are pretty much all digital. I understand wanting to use digital inputs rather than analog. But why buy a digital preamp? Wouldn't a great "analog" preamp and a separate DAC be the better investment? Formats come and go. Today's latest format won't exactly be cutting edge and will most likely be bettered next year. Sure it'll still sound great, but how long until it's obsolete or didn't ever take off? So you buy a great digital preamp today. Next month MQA comes out and you've got to have it. Now what? Add a DAC? You buy the latest digital preamp that does DSD. Next year, the DSD guys announce they'll now longer use it.
It just seems to me that the digital preamp is destined to become the receiver my father threw out a few years ago - it had an 8-track player built in. He used the receiver for quite a while, long after the 8-track format was dead. When I bought my Bryston B60, I was looking into buying the original Naim Uniti. It had a built in CD player, DAC, wifi antenna, etc. I think it only had one analog input. All I could think of was how long it would be until the only usable parts were the amplification and tuner. Sorry, but I've always felt the best long term investment in a system is the amplification. Second being speakers, as the room can change.
Then there's the whole music streaming services thing. I looked into, then asked myself why. I don't spend more than the $30/month price for new music. I either buy used an Amazon or check stuff out from my local library. I'd more or less be paying to listen to music I already own. I'm not sold on high res. IMO its the mastering, not the sheer number of bits. I've bought some stuff from HD Tracks. It was stuff that I didn't own or stuff that I already own, really like, and heard the SQ was far better than what I've already got.
And I've got quite a bit of high res stuff and a great high res player - vinyl :)
And I don't buy into the newer is better. Or at least when better stuff comes out, the older gear it replaces somehow sounds worse. My B60 doesn't have a chip programmed to make it sound worse when the line is upgraded.
So long story short... I feel like I'm becoming my grandfather. Am I an old geezer who's set in his ways at the ripe old age of 42?
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No your not just wiser. Great sound is great sound no matter how old it is. Building a "system" is the key. Knowing what goes with what can save allot of money and headaches. Agree newer is not always better. Better is better.
For me buying into digital gear these days these days boils down to one thing. Upgrade with future factory upgrades as format improves. Paying lots of money for a DAC would be just insane if the component could not be upgraded. No one wants their brand new expensive DAC to be bettered in 6 months or so. That is throwing money away.
At this point in time speakers and front ends are the areas I concentrate on. 42 ?? A baby. Try 68 oh my.
charles
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You have about another 25 years before you reach your geezer potential (in a few months I'll be 67 and if I get into a bar fight I'm perfectly capable of gumming someone to death :green:). Whatever sounds good and gives you enjoyment is fine. I have about a half dozen systems (don't sell as much as I used to - either end up rotating something I've upgraded to another system or if it's not worth that much I just give it away). I have one secondary system where I have an all in one integrated/DAC and I really like it. It doesn't do DSD but can do 24/192 over ethernet and I enjoy the system lots. My office system also has an integrated/DAC and I enjoy that as well.
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I've been out of the "hifi scene" for a while now. I haven't bought any components or anything else related to my main system for going on 8 years now. The only thing I've bought is new speaker cable so that it was long enough last time I moved. I haven't spent much time here during that time either.
There are a lot of things I'm just frankly trying to figure out why...
Digital preamps.
Why? I understand sources these days are pretty much all digital. I understand wanting to use digital inputs rather than analog. But why buy a digital preamp? Wouldn't a great "analog" preamp and a separate DAC be the better investment? Formats come and go. Today's latest format won't exactly be cutting edge and will most likely be bettered next year. Sure it'll still sound great, but how long until it's obsolete or didn't ever take off? So you buy a great digital preamp today. Next month MQA comes out and you've got to have it. Now what? Add a DAC? You buy the latest digital preamp that does DSD. Next year, the DSD guys announce they'll now longer use it.
It just seems to me that the digital preamp is destined to become the receiver my father threw out a few years ago - it had an 8-track player built in. He used the receiver for quite a while, long after the 8-track format was dead. When I bought my Bryston B60, I was looking into buying the original Naim Uniti. It had a built in CD player, DAC, wifi antenna, etc. I think it only had one analog input. All I could think of was how long it would be until the only usable parts were the amplification and tuner. Sorry, but I've always felt the best long term investment in a system is the amplification. Second being speakers, as the room can change.
Then there's the whole music streaming services thing. I looked into, then asked myself why. I don't spend more than the $30/month price for new music. I either buy used an Amazon or check stuff out from my local library. I'd more or less be paying to listen to music I already own. I'm not sold on high res. IMO its the mastering, not the sheer number of bits. I've bought some stuff from HD Tracks. It was stuff that I didn't own or stuff that I already own, really like, and heard the SQ was far better than what I've already got.
And I've got quite a bit of high res stuff and a great high res player - vinyl :)
And I don't buy into the newer is better. Or at least when better stuff comes out, the older gear it replaces somehow sounds worse. My B60 doesn't have a chip programmed to make it sound worse when the line is upgraded.
So long story short... I feel like I'm becoming my grandfather. Am I an old geezer who's set in his ways at the ripe old age of 42?
I'm also getting older but not a geezer yet.
IMO the benefits of a digital pre-amp is that the audio can be manipulated to a higher resolution with digital. For example as I said before I piggyback my dac into my SP2 and use the dac in digital mode. So the audio for say blu ray/dvd in 48k is upsampled to 192k then another 96k. With blu ray lpcm and dts Master audio the high bitstream content is what separates it from dvd and other formats. IMO it out classes every other format. Sacd multi-channel is very good but with the HDMI copyright protection I can't do a direct comparison.
I've heard some hi-rez recordings that are definitely better, others though are bettered by good mastering. Rush-Camera Eye was one recording that seemed to be better then the cd version on first listen. Closer listening revealed to me that it is not the same recording released on the cd which IMO is the better version.
I believe dac, pre-amps, amps, speakers etc. have all achieved high quality standards. It's how the dac's are used combined with high quality master recording (blu ray) that realistic concert playback is now possible.
With increased resolution come increased heat to the amp speakers if you push the spl level, particularly in the lower bass frequencies. So you want robust amps, speakers that can handle the increased heat and yet maintain articulate detail.
I understand the appeal of streaming. IMO it hasn't reached the standard of high fidelity though it is quite good. But as I mention digital can be manipulated to a much higher standard and with improved dac implementation it won't be long until streaming reaches high fidelity standards. :smoke:
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As for audio - yes, I'd have to say that you are an old geezer.
People need to buy these things so that research can continue to improve the tech. I'm "sorry" to say that digital is the way of the future. You may not like the sound of it now but as the computers get faster and smaller AND much cheaper, the future will eventually bring amazing sound (tailored to suit however you want) in tiny packages and little or no cost. It will be amazing.
Yes, those large, metal behemoths will eventually be dinosaurs of an ancient past. It may come faster than you think - though not next year.
Look, right now an ordinary person can instantly send a video from just about anywhere in the world for such little cost, from a small city Viet Nam to Kenya for example, that simply wasn't possible 30 years ago.
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NO! Nothing ever stays the same but that doesn't mean it necessarily gets better, easier or simpler. Potential improvement does not guarantee long term success.
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As for audio - yes, I'd have to say that you are an old geezer.
People need to buy these things so that research can continue to improve the tech. I'm "sorry" to say that digital is the way of the future. You may not like the sound of it now but as the computers get faster and smaller AND much cheaper, the future will eventually bring amazing sound (tailored to suit however you want) in tiny packages and little or no cost. It will be amazing.
Yes, those large, metal behemoths will eventually be dinosaurs of an ancient past. It may come faster than you think - though not next year.
Look, right now an ordinary person can instantly send a video from just about anywhere in the world for such little cost, from a small city Viet Nam to Kenya for example, that simply wasn't possible 30 years ago.
I’m not afraid of digital. Quite the opposite, actually. I haven’t owned a CDP since I bought the original Rega DAC. I don’t have a CDP in my car. I have an Alpine receiver that doesn’t have a CE drive, and I use my iPod Classic. 99% of what I play is digital.
I don’t do a streaming service because I own practically everything I want to listen to. Why pay to listen to it if it’s already ripped to my hard drive in a lossless format? I’ve got SiriusXM and will listen to that when I’m bored, or Howard Stern :)
And I’m all for technology improving. I really like where companies like Sonos and Bluesound have gone and continue to go. Downside is the full sized gear like hifi components are becoming more scarce. Funny I mentioned Howard Stern earlier, because a few weeks ago on his show he made the comment to one of the guys on the show “who owns an actual stereo anymore?” He’s right. Most people have gone to the powered wireless speakers. I’m not against that; when I move to a bigger place I’ll get Bluesound speakers for different rooms. But no way I’ll get rid of my actual stereo.
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I'm also getting older but not a geezer yet.
IMO the benefits of a digital pre-amp is that the audio can be manipulated to a higher resolution with digital. For example as I said before I piggyback my dac into my SP2 and use the dac in digital mode. So the audio for say blu ray/dvd in 48k is upsampled to 192k then another 96k. With blu ray lpcm and dts Master audio the high bitstream content is what separates it from dvd and other formats. IMO it out classes every other format. Sacd multi-channel is very good but with the HDMI copyright protection I can't do a direct comparison.
I've heard some hi-rez recordings that are definitely better, others though are bettered by good mastering. Rush-Camera Eye was one recording that seemed to be better then the cd version on first listen. Closer listening revealed to me that it is not the same recording released on the cd which IMO is the better version.
I believe dac, pre-amps, amps, speakers etc. have all achieved high quality standards. It's how the dac's are used combined with high quality master recording (blu ray) that realistic concert playback is now possible.
With increased resolution come increased heat to the amp speakers if you push the spl level, particularly in the lower bass frequencies. So you want robust amps, speakers that can handle the increased heat and yet maintain articulate detail.
I understand the appeal of streaming. IMO it hasn't reached the standard of high fidelity though it is quite good. But as I mention digital can be manipulated to a much higher standard and with improved dac implementation it won't be long until streaming reaches high fidelity standards. :smoke:
But can’t an outboard DAC do all of that? My issue is the digital preamp becomes a throwaway item when the formats change, but a standard analog preamp doesn’t.
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I’m not afraid of digital. Quite the opposite, actually. I haven’t owned a CDP since I bought the original Rega DAC. I don’t have a CDP in my car. I have an Alpine receiver that doesn’t have a CE drive, and I use my iPod Classic. 99% of what I play is digital.
I don’t do a streaming service because I own practically everything I want to listen to. Why pay to listen to it if it’s already ripped to my hard drive in a lossless format? I’ve got SiriusXM and will listen to that when I’m bored, or Howard Stern :)
OK - I stand corrected!
As for streaming, I feel the same there.
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Digital done right is here right now. Just that done right unfortunately costs more. Until one actually hears a state of the art DAC directly compared to what they have you will never know the capabilities of said format. As the Beatles once said "We get by with a little help from our friends".
Streaming is coming along. Upsampling is not my cup of tea. Now higher sampling rate at time of recording, in hook line and sinker. tale Miles Davis blue. The original CD compared to new 20 bit version takes the cake. Just sounds over detailed and Hi fi to our ears. Same with DSD.
Hey we are old like a fine wine. 8)
charles
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In my 70th year... I am officially a 'geezer-ette'. I also had not bought much for eight years.. But this year with a pile of cash sitting in the bank I decided time to UPGRADE.
Bigger speakers, better DAC.
I agree no need for a digital preamp. Mainly because many years ago I bought the first digtal preamp Sony ??1000. Bought it, and stopped listening to music. After months of no music, I asked myself why??? and realized it was the Sony POS.
Sold that, bought a real preamp, Counterpoint. (sadly that kept breaking)
But the understanding that a digital pos is NOT a preamp? 100% got it.
My dealer is always going on about streaming.. (I guess he wants me to buy something?) I have no need for streaming. For folks who do not own a ton of music? yeah. for me? no way.
Also.. A new idea (Hey, new idea from old codger-ette?) Since I have been weeding my LP collection*, I realized after playing hundreds of LPs for only the first five minutes.. Hey this is HEALTHY!! Getting up, changing the record, maybe cleaning it, playing a few minutes. repeat. Way healthier than sitting on my arse for hours listening to five CDs in the changer. Just think how lazy you COULD get with streaming. Why even get out of bed. Just turn the music on remotely, never have to move again...
*weeding... Clearing out the junk. Studies in libraries show weeding out clutter leads to a better more frequent use of the collection. PROVEN. So every few years I try to clear out the dreck. This year bigger and more aggressive..
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LOL......42, you might be a 'geezer' but old you're not !
now Elizabeth....... 70, my guess is you're not a geezer, as for your age ........... like fine wine !
(discloser, I'm only 5 years behind you)
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"So every few years I try to clear out the dreck. " What do you do with the "dreck?" I was at a listening event in so. Calif. (Brucknerthon 2018), and I discovered that I could not give away surplus CDs.
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"So every few years I try to clear out the dreck. " What do you do with the "dreck?" I was at a listening event in so. Calif. (Brucknerthon 2018), and I discovered that I could not give away surplus CDs.
Long play, 33 and a 1/3... LP, vinyl... Wax. licorice.
I first offer them to my favorite used record dealer. He gives me a pretty good price.
(I despise selling little stuff online) The junk he does not want goes to a Goodwill. Goodwill mainly ends up with Classical dreck. (and guess where I first bought that stuff from? Right, Goodwill, and some from Half Price Books $1 shelf)
I bought nearly all of my Jazz records from that dealer. Good stuff, good prices. I am glad to sell my castoffs to him.
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Speaking or preamps, James, how's the BDAP-1 coming along...2019...2020? :popcorn:
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Speaking or preamps, James, how's the BDAP-1 coming along...2019...2020? :popcorn:
It will be called the BP-18 and still a ways off.
james
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It will be called the BP-18 and still a ways off.
james
It has a name! BP-18. :popcorn:
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It will be called the BP-18 and still a ways off.
james
So please educate an old geezer, James :)
What advantages does a digital preamp have over a traditional “analog” preamp? Are their plans to make the DAC boards upgradable as new technology comes out?
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Are their plans to make the DAC boards upgradable as new technology comes out?
:icon_surprised: Hah ha ha ha :) hah hah hah ha ha ha hah hah hah hah ha ha hah hah hah ha ha ha hah hah Hah ha :icon_lol: ha ha hah hah hah ha ha ha hah hah hah hah ha ha hah hah hah ha ha ha hah hah... etc.
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I don’t think you are old, just happy with what you have. Some people always want the latest kit thinking it’s better or just want new kit all the time.
I would like to say nothing get's out of date quicker than new tech, like you have mentioned Hi-Rez, DSD, MQA etc what's next? They are not compatible with each other. I have a record player a tape deck with those formats i can play anything from the 60's to the current day, i would like to see those modern formats last that long.
I am like you I don’t change often as I chose wisely in the first place. When I change, whatever I am changing to has to sound genuinely better than what I currently have. Luckily for me the equipment I run the company don’t bring out new kit every 5 minutes telling me it’s better and therefore trying to extract money from me.
The last thing i bought is a cartridge EMT JSD S75 back in May and before that i had not bought anything major in about 3 years.
I don’t stream as I like to own physical media, for me streaming is only good for me to discovering new music then if I like it I’ll go out and buy it.
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..... I don’t change often as I chose wisely in the first place. When I change, whatever I am changing to has to sound genuinely better than what I currently have.
That's my approach too. :thumb:
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Though I own hundreds of LPs, a few thousand CDs, and a bunch of rips and downloads, my Tidal subscription is invaluable. For artist after artist, the depth beyond what I own is significant, and with a dac that does Redbook right, it's sonically outstanding (varies hugely by title, of course).
So though I'm in Cootsville, "renting" is just as important for me as owning the physical media.
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Though I own hundreds of LPs, a few thousand CDs, and a bunch of rips and downloads, my Tidal subscription is invaluable. For artist after artist, the depth beyond what I own is significant, and with a dac that does Redbook right, it's sonically outstanding (varies hugely by title, of course).
So though I'm in Cootsville, "renting" is just as important for me as owning the physical media.
Good points about new material. The one thing that might get me to try streaming. Maybe after I am finished upgrading the physical system...
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"So every few years I try to clear out the dreck. " What do you do with the "dreck?" I was at a listening event in so. Calif. (Brucknerthon 2018), and I discovered that I could not give away surplus CDs.
Hey, I'd be happy to take them off your hands - I'll pay shipping! What do you have? PM me!
(I have a friend visiting in town so my responses won't necessarily be very quick.)
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I'm in my middle late 50's and I bought my first CD player in March of 1984. I've bought CD's since then. 5 or 6 years ago, it might have been a little longer than that, my Marantz CD player kept having trouble reading discs. Even brand new discs. I had it replaced and the new one wasn't any better, even after a couple of trips to the repair shop. So, I built a dedicated PC that is now my music server. It sends analog to my Parasound pre-amp that feeds my Bryston. I use JRiver Media center and it has digital EQ capability before the signal is converted to analog.
As a professional orchestral musician (and an AFM member), I'm philosophically opposed to streaming and I own a physical CD or LP for everything that I play and have a couple thousand CDs. I use YouTube to investigate new artists and if I like it, I order a CD from Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
I do use YouTube occasionally as a marketing tool. I mainly send people links of what we'll be playing at upcoming concerts.
I don't imagine that I'll stream anything until it's impossible to purchase a CD.
HsvHeelFan
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I don’t stream as I like to own physical media, for me streaming is only good for me to discovering new music then if I like it I’ll go out and buy it.
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Me, too. This is how I would use both Spotify and iTunes. However, I've noticed that I can't use iTunes to "audition" music in this way anymore, without signing up with them. As an avid music fan, and always on the lookout for new material (within my preferred genres) these streaming sites can be a great resource where their algorithm will suggest new artists within the same vein.
Then, I'll hop on Amazon for used CDs. Or go to CDBaby to pick up a new CD if what I've just discovered isn't available anywhere else. (Or, if it's just come out). CDBaby is a good resource for checking out new (but similar) artists that you might be interested in.
The last really good used bookstore with the largest selection of used CDs in my immediate area (with the CDs taking up about half of their floor space) has just recently closed.
I need to check out Tidal to see if their catalog is extensive enough that would make it worth it to go digging around in there.
Problem is, if you have people who are streaming their music through a phone with headphones attached, then these aren't the people who you would consider "serious listeners" who sit. And listen. At home. (And through a fairly nice and better-than-average resolving rig), but these are people listening "on-the-go." And most of these people are interested in "what's hot" and "what's trending."
The streaming service that I would like would have to be fairly extensive and go much deeper than the latest popular stuff in order to get me interested.
I've come across a couple of new musical artists that I've liked recently, but who only release their music via digital download. Becki Biggins is a younger jazz singer that I liked, and came across a YouTube video of her. Went searching, and found out that she didn't even have a physical CD for sale. It was all digital download.
Am I becoming an old geezer? Probably.
Most of the music that I'm interested in is available on CD (newer acoustic singer-songwriter type stuff, acoustic trio jazz, string quartets) but as HsvHeelFan just alluded to, it's looking like the days of new music being released on CD format may be numbered.
But, I'm 55 years old. By the time this happens completely, it probably won't matter to me. Thing is though, that even considering the care and the effort that I've taken to carefully compile a CD collection over the years (that is very important to me), once I'm gone all these CDs will probably hit the landfill!
"Some people know the cost of everything and the value of nothing." True. My music collection is very valuable to me. (But in absolute dollar amount?)
If both myself and HsvHeelFan are lucky enough to be around years from now, we both might be streaming and downloading because there won't be any other alternative to reproducing just-released music in the home.
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Am getting more downloads to play back on my BDP/BDA and floor speakers. To me, that's not "streaming". Still need a hard drive (medium) attached to BDP. Sounds terrific. Beats waiting weeks for CDs to arrive; saves tons of shelf space; downloads often sound better on my system, than CDs/vinyl.
Yup, if that makes me a geezer....
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Am getting more downloads to play back on my BDP/BDA and floor speakers. To me, that's not "streaming". Still need a hard drive (medium) attached to BDP. Sounds terrific. Beats waiting weeks for CDs to arrive; saves tons of shelf space; downloads often sound better on my system, than CDs/vinyl.
Yup, if that makes me a geezer....
I’ve got about a dozen or so downloads too, studio albums and live concerts. I don’t consider that streaming either. Like you, they’re on my hard drive connected to my system directly.
I guess I’m not too much of a geezer yet. I haven’t told the kids to turn down that jungle music, stay off my lawn, and I haven’t said “grammar school” yet. But I’m getting older. I quote movie lines to some 20 somethings and get a blank stare, then realize that movie was made before they were born. And high school kids not being born yet when 9/11 happened? Wasn’t that just a few years ago?
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I quote movie lines to some 20 somethings and get a blank stare, then realize that movie was made before they were born. And high school kids not being born yet when 9/11 happened? Wasn’t that just a few years ago?
Crazy isn't it? Time flies. Soon all the WW2 vets will be gone. Notepads and pens are virtually gone in colleges (except in the Third World) -- replaced by tablets and internet-based presentations. Supposed to make life easier. Not always and not everywhere.
(Long day here...need to chill)
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I'm not only an old geezer, I'm the ancient geezer.
Began by listening to 78rpm Victor Red Seal records on a wind-up Victrola, using cactus needles. After WWII, I began to build my own speaker cabinets, pre amps and amps, using the Audio Engineering Society publications.
I was a tube guy until KT-88s began to be made in Russia and elsewhere. Then switched to solid state.
I went through the usual eternal "upgrades" of speakers, preamps, power amps and playback of vinyl, tape and CDs, spending too much on trying to get the best possible sound from vinyl - - gave up, and switched to CDs.
Finally found Thiel speakers, and Jim Thiel steered me to the Bryston 4B amp in 2003.
Got hooked on Bryson, and I've never looked back. BP-6, 4BSST2, BDA-2, BCD-3.
I have an extensive collection of Redbook classical CDs, so I sprang for the BCD-3 earlier this year. Love it!
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I've been through the chase for a long time too, although not as long as you! I'll declare myself a Bryston guy too, any upgrades to my system will most likely stay Bryston. Great gear and a great company!
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If one is a Bryston fan it only makes sense to own ALL Bryston. From source to speaker including cabling and line conditioning. Just makes sense. SYNERGY baby !
charles
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Bryston probably makes superb speakers; however, I have a pair of Thiel CS 2.7 speakers, together with a Thiel SmartSub 2.2 subwoofer.
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First of all, going back to the original post in this thread, I really, really, like the B 60; and feel much less impressed with the B 135. The B60 is a very enjoyable integrated amp, but the larger newer version is a bit cold, more analytical and "anonymous". At best the B135 is as good as most other decent amps of the same or similar wattage; but no better (as to sound). The B60 is actually "special". It has good features such as a balance knob; headphone jack; and a nice colorful sound, compared to the B135 which I think is not a deeply colorful or musical. It's not warm per se, but it is natural and relaxed. Even now, I sometimes think I should get one even though I have a 60 watt amp, which does not have the same features as the B60. For speakers of 87 db or higher sensitivity, I can't image a better amp for a simple system that the Bryston B60. I hope it goes on and on and on, even though it no longer carries the imagination of the audio glitz-mob. I am not a geezer, but I will admit to fogey. Good gear lasts and it should be kept and used lovingly.
Whether I get the B60 or not, I am planning to get the BCD 3; and if I need a DAC (questionable right now) it will be probably be a Bryston. And if I keep my beloved Copland amp, I might even buy a Bryston headphone amp.
For streaming (especially Sirius XM and BBC Radio 3 from London) I have the little Audioengines box which works very well, although I am told it would be better going into a DAC. Maybe someday. Maybe I will buy the upgraded B60 with DAC. LOL!
Secretly I want a Bryston turntable, but that's another story.
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Joe
I agree with you about the B60. I've had one for years, and it's powering the #2 setup in my bedroom, driving a pair of older ADS monitor speakers. My Grandson has been threatening to break in,in the midst of the night, and steal it.
George
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First of all, going back to the original post in this thread, I really, really, like the B 60; and feel much less impressed with the B 135. The B60 is a very enjoyable integrated amp, but the larger newer version is a bit cold, more analytical and "anonymous". At best the B135 is as good as most other decent amps of the same or similar wattage; but no better (as to sound). The B60 is actually "special". It has good features such as a balance knob; headphone jack; and a nice colorful sound, compared to the B135 which I think is not a deeply colorful or musical. It's not warm per se, but it is natural and relaxed. Even now, I sometimes think I should get one even though I have a 60 watt amp, which does not have the same features as the B60. For speakers of 87 db or higher sensitivity, I can't image a better amp for a simple system that the Bryston B60. I hope it goes on and on and on, even though it no longer carries the imagination of the audio glitz-mob. I am not a geezer, but I will admit to fogey. Good gear lasts and it should be kept and used lovingly.
Whether I get the B60 or not, I am planning to get the BCD 3; and if I need a DAC (questionable right now) it will be probably be a Bryston. And if I keep my beloved Copland amp, I might even buy a Bryston headphone amp.
For streaming (especially Sirius XM and BBC Radio 3 from London) I have the little Audioengines box which works very well, although I am told it would be better going into a DAC. Maybe someday. Maybe I will buy the upgraded B60 with DAC. LOL!
Secretly I want a Bryston turntable, but that's another story.
I love my B60 and would never part with it. I’ve contemplated upgrading everything else in my system but the B60. Every upgrade I’ve made since I’ve owned it has been a very big upgrade sonically - speakers, source and cabling. That tells me the B60 is the strongest point in my system, as I can easily hear changes because the B60 is passing on such a clean signal. It’s a very unassuming and unpretentious little workhorse.
As far as getting one with an internal DAC, I wouldn’t do it. DAC technology moves so quickly that IMO you’re far better off keeping that as a separate component. There’s so many formats out there that have come and gone since it’s been available, except the CD standard 44.1/16.
My B60 has the internal phono stage in it, which is an MM. I run a Dynavector 10x5, which is a high output MC. They work quite well with each other, but I have thought about getting a new phono stage because the 10x5 could use a little more gain. I have to twist the volume knob a very little bit more than I’d like, which introduces a little hiss into the signal. I can’t hear it when the music’s playing at a normal level, but I get the feeling that the music would be a little bit cleaner if it wasn’t there at all. I haven’t played around with phono stages since I’ve owned the 10x5, so it’s quite possible that a new one would be a big upgrade, a downgrade, or not enough of a change at all. I don’t listen to enough vinyl anymore to really justify an expensive change. And I’m willing to bet it’ll be quite expensive (to my wallet anyway) to get a worthwhile change.
Long story short, if I won the Mega Millions the other night for a billion dollars or win the next one for almost 2 billion, the B60 would still easily have a place in my home. And it wouldn’t be for sentimental reasons like practically everything else I’d keep. I think that says everything that needs to be said.
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I don't know if what I do is called streaming or not, but I have the Audioengines B 1 Bluetooth "receiver". I use it to play Sirius XM programs and BBC Radio 3 on my main system. I love this funky little device. It costs maybe $160 or so and works perfectly all the time. I like BBC 3 for its very special classical programming; same for Sirius. I assume this is a form of "streaming" but again, am not a cognosciento in this area. I am Rip van Winkle.
I looked at Tidal and Spodify and a few other sites for classical programming. (Qobus is still not available in the US.) I was wondering whether I could find my favorite old operas and special items I have on CD such as Wilhelm Furtwangler's epic Schumann 4 from 1951; or Andre Wasoski's definitive Chopin Mazurkas. Nope and nope, no where to be found. How about old Schnable recordings of Schubert piano sonatas? Nope. They have a lot of recordings, but not many historics.
My point is these services can give you "recordings" by not necessarily the recording you want; unless you are lucky. I see limited utility to these "streaming" services if one is a classical or even jazz aficionado who wants to hear very specific-historic recording. Also its hit or miss whether a special but not necessarily well-known artist of today is on the list; or simply something esoteric. Am I right on this or am I wrong? I am prepared to be wrong as I didn't look a lot just for maybe 10 minutes each.
What I do understand is that maybe someday, I should buy a device (what would it be called, a media player?) that can rip (I hate that term) my CDs and I can play them off a iPad or phone, then I can play my own library. I will probably do that, bu for nowt I hate the idea of spending money to listen to the recording/s that the provider wants to make available, not the one/s I really want. Also, those of you who know, do the play lists change and do they take stuff off if it doesn't get a specific number of hits?
Thanks all.
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Joe,
I've gotta' agree with you about the selection of music available via streaming. it's what they might have available, and not necessarily what you want to hear.
Examples: (1) I wanted to hear the Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor (a true classic) played by Helmut Walcha. I got E Power Biggs!; (2) I wanted the Verdi Requiem by Reiner (superb soloists). I got the earlier Giulini; (3) I gave up tying to get Mahalia Jackson's recordings of anything spiritual. If they don't have what you want, Tough!!
Like you, I'm resorting to my collection of classical CDs in lieu of the relative inconvenience of streaming and their insistence they know what's best for you. As all of my CDs are Redbook classicals, I got a BCD-3 spinner and haven't looked back.
George
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I looked at Tidal and Spodify and a few other sites for classical programming. (Qobus is still not available in the US.)
Have you tried Idagio, now available in the U.S.?
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Joe,
I've gotta' agree with you about the selection of music available via streaming. it's what they might have available, and not necessarily what you want to hear.
Examples: (1) I wanted to hear the Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor (a true classic) played by Helmut Walcha. I got E Power Biggs!; (2) I wanted the Verdi Requiem by Reiner (superb soloists). I got the earlier Giulini; (3) I gave up tying to get Mahalia Jackson's recordings of anything spiritual. If they don't have what you want, Tough!!
Like you, I'm resorting to my collection of classical CDs in lieu of the relative inconvenience of streaming and their insistence they know what's best for you. As all of my CDs are Redbook classicals, I got a BCD-3 spinner and haven't looked back.
You are I think a lot alike, George... Nice to meet you here. Hope all is well.
George
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Have you tried Idagio, now available in the U.S.?
Thanks, will take a look.