BRYSTON BDP-1/2 DIGITAL PLAYER FEEDBACK/REVIEWS

James Tanner · « **Reply #540 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 03:45 pm »

Quote from: Ritchief on 3 Feb 2011, 03:30 pm

I think the answer to my question is no, but is there a way to shuffle albums / music selections using the Bryston Mini / Max interface??

Hi ritchief,

Not yet but there will be going forward.. I would use Mpod or Minion or Gnome music players if shuffling is an important feature for you.

james

werd · « **Reply #541 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 04:32 pm »

Quote from: James Tanner on 3 Feb 2011, 03:45 pm

Hi ritchief,

Not yet but there will be going forward.. I would use Mpod or Minion or Gnome music players if shuffling is an important feature for you.

james

Being able to control the bdp with an ipod touch or phone is stellar funky beyond being just funky. This would be great in an intercom system or a zone amp application. Filing through songs anywhere in the house for playback makes it real user friendly here.

Welly123 · « **Reply #542 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 04:59 pm »

Quote from: Napalm on 3 Feb 2011, 02:41 pm

If there's a real difference (i.e. measurable or detectable in blind ABX) then the only explanation is that the BDP is poorly engineered.

Nap.

Nap, I completely agree.

As far as I am concerned the BDP-1 is not poorly engineered, so I would also add in the possibility that there is a fault either with the BDP-1 or elsewhere in the system, although I could only suggest earthing or something else relating to power (both unlikely in my view). The power element could fairly easily be narrowed down by using a bus powered HDD and comparing to the thumb/flash drive. In this situation, I have only used bus powered HDDs (LaCie and Freecomm) as I do not want to subject my clean power (dedicated mains, separate earth and two PS Audio PPPs) to a wall-wart's influences.

Regards

Russell

alexone · « **Reply #543 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 07:14 pm »

James,

the BCD-1 and the BDP-1 are made for playback. a NAS storage made by Bryston is almost on its way

what about a Bryston device that is made for recording (and playback)?

al.

James Tanner · « **Reply #544 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 07:23 pm »

Quote from: alexone on 3 Feb 2011, 07:14 pm

James,

the BCD-1 and the BDP-1 are made for playback. a NAS storage made by Bryston is almost on its way

what about a Bryston device that is made for recording (and playback)?

al.

Hi Al

It will be a dedicated SERVER not a NAS.

How do you mean record and playback ? Like a Computer?

james

niels · « **Reply #545 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 07:42 pm »

Its probably mentioned but why doesnt it support Apple Lossless?

James Tanner · « **Reply #546 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 07:50 pm »

Quote from: niels on 3 Feb 2011, 07:42 pm

Its probably mentioned but why doesnt it support Apple Lossless?

Hi niels,

It does support apple lossless - I just prefer and recommend FLAC because it is open source and no one owns it. So at no time down the road will the ability to play Flac files go away or become obsolete because some corporation decides not to support a specfic format.

james

niels · « **Reply #547 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 08:05 pm »

Thank you, the local test guys must have some wrong info.
Right now, I get better sound with a Macbook Pro connected to my dac than I do with my Logitech Squeezebox 3 connected to same dac. Think the MBP provides more gain somehow.
All my files are currently Apple Lossless.

alexone · « **Reply #548 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 08:33 pm »

Quote from: James Tanner on 3 Feb 2011, 07:23 pm

Hi Al

It will be a dedicated SERVER not a NAS.

How do you mean record and playback ? Like a Computer?

james

ok. than i was wrong with the NAS...

, sorry.

by record and playback i mean it could be a unit that can do proper stereo recordings.

it should have:
- analog and digital (balanced & unbalanced) ins and outs
- it should handle up to 192/24 resolution
- a display
- a headphone input
- a built in hdd or a ssd or even better a SD card slot to store the recorded files (no moving parts)
- a word clock
- usb

such a product would fill the gap between the available hardwear (cd, vinyl, downloads etc.) and the final playback ?!?

al.

Napalm · « **Reply #549 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 09:15 pm »

Quote from: alexone on 3 Feb 2011, 08:33 pm

ok. than i was wrong with the NAS... , sorry.

by record and playback i mean it could be a unit that can do proper stereo recordings.

it should have:
- analog and digital (balanced & unbalanced) ins and outs
- it should handle up to 192/24 resolution
- a display
- a headphone input
- a built in hdd or a ssd or even better a SD card slot to store the recorded files (no moving parts)
- a word clock
- usb

such a product would fill the gap between the available hardwear (cd, vinyl, downloads etc.) and the final playback ?!?

al.

Alex, I guess you want one of these:

http://tascam.com/product/hd-p2/

Half the price of a BDP.

Nap.

sfraser · « **Reply #550 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 09:40 pm »

Quote from: niels on 3 Feb 2011, 08:05 pm

Thank you, the local test guys must have some wrong info.
Right now, I get better sound with a Macbook Pro connected to my dac than I do with my Logitech Squeezebox 3 connected to same dac. Think the MBP provides more gain somehow.
All my files are currently Apple Lossless.

Is the volume turned off (ie 100 % gain) on the SB3? also verify your M4A streaming method from the Squeezeserver.

niels · « **Reply #551 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 10:14 pm »

Volume is locked to 100% in the Squeezebox settings. Streaming is set to faad/flac or /sox, pcm and mp3 is de-activated.
I have previously had some questions regarding digital reansfer and gain, but cant seem to get answers.
I have a HD tv decoder, and a year ago I tried using digital coax out to my Bryston dac, but the volume was very low. The analog output was much stronger, and since I could use the decoders remote for volume I choose analog sound from the decoder.
Some months later the box received a firmware update from the cable company, and suddenly the digital output was stronger, now almost equal in volume to the analog output.
As for the squeezebox, I have some music on my computer that I copied to the Macbook. Both machines use iTunes as library. On both machines I can access Spotify, but the computer streams the music to the squeezebox via wireless, the macbook I connect to the Bryston directly from digital out on the macbook to the Bryston dac.
I feel the music comes much more alive when using the Macbook, and my thought is that gain must be higher. I agree that the squeezebox is very convenient to use, but somehow I lost the respect for it after getting the Macbook.

werd · « **Reply #552 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 10:29 pm »

Quote from: niels on 3 Feb 2011, 10:14 pm

Volume is locked to 100% in the Squeezebox settings. Streaming is set to faad/flac or /sox, pcm and mp3 is de-activated.
I have previously had some questions regarding digital reansfer and gain, but cant seem to get answers.
I have a HD tv decoder, and a year ago I tried using digital coax out to my Bryston dac, but the volume was very low. The analog output was much stronger, and since I could use the decoders remote for volume I choose analog sound from the decoder.
Some months later the box received a firmware update from the cable company, and suddenly the digital output was stronger, now almost equal in volume to the analog output.
As for the squeezebox, I have some music on my computer that I copied to the Macbook. Both machines use iTunes as library. On both machines I can access Spotify, but the computer streams the music to the squeezebox via wireless, the macbook I connect to the Bryston directly from digital out on the macbook to the Bryston dac.
I feel the music comes much more alive when using the Macbook, and my thought is that gain must be higher. I agree that the squeezebox is very convenient to use, but somehow I lost the respect for it after getting the Macbook.

Hi

The antenna amplifier in the squeezebox can't drive the circuitry that sends the signal out to the dac. You are asking a lot from your squeezebox. I wouldn't use this as a real fair comparison between the two even though i think the Mac will still beat it using the same interface.

niels · « **Reply #553 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 10:38 pm »

The antenna amplifier cant drive the digital out? What are you talking about?
The Squeezebox is designed with a built in dac that has analog and digital out, I use the digital out. What you hint at I have never heard before....

James Tanner · « **Reply #554 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 11:00 pm »

Dear James,

We have first review from one of the best hifi audio web platfroms in Internet in German speaking market for BDP-1. And I can say: It is amazing, very, very detailed and excellent described review.

http://www.sempre-audio.at/Bryston_BDP-1_im_Test_-_Zukunfts-Musik.id.1374.htm

It will take us some time to translate in English but more important: We have it immidiately for German Market, what is most important.

bests regards

Edvard

skunark · « **Reply #555 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 11:02 pm »

Quote from: niels on 3 Feb 2011, 10:14 pm

Volume is locked to 100% in the Squeezebox settings. Streaming is set to faad/flac or /sox, pcm and mp3 is de-activated.
I have previously had some questions regarding digital reansfer and gain, but cant seem to get answers.
I have a HD tv decoder, and a year ago I tried using digital coax out to my Bryston dac, but the volume was very low. The analog output was much stronger, and since I could use the decoders remote for volume I choose analog sound from the decoder.
Some months later the box received a firmware update from the cable company, and suddenly the digital output was stronger, now almost equal in volume to the analog output.
As for the squeezebox, I have some music on my computer that I copied to the Macbook. Both machines use iTunes as library. On both machines I can access Spotify, but the computer streams the music to the squeezebox via wireless, the macbook I connect to the Bryston directly from digital out on the macbook to the Bryston dac.
I feel the music comes much more alive when using the Macbook, and my thought is that gain must be higher. I agree that the squeezebox is very convenient to use, but somehow I lost the respect for it after getting the Macbook.

I agree, streaming is convenient but clearly not perfect and I feel the same way about Apple TV (Gen2) and the Airport Express for 44.1/16 content. With the first generation of the Apple TV you could at least "sync" music on the device but it was easy to fill up the internal HDD and there was no room for expansion. The second generation Apple TV appears to do a much better job about buffering the music but I've noticed an extended pause between tracks or when switching songs. That might be more related to how they are sharing libraries with the new home share.

James Tanner · « **Reply #556 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 11:04 pm »

Hi Alex,

Can you provide a few tid-bits from the review

http://www.sempre-audio.at/Bryston_BDP-1_im_Test_-_Zukunfts-Musik.id.1374.htm

james

niels · « **Reply #557 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 11:23 pm »

I am really tempted to try the Bryston with an iPod as remote controll. Will I get up album art on that you think?

brucek · « **Reply #558 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 11:26 pm »

Quote from: James Tanner on 3 Feb 2011, 11:04 pm

Hi Alex,

Can you provide a few tid-bits from the review

http://www.sempre-audio.at/Bryston_BDP-1_im_Test_-_Zukunfts-Musik.id.1374.htm

james

Just go to the page and right click the mouse and select "Translate with Bing", and the article will be in english.

ltr

James Tanner · « **Reply #559 on:** 3 Feb 2011, 11:32 pm »

WOW - thanks brucek

http://www.microsofttranslator.com/BV.aspx?ref=IE8Activity&a=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sempre-audio.at%2FBryston_BDP-1_im_Test_-_Zukunfts-Musik.id.1374.htm

james