What does your BDA-3 weigh?
Strange question, perhaps. As I unpacked my brand new BDA-3 last weekend, and swapped out my trusty BDA-2 on the rack, I couldn't help but notice the difference in heft. The slender BDA-2 (and BDP-2) are renowned for their solid, brick-like feel, conveyed by substantial mass. The new DAC felt very light in comparison, despite it's larger chassis. Before hooking things up, I pulled out a small, reasonably accurate scale to measure the 2 components. The BDA-2 weighed in at 12.5 lbs. Solid to say the least. Just as stated in specs. The BDA-3 weighed just 8.6 lbs! I searched the included manual for specs and measurements, and noted that Weight was left blank. So I checked on the Bryston site, where BDA-3's weight is listed at 15 lbs/6.8 kg, almost twice my unit's weight.
So what gives?
Is the posted weight simply a typo? That would be unusual as the metric weight correlates. Was it the weight of a previous "prototype" before switching from steel to a lighter, perhaps all aluminum chassis? If so, would a steel vs aluminum chassis explain a 7 lb difference? Are there any 15 pound BDA-3's out there in service? Are there sonic/performance rationales for a lighter chassis?
In this industry, solid construction is typically linked to weight. Sure, non-ferrous metal has it's known advantages as well. But mass typically is associated with lower chassis resonance, better vibration control, better coupling to platforms, etc. And I don't see any advantages to lowering weight simply for the sake of weight reduction in such a small component. It's not a car, after all.
Anyway, not to sound paranoid or critical, but really just curious. Especially with the discrepancy between the posted and real weight.
As to the SOUND...I'm letting things mature a few more days before any critical listening. I learned with my BDA-2/BDP-2 combo it took a good 2 weeks to come to its glorious best. And considering I'm also using a new USB cable, and passing signal thru the BUC circuit for the first time, I don't want to jump the gun.