[cfdrake]

Greetings Bryston Team - and Happy New Year:

I've had a BDP-2 for several years now, works wonderfully.  Especially enjoy playing high-res files (96 and 192) from a connected external HD, from there data go to my Schiit Yggdrasil DAC which dutifully makes an audible click and changes sampling rate indicator lights when high-res files are sent over.

For Christmas, I got a subscription to TIDAL HiFi, was indeed able to login to TIDAL account in Manic Moose and play MQA files through the BDP-2.

BUT - on they Manic Moose player, it shows that MQA files are being streamed to my DAC at 44 / 16, and DAC indicators agree.

I was a little surprised by that, thought MQA files were supposed to be higher resolution?

If someone (Chris / Jim? ) could please explain how the BDP's handle MQA audio that would be great, in particular it would be interesting to know what happens when a streamer / DAC can't "unfold" the MQA file - does the interface just signal the Tidal service not to bother with high-res and to just send over a 44/16 file instead?

Or is there something happening in the BDP (or MPD) software that results in what looks like down sampling from the MQA (Master) level files?

Thanks!

[unincognito]

Greetings Bryston Team - and Happy New Year:

I've had a BDP-2 for several years now, works wonderfully.  Especially enjoy playing high-res files (96 and 192) from a connected external HD, from there data go to my Schiit Yggdrasil DAC which dutifully makes an audible click and changes sampling rate indicator lights when high-res files are sent over.

For Christmas, I got a subscription to TIDAL HiFi, was indeed able to login to TIDAL account in Manic Moose and play MQA files through the BDP-2.

BUT - on they Manic Moose player, it shows that MQA files are being streamed to my DAC at 44 / 16, and DAC indicators agree.

I was a little surprised by that, thought MQA files were supposed to be higher resolution?

If someone (Chris / Jim? ) could please explain how the BDP's handle MQA audio that would be great, in particular it would be interesting to know what happens when a streamer / DAC can't "unfold" the MQA file - does the interface just signal the Tidal service not to bother with high-res and to just send over a 44/16 file instead?

Or is there something happening in the BDP (or MPD) software that results in what looks like down sampling from the MQA (Master) level files?

Thanks!

That's not how MQA functions, MQA files are cd quality files containing "folded" data and if you play them on a device that supports "unfolding" them you get either 96khz sample rate (done locally within a software package) or 192khz sample if unfolded a second time using software embedded within a DAC (for example a USB interface). Currently we don't support any MQA "unfolding" at any level and I don't for see the companies policy changing anytime soon.  To answer your question, any Bryston player or DAC simply plays them in there native cd quality format without performing any "unfolding".

Chris

[cfdrake]

Thank you Chris, this is very helpful.  Very much appreciated.

There are many descriptions of how MQA "works" out there (some conflicting) yours was very lucid, especially with regards to the BDP-2.

Just so I'm 100% clear here, when streaming with a device that doesn't perform either of the two "unfolds"  of an MQA file (like the BDP-2), the "masters" file and the Tidal "HIFI" version would be expected to sound the about the same?

Apologies for my curiosity, am an electrical engineer by training, but new to streaming audio.

CD

[Marius]

Hi Chris,


please let me ask about the MPD versioning.
I am using Home Assistant's MPD integration to have a media_player card show the device and its (now available) album art. Unfortunately, using the BDP-1 and highest version 0.19.21, this isn't possible, as it seems MPD supports album art only since 0.21? see: https://github.com/mopidy/mopidy-mpd/issues/17#issuecomment-597529447


Is this something we can expect Bryston to do, update the MPD to a more modern version? After all, 0.19.21 is over 4 years old....


this is a Home Assistant community post I did on the subject: https://community.home-assistant.io/t/how-to-get-the-new-m-usic-p-layer-d-aemon-image-to-appear/265301
and an issue in the GitHub: https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/44931


please have a look?
It would really be cool to be able to show the perfect view of the BDP in Home Assistant, and even better control it. We can already issue play/pause/stop command, and load stored playlists.


Thanks!

[unincognito]

Thank you Chris, this is very helpful.  Very much appreciated.

There are many descriptions of how MQA "works" out there (some conflicting) yours was very lucid, especially with regards to the BDP-2.

Just so I'm 100% clear here, when streaming with a device that doesn't perform either of the two "unfolds"  of an MQA file (like the BDP-2), the "masters" file and the Tidal "HIFI" version would be expected to sound the about the same?

Apologies for my curiosity, am an electrical engineer by training, but new to streaming audio.

CD

I can't say for sure if its the exact same file because of how TIDAL functions and this might be a better question to ask them.  With that said it is the same sample and bit rate and thus they should sound the same.

Chris

[unincognito]

Hi Chris,


please let me ask about the MPD versioning.
I am using Home Assistant's MPD integration to have a media_player card show the device and its (now available) album art. Unfortunately, using the BDP-1 and highest version 0.19.21, this isn't possible, as it seems MPD supports album art only since 0.21? see: https://github.com/mopidy/mopidy-mpd/issues/17#issuecomment-597529447


Is this something we can expect Bryston to do, update the MPD to a more modern version? After all, 0.19.21 is over 4 years old....


this is a Home Assistant community post I did on the subject: https://community.home-assistant.io/t/how-to-get-the-new-m-usic-p-layer-d-aemon-image-to-appear/265301
and an issue in the GitHub: https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/44931


please have a look?
It would really be cool to be able to show the perfect view of the BDP in Home Assistant, and even better control it. We can already issue play/pause/stop command, and load stored playlists.


Thanks!

All I can say is MPD won't be updated till Manic Moose is replaced with its successor and Im not sure when that will be.

Chris

[Marius]

All I can say is MPD won't be updated till Manic Moose is replaced with its successor and Im not sure when that will be.

Chris

Aww that's too bad really. Couldn't this be done in some experimental beta version at all? Or would it cause the need for a complete rewrite of the MM interface. Guess I kinda hoped it to only add some extra functionality without interfering with the current firmware, since it is an external library, and we already have the choice between versions.


Updating this 4 year old should be somewhere high on a priority wishlist... ?


thx.

[unincognito]

Aww that's too bad really. Couldn't this be done in some experimental beta version at all? Or would it cause the need for a complete rewrite of the MM interface. Guess I kinda hoped it to only add some extra functionality without interfering with the current firmware, since it is an external library, and we already have the choice between versions.


Updating this 4 year old should be somewhere high on a priority wishlist... ?


thx.

Did you get a BDP-2? Some BDP-1's are over a decade old.

Chris

[Marius]

Did you get a BDP-2? Some BDP-1's are over a decade old.

Chris

Nope, still on a Bdp-1 which indeed has been around for some time now;-)

[Rod_S]

Couple quick questions, I know the newest BDP i.e BDP-3 is Roon Ready but are the older units also Roon Ready?

If a surround sound processor is also Roon Ready would that essentially mean there would be no need for using the BDP at all in that setup? For example my current SSP is most definitely not Roon Ready, it was purchased back in 2006 and also the reason for me purchasing a BDP-2 a number of years ago so that I could stream from my ripped CD's and purchased digital files on my NAS because the old SSP did not have these features. This was also before I purchased an Oppo BDP-205. However, it's also a guarantee that when I replace the SSP this year whatever SSP I get will be Roon Ready so I'm thinking wouldn't that make the BDP-2 and Oppo BDP-205 essentially obsolete for digital streaming devices?

[gil99]

Hi all,
Would like to know if you some of you is using an SSD digital drive with a BDP-1 player, if yes what drive do you use. I am now using a WD HDD 500 GM drive but would like to replace it with a SSD one as it is getting old (8 years) and fear that it dies someday. Thanks
Gilles

[Jozsef]

Hi all,
Would like to know if you some of you is using an SSD digital drive with a BDP-1 player, if yes what drive do you use. I am now using a WD HDD 500 GM drive but would like to replace it with a SSD one as it is getting old (8 years) and fear that it dies someday. Thanks
Gilles

Don't have an internal drive in the BDP-2 but generally, for reliability and value I've been going for Crucial MX500. It's a premium SSD, though not enterprise, so the TBW is good, which we don't care about here. It also has DRAM so the writes will be fast if you're the impatient sort.    Any drive will do really, since you have everything backed up, of course, so a failure will only be a nuisance. It's not like SQ can be affected since the BDP caches the data, if memory serves.

[zoom25]

Don't have an internal drive in the BDP-2 but generally, for reliability and value I've been going for Crucial MX500. It's a premium SSD, though not enterprise, so the TBW is good, which we don't care about here. It also has DRAM so the writes will be fast if you're the impatient sort.    Any drive will do really, since you have everything backed up, of course, so a failure will only be a nuisance. It's not like SQ can be affected since the BDP caches the data, if memory serves.

 

 

Yeah MX500 and 860 Evo are the best SSDs for 2.5" SATA with the 860 Evo being even better. I went with 860 Evo for two of my computers because of their speed in all kinds of test as well as highest TBW in that class. For music storage, that ability in either won't really matter but these are the safest sata SSD drives out there. Regardless, as you have said the music should still be backed up.

The 860 Evo retails for more than MX500, but during big sales, the 860 Evo can actually be cheaper than MX500 since it has in-store presence like Best Buy, unlike the Crucial which is primarily online. MX500 can be had for reasonable prices almost at anytime throughout the year. The 860 Evo are best left for annual sales like Black Friday or Boxing Day. I don't buy or recommend anything outside of these two drives if performance and reliability are paramount.

[Wapiti]

I have some folders my BDP-2 will not recognize and include in its database of music. I run "update" after adding music to my attached USB hard drive. Most folders are added to the existing database, but some are not.

I am unable to discern anything different about these folders.  There are no special characters, the file names are no longer than others.  The scratch drive and the music drive have plenty of room.

Media player sees the music in these folders.  They music is properly identified, but cover art is not displayed.  If clicked on, music currently playing stops but the music clicked on does not play.  The folder.jpg album art is in the folder, but the BDP versions of the album art typically added by running "update" do not exist. 

What can I do to get these folders recognized by my BDP? 

Ideas?  Things to look for?

[jwsadauskas]

I'm having a, perhaps, related problem.

The tracks in one album are not showing up in the database as being associated with that album.  Instead they are showing up on my BDP in the track listing for a different album. 

The directory structure in my library is each album is in a separate folder.  The correct files show up in each folder.

Apparently, the database uses some other indicator than filename and folder name for how to associate files.

I use the exactly the same directory structure for  a PC running JRiver and it gets it right.

[GSDaudio]

Media player sees the music in these folders.  They music is properly identified, but cover art is not displayed.  If clicked on, music currently playing stops but the music clicked on does not play.  The folder.jpg album art is in the folder, but the BDP versions of the album art typically added by running "update" do not exist. 

Hi Wapiti,   I have a very similar issue.    I have the BDP-3 though... but I have about 4 music folders that won't have the cover art recognized.   I have scrubbed the metadata to the nth degree with a third party metadata editor to ensure all metadata including artwork is where it should be.    But in the BDP when I updated the music folder it does not show cover art.  When I click into the folder and get to the album folder the artwork appears at this level!.   Looking at the files I see the Bryston DB jpeg files (3 versions).

The artist folders that have the problem are:  Chubby Checker,  Cat Stevens, Go-Go's, and B-52's.  All of the other artists have the exact same metadata format and Bryston DB files and the art work works flawlessly.  It just doesn't make sense.

Chris any insights or advice?

Cheers,
Richard

[Wapiti]

I determined the cause of my issue (album and tracks identified by the BDP, no album art, when clicked on the music does not play).

The folders, files, and art were all as usual.

The issue was that I had included a subfolder for each of the problematic music folders in which I placed the cue file created while ripping.

I deleted the subfolders, deleting the cue files. Upon updating my BDP-2 all cover art was recognized and the tracks will now play once clicked on.

The BDP-2 did not like the cue files in the subfolders.

[gbaby]

Does anyone know how to stream Apple music directly to the BDP3 without using Apple TV?

[unincognito]

Does anyone know how to stream Apple music directly to the BDP3 without using Apple TV?

I think the only way would be to use shairport-sync with airplay.

[gbaby]

I think the only way would be to use shairport-sync with airplay.

Thank you Chris. I will try it tonight.