I have been working with digital music since the first SliMP3 was released by Slim Devices back in the day. And before that, I had fully automated my CD collection in Sony carousels with a NIRVIS controller. Suffice to say I have been at this a while.
My system was based on a Transporter streaming from a Vortex box music server, all on wired Ethernet. The Transporter was connected to the Bryston BDA-1, BP26, and a 4BSST2 driving a pair of KEF Reference 205/2. I used iPeng on various iDevices and Logitech Squeezebox Controller for control.
I followed the development of the BDP-1 with interest, but without the abilty to talk to external networked storage, I wasn't interested. And then it was announced that the new firmware would support network storage AND you could control from networked devices and so I placed and order.
Just in time for the announcement of the BDP-2.
I was pissed. I realize (and celebrate) that manufacturers need to advance the state of the art, so the unhappiness was not that there was a new product, just that the BDP-2 more closely answered my needs than the BDP-1, and I was caught with an in transit order. By the time things get to Singapore, they are considerably more expensive.
I sucked it up, paid the balance on the BDP-1 when it arrived, and then left the unopened box in my study. It has taken a few months to find the motivation to set the thing up, but with the Labour Day holiday this week, I had some spare time and tackled the project.
Previous posters have said that they could not hear the difference between the Transporter and the BDP-1, so I was curious to see if the swap made an impression on me. The shipped unit did not include the Bryston USB sampler, so I put one together myself with a mix of CD rips and high def material from HD Tracks.
Ignoring the 4 hours of reading posts, learning about mPoD and mPad and MPD and MPDroid and figuring out that you DON'T put in the password, I was finally up and running, with the existing Vortexbox remaining as my music server.
WOW.
All the feelings of being hard done by fled as the first bars of Cielo Azul by Johannes Linstead played.
Describing audio is like describing wine - at best imprecise, at worst pretentious. I will just say it sounded wonderful. I don't know why exactly - same interconnect (BNC SPIDF), same system, just different player. Should not make a difference on paper. My wife, who tolerates my audio passion, spontaneously commented that everything sounded clearer. SAF=10
The functionality and clients for working with the Logitech Music Server are stil better, but the trade-off is acceptable for the sound.
The Transporter has retreated to my computer desk and serves as my player attached to an ancient Linn Classik and KEF LS50 speakers.
Happiness resumed.
