[SoundGame]

SR 325 and GS 1000.   I am still experimenting but I would say the dynamic contrasts and transients would be what I notice most between the preamp and the BHD - the more difficult to drive the more noticeable it is of course.

James

Dave, I believe James answered this question - at least his earlier impressions, in response to a similar question I asked.  It sound like if your headphones are more demanding from a power perspective the differences between the bp26 headphone jack and the BHA will be move evident.  It also sounds like dynamics and transients are the primary difference.  Only an audition will reveal what comes through on your headphones.  Bye-the-way, Dave, what are you using?

[DaveNote]

Dave, I believe James answered this question - at least his earlier impressions, in response to a similar question I asked.  It sound like if your headphones are more demanding from a power perspective the differences between the bp26 headphone jack and the BHA will be move evident.  It also sounds like dynamics and transients are the primary difference.  Only an audition will reveal what comes through on your headphones.  Bye-the-way, Dave, what are you using?

My headphones are Audeze LCD-2s (which are not power demanding) and I am driving them with a Schiit Lyr. I was using Sennheiser HD800s with a Grace Designs m902, both of which I bought without a demo and gave away because while great were just too cold and analytical for my taste once I had the LCD-2s. The person I gave them to is producing music, so for him they are perfect. The Lyr is driving me nuts because it has a hum in it with my preferred set of tubes. The bottom line for me is that I would like a solid state HP amp that sounds like the Lyr. James no doubt doubt has given the best answer he can, but perhaps unrealistically, I was hoping or something else.

Dave

[MellowVelo]

Hi James,

Is there actually a difference in the level of sound quality between the internal-PSU version and the external-PSU version? Or is the external-PSU version just offered as a convenience for customers who already have the MPS-2? If there is a difference, what is the difference in terms of percentage? I know that that's pretty subjective, but if the external-PSU version offered 100% maximum sound quality, what percentage would the internal-PSU version offer?

Thanks!

[James Tanner]

Hi James,

Is there actually a difference in the level of sound quality between the internal-PSU version and the external-PSU version? Or is the external-PSU version just offered as a convenience for customers who already have the MPS-2? If there is a difference, what is the difference in terms of percentage? I know that that's pretty subjective, but if the external-PSU version offered 100% maximum sound quality, what percentage would the internal-PSU version offer?

Thanks!

Hi,

Correct - just a lower cost alternative for folks with a MPS-2 already.

james

[larevoj]

Hi James, is the BHP-1 ready for Christmas sales?? Any updated pictures of its front and rear?? 

[James Tanner]

Hi James, is the BHP-1 ready for Christmas sales?? Any updated pictures of its front and rear?? 

We are in the final stages so should have some pictures soon.

james

[Vipers]

We are in the final stages so should have some pictures soon.

james

Excellent news, I nearly ordered a pair of Grado PS1000's today in anticipation but thought I'd better wait till the BHA-1 is definitely in my hands.

The million dollar question James, will the BHA-1 outperform the headphone out on my SP3?

[James Tanner]

Excellent news, I nearly ordered a pair of Grado PS1000's today in anticipation but thought I'd better wait till the BHA-1 is definitely in my hands.

The million dollar question James, will the BHA-1 outperform the headphone out on my SP3?

Hi

I think so but that is a good question because the headphone amp on the SP3 actually has a dedicated Class A Discrete circuit driving the phones.  I think it will come down to the difficulty of the load as the BHA-1 will be more capable in that circumstance.

james

[DaveNote]

Hi

I think so but that is a good question because the headphone amp on the SP3 actually has a dedicated Class A Discrete circuit driving the phones.  I think it will come down to the difficulty of the load as the BHA-1 will be more capable in that circumstance.

james

James are you saying you don't know if the BHA-1 outperforms the headphone option on other Bryston gear? If so, that is troubling indeed. I would be terribly cheesed off to have purchased a BHA-1 only to discover it did not outperform the headphone jack on my BP. It seems that the No. 1 design goal of the BHA-1 would have been, at a minimum, to outperform the headphone capability of the SP3 or that of other Bryston gear. Haven't you compared the BHA-1 to the headphone options of other Bryston Gear?

Dave

[James Tanner]

James are you saying you don't know if the BHA-1 outperforms the headphone option on other Bryston gear? If so, that is troubling indeed. I would be terribly cheesed off to have purchased a BHA-1 only to discover it did not outperform the headphone jack on my BP. It seems that the No. 1 design goal of the BHA-1 would have been, at a minimum, to outperform the headphone capability of the SP3 or that of other Bryston gear. Haven't you compared the BHA-1 to the headphone options of other Bryston Gear?

Dave

Hi Dave

Nope have not compared the SP3 with the BHA -1 as it is still being played with.

Let me try to explain this differently. The BHA -1 comes into its own as the difficulty of the headphone load becomes more difficult. Much like amplifiers the speaker load has a lot to do with the amp choosen to drive it adequately. The more difficult the load the more the amp has to work therefore a 28B instead of a 3B.

Same with headphones - the more difficult the load the more the BHA-1 makes sense. If your headphones are really easy to drive then I would probably say the SP3 would work very well indeed 

James

[mamba315]

I have the Audeze LCD-2's, which really need a couple watts of power into 50-60 ohms, and can handle up to 15w.  Do you know what the new amp will be rated at yet?  Voltage swing?

I looked through a few pages of this thread and couldn't find an answer.  Apologies if it's been posted.

[James Tanner]

I have the Audeze LCD-2's, which really need a couple watts of power into 50-60 ohms, and can handle up to 15w.  Do you know what the new amp will be rated at yet?  Voltage swing?

I looked through a few pages of this thread and couldn't find an answer.  Apologies if it's been posted.

Plus or minus 33 volts of swing.

james

[DaveNote]

Plus or minus 33 volts of swing.

james

James, as a followup to your answer to my questions above, and mamba315's specs about the LCD2 headphones, would you consider LCD2 headphones hard or difficult to drive?

Dave

[James Tanner]

James, as a followup to your answerr to my questions above, and mamba315's specs about the LCD2 headphones, would you consider LCD2 headphones hard or difficult to drive?

Dave

Hi Dave

Can you send me a link?

James

[DaveNote]

Hi Dave

Can you send me a link?

James

James, here are the LCD2 specs:

The frequency response is flat between 10hz and 1Khz. At higher frequencies the response is adjusted for headphone listening.
Impedance: 50 Ohms, nominal
Sensitivity: 91 dB/1mW
Maximum power handling: 15W
Frequency Response: 5 Hz – 20 KHz, usable high frequency extension 50 KHz.
Distortion: Less than 1% even at full output.
Impedance: 50 Ohms, nominal
Efficiency: 91 dB/1mW
Maximum output: 133dB, 15W
Active diaphragm area: 6.17 square inches.
Contact pressure: 1.5 N, adjustable, comfortable headband.
Weight: 550 g, without cable.
Maximum diaphragm excursion: 2.5mm p-p

Dave

[larevoj]

Hi James, since you are checking up on this can you also have a look at LCD-3?

https://audeze.com/audeze-lcd-3

Specs
- Planar Magnetic Transducers.
- Custom designed Zebra wood (zebrano) earcups.
- Specially designed lambskin leather earpads.
- Left and right transducers have matched sensitivity and frequency response within +/- 0.5dB.
- Specially designed self- closing, acoustically transparent magnetic structure with highest grade Neodymium magnets.
- Frequency Response: 5Hz - 20KHz, usable high frequency extension 50KHz.
- Distortion: less than 1% even at full output.
- Impedance: 50Ohms, nominal
- Maximum diaphragm excursion: 2.5mm p- p
- Efficiency: 93dB/1mW - Maximum output: 133dB, 15W
-Transducer active diaphragm area: 6.17 sq. in.
- Input cable: Custom cable with mini XLR connectors
- Weight: 550g, without cable.

Thanks!

[terrycym]

I don't understand James's comments about drive and stuff but from what I can see is the main difference between the SP3 headphone socket and the BHA is that the BHA has balanced outputs.

I have AKG headphones which just have a normal 1/4" plug so the BHA will be of no benefit to me? In fact, all the headphone I've seen use jack plug or am I missing the point somewhere?

Getting confused by all this talk of specifications

[James Tanner]

James, here are the LCD2 specs:

The frequency response is flat between 10hz and 1Khz. At higher frequencies the response is adjusted for headphone listening.
Impedance: 50 Ohms, nominal
Sensitivity: 91 dB/1mW
Maximum power handling: 15W
Frequency Response: 5 Hz – 20 KHz, usable high frequency extension 50 KHz.
Distortion: Less than 1% even at full output.
Impedance: 50 Ohms, nominal
Efficiency: 91 dB/1mW
Maximum output: 133dB, 15W
Active diaphragm area: 6.17 square inches.
Contact pressure: 1.5 N, adjustable, comfortable headband.
Weight: 550 g, without cable.
Maximum diaphragm excursion: 2.5mm p-p

Dave

Hi Dave,

Spoke with Stuart Taylor and he said these phones are on the upper side of difficult to drive but no problem for the BHA-1.

james

[DaveNote]

Hi Dave,

Spoke with Stuart Taylor and he said these phones are on the upper side of difficult to drive but no problem for the BHA-1.

james

Thanks James. Love my LCD2s, so piecing the information above together, it looks like the BHA-1 should outperform the headphone jack on my BP using them. I'm looking forward to taking my headphones down to my Bryston dealer to demo the BHA-1 when it comes, and to ask him to set it up so I can compare it with the BP HP jack.

Dave

[terrycym]

I heard the LCD headphones at the Whittlebury Show last September and they were the best sounding headphones at the show, excepting the Stax SR-009's of course.