Hi Dave
Yes I think you are correct 
. When you go a different direction than everyone else some amount of criticism is common I guess. I remember reading a comment on an English forum after I announced the BDP and the poster said " Bryston must have some of the dumbest engineers in the world". Of course it was my idea not the engineers - I was crushed
James
James: You can take full credit for the great idea in creating the BDP-1, and the decision after its introduction to make changes users were asking for, a number of whom made their wishes known on this circle. Clearly, you can't do all that all users may want, but if being an audiophile means keeping your ears open, being an audio manufacturer surely must mean keeping them open wider still.
But I think you would agree that the main point is to learn from past experience, which is one of Bryston's strengths.
One new product that you're soon to introduce is the BHA-1 headphone amp. On the plus side, you have responded to those potential buyers who need a balance control. What has yet to be known is how much the product will be responsive to the headphone market. You have been acquiring headphones to test the unit, but I wonder if you have been as aggressive in researching what the headphone market wants, and above all, if have you looked at the real competition, namely the many headphone amps available, some of which are priced well above the BHA-1's tentative price and others well below.
From what I've read, it appears that the headphone amp market seems to want powerful amps, not only because they drive orthodynamic headphones better, but also because they would appear to drive all headphones better. And IMHO, this market demand is driven to a large extent by enthusiasts for whom professional and consumer reviews are important - perhaps more important even than in other audio markets because it is rare to be able to demo some of these amps (see the Demo is Dead thread).
Enthusiasts would like to know how the BHA-1 compares to other headphone amps - Woo, Burson, Schiit, HeadRoom, etc. etc.? Maybe you can't acquire all these, but looking at Headphone Mania on AC would tell you what the respected and hot ones are?
In the run up to the shipping of the BHA-1, a number of potential buyers have been asking for "detailed" descriptions about how the BHA-1 performs especially with hard-to-drive cans, and especially when compared to other amps. Saying they sound nice or good, with respect, doesn't help much.
You know that I am a long-time Bryston customer, and one of your most satisfied customers because the company always executes well and service is impeccable. And I'm sure that the BHA-1 is likely to be outstanding. But in developing and setting the stage for its introduction, the things I've mentioned here, could help you in avoiding the uphill "explanation" battle that you encountered with potential customers and reviewers that you had with the marvelous BDP-1. This time, my guess is that the big question to answer now is, "Why does the world need another headphone amp, and why does Bryston think it has something to offer that other headphone amps don't deliver?"
Dave
