[unincognito]

I am really hoping to do something like that with a BDP-Pi, but Bryston has to fix/update the DLNA rendering component in their software stack.

Did this stop working for you?

[unincognito]

Does it stream radio? If so, which service is used? Receiva, TuneIn, any other?

It'll do shoutcast and it will retail in North America for about a bit more then a third the price as the BDP-2

[unincognito]

which of course is ridiculous indeed, and unfortunately reason enough it won't match Bryston's goals of reaching a wider audience, at least not in Europe. That's why i'll try the real raspberry. We'll get that for about 100 euros, complete with dac.. difficult to beat.
Minim has streaming radio built in, so that might be an interesting option, as is the native Airplay support, with which you can stream your Tunein radio feed into the raspberry setup.

cheers,
Marius

It will, what your doing and what the BDP-Pi is are two different things.  The BDP products have never been something to replace a diy solution, they are for those who want something ready to go and doesn't need to be built and configured.  A BDP-Pi is a box you pull out of the box wire your leads to it and your done you have the software and hardware preconfigured for audio playback, sending and receiving IR, display for information and an interface for playing music.  There is no need for buying seperate parts, assembly of circuit boards, chassis mods, dremels, installing of an operating system or command line configuration.  There's nothing wrong with what your putting together and the best of luck with that, but these two pieces are geared towards two different needs is all.

Cheers
Chris

[Krutsch]

Did this stop working for you?

Thanks for the reply, Chris. As I posted earlier, it somewhat works.

I cannot playback any AAC files (renderer just hangs), but can work around this with MinimStreamer and transcoding to WAV24 on-the-fly. Same issue with Apple Lossless files (ALAC); just hangs. FLAC and MP3 playback fine.

The bigger issue with transcoding to WAV is that gapless doesn't always work - sometime it does, sometimes it doesn't and you get a tick between tracks, which never happens with MPD playback.

Another issue: I have some M3U playlists that mix tracks with different sample rates (e.g. transition from 44.1 to 48 or 96kHz). On these playlists, the renderer will hang when transitioning to the next track. I went through a debugging process with the author of MinimServer, sent him logs and he concluded that the renderer (BDP w/ gmediarender) would stop responding.

Finally, and this is subjective, but gemediarender really doesn't sound as good as MPD (Google this, you will see that I am not alone in questioning the sound quality of that component). The BDP magic really happens, IMO, with MPD playback. If you could wire-in Upmpdci (MPD UPnP Renderer Front-End) I think Bryston would have the ultimate network streamer that would sound every bit as great as with USB playback, but with fantastic network server and control point (apps) support.

Just my $0.02...

[Marius]

HI Chris,

Appreciate your post. Thanks for that, and i of course fully understand the Bryston Pi and the Raspberry Pi are two different beasts.

That being said, you claim to aim the Bryston Pi for a wider,newer, even younger public. Based on market experience on this side of the pond, i think it is very doubtful that a price of around 1800 euro (if the Pi will be that cheap) is helpful in reaching that goal. Especially considering the Bryston PI is only part of a solution. Still needing a DAC and amp of course (but so does the Raspberry Dac+).

My experiment with the Raspberry Pi comes from an other angel all together, and the availability of the Digi+ and Dac+ add-on cards were mere extra;s for me, and unintendedly enable me to try to build a digital music machine myself (next to some other projects the educational Raspberry was designed for in the first place. Even automate my house with it seems within grasps now, so a wonderful machine to test and try.)

I do feel you unduly overstress the DIY character of the Raspberry, since it only consists of clicking the add-on card to the mainboard, and clicking that handsome combo in the box.

To be honest, Manic Moose entails much more DIY operation than i would have thought, and hoped it to be, for a state to the art, and steeply expensive machine the BDP's are. There's no way i can hope that a non computer savvy user can ever use the BDP with success, the way a Cd player can. MM still is a piece of software in its developing phase, aimed at the  many faced challenges the digital music industry constantly  develops.

I for myself am very willing to endure all that technical hassle, for the music coming out of it can sound miraculously fine, but every so often i am hard pressed to hear the difference with a well recorded cd. Having all library under the press of a few buttons then is the ultimate convenience or course, and a main advantage over every other system.

A lot of work still needs to be done on the MM software front though. The development i anxiously follow, and try to aid commenting on the betas you so frequently produce, which is great.
For that, i am also very willing to test the Raspberry PI, and experience its sound quality. The absolute winner might well be the Bryston Pi/BDP (though that remains to be seen), but the relative winner will certainly be no slough, for a mere 7-10% of the cost (depending on wherever one lives or buys).

So, 2 different beasts, each of which is able to satisfy the DIY minded, both aimed at their own specific audience. I am sure both can live in fruitful harmony! At least in this household.
Cheers

Marius

It will, what your doing and what the BDP-Pi is are two different things.  The BDP products have never been something to replace a diy solution, they are for those who want something ready to go and doesn't need to be built and configured.  A BDP-Pi is a box you pull out of the box wire your leads to it and your done you have the software and hardware preconfigured for audio playback, sending and receiving IR, display for information and an interface for playing music.  There is no need for buying seperate parts, assembly of circuit boards, chassis mods, dremels, installing of an operating system or command line configuration.  There's nothing wrong with what your putting together and the best of luck with that, but these two pieces are geared towards two different needs is all.

Cheers
Chris

[miatadan]

Features/capability seems like a clear advantage for the pi. From a sound quality perspective, which is my main concern? James stated earlier in this topic the regular BDP1 would sound better than the BDP pi. Not sure if that comment carries over to the BDP1-USB or not for systems using usb out.

With James stating earlier that the BDP1 sounded better than the BDP pi , most likely means that it applies to BDP1 USB as well as if I understand it correctly BDP1 USB was a BDP1 without sound card at all.  So for me the question would be if I hook up BDP pi with usb directly to Dac will I get better performance than using toslink or coax digital connection. For me sound quality be more of a concern compared to features.

[alexone]

Toslink in general doesn't reliably support anything over 96khz, i don't think bryston has ever officially supported anything over 96khz via toslink for this reason.

Chris,

i always thought the BDA-1 supports 192/24 via its optical inputs?!?

al.

[Yitshak]

Well ...
after my last Computer Ordeal (I hate them)
I need to Verify things better as the next Bryston step getting closer
And unavoidable.

And I need to think what will be the next solution for my two setups.

I Wish BDP's OS were simple strait farward (ordeal free) as CD's but to me it looks like
they ain't totaly as so.
But ... after spending time with BDA2 and 3's it's hard loosing computer file handling
versatility,and library accebilties features by going back to CD

1)
we got the note that the BDP Pi is not SQ wise the same as the bigger BDP's.
But how it's compare sound wise to computer ... Let say MACBook pro SSD,
If the the DAC in use is BDA3 and or 2's ?
Will it's S/pdif coax out provide any noticeable improvement compare to computer USB connection?


3)
As I Understand it is slower in  handling files then BDP2 but is it slower then
Say the above computer ??

4)
Are the units already on production and can be ordered?
or there is a delay due to finalizing the PS chosen hardware
(Wall wart or other).



Thanks

Itshak

[James Tanner]

Hi Yitshak

1. I still think the Pi sounds better than a regular computer.

2. The speed will be similar to the BDP2 but it will not handle as large a library.

3. We start producing next month.

james

[Yitshak]

Hi Yitshak

1. I still think the Pi sounds better than a regular computer.

2. The speed will be similar to the BDP2 but it will not handle as large a library.

3. We start producing next month.

james

Wow that was fast
URT1 James

That's help

My files around 15K so no issue at all.
Here we go I'm about to ordered two units this week


Thanks

Itshak

[Krutsch]

Hi Yitshak

1. I still think the Pi sounds better than a regular computer.

2. The speed will be similar to the BDP2 but it will not handle as large a library.

3. We start producing next month.

james

Are you accepting orders from dealers, at this point, for the BDP-Pi?

Thanks, Ken.

[James Tanner]

Are you accepting orders from dealers, at this point, for the BDP-Pi?

Thanks, Ken.

Hi Ken

Yes we are.

james

[Yitshak]

James,

Before closing

To simple occasional ripping prossedur (as all my files are already on powered hard disk )I better add
the BOT1.
Is the Pi work the same with the BOT1 as BDP2 for ripping and playing
Or just for ripping?


Itshak

[James Tanner]

James,

Before closing

To simple occasional ripping prossedur (as all my files are already on powered hard disk )I better add
the BOT1.
Is the Pi work the same with the BOT1 as BDP2 for ripping and playing
Or just for ripping?


Itshak

I am not sure on that - will let Chris answer.

james

[unincognito]

James,

Before closing

To simple occasional ripping prossedur (as all my files are already on powered hard disk )I better add
the BOT1.
Is the Pi work the same with the BOT1 as BDP2 for ripping and playing
Or just for ripping?


Itshak

It should be identical, but we are still merging the software from the BDP-1/2 firmware in the firmware for the BDP-Pi. 

[Yitshak]

It should be identical, but we are still merging the software from the BDP-1/2 firmware in the firmware for the BDP-Pi.

All right then.

Thanks

Itshak

[Rocket]

Hi Guys,

I'm not sure I agree with this statement:

There's no way i can hope that a non computer savvy user can ever use the BDP with success, the way a Cd player can/quote]

I'm computer illiterate and I find using the Bryston BDP-1 which is so easy and convenient to use.  I'm currently using MPAD and find it very easy to use to manage my music library.  I think some of the difficulties seem to experience using the BDP-1 is because of huge libraries that they had downloaded on hard drives.  I only download my best recorded audiophile music to the BDP-1 as it is used in my main system.

Oh Btw the Bryston BDP-2 is only $300 for expensive here in Australia and our currency is 30% lower in value to the euro. 

Anyway, I would still consider paying the asking price of the BDP PI if I didn't own my BDP-1.

Cheers Rod

[vonnie123]

We are in agreement Rocket.

Hi Guys,

I'm not sure I agree with this statement:

There's no way i can hope that a non computer savvy user can ever use the BDP with success, the way a Cd player can/quote]

I'm computer illiterate and I find using the Bryston BDP-1 which is so easy and convenient to use.  I'm currently using MPAD and find it very easy to use to manage my music library.  I think some of the difficulties seem to experience using the BDP-1 is because of huge libraries that they had downloaded on hard drives.  I only download my best recorded audiophile music to the BDP-1 as it is used in my main system.

Oh Btw the Bryston BDP-2 is only $300 for expensive here in Australia and our currency is 30% lower in value to the euro. 

Anyway, I would still consider paying the asking price of the BDP PI if I didn't own my BDP-1.

Cheers Rod

 

[Yitshak]

Well I'm nothing close to computer savvy yet I operate with success
My computers and Jriver for the last two years.
(I admit with a few points of frustration) but I managed.

I was kind of Archie Bunker in regards to this computer
New era but after a learning curve ....
one can understand that It come with many other comfortable benefits of use.

Kind of the carrot and the stick thing ( though I always felt that the stick comes first )

Any way I think that the BDP's offer some state of very simple use mod,
For those who don't want to get all head in from the start point.

Anyway ... Like computers after I got use to them (still don't like them with music)
I moved farward each time a step or two,
and made them work for me instead I for them,but it take time and will and self curiosity.

I think BDP will be a more simple way for one start going digital with the guiding
And support offered here by Bryston team and expiriance Users.

It's a more strait forward kind machine then computers in general.

[Norton]

Maybe I'm the only one, but does this not slightly undermine things for us existing BDP owners?. The BDPs are expensive*  pieces of kit, but from reading this thread, it looks to all intents and purposes that a much cheaper player from Bryston will all but equal the performance of my BDP-2 that I bought just 18 months ago.  I wonder how many people will/ would have bought a BDP given the option of the Pi and what resale values of BDPs will be?

I know this is par for the course for commodity electronics, but Bryston is a company that built its reputation on product longevity.

*As an aside, I've never understood why Bryston kit is so expensive here in the UK, actually significantly more in £ then $ and  by my calculation much cheaper to buy a BDP in Canada and pay the shipping, vat and import duty to UK.