[Marius]

that looks really good, thank you Terry.

I'll note that as option 1. (maybe James adds to this option too?)

Marius

Hey Marius, you could get one of these.
http://www.goldpt.com/sw2x.html

[terrycym]

Ps wouldn't dare to ask for headphone advice. (but still do of course, the lcd2 or 3, sennheiser 800, hifiman and beyer dynamics t1 on my shortlist. Stax I would really want to consider, but then I would have to forgo on the BHA1, so not an option....)

I've never heard the Beyer so can't comment on those, but of the rest I would go for the Stax, best sound by far of the ones you mention, then the LCD3, LCD2, Hifiman then finally the Sennheiser.

I gave the Stax SR-507, there again if you want the best, you'll regret if you listen to the Stax SR009. Once you've heard then you just need them! (They're quite expensive!)
Start off with a cheap driver then you can always upgade later.

[terrycym]

that looks really good, thank you Terry.

I'll note that as option 1. (maybe James adds to this option too?)

Marius

Bryston do sell speaker switches so the idea of a switch is not as outrageous as some would have you believe.

[James Tanner]

Hi James,

Im lining up for the BHA1, but still need some advice. Since I'd want to position the BHA near my favorite chair (that is not very close to my main setup)  I'd want to opt for the balanced connection. My Bp26 balanced out is in use... How do I proceed? Ive got the tape out you mentioned before, or could use the second RCA out, but the latter is contrary to your advice I believe. the former already in use...

Is there some modification I could opt for, or would I have to wait for the Bp27 that would have a second balanced out? or a balanced tape loop of sorts?

I feel a bit in limbo here, so please help me out.

Marius

Ps wouldn't dare to ask for headphone advice. (but still do of course, the lcd2 or 3, sennheiser 800, hifiman and beyer dynamics t1 on my shortlist. Stax I would really want to consider, but then I would have to forgo on the BHA1, so not an option....)

Hi Marius,

I use the Tape Out from my BP26 to my BHA-1 but it is only a meter or so.  The advantage of that is no volume control and a fixed output.


james

[terrycym]

Tape out is the best route otherwise if you use the pre out you'll end up with two volume controls in your circuit

[rob80b]

Hi James,

Im lining up for the BHA1, but still need some advice. Since I'd want to position the BHA near my favorite chair (that is not very close to my main setup)  I'd want to opt for the balanced connection. My Bp26 balanced out is in use... How do I proceed? Ive got the tape out you mentioned before, or could use the second RCA out, but the latter is contrary to your advice I believe. the former already in use...

Hi Marius,

I use the Tape Out from my BP26 to my BHA-1 but it is only a meter or so.  The advantage of that is no volume control and a fixed output.


james

I guess it would depend on the distance, currently I have my head-amp (B60) behind the sofa so I'm running a 30' of unbalanced cable which picks up a bit noise, my 4BSST now gets the balanced connections from the BP25P. But when I  get my hands on a BHA-1 I will definitely take advantage of the balanced connections for the headphone set-up and run the 4B single ended.

Robert

[bjski]

I have the same problem when my unit arrives. Do I use RCA's to BHA or do I just disconnect the balanced cables from the BDA or BCD. My balanced headphone cables are 6 feet so I'll sit next to the system.

[rob80b]

Tape out is the best route otherwise if you use the pre out you'll end up with two volume controls in your circuit

Damn, you had to go and remind me of that.
Back to the drawing board, (and make sure brain is engaged before making comment)

I guess it would depend on the distance, currently I have my head-amp (B60) behind the sofa so I'm running a 30' of unbalanced cable which picks up a bit noise, my 4BSST now gets the balanced connections from the BP25P. But when I  get my hands on a BHA-1 I will definitely take advantage of the balanced connections for the headphone set-up and run the 4B single ended.

Robert

[rob80b]

Might have to give Mike a call to see if a little surgery $$$$ can have one of the balanced inputs on a BP25/26 converted to a tape/direct out!

Robert

[Marius]

Hi James

Is there no balanced option? What was the design choice for the balanced in on the bha1 then? I understand the volume and fixed output issue, but am
I right assuming you designed the bha1 without the bp26 in mind then? And linking it to a source component directly? Maybe the bda1? Would have to miss the record player only in that architecture, which would be a great miss though ...

Marius

Hi Marius,

I use the Tape Out from my BP26 to my BHA-1 but it is only a meter or so.  The advantage of that is no volume control and a fixed output.


james

[James Tanner]

Hi James

Is there no balanced option? What was the design choice for the balanced in on the bha1 then? I understand the volume and fixed output issue, but am
I right assuming you designed the bha1 without the bp26 in mind then? And linking it to a source component directly? Maybe the bda1? Would have to miss the record player only in that architecture, which would be a great miss though ...

Marius

Yes the BP26 was really not part of the design concept when it came to a balanced source - should have thought of that    The BDA-1 would be a good source component.

James

PS - we can make up a set of Balanced Y cables if that helps but you still have a second volume control in the signal path..

[rob80b]

Yes the BP26 was really not part of the design concept when it came to a balanced source - should have thought of that 

No problem James, just make sure it's on the BP27.

Robert

[mkaiser]

Ps wouldn't dare to ask for headphone advice./quote]

Smart choice.... as peoples bias of a type of "can sound" usually leads to more frustration anyways. Trust your own ears as you do with everything else audio related. 

[tv78343]

Two words James:  Balanced Pass-through

[James Tanner]

Two words James:  Balanced Pass-through

Not sure I understand???

james

[Todd R]

I got my hands on some old favorites, Sennheiser 600 & 650.
Plugged in single ended, I was surprised that these used to be my favorite headphones. Kind of disappointing compared to the Hifiman 500 phones

I still had a balanced Sennheiser cable, lying around, so I hooked it up......
What a shock!
It was amazing how much the Sennhieser's improved simply by driving them with a balanced signal.   

[tv78343]

  Have a balanced "pass-through" output associated with the BHA-1 balanced input. This way you can mate the unit with a balanced preamp or integrated without the need for physically switching or splitting the XLR cables when listenning to your audio system.

[OgOgilby]

Now that's a good idea Terry, got anyone in mind

Well at long last at a Bryston day at PMC on Monday I actually got to hear the BHA-1, I couldn't resist taking a picture -

To say I was impressed was an understatement, I'm so used to my Grado PS1000's using the SP3 headphone out, which sounds fantastic, but I really wasn't prepared for how much better they were going to sound using the BHA-1, basically the Grado's just came alive, it does make you wonder how many people own good headphones and never unlock their true potential.

Using the BHA-1 just gave more drive at the bottom end, but kept the control so the bass was tight, powerful and detailed, but for me it was the mid/treble that just went on to another level, I know the Grado's are good and I'd heard them described before as the only Dynamic headphone to take the battle to Stax but on previous comparisons I still felt that the Stax headphones had the edge with overall detail and clarity, I'd love to do that comparison again now using the BHA-1 to drive the PS's as I was amazed how much cleaner the presentation was and the overall insight into the recording, I feel that the BHA-1 was really driving the Grado's to their max, obviously I'd have loved to have spent longer with the BHA-1 to get a 100% conclusion but early impressions are looking extremely favorable .

I had to wait a long time to get to hear the BHA-1 and it certainly did not disappoint, another high class product from Bryston, the only problem I can see is that I'm still waiting for mine, come on James get another shipment over to the UK asap

Thanks Vipers, this is making the wait for the BHA-1's tough! I wonder how much improvement you will have if you upgrade your Grado's to balanced?

-Greg

[DaveNote]

Yes the BP26 was really not part of the design concept when it came to a balanced source - should have thought of that    The BDA-1 would be a good source component.

James

PS - we can make up a set of Balanced Y cables if that helps but you still have a second volume control in the signal path..

James,

I have been assuming all along that the BHA-1 would take balanced inputs from the BDA-1 balanced outputs. But since I use the BDA-1 balanced outputs to my BP26 balanced inputs, and my BHA-1 unbalanced outputs to a second system, that leaves me with the same kind of limitations being discussed here as I understand them. It is one of the (trivial) reasons I have been hesitating about the BHA-1.

So I have these questions:

1. Am I correct in assuming that a balanced Y cable would allow me to output from my BDA-1 to both my BP26 and a BHA-1?

2. I would have no immediate intention to get balanced cables for my LCD-2, so I would be using the simple RCA jack for output from the BHA-1 to my headphones. The question, then, is there any advantage to use balanced cabling into to a BHA-1 if you are not going to use balanced cables from the BHA-1 to your headphones?

[James Tanner]

James,

I have been assuming all along that the BHA-1 would take balanced inputs from the BDA-1 balanced outputs. But since I use the BDA-1 balanced outputs to my BP26 balanced inputs, and my BHA-1 unbalanced outputs to a second system, that leaves me with the same kind of limitations being discussed here as I understand them. It is one of the (trivial) reasons I have been hesitating about the BHA-1.

So I have these questions:

1. Am I correct in assuming that a balanced Y cable would allow me to output from my BDA-1 to both my BP26 and a BHA-1?

2. I would have no immediate intention to get balanced cables for my LCD-2, so I would be using the simple RCA jack for output from the BHA-1 to my headphones. The question, then, is there any advantage to use balanced cabling into to a BHA-1 if you are not going to use balanced cables from the BHA-1 to your headphones?

Hi Dave

Yes the Y cable would work just fine.

Yes the output from the BHA would be balanced even if the feed is single ended.

James