BDA-2 DAC and BDA-3 DAC

BrystonFan · « **Reply #920 on:** 22 Jul 2015, 08:47 pm »

Quote from: James Tanner on 22 Jul 2015, 05:34 pm

Hi Marius

Just tried it and YES it works.

james

Very nice!
Phil A has been running this setup for years!
Now we will have our own Bryston version!

James Tanner · « **Reply #921 on:** 22 Jul 2015, 09:04 pm »

Quote from: ttsto on 22 Jul 2015, 08:16 pm

Do you think it worth to have 4 HDMI inputs?
I can think of several hi-fi devices with SPDIF or AES output but not to 4 different devices to be decoded via HDMI...

There are only 2 modules available - 1 or 4 and we decided on 4. Plus more and more devices are offering HDMI out ONLY - like my new Bell cable box

james

Phil A · « **Reply #922 on:** 23 Jul 2015, 01:30 am »

Quote from: BrystonFan on 22 Jul 2015, 08:47 pm

Very nice!
Phil A has been running this setup for years!
Now we will have our own Bryston version!

It's much more and better than a plain de-embedder (and when I used them I was crazy enough to put a power supply on it that was several times the price of the de-embedder). Besides being a first rate DAC (without considering the de-embedder), you can pass DSD via an Oppo player (unless one somehow has a DAC that can handle DSD via the coax digital input) vs. having to convert it to PCM in the Oppo. Pretty much as close to future proof a digital product of this nature can be (doing quad DSD). Certainly will be relevant digitally for a long time.

James Tanner · « **Reply #923 on:** 23 Jul 2015, 03:28 pm »

MEMO: To All Bryston Customers
SUBJECT: Bryston BDP-2/BDA2 Review.

July 2015

Hi Folks,

An excellent full 4 page review on the Bryston BDP-2 Digital Player and BDA-2 DAC combo from UHF Magazine (issue 96 – Summer 2015) .

Favourite quotes:

1. The ‘good news’ is that the Bryston DAC translated the digital signals into music of the highest quality.

The ‘bad news’ is that…there isn’t any bad news.

2. The orchestral pieces had impact, a wide, deep soundstage and fine detail, and the kicker — Margie Gibson singing — was so human and nearby-sounding that it seemed to me that our reference DAC was outclassed.

Digital conversion has come a long way. I would say that Bryston has caught the wave of the future.

Email me if you want the PDF of complete review – jamestanner@bryston.com.

Krutsch · « **Reply #924 on:** 23 Jul 2015, 04:33 pm »

Quote from: Phil A on 23 Jul 2015, 01:30 am

It's much more and better than a plain de-embedder (and when I used them I was crazy enough to put a power supply on it that was several times the price of the de-embedder). Besides being a first rate DAC (without considering the de-embedder), you can pass DSD via an Oppo player (unless one somehow has a DAC that can handle DSD via the coax digital input) vs. having to convert it to PCM in the Oppo. Pretty much as close to future proof a digital product of this nature can be (doing quad DSD). Certainly will be relevant digitally for a long time.

Wait, what? The BDA-3 will accept native DSD from a Blu-ray player for playback?

Does the BDA-3 handle the required HDCP handshake for high-res content output from BD players (i.e. the BDA-3 is an HDCP licensee)? Or, do you connect an HDMI out to a TV with pass-thru? Today, I use a KanexPro HDMI de-embedder, but I have to have a TV and AVR at the other end to get full-res output.

Wow, sounds like the BDA-3 is my next DAC.

alexone · « **Reply #925 on:** 23 Jul 2015, 05:12 pm »

Quote from: James Tanner on 22 Jul 2015, 07:16 pm

^
The one SPDIF out is gone.

james

why is the spdif output gone, James?? would be nice to have this feature. makes it more compatible for recordings...

al.

Phil A · « **Reply #926 on:** 23 Jul 2015, 05:23 pm »

Quote from: Krutsch on 23 Jul 2015, 04:33 pm

Wait, what? The BDA-3 will accept native DSD from a Blu-ray player for playback?

Yes - see James' post number 913

James Tanner · « **Reply #927 on:** 23 Jul 2015, 05:26 pm »

Quote from: Krutsch on 23 Jul 2015, 04:33 pm

Wait, what? The BDA-3 will accept native DSD from a Blu-ray player for playback?

Does the BDA-3 handle the required HDCP handshake for high-res content output from BD players (i.e. the BDA-3 is an HDCP licensee)? Or, do you connect an HDMI out to a TV with pass-thru? Today, I use a KanexPro HDMI de-embedder, but I have to have a TV and AVR at the other end to get full-res output.

Wow, sounds like the BDA-3 is my next DAC.

The BDA3 takes care of the HDCP handshaking, a TV on the HDMI output is recommended but not required.

james

Krutsch · « **Reply #928 on:** 23 Jul 2015, 05:29 pm »

Quote from: James Tanner on 23 Jul 2015, 05:26 pm

The BDA3 takes care of the HDCP handshaking, a TV on the HDMI output is recommended but not required.

james

So, I can also assume that the BDA-3 responds to EDID queries with the ability to handle high-res audio (i.e. above 48 kHz)?

Wow, Bryston was thinkin' ahead.

mrhyfy · « **Reply #929 on:** 23 Jul 2015, 05:35 pm »

James,, volume control built into the BDA-3??

alexone · « **Reply #930 on:** 23 Jul 2015, 05:37 pm »

Quote from: Krutsch on 23 Jul 2015, 05:29 pm

So, I can also assume that the BDA-3 responds to EDID queries with the ability to handle high-res audio (i.e. above 48 kHz)?

Wow, Bryston was thinkin' ahead.

... Bryston IS thinking ahead

al.

James Tanner · « **Reply #931 on:** 23 Jul 2015, 06:15 pm »

Quote from: mrhyfy on 23 Jul 2015, 05:35 pm

James,, volume control built into the BDA-3??

Hi

No volume control - it is not a preamp.

james

lycia · « **Reply #932 on:** 23 Jul 2015, 09:07 pm »

Quote from: alexone on 23 Jul 2015, 05:12 pm

why is the spdif output gone, James?? would be nice to have this feature. makes it more compatible for recordings...

al.

The absence of a SPDIF out is disappointing. It is a very useful adjunct.

Rod_S · « **Reply #933 on:** 24 Jul 2015, 01:00 am »

What's the chip being used? I forgot. I have been reading some really impressive feedback about the Esoteric Grandioso D1 mono DACs and they are using the AK4495S which I assume is state of the art.

Phil A · « **Reply #934 on:** 24 Jul 2015, 03:34 am »

Quote from: Rod_S on 24 Jul 2015, 01:00 am

What's the chip being used? I forgot. I have been reading some really impressive feedback about the Esoteric Grandioso D1 mono DACs and they are using the AK4495S which I assume is state of the art.

Last known info is here - http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=110297.720

James Tanner · « **Reply #935 on:** 24 Jul 2015, 11:29 am »

Quote from: Rod_S on 24 Jul 2015, 01:00 am

What's the chip being used? I forgot. I have been reading some really impressive feedback about the Esoteric Grandioso D1 mono DACs and they are using the AK4495S which I assume is state of the art.

Hi Rod

We use the AK4490, the AK4495S is 'voiced' to sound a specific way whereas the AK4490 is dead linear.

james

Rod_S · « **Reply #936 on:** 24 Jul 2015, 07:20 pm »

Thanks guys

So is the AK4495S much more money than the AK4490? Obviously the end product Esoteric Grandioso D1's are astronomically more expensive than what the BDA-3 is going to be but I wonder how close the actual chips are in price and even specs, I suspect very close on both fronts.

espilva · « **Reply #937 on:** 24 Jul 2015, 09:24 pm »

Sorry to divert (or try to) the conversation back to the BDA-2: are Windows 10 drivers available or has any compatibility testing performed with the Windows 8.1 drivers?

Thanks!

audio.bill · « **Reply #938 on:** 24 Jul 2015, 10:47 pm »

Rod_S - As you are probably aware there are many DACs designed using identical DAC chips that sound completely different than each other. If it were only so easy as to choose the proper DAC chip, but the ultimate performance level is dependent on many other design factors. There are sonic factors influenced by power supply design, jitter reduction, digital filtering, and many other design choices. So even if the DAC chips used by Esoteric and Bryston were identical or very close in specs, it is unlikely that they will sound the same. Another similar example is Accuphase, which uses the ESS Sabre DACs in some of their recent designs. They however do not sound anything like the majority of other DACs on the market using the same or similar ESS DACs.

srb · « **Reply #939 on:** 24 Jul 2015, 11:28 pm »

Quote from: Rod_S on 24 Jul 2015, 07:20 pm

So is the AK4495S much more money than the AK4490?

It's slightly more, maybe $10 or so, which isn't terribly significant in the scheme of a > $2000 DAC. Which is why when JT says they chose the AK4490 for the sound, I believe him!

Steve