AudioCircle

Industry Circles => Bryston Limited => Topic started by: James Tanner on 24 Jun 2020, 11:08 am

Title: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 24 Jun 2020, 11:08 am
Bryston Manic Moose Interface

Hi Folks,

A thread for a discussion on our “Manic Moose” interface for our digital products – BDP’s etc.

Like most interfaces some of our customers love it and some find it lacking in certain areas. So, I would like to get feedback from those of you using it as to what you like and what you find troublesome. That way we can try and address the issues and make it better going forward.

I know some of you use ROON and other 3rd party interfaces with our BDP’s etc. so let us know what you prefer about those interfaces. I use Manic Moose exclusively because I have all my music in 'Folders' whereas ROON does not allow for that type of library setup.

Thanks for your input – much appreciated.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Mesanjah05 on 24 Jun 2020, 02:30 pm
James,
Overall I am content with MM and as such have but one request.  I tend to stay in the default-directory structure.  What I would like to see is the ability to add a song to a playlist that is active with the option of placing the new song as "next" as opposed to it being delegated to the end of the list.  I understand that this option is available in album/artist mode, but I tend to avoid using that mode as in loads very slowly and in a haphazard manner on my ipad.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 24 Jun 2020, 02:51 pm
James,
Overall I am content with MM and as such have but one request.  I tend to stay in the default-directory structure.  What I would like to see is the ability to add a song to a playlist that is active with the option of placing the new song as "next" as opposed to it being delegated to the end of the list.  I understand that this option is available in album/artist mode, but I tend to avoid using that mode as in loads very slowly and in a haphazard manner on my ipad.

OK thanks for the input - Chris reads these posts so I am sure he will make comments as we go along.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 24 Jun 2020, 03:27 pm
I like Manic Moose just the way it was developed. Its fine with me.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: NorthMac on 24 Jun 2020, 03:42 pm
Thanks James for opening this topic up.  In my view, to really open it up, the question should be: going forward what is the best user interface for Bryston digital products?  To me, it will not be any form of web interface like MM, except perhaps as an interface for deep-admin type settings that are used only intermittently. 

At a high level, the basic problem is that the web interface is nowhere near the level of excellence of Bryston hardware, and causes a disconnect in the user experience.  It is unfriendly, poorly organized, lacks many basic functions and is rather ugly to look at – all the things that Bryston hardware is not.  In the new world of digital music and streaming, the interface is what you interact with, and search with, and explore the world of your music choices with.  It should be front and centre with buyers, and it should be at the same level of design excellence as the hardware, and it is simply not.  The standard that has evolved in this sector, is not a web access, it is an app (or apps) accessed via smartphone or tablet – properly developed, these are what users enjoy using as controls.

I happen to have chosen to use Berrie’s media player apps almost exclusively over my 7 years with the Bryston BDP; Mpad when it was out, and now Rigelian.   These, like the apps developed by virtually all of Bryston’s competitors in the digital streaming sector, share these key design elements:

-   An album-art graphic centred experience that needs no manual
-   full use of metadata tags to allow multiple sorts of this graphic representation of users’ music
-   in particular access to instant sorting by Album, Artist, Genre, Composer, and Performer tags are all useful depending on the users’ music types
-   a simple and intuitive design with sort choices in a left column, and the majority of the screen devoted to the album graphics
-   streaming service choices are usually integrated in the same left column, again providing constant visibility and rapid access – streaming is integrated with users own music
-   many apps pull Artist information from web sources like last.fm, providing a sort of Roon-like additional layer

While Rigelian and other MPD players work well, they by necessity cannot fully integrate with Bryston equipment since they are universal – and there is something lost there as full access to streaming platforms requires going back to Manic Moose.

I note that both James and the initial poster use a folder directory to navigate – that is fine if people want to do that, but it competely misses the sorting and organizational options that rich file metadata provide.  Sometimes I want to cruise a genre, sometimes I want to search a composer, sometimes an artist….  I think the majority of digital music users do have their metadata sorted, and they want to use it in a visually satisfying way.

I understand that app development is a resource and cost – nonetheless talent in this field is out there even if it is not in-house right now.  Berrie from Rigelian as an example, I’m sure there are others.  Is there a shared approach eg. a joint venture of sorts, that could work with another maker?  But I feel that until Bryston makes available in some fashion their own app interface, the excellence of the Bryston designs will be undercut.  As an example, Aurender promotes its excellent Conductor app alongside their hardware – can we imagine Bryston doing that with Manic Moose? 

Lastly I would caution Bryston just relying on this forum as a measure of satisfaction for the web interface; I note that few of the posters in the initial years of the BDP-1 FAQ thread appear to be around – would be interested to know if the interface was a part of their leaving, but we will likely never know.   
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Clive197 on 24 Jun 2020, 04:10 pm
I think Bryston should look at an app like Auralic’s Lightning DS, to see how a user friendly app should work, just a suggestion.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 24 Jun 2020, 04:33 pm
That's interesting an APP vs a WEB Browser.

I will look into the plus and minus of both.

Thanks for the detailed input.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: bobf on 24 Jun 2020, 07:55 pm
I use Manic Moose for updates and settings for BDP3.

Most of my listening is from attached hard drive. Other listening is internet radio.

For playing music and internet radio I use MPDroid. This Android app is very fast at scrolling through music on the hard drive and convenient for making playlists. The internet radio stations I listen to are saved as playlists.

I tried Roon three times over three years and every time time found it hurt the sound when compared to Manic Moose.

Whatever changes are made be sure to preserve the excellent sound of Manic Moose.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: zoom25 on 24 Jun 2020, 07:59 pm
Manic Moose was fairly easy to understand. It works well enough for my simple use. Roon is far better as an interface but it lacks folder view and that is one feature they are adamant about that will never be integrated with Roon as it goes against their philosophy. I still need folder view from time to time, so use Manic Moose. There are potential SQ considerations as well between MPD and RAAT. I use Manic Moose only with folder browsing in mind, so have had the database and metadata library stuff disabled. I do have Manic Moose running on a 27 inch iMac with enough real estate to have the window properly open in full size. It's not the best experience on smaller screens.

DLNA via any software has been very subpar for me. Improper syncs and stops. I have no desire to ever mess with that stuff. RAAT on a decent network has been absolutely trouble free both wired and wireless on the BDP. Apps like MPod and Soundirok also had their issues with updating correctly. For local music, Manic Moose all the way because I can get it do exactly what I want without any hiccups*. Simple.

(* I don't know if there were some changes with S2.40, but I've had this one constant weird issue that I don't think was there with S2.36. I have both NAS and USB drive in use. The NAS is always present and synced on the BDP. The USB hard drive moves around from to time, and thus it gets re-indexed on the BDP-1 from time to time from scratch. Whenever the USB drive is done indexing, no matter how long the unit has been running after that to make sure the task is finished, the BDP-1 always feels sluggish after that. I always run into the interface taking forever between folders and seeking tracks or changing tracks. Eventually it will freeze. I simply turn it off and then on, then it works flawlessly and instantly.)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Timslim18 on 24 Jun 2020, 08:42 pm
Thanks James for opening this topic up.  In my view, to really open it up, the question should be: going forward what is the best user interface for Bryston digital products?  To me, it will not be any form of web interface like MM, except perhaps as an interface for deep-admin type settings that are used only intermittently. 

At a high level, the basic problem is that the web interface is nowhere near the level of excellence of Bryston hardware, and causes a disconnect in the user experience.  It is unfriendly, poorly organized, lacks many basic functions and is rather ugly to look at – all the things that Bryston hardware is not.  In the new world of digital music and streaming, the interface is what you interact with, and search with, and explore the world of your music choices with.  It should be front and centre with buyers, and it should be at the same level of design excellence as the hardware, and it is simply not.  The standard that has evolved in this sector, is not a web access, it is an app (or apps) accessed via smartphone or tablet – properly developed, these are what users enjoy using as controls.

I happen to have chosen to use Berrie’s media player apps almost exclusively over my 7 years with the Bryston BDP; Mpad when it was out, and now Rigelian.   These, like the apps developed by virtually all of Bryston’s competitors in the digital streaming sector, share these key design elements:

-   An album-art graphic centred experience that needs no manual
-   full use of metadata tags to allow multiple sorts of this graphic representation of users’ music
-   in particular access to instant sorting by Album, Artist, Genre, Composer, and Performer tags are all useful depending on the users’ music types
-   a simple and intuitive design with sort choices in a left column, and the majority of the screen devoted to the album graphics
-   streaming service choices are usually integrated in the same left column, again providing constant visibility and rapid access – streaming is integrated with users own music
-   many apps pull Artist information from web sources like last.fm, providing a sort of Roon-like additional layer

While Rigelian and other MPD players work well, they by necessity cannot fully integrate with Bryston equipment since they are universal – and there is something lost there as full access to streaming platforms requires going back to Manic Moose.

I note that both James and the initial poster use a folder directory to navigate – that is fine if people want to do that, but it competely misses the sorting and organizational options that rich file metadata provide.  Sometimes I want to cruise a genre, sometimes I want to search a composer, sometimes an artist….  I think the majority of digital music users do have their metadata sorted, and they want to use it in a visually satisfying way.

I understand that app development is a resource and cost – nonetheless talent in this field is out there even if it is not in-house right now.  Berrie from Rigelian as an example, I’m sure there are others.  Is there a shared approach eg. a joint venture of sorts, that could work with another maker?  But I feel that until Bryston makes available in some fashion their own app interface, the excellence of the Bryston designs will be undercut.  As an example, Aurender promotes its excellent Conductor app alongside their hardware – can we imagine Bryston doing that with Manic Moose? 

Lastly I would caution Bryston just relying on this forum as a measure of satisfaction for the web interface; I note that few of the posters in the initial years of the BDP-1 FAQ thread appear to be around – would be interested to know if the interface was a part of their leaving, but we will likely never know.   

I cannot agree more with NorthMac's practical, well reasoned and intelligent response to the question James asked.

For fifteen years, Bryston has been my brand of choice as it is a Canadian manufacturer of well-designed, reliable, good quality, audiophile category of electronics.  In addition to 11 other Bryston pre-amps, amps, processors, etc. I currently own both a BDP-1 and a BDP-3 as well.

Sadly (and embarrassingly as an obviously biased Bryston fan) I am reluctant to use either of my BDP's because of inconsistent performance (drop-outs, loops, etc.) and especially because of the abysmal user interface.  Abysmal from both a look and feel and functional perspective.  I really have to question anyone who finds the user interface anything but ugly to look at and awkward and frustrating to navigate. 
Had the BDP-1 been my introductory Bryston experience, I would never have bought another Bryston box.  I would have thought... if the software is so badly designed how could the hardware be decent?  As NorthMac postulated above, James, you cannot rely on this forum for feedback on MM because they do not represent the silent majority who have tried and rejected MM.

As an eternal optimist, I bought the BDP-3 in the hope that Bryston would sufficiently fund the development of an improved interface for its sonically superior hardware.

Since then, I find that I am spending more and more of my listening time (at least 8 hours per day playing RadioParadise-FLAC and Qobuz) with my two Squeezebox Duet systems because of both BDP's inconsistency of performance and archaic interface.

I tried Rigelian and Soundirok for a better BDP experience than MM but iPeng for squeezebox is so much quicker, intuitive and slicker than anything I have found.  The non-audophile users at home have no problem with iPeng/squeezebox function and navigation but just shake their heads at MM/BDP.  Enough said.

As NorthMac recommended above: if you can economically justify it, develop a good app,  And I would bet that the world will beat a path to the Bryston BDP door.  It goes without saying that ongoing active app support is just as critical.

Otherwise, Bryston risks being left behind in a fundamental audio/audiophile market segment of the future.

My 2 cents.  Thanks for reading.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WildPhydeaux on 24 Jun 2020, 10:01 pm
For those with a little bit of computer historical experience I used to use DOSSHELL and similar character based "GUIs" extensively. Blazing fast, efficient and powerful - but utilitarian in visual appearance and in function. It got the job done and fast. Fast forward just a few years and file managers became much more graphical and visually appealing. I can successfully argue that this slowed efficiency for those just trying to get their work done because you were hunting and clicking the mouse instead of fast-fingered on the keyboard. But progress doesn't only care about that, Windows/Mac/Linux marched on and users demanded spoon-feeding and visual delight.

And the above example is WORK related. For PLEASURE related, it's even more important that it "looks good" and feels intuitive (intuitive being for those accustomed to current visual interfaces). Not saying MM is ugly, but... well, yeah I'm saying that but just in comparison to today's dedicated apps.

Cheers,
Robert
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 25 Jun 2020, 03:12 pm
I understand that this option is available in album/artist mode, but I tend to avoid using that mode as in loads very slowly and in a haphazard manner on my ipad.

Yes we'd like to expand on that functionality as well, have more universal views that have the same feature sets regardless of how the library to presented, by file folder structure, album, genre, etc.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 25 Jun 2020, 03:38 pm
. Not saying MM is ugly, but... well, yeah I'm saying that but just in comparison to today's dedicated apps.


One of things we are attempting to do in Nutty Narwhal (Manic Mooses replacement) is provide methods to customize the UI's colour choices and plugins to possibly allow customizing the appearance and possibly even the layout of the library and UI, I get not everybody wants to look at shades of grey or necessarily wants to navigate by the same bits of data.  We are also experimenting with possible ways to merge streaming services (like TIDAL and QOBUZ) with 3rd party MPD clients(like Rigelian or MPDroid) and we've had some interest from developers to pursue this to help give more people what they want.

As much as I would love to make a one fits all solution I don't think we'll ever get to the point were we get 100% acceptance of our UI for the same reason I don't get 100% acceptance of the heat vents in my home, appearance is a thing of personal preference.  Its an unrealistic expectation for any company of any size and experience to make a universally accepted UI, if it was then I'd think either Apple, Google or Microsoft would have pulled it off by now and put the others out of business (atleast at a general consumer level); but that hasn't happened and likely never will happen, because people want choice because our preferences aren't universally the same. 

Thanks for the feedback,
Chris
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: beeah on 25 Jun 2020, 03:58 pm
One of things we are attempting to do in Nutty Narwhal (Manic Mooses replacement)

Is it too late to change the name to Narcissistic Nincompoop?  Asking for a friend.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 25 Jun 2020, 04:18 pm
I happen to have chosen to use Berrie’s media player apps almost exclusively over my 7 years with the Bryston BDP; Mpad when it was out, and now Rigelian.   These, like the apps developed by virtually all of Bryston’s competitors in the digital streaming sector, share these key design elements:

-   An album-art graphic centred experience that needs no manual
-   full use of metadata tags to allow multiple sorts of this graphic representation of users’ music
-   in particular access to instant sorting by Album, Artist, Genre, Composer, and Performer tags are all useful depending on the users’ music types
-   a simple and intuitive design with sort choices in a left column, and the majority of the screen devoted to the album graphics
-   streaming service choices are usually integrated in the same left column, again providing constant visibility and rapid access – streaming is integrated with users own music
-   many apps pull Artist information from web sources like last.fm, providing a sort of Roon-like additional layer

While Rigelian and other MPD players work well, they by necessity cannot fully integrate with Bryston equipment since they are universal – and there is something lost there as full access to streaming platforms requires going back to Manic Moose.


Hi NorthMac,

Thanks for taking the time to reply and you raise some good points.

We having been experimenting with some techniques to integrate streaming services like TIDAL and Qobuz into 3rd party MPD clients like Rigellian for example to help bring these services to the clients that people like to use.   We would like to expand upon how people navigate there music libraries, although some of these suggestions have been implemented, like being able to sort by tag data.

We do currently allow users to have there libraries sorted by tag data and integrate there music libraries with online API's to grab data about artists and albums, may I inquire as to how it doesn't perform to your satisfaction (understanding you'd like to see composer and performer fields to be added)?

The music library, home position, found on the right (rather then the left)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=210860)

An album booklet downloaded using Bryston API by the BDP's firmware
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=210862)


(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=210863)

Chris
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 25 Jun 2020, 04:40 pm
DLNA via any software has been very subpar for me. Improper syncs and stops. I have no desire to ever mess with that stuff. RAAT on a decent network has been absolutely trouble free both wired and wireless on the BDP. Apps like MPod and Soundirok also had their issues with updating correctly. For local music, Manic Moose all the way because I can get it do exactly what I want without any hiccups*. Simple.

(* I don't know if there were some changes with S2.40, but I've had this one constant weird issue that I don't think was there with S2.36. I have both NAS and USB drive in use. The NAS is always present and synced on the BDP. The USB hard drive moves around from to time, and thus it gets re-indexed on the BDP-1 from time to time from scratch. Whenever the USB drive is done indexing, no matter how long the unit has been running after that to make sure the task is finished, the BDP-1 always feels sluggish after that. I always run into the interface taking forever between folders and seeking tracks or changing tracks. Eventually it will freeze. I simply turn it off and then on, then it works flawlessly and instantly.)

I've never liked the DNLA protocol myself, but our next software release I think we're going to switch to a different implementation (likely upmpdcli)

If you'd like to further discuss the USB drive issue your having with your BDP-1 it might be best to either start another thread or PM/email me about the issue to prevent this thread from getting overwhelmed with something a bit off topic.

I appreciate the feedback,
Chris
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 26 Jun 2020, 12:26 pm
Is it too late to change the name to Narcissistic Nincompoop?  Asking for a friend.

I do not know if you meant this in jest but if you did not please do not contribute to our forum.

I do not have time for negative people who contribute nothing other than the need to attack others.

Please stay away.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WillyP on 26 Jun 2020, 12:34 pm
I've never liked the DNLA protocol myself, but our next software release I think we're going to switch to a different implementation (likely upmpdcli)

I appreciate the feedback,
Chris

It is possible to configure a BDP-x or a BDA-3.14 as a Logitech Media Server with Manic Moose and I assume also with Nutty Narwhal. My current server is based on LMS, so I am familiar with this software, but I am very interested in the BDA-3.14. What are your thoughts about using LMS for the BDA-3.14?

WillyP
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 26 Jun 2020, 12:56 pm
It is possible to configure a BDP-x or a BDA-3.14 as a Logitech Media Server with Manic Moose and I assume also with Nutty Narwhal. My current server is based on LMS, so I am familiar with this software, but I am very interested in the BDA-3.14. What are your thoughts about using LMS for the BDA-3.14?

WillyP

To be honest I was thinking about removing support for the client in nutty narwhal let alone adding the server aspect to it and hadn't realized the software was still being maintained.  I can't promise it'll make it in to the firmware, but will certainly investigate it, thanks for bringing it up.

Chris
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 28 Jun 2020, 04:20 pm

As NorthMac recommended above: if you can economically justify it, develop a good app,  And I would bet that the world will beat a path to the Bryston BDP door.  It goes without saying that ongoing active app support is just as critical.

Otherwise, Bryston risks being left behind in a fundamental audio/audiophile market segment of the future.

My 2 cents.  Thanks for reading.

I strongly disagree with your opinion of Manic Moose. I think Manic Moose is great and is intuitive to operate. I also think it looks great escpecially if you have your cover art.  :nono:
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 28 Jun 2020, 05:38 pm
Hi Chris,

"Like @gbaby, I have no major issues with Moose on my BDP-2. It sounds very good with my BDA-3 pairing.

Cover art files display fine, no glitches there. Moose allows me to browse, select, move, and play my musik files.

If I want a fancy art gallery/graphics, I go to the National Gallery or Orsay LOL."

CanadianMaestro
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: drummermitchell on 28 Jun 2020, 07:51 pm
Been using the moose for quite a few years works great for me.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: zoom25 on 28 Jun 2020, 08:15 pm
As a technical person, I found both Roon and Manic Moose relatively easy to operate and setup. Both are easy to maintain. Of course, Roon looks prettier. Having said that, no one in my family cares about Manic Moose or even Roon for that matter. They lost interest very quickly and didn't like it. They love the simplicity and intuitiveness of Spotify and iOS. As far as streaming services go, everyone I know here in various circle within the GTA uses Spotify for streaming. I have they to see anyone on Tidal or Deezer or Amazon. Maybe a few Apple Music users. At parties I have tried to give Roon to people to use, but everyone just goes to Spotify eventually. I have even given my phone over to people that had never used Spotify in their life before and they were operating it perfectly for the task within minutes.

I know everyone posting here will have no problems with Manic Moose since we are the type of people to seek out such websites and make an account and find the right thread and keep an eye out. Even amongst audiophiles, the vast majority of them are not like us based on my experiences in several audio and head-fi meets. Most of the type of conversations and queries in high-end audio stores that I have heard are so down to earth. They seem interested at first, but once you start explaining the process to them, they quickly lose interest or get frightened having to deal with networks and computers.

If people enjoy using the product, they will continue to use it over time. If people aren't fond of their interaction with the product, over time they'll stop using it and put it in storage or sell it. This isn't just limited to Manic Moose or audio, but life in general. I have some audio products and old DAPs that just reside in my drawers. Spotify on my iPhone and offline access has had a big role in this. The guy who sold me the BDP-1 went back to his CD player because he said he found it much easier to spin CDs then deal with Manic Moose.

Keeping it simple and intuitive is easier said than done. However, whichever way you guys go with future software, don't add more features by making it more overwhelming and confusing. If you can get the same job done is less, the better. I enjoy that aspect of Manic Moose. Limiting the number of clicks to get the job done is always pleasing and Manic Moose is great in that regard currently. Roon has gone up and down in this regard for my taste, especially in getting to DSP and zone screens. It was much simpler before.

I've said this before, but you guys should consider a FAQ section on your website and have a Youtube or video channel somewhere that deals with basic question about the products for prospective customers, initial setup procedures, how to keep things running smoothly and make changes over time.

As polarizing as PS Audio is, their "Paul's Posts" articles and Youtube videos are generally well received, especially by PS Audio customers. Unlike PS Audio that has to operate only as a hi-fi home company, I know you guys have to maintain face for not only the hi-fi side, but also the pro audio side. Sure, don't jump in right away with "what sounds better NAS or USB etc.", but please at least consider having basic blogs and videos on features (BDP-1 vs BDP-2 vs BDP-3, or SST2 vs. SST3) and setup (USB wifi, going to Roon mode, DLNA, NAS setup), and perhaps general audio discourse that is easily locatable on your website.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 29 Jun 2020, 12:57 am
Quite frankly, I like the black, white and gray interface of Manic Moose with the color cover art in the middle. It is extremely easy on the eyes and well lald out. Manic Moose makes the BDP plays it maximum fidelity. This is all a reasonable person can expect. Manic Moose can't be everything for everybody, but it can do well what its doing now and that's excellent to me. Too bad you can't move on to something else because Manic Moose is fine.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Pundamilia on 29 Jun 2020, 01:55 am
@ZOOM25

I hear what you are saying Zoomer and I think there is a lot of truth and wisdom there. The designers of User Interfaces (UIs) face a real challenge in trying to deal with two totally different constituencies. Different in their tolerance for complexity and their willingness to invest in learning how to make the most of equipment. To my mind, the ideal UI is one that provides a very basic, simple, easy-to-use, non-intimidating interface with the real complexity and flexibility masked for those who don't want to deal with it. In order to satisfy those of us like Zoom25 and many others who frequent Audiocircle, there should be an option to "open" the advanced UI which allows for maximizing on the full capabilities of the equipment, but at the cost of being willing to invest the time and effort to learn a much more complex UI. Not an easy task to design or to build, I am sure.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: zoom25 on 29 Jun 2020, 03:07 am
Quite frankly, I like the black, white and gray interface of Manic Moose with the color cover art in the middle.

AGREED.

It is extremely easy on the eyes and well lald out.

AGREED

Manic Moose makes the BDP plays it maximum fidelity.

AGREED

This is all a reasonable person can expect.

Depends on who you ask and what's reasonable to them.

Manic Moose can't be everything for everybody, but it can do well what its doing now and that's excellent to me.

AGREED

Too bad you can't move on to something else because Manic Moose is fine.


Not sure if that last line is directed at me or not, but I'm not here to reaffirm yours or anyone else's beliefs. My first post on the first page was from my perspective alone. The latest post incorporated my observations of others using Manic Moose and Roon to control BDP-1 as well as similar interfaces found with other audio gear. I have already stated in both posts that I enjoy the simplicity of Manic Moose for my tastes. If Bryston doesn't find my passing of such information useful, they can tell me and I will leave right away. Echo chambers won't do anyone good. I do alpha testing, including for THE audio software company, and I can tell you that what's thought of a release or a new feature within that testing group can sometimes be polar opposite as to how the general public feels about it. I'm not sure what Bryston's future goals are as it relates to the market and age groups that they are trying to attract with their digital products. If they want to keep it limited to us nerds, job well done. Let's go home. I mean digital audio hasn't changed. It's still the same as it has been for 3 decades. Audio files (MP3, FLAC) and artwork in a folder. What has changed drastically is how that audio is consumed by the majority of people, especially the younger generation. To overlook that aspect of audio consumption would not bode well. I know most people here are quite old (60+). To be absolutely blunt, nobody in my age group has shown any interest in these type of things. Sure, I'll get asked all the time within my circles for high-end headphones or speakers suggestions, but never something like a BDP and certainly not an interface like Manic Moose.

I believe as long as the person is providing their views and experience in good faith, it holds some value.

Later...
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 29 Jun 2020, 10:44 am
Hi Folks,

Thanks for all the thoughtful input it is most helpful.

When we first introduced our interface way back in the BDP-1 days Chris had 2 versions of the interface - a "LITE" version and more complex version which is what you see today.

Maybe we should go back to a LITE version as the default and a password version for the more complex version?

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 29 Jun 2020, 01:37 pm


Maybe we should go back to a LITE version as the default and a password version for the more complex version?

james

Nope, I'd do nothing.  :|
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 29 Jun 2020, 02:05 pm
Zoom, please know that I am not directing any comments at you personally as you have the right to make any recommendations you see fit. On that note, if Manic Moose has to be tampered with, then I'd recommend that the same numerical listing of loaded files on the left should also be numerically listed on the right so that one can briefly listen to compositions on the left and select a playlist on the left based on the composition number. Does this make any sense?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 29 Jun 2020, 03:23 pm
That's interesting an APP vs a WEB Browser.

I will look into the plus and minus of both.

Thanks for the detailed input.

james

Hi Folks,,

I did some research on this and the Web Interface has some advatages.


Web UI

Inherently makes it compatible with the broadest range of devices

Gives us the ability to issue firmware updates that are simultaneously available to all users

Lets us work within a clearly defined set of standards that are less likely to change at the whim of operating system developers

Makes our development team more efficient by not asking them to develop for multiple platforms.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: NorthMac on 29 Jun 2020, 04:14 pm
Hi Folks,,

I did some research on this and the Web Interface has some advatages.


Web UI

Inherently makes it compatible with the broadest range of devices

Gives us the ability to issue firmware updates that are simultaneously available to all users

Lets us work within a clearly defined set of standards that are less likely to change at the whim of operating system developers

Makes our development team more efficient by not asking them to develop for multiple platforms.

james

That is the standard response of software developers who do web applications.  Much that I have read, and people I have talked to doing software, would condition that with the comment that web interfaces are almost always best for the company, for the reasons you state.  But, actual users and customers almost universally prefer a native app, for visual and ease of use reasons.   In the field of digital streaming, virtually all of your digital competitors use an app(s) - are they all wrong?  Or have they just heard their customers and potential customers?

Bryston had a real potential customer here on the forum a few days ago; Clive287 who was demoing a 3.14.  I think he had other concerns about the Bryston to be fair, but his comment on the interface?  "woeful".   How many Clives are there out there looking at Bryston equipment for the first time?  What is their response, on average, to the prospect of using a Manic Moose style interface for control? 

James I am curious, as you admit you do not use much more than a folder browse in a Bryston interface, have you actually examined closely the app interfaces of competing companies, to know what we are talking about here?  All of them would have been shown at the many audio shows you (used to...) go to.  It is hard to evaluate the options if you are not fully familiar with them. 

Zoom25 mentions some good points above, and my family had the same responses as his re. interfaces.  It is interesting to hear his comment on Roon becoming too much and suffering for it.  My concern with MM is not the detailed settings part - that could stay forever to handle machine firmware updates, set up drives, etc.  My concern is the player, because that is the part you interact with every time you look for, decide, and play music.  And the player could become a simple, clean, intuitive app without dragging the web interface settings detail with it.  Even users preferring a more visual player app would not be too fussed about keeping the web interface for the deep settings, like we do already for things like routers, as they are accessed only occasionally. 

I have no problem that as I guessed, many frequenting this particular forum like Manic Moose and would change nothing. In the end, we like the sounds we get and we enjoy music, and we are tech types in general.  But I do worry about the future competitiveness of Bryston digital products should they continue for another decade with a web interface only.  Why I am worried I have no idea - that should be a strategic concern of Bryston management.   
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: BigGeek on 29 Jun 2020, 04:46 pm
Northmac and I are of the same mind. Keep the moose for settings and lose the player part.  I NEVER use manic moose as a player. It is so outclassed by many others! Rigelian and SoundiRok are much closer to an interface that lets me browse the music in ways that I want to browse. I am not a folder guy and I certainly am not interested in going back to a Windows  95 black interface. I like grids of album covers and artist images. I like the sorting options of the other interfaces and don’t get me started on the alphabetic scroll in the moose tree view.

I have a nearly all Bryston system. I am proud to be a Bryston owner. I am as Geeky as anyone here (probably more so). I suggest that you listen to and look to a broader audience than the fan boy club here who are telling you that leaving the moose as is or only slightly modifying it is the path you should take. Dump it. Make an app for playback. It is by far the biggest black eye in the Bryston line. The Bdp-3 is awesome with an app.

A voice of the customer exercise where you compare Moose to others and ask for feedback in a controlled way is something you should consider. Also get an app UI/UX expert to help.

BG
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WillyP on 29 Jun 2020, 05:08 pm
With my current server, I can use both: a web interface and an app. The web interface is used for maintenance, the app for listening to music.

The app wasn’t developed by the manufacturer but was an adapted version of iPeng. Not without its quirks, quite usable never the less. The adaptation was only cosmetically.

If it is still possible to configure the BDA-3.14 as a Logitech Music Server in Nutty Narwhal, I could continue to use iPeng.

WillyP
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: terrycym on 29 Jun 2020, 06:06 pm
I use SoundIrok, I find it so much nicer to use compared to the Bryston web ui
Only trouble with Soundirok is after adding a new artist, it doesn’t always find the artist.jpg or folder.jpg, you have to refresh quite a few times.
Not even sure if Bryston uni does LinerNotes, i couldn’t be bothered trying as I hate a web uk on an iPad, should be an app
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Mesanjah05 on 30 Jun 2020, 12:35 am
I have followed this discussion with interest and want to declare limited computer knowledge and graphical user face awareness.  My intro into app usage was the Logitech' ui and then Squeezepad as a gui, which I loved.  My Logitech Touch was a fantastic intro to digital control of my music libarary.  It was moving to the BDP-2 that introduced me to Manic Moose and although not like Squeezepad I was able to master it for my music enjoyment.  The move from the Touch to the BDP2 was night and day in soundstage quality, therefore I worked at managing MM. 

However I have also used Asset software used in the Moon 180 streamer and to be honest the frustration at getting it to work with my NAS has diminished my satisfaction of using that secondary system.  That platform requires a level of code language beyond me and my desire to acquire.  There web support has only furthered my turnoff .  To Bryston's credit their support has been top drawer and Chris Rice a fantastic resource whenever I've encountered issues personally or for my sister who I have acquired a Bryston-PI for her use.

I don't pretend to know the answer to Bryston's pursuit, but I will add that the app approach has been one of satisfaction as a preference, but with the support Bryston offers I have lived comfortably with MM and it's updates.  If you continue with the fantastic support I will stay with you and support others in using your hardware.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WildPhydeaux on 30 Jun 2020, 01:17 am
I have used a handful of UPNP/DLNA clients and they are mostly meh...  I really liked the Bluesound app, found it flexible, easy to navigate, attractive to look at and reasonably versatile with respect to queuing tracks and manipulating that queue. Likewise I find the web interface for Volumio to be similarly desirable. Neither is perfect, but both are much nicer to use and to look at than MM.

I tried a free trial of Roon just to validate my impression that it was an expensive, overblown, overhyped fad. Er, well, after the trial period was over I could not get my credit card out fast enough. It is far from perfect and I'm no fanboy, but it's far more powerful, flexible, informative and fun to use that anything I've experienced.

I love my Bryston streamer and DAC and barely pay any mind to the new things hitting the market. I just have no interest in replacing this fine gear with anything else. But truth be told, if it wasn't for the Roon control I wouldn't be using Bryston. There are just too many other options of good custom interfaces on other manufacturers gear for me to bother with MM.

By all means it's a servicable, if quirky, interface for initial setup. And if you have a clear idea of what album you want to play when you sit down in your listening chair, great - pop it in the queue and stab the play button. It has selection by folder in spades (sadly not an option in Roon), but I find no joy in its use.

Cheers,
Robert
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: docder on 30 Jun 2020, 05:06 pm
I’m happy with the basic BDP MDP interface. I favour its simplicity and straightforward folder hierarchy. One aspect I would like to see expanded is access to Qobuz. Something that would allow the streamer to open in its own space or page, so that albums could be seen more easily rather than as small images in the home list.  As it stands I find access to my Qobuz lists very slow to open, though that might be because my Qobuz library is huge.  Could something like how Qobuz functions in Audirvana be added for NN? My Q Favourites open very rapidly there.

Regards, D
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: BigGeek on 30 Jun 2020, 10:53 pm
I would like to second the praise for Chris’ support of the BDP products. Any issues I have with the design of the interface has nothing to Do with its support or sound quality of the product. Both are exemplary.

For apps that have their own databases on the tablet, like Soundirok, it is important to update the bdp database first, after any changes or additions are made. Then the app’s UI can be updated. If you do this in the proper order, Soundirok will show the images and music properly first time, every time.

BG
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Pundamilia on 1 Jul 2020, 01:35 am
Quote
I would like to second the praise for Chris’ support of the BDP products. Any issues I have with the design of the interface has nothing to Do with its support or sound quality of the product. Both are exemplary.

 :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

It's not every company that give you such access to their development staff for solving problems. The ability that he has to access our components remotely is pretty special in the industry and must save thousands of dollars and hours of non-listening.

Yay Bryston!
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Northman on 1 Jul 2020, 12:34 pm
I have a Bryston system and have appreciated the design/sound for over twenty years (beyond the warranties!). I love how accessible the Bryston staff is; Chris helped me out of a newbie jam once. I also would appreciate a more up-to-date approach with the next update; I have to admit that I often default to Spotify, which is so easy to use. (I also use Qobuz and have had Tidal for the BDP).

My one modest question is about the volume control on MM, which I find limited. My understanding is that the volume control introduces a minor compromise of sq, and I bet that most out here don't use it. For casual listening, though, I do like it, especially with a playlist of songs that play at different volumes.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: terrycym on 1 Jul 2020, 12:44 pm
As a suggestion, why not make something like (but obviously better than!) the Roon Nucleus with better power supplies, audio grade USB output etc and running Roon Core
A Bryston Roon Server!
It can have a web UI to configure Bryston specific config but music is controlled via the Roon app
If you decide to make one, let me know and I'll place my order ASAP.
No need for a MM replacement

Roon is really the way to go today!

Why make a Alpine sports car and put a Dacia interior in it?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Norton on 1 Jul 2020, 12:45 pm
I’ve been using BDPs for 6 years now and pretty happy with MM.  I just want folder view, Qobuz integration and a basic search facility, so not too fussed about look and feel of an interface.  If I want the Roon experience I can switch the BDP into RAAT mode.  I would though like more sophisticated, full screen navigation and browsing for Qobuz in MM, plus addition of HQP NAA as a service.

I’m surprised that the  nature of MM in itself would be enough to make someone give up on the BDP. From the first day I took home a BDP, I’ve always found it quick and easy to find and play my music across various sources and formats. Whatever occasional frustrations I have had have been more  to do with underlying  performance  rather  than the interface - as I recall Tidal playback was pretty hit and miss a couple of years back, for example. 

My BDP1 seems pretty solid these days both with Qobuz and local library on network shares - it is remarkable and a credit to Bryston that a digital product launched a decade ago continues to evolve, be supported and perform in ways quite distinct from that originally conceived.  Although I guess that NN may mark the end of development  for the BDP1?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: NorthMac on 1 Jul 2020, 05:12 pm
As a suggestion, why not make something like (but obviously better than!) the Roon Nucleus with better power supplies, audio grade USB output etc and running Roon Core
A Bryston Roon Server!
It can have a web UI to configure Bryston specific config but music is controlled via the Roon app
If you decide to make one, let me know and I'll place my order ASAP.
No need for a MM replacement

Roon is really the way to go today!

Why make a Alpine sports car and put a Dacia interior in it?

Haha Terry, I fear nobody on this side of the pond knows what either of those cars are... (I was born British so I do...).   Re. Roon, yes it remains the mother of all interfaces, but in my view it is overkill for many users, and not as good for classical for example. If you like it and feel it worth the costs, it is the way to go for sure.  Just not as a default.   
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: terrycym on 1 Jul 2020, 05:18 pm
Roon not the default, like the exaSound or Euphony solutions perhaps?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: NorthMac on 1 Jul 2020, 05:25 pm
I’ve been using BDPs for 6 years now and pretty happy with MM.  I just want folder view, Qobuz integration and a basic search facility, so not too fussed about look and feel of an interface.  If I want the Roon experience I can switch the BDP into RAAT mode.  I would though like more sophisticated, full screen navigation and browsing for Qobuz in MM, plus addition of HQP NAA as a service.

I’m surprised that the  nature of MM in itself would be enough to make someone give up on the BDP. From the first day I took home a BDP, I’ve always found it quick and easy to find and play my music across various sources and formats. Whatever occasional frustrations I have had have been more  to do with underlying  performance  rather  than the interface - as I recall Tidal playback was pretty hit and miss a couple of years back, for example. 

My BDP1 seems pretty solid these days both with Qobuz and local library on network shares - it is remarkable and a credit to Bryston that a digital product launched a decade ago continues to evolve, be supported and perform in ways quite distinct from that originally conceived.  Although I guess that NN may mark the end of development  for the BDP1?

Norton I'm a bit puzzled why you would like full screen nav+browsing for your Qobuz but not bother for your own library?  What some of us would like is what you ask for, but for both.... assuming files have metadata, navigating your own CDs with a full screen interface is just as important as Qobuz et al., and for those with big libraries folder view is a non-starter.    And I don't think many owners on this forum are "giving up" on their BDPs, we agree the products and company support are solid and have yielded lots of music enjoyment.  And somewhere on another thread Chris did mysteriously hint that he had a BDP-1 apart on his desk.... a future upgrade?  Who knows? 
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: NorthMac on 1 Jul 2020, 05:25 pm
Roon not the default, like the exaSound or Euphony solutions perhaps?

Hmmm, got me there... will have to Google those! 
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: terrycym on 1 Jul 2020, 05:27 pm
ExaSound are from Toronto I believe.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: abk456 on 1 Jul 2020, 10:09 pm
Hi James
I am a long time owner of several Bryston pieces but new to non-disc audio (CD's and LP's). I was unfamiliar with playlists etc
I bought my 3.14 on faith in Bryston products. I am still getting used to it (and I think it is getting used to me)
I found my initial use of MM a little difficult (although there are three excellent videos on Moon Audio's site that I found by accident that set me on my way) As a small suggestion, you should consider pointing the way to these videos or similar for people like me that may not be as clever as the average poster on this site.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 2 Jul 2020, 10:04 am
Hi James
I am a long time owner of several Bryston pieces but new to non-disc audio (CD's and LP's). I was unfamiliar with playlists etc
I bought my 3.14 on faith in Bryston products. I am still getting used to it (and I think it is getting used to me)
I found my initial use of MM a little difficult (although there are three excellent videos on Moon Audio's site that I found by accident that set me on my way) As a small suggestion, you should consider pointing the way to these videos or similar for people like me that may not be as clever as the average poster on this site.

Great suggestion - I think the video thing is the future.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Norton on 2 Jul 2020, 04:53 pm
Norton I'm a bit puzzled why you would like full screen nav+browsing for your Qobuz but not bother for your own library? 

Because my own modest 2TB library is arranged with meaningful folder names so I can find my music quickly and easily, whereas a richer browsing environment is needed to navigate the full  Qobuz catalogue or even just Favourites within the BDP,  as they are currently presented.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 3 Jul 2020, 01:29 pm
Great suggestion - I think the video thing is the future present.

james

 :D :D :D :D
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: zoom25 on 3 Jul 2020, 09:41 pm
Great to hear the video idea being pursued. :thumb:
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: BigGeek on 8 Jul 2020, 08:21 pm
OK. Trying to use the latest build with Tidal (which I rarely go to, but I got a hankerin' to stream). Absolutely the biggest piece of dung of an interface possible. Dual scroll bars on the right. What the...? Text that overlaps other stuff...  having to open and close the side panes to be able to see anything. My god. Have you ever even tried a decent interface to music. Try any other one. It will show you something better than you produced!

Have to use search because nothing else works well enough to find any music. Search items disappear from right pane after scrolling! Have to back up, sometimes have to re-search entirely. Total crap. Also the listings for albums that are shown are incomplete so that I can't really tell one version of an album from another. Of course you will blame Tidal for this but their site lists the differences.

Wow. How can you charge thousands for such nice equipment and completely ham string it with such an amateurish attempt at a user interface. Honestly it is disingenuous of you to advertise that you support Tidal with this as the only way to get to it.

My complaints are independent of browser. Don't even get me started with how badly your web page acts with Safari. Gee wouldn't you think that many if not most people who are trying to use your stuff might be using an iPad or something similar? Do you even test the webpage with different browsers?

If you can't tell that I am totally pissed off after using this interface, then you are a poor judge of written English.

BG
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: terrycym on 8 Jul 2020, 08:32 pm
Using an iPad Pro and switching between the tabs on my.bryston, I cannot understand why you expect customers to scroll down to see the rest of the screen, can’t the interface know what size the customer is using and render accordingly?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Timslim18 on 8 Jul 2020, 09:11 pm
OK. Trying to use the latest build with Tidal (which I rarely go to, but I got a hankerin' to stream). Absolutely the biggest piece of dung of an interface possible. Dual scroll bars on the right. What the...? Text that overlaps other stuff...  having to open and close the side panes to be able to see anything. My god. Have you ever even tried a decent interface to music. Try any other one. It will show you something better than you produced!

Have to use search because nothing else works well enough to find any music. Search items disappear from right pane after scrolling! Have to back up, sometimes have to re-search entirely. Total crap. Also the listings for albums that are shown are incomplete so that I can't really tell one version of an album from another. Of course you will blame Tidal for this but their site lists the differences.

Wow. How can you charge thousands for such nice equipment and completely ham string it with such an amateurish attempt at a user interface. Honestly it is disingenuous of you to advertise that you support Tidal with this as the only way to get to it.

My complaints are independent of browser. Don't even get me started with how badly your web page acts with Safari. Gee wouldn't you think that many if not most people who are trying to use your stuff might be using an iPad or something similar? Do you even test the webpage with different browsers?

If you can't tell that I am totally pissed off after using this interface, then you are a poor judge of written English.

BG

Exactly my points from last week.

I stream RadioParadise-FLAC as I said earlier but through utter frustration moved to Squeezebox months ago for streaming controlled by iPeng on my handheld devices.  I put my BDP boxes to rest. 

After reading the responses following my prior post in this thread, I was wondering if I was missing something and that my dismal experience with MM was an anomaly.  So I woke up my home BDP-3 updated  to the latest MM release and decided to stream for the weekend. 

I have a backyard with three 2.1 channel Bryston powered zones.  My family hangs out in the yard all day as we enjoy the outdoors and listen to great music.  So Saturday morning, after about an hour of music dropouts, repeated tracks and truncated tracks, my wife was exasperated and asked me what had changed from previous weekends when the music flowed seamlessly from morning into the night.  I told her that I had switched to a Bryston box with "upgraded" software.  "What a joke!" was her response, "please go back to what we used before, this is too annoying!"  I could not agree more.  And don't get me going on us trying to control the Bryston through our handheld devices.

So apparently my previous experience was not an anomaly.  Granted, to my ears there was a discernible improvement in SQ moving to the BDP-3 but not hearing a track to its end and having tracks randomly repeat, completely diminishes any SQ improvement.  If "the demo is everything" then this experience did absolutely nothing positive.

Like it or not, streaming is here to stay and if Bryston seriously wants to be in the digital player business, then much more attention must be paid to the user interface and user experience of its players.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 8 Jul 2020, 09:14 pm
Using an iPad Pro and switching between the tabs on my.bryston, I cannot understand why you expect customers to scroll down to see the rest of the screen, can’t the interface know what size the customer is using and render accordingly?

Is scrolling difficult? :o
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 8 Jul 2020, 09:19 pm
OK. Trying to use the latest build with Tidal (which I rarely go to, but I got a hankerin' to stream). Absolutely the biggest piece of dung of an interface possible. Dual scroll bars on the right. What the...? Text that overlaps other stuff...  having to open and close the side panes to be able to see anything. My god. Have you ever even tried a decent interface to music. Try any other one. It will show you something better than you produced!

Have to use search because nothing else works well enough to find any music. Search items disappear from right pane after scrolling! Have to back up, sometimes have to re-search entirely. Total crap. Also the listings for albums that are shown are incomplete so that I can't really tell one version of an album from another. Of course you will blame Tidal for this but their site lists the differences.

Wow. How can you charge thousands for such nice equipment and completely ham string it with such an amateurish attempt at a user interface. Honestly it is disingenuous of you to advertise that you support Tidal with this as the only way to get to it.

My complaints are independent of browser. Don't even get me started with how badly your web page acts with Safari. Gee wouldn't you think that many if not most people who are trying to use your stuff might be using an iPad or something similar? Do you even test the webpage with different browsers?

If you can't tell that I am totally pissed off after using this interface, then you are a poor judge of written English.

BG

BG, I don't know. If I had to take a guess, I would think that Tidal and Qbuz or whatever are just accommodations. But the truth is the BDPs sound best using your own CDs to import. I've tried both and none equal the sonics of importing your own CDs and playing them using the USB drives. I'd rather have good sound quality than have a unit mostly configured to stream either of them.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WillyP on 9 Jul 2020, 11:35 am
In this thread, I have read some harsh comments about Manic Moose and I felt sorry for James. C’est le ton qui fait la musique.

My experience with Manic Moose is very limited because my BDA-3.14 arrived a few days ago. It has a learning curve but it does what it has to do. It helps if you are a bit familiar with computers, though.

Compared to the Logitech Media Server software that was installed on my former streamer Manic Moose is a big step up for me. It is just more Logical (sorry, couldn’t resist).

In the next coming days, I will learn more about using Manic Mouse. In the meantime, I can enjoy my music. Until now no hiccups or what-so-ever. Not bad, not bad at all, I would say.

I don’t know what the procedure is, but is it possible to do some beta testing for Nutty Narwhal? Sounds interesting to me.

WillyP
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: terrycym on 9 Jul 2020, 11:39 am
Is scrolling difficult? :o
Nope but why should it be necessary?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: terrycym on 9 Jul 2020, 11:41 am
Maybe the request for beta testers should be put out there
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: BigGeek on 9 Jul 2020, 02:15 pm
Is scrolling difficult? :o

A well executed scroll bar with the ability to jump to your choice quickly is great. A scroll bar to see the bottom of a pane that is on screen with another scroll bar within the pane to see the contents below the bottom is just bad programming and very annoying. Side by side scroll bars are not good. Especially when the albums I wish to see are at the very bottom of the list (This seemed to happen to every album I wanted to find) and they disappear from the list entirely if you select one and then back up to the search window again.

The default zoom on an iPad is ridiculous and so is the rest of the interface. GBaby I cannot for the life of me understand what you see in this thing.

Also this is exactly the forum where James and the team need to hear our input. How can they hope to make it better if we aren't giving them feedback. Of course I shouldn't hit submit when I am angry because it comes across harshly. Apologies for that, but I really tried yesterday and completely failed to get your interface to work properly, and I do software testing and analysis for a living.

BG
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: terrycym on 9 Jul 2020, 04:34 pm
Well said, if all we hear is praise from fan-boys and anything bad is suppressed, how do Bryston know what needs improving and what really needs improving.
Even the Stax headphone users are not afraid to criticise Stax when they get it wrong, for example.

I remember the old UI where there used to be two update buttons, that can't be good?

The only time I use the my.bryston UI is to use the Update button after I've added music to my USB drive or to check for updates with the Update Firmware tab
See, Update used in two different contexts on the same page!

My previous comment regarding scrolling was referring specifically to the tab buttons on a Windows PC in a web browser
They're visible at the bottom of the screen, but click on Services for example and they're no longer visible, you have to scroll down. These buttons really need to be always visible.

BTW
While i'm here...
If I go to the Services tab, I see a "Settings" bar which says (amongst other stuff) MEM 97.4%
Is that expected?
Seems extremely high?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 9 Jul 2020, 06:52 pm
A well executed scroll bar with the ability to jump to your choice quickly is great. A scroll bar to see the bottom of a pane that is on screen with another scroll bar within the pane to see the contents below the bottom is just bad programming and very annoying. Side by side scroll bars are not good. Especially when the albums I wish to see are at the very bottom of the list (This seemed to happen to every album I wanted to find) and they disappear from the list entirely if you select one and then back up to the search window again.

The default zoom on an iPad is ridiculous and so is the rest of the interface. GBaby I cannot for the life of me understand what you see in this thing.

Also this is exactly the forum where James and the team need to hear our input. How can they hope to make it better if we aren't giving them feedback. Of course I shouldn't hit submit when I am angry because it comes across harshly. Apologies for that, but I really tried yesterday and completely failed to get your interface to work properly, and I do software testing and analysis for a living.

BG

Personally, I find no problem with scrolling on both sides. I don't get it.  :o Just remember, ever time we complain about minor things there is a possibility of an unnecessary design change accompanied by a price increase.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WildPhydeaux on 9 Jul 2020, 08:19 pm
Personally, I find no problem with scrolling on both sides. I don't get it.  :o Just remember, ever time we complain about minor things there is a possibility of an unnecessary design change accompanied by a price increase.

It's become crystal clear to me, gbaby, that in your eyes Bryston can do no wrong and any/all inconveniences are trivial or non-existent when it comes to your adoration for their products. I intensely dislike the "Fanboy" handle that people bandy about as though defending a preference defines an individual, so I won't use that term  :)

Of course you have a right to your opinion and indeed a right to share it here, just as others can disagree and we can all agree to disagree. But when James initiates a thread here specifically asking for feedback on Manic Moose, why do you feel the need to jump in and defend the Bryston honor when someone points out a UI anomaly they find annoying? The thread is about what users like/dislike about MM so that Bryston can better understand how the next version should look and function. If you see the conversation heading down a path for a feature you wouldn't care for, by all means let your opinion be known. But comments to the effect of "no, don't fix that bug because it doesn't bother me" are just unhelpful noise.

I've seen more than one person in this thread pussy-foot their way into pointing out something they don't like about MM, prefacing it by pandering about how great Bryston is and how they worship at the feet. What the heck folks, the Bryston guys have broad shoulders, they're not going to take their ball and go home because you hurt their feelings. They're in business to make money and part of that is listening to customer feedback, good and bad. No one is saying Bryston don't make top flight gear that competes with the best in the industry. It's the control software that could use some work, in the opinion of many. And Bryston want that feedback raw not flowered up between praises.

Cheers,
Robert

Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 10 Jul 2020, 08:05 pm
It's become crystal clear to me, gbaby, that in your eyes Bryston can do no wrong and any/all inconveniences are trivial or non-existent when it comes to your adoration for their products. I intensely dislike the "Fanboy" handle that people bandy about as though defending a preference defines an individual, so I won't use that term  :)

Of course you have a right to your opinion and indeed a right to share it here, just as others can disagree and we can all agree to disagree. But when James initiates a thread here specifically asking for feedback on Manic Moose, why do you feel the need to jump in and defend the Bryston honor when someone points out a UI anomaly they find annoying? The thread is about what users like/dislike about MM so that Bryston can better understand how the next version should look and function. If you see the conversation heading down a path for a feature you wouldn't care for, by all means let your opinion be known. But comments to the effect of "no, don't fix that bug because it doesn't bother me" are just unhelpful noise.

I've seen more than one person in this thread pussy-foot their way into pointing out something they don't like about MM, prefacing it by pandering about how great Bryston is and how they worship at the feet. What the heck folks, the Bryston guys have broad shoulders, they're not going to take their ball and go home because you hurt their feelings. They're in business to make money and part of that is listening to customer feedback, good and bad. No one is saying Bryston don't make top flight gear that competes with the best in the industry. It's the control software that could use some work, in the opinion of many. And Bryston want that feedback raw not flowered up between praises.

Cheers,
Robert

Everything you said is true. Cheers.

Robert II. :D
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 10 Jul 2020, 08:23 pm

.... GBaby I cannot for the life of me understand what you see in this thing.

BG

I did not always like Manic Moose, but once I go the hang of it, I loved it. It simply does everything I need for it to do and the flaws go into the nothing is perfect category. I have heard both Qubuz and Tidal and neither sound as good as Manic Moose. Plus, I like the black and white interface with the color cover art in the middle and the sprinkle of blue elsewhere. It is easy on my eyes and looks great on my 15" MacBook Pro that sits on a table next to my sitting chair. Again, its alright with me.  :|
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: BigGeek on 10 Jul 2020, 11:52 pm
Personally, I find no problem with scrolling on both sides. I don't get it.  :o Just remember, ever time we complain about minor things there is a possibility of an unnecessary design change accompanied by a price increase.

I was referring to two scrolls on the right hand side right next to each other. This happens by default on an iPad when using Manic Moose!
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: BigGeek on 11 Jul 2020, 12:16 am
I want to be more clear about the drivers for my opinions of Manic Moose. I hope this is useful to the Bryston folks.

LPs are serial listening devices. You start an album and you usually listen to the end. CD's are random access devices at the disc level. You can pick any song on the disc randomly on a given disc only. Ripped music on a hard drive is truly random access at a Music collection level. You can listen to whole albums from beginning to end if you want, but the possibility of listening to various music in any order is what drew me to this approach to music storage. In fact it opened up a whole new way of listening to music for me and it has driven my interface preferences for the software I use to command my BDP. Firstly I use an iPad. Light, easy to use, visually stunning. A great tool for this. That means I used a touch interface. Manic Moose is fundamentally a mouse/touchpad interface. It is not great on a touch device. It has a tree structure that is tough and the need to pull in the windows and scroll a lot with difficult to touch scroll arrows is also tough.
Additionally, it has limitations in looking at my library, that the other interfaces I use enable. A touch interface pretty much means you need sizeable screen elements you are meant to touch. This is partly why I like grids of artist images and album covers. I can peruse the grid, and use easily accessed scrolls to move to a different part of the library and peruse a different part of the grid and so on. A grid is a 2D way to visualize my library options. With the scroll it is as close to a 3D way to seeing it as is practicable. My preference. Also on any given day I want to sort that grid in different ways. One day I want my albums sorted by date (let me look at 1967). Another day I want albums sorted by artist. The next maybe I want to see it sorted by title to give me an almost random way of seeing my library. Another time I want to use the artist grid. It depends upon my mood. The moose is very limited at providing these kinds of interactions with it. The ability to instantly create playlists for my listening session is an important option for me and the ability to walk through my library in this way is fundamental to me being able to do that. It makes my music listening follow my thought flow. I might want to recreate a point in time when I was with friends listening to certain artists. Or a concert I attended or maybe I just want to listen to a variety of jazz pieces that go well together.
These are the things that drive my preferences. A web based viewer with limited ways of looking at my collection simply won't do it. Now, can I use SoundiRok or Rigeliean with my BDP? Of course I can. However SoundiRok is not being supported these days and I have seen Berrie step away from supporting old platforms as well. Bryston should step up and provide apps for tablets that allow a broader way of selecting music from my collection and leave the browser interface to settings and firmware updates.

BG
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 11 Jul 2020, 01:01 am
I was referring to two scrolls on the right hand side right next to each other. This happens by default on an iPad when using Manic Moose!

It does this with the MacBook Pro also, but I'm cool with it. It works. I'm simply in awe with a product enabling me to access my entire CD collection of 2,700 with every composition at my fingertips. For me, this is the Jetsons in real life. The only time I am even looking at the interface is to select music. Otherwise, I looking straight ahead at my speakers and monitor.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 11 Jul 2020, 01:19 am
Why make a Alpine sports car and put a Dacia interior in it?

Because that’s would make for the coolest car with a Dacia interior ever!
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WillyP on 11 Jul 2020, 09:33 am
This time I really enjoyed the last reply from BigGeek, very insightful. Thank you very much.

The BDA-3.14 is in the house for only one week and is my second streamer. I had my first one for two and a half years and I was completely satisfied with it, but after I heard the BDA-3.14 I knew this would be my next streamer. So please see all my comments with that in mind.

For me, a streamer is a digital jukebox. I found out that after all these years, I am still a serial listener!

My personal preference is classical music. That is why I am interested in complete works: symphonies, concertos, cantatas, opera, string quartets, piano sonatas, etcetera. I don't care for the shuffle mode or parts of a work. The only exceptions are evening filling operas and oratorio. In that case, I would like to listen to a complete act or part.

The music on my hard disk is organized in folders, containing albums in alphabetical order. I have about 1000 albums on the hard disk, neatly tagged. Another 1000 albums are already ripped but I haven’t finished the tagging yet. That takes even more time than ripping the CDs. So what I normally do, is listening to albums, only this time in digital form.

A 15-inch notebook is used for Manic Moose. A 17-inch would be even better. In my opinion, Manic Moose is not perfect, but for the moment it is more than good enough for me. It does what it has to do, although I am still learning. A manual with all options declared would be helpful. The manual is not bad, but it could be better. I don’t have enough experience with Manic Moose to suggest improvements now. Therefore I need more time.

My first streamer was based on Logitech Music Server software. A bit outdated, I would say and I prefer Manic Moose by a wide margin. The app was iPeng, with some cosmetic changes.

At this moment I would say that Manic Moose or its successor is fine and the Rigelian app seems promising. The iPad version, I think the iPhone screen is too small for so much information.

Perhaps Bryston could seek cooperation with a company that can develop an app like Rigelian for iOS and Android.

Anyway, BigGeek and I have completely different needs for the software and I am afraid it will not be easy for Bryston to develop an app and a GUI that will satisfy everyone’s needs. I feel that the combination of the two is the way to go.

WillyP
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: terrycym on 11 Jul 2020, 10:59 am
Because that’s would make for the coolest car with a Dacia interior ever!

Wouldn't you want a cool car with a cool interior unlike BDP perhaps which is the point of some of the previous comments?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: BigGeek on 11 Jul 2020, 04:42 pm
It does this with the MacBook Pro also, but I'm cool with it. It works. I'm simply in awe with a product enabling me to access my entire CD collection of 2,700 with every composition at my fingertips. For me, this is the Jetsons in real life. The only time I am even looking at the interface is to select music. Otherwise, I looking straight ahead at my speakers and monitor.

You have written that you usually play albums all the way through, you have a trackpad with your laptop and you have a service provide your album art and tags. I can see why MM is OK with you, based on these preferences.

I use random access extensively, have a touch interface and I meticulously curate my tags, album art, artist images and liner notes ... (in booklet.pdf files).

We have two very different approaches to listening to our music collections.

Cheers

BG
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 12 Jul 2020, 12:49 pm
Anyway, BigGeek and I have completely different needs for the software and I am afraid it will not be easy for Bryston to develop an app and a GUI that will satisfy everyone’s needs. I feel that the combination of the two is the way to go.

WillyP


Hi Willy

Interesting thought - maybe there is room for a web and an app version.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 12 Jul 2020, 03:29 pm
You have written that you usually play albums all the way through, you have a trackpad with your laptop and you have a service provide your album art and tags. I can see why MM is OK with you, based on these preferences.

I use random access extensively, have a touch interface and I meticulously curate my tags, album art, artist images and liner notes ... (in booklet.pdf files).

We have two very different approaches to listening to our music collections.

Cheers

B

Wow BG, that is a lot of work. You mean to tell me you get liner notes too? I did not know the BDPs were capable of storing liner notes. If this is true, we do have different approaches. Can you share how you get liner notes? I will say the dbpoweramp is the best software for importing CDs I've ever used and it has improved sonic to go with it although my point of reference is iTunes only. But, I always get cover art so its use is convenient.  8)

Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: terrycym on 12 Jul 2020, 04:38 pm
I use Soundirok which allows me to view PDF’s. Some downloads have liner notes, for those that don’t, I create my own, there are archives on the web with liner notes as well that I use on older material. Wikipedia and the artist’s web site is also a good source for information for the liner notes I create.
Roon can also deal with liner notes as well as quite a few other apps.

Can’t Bryston come up with a deal with the owner of Soundirok, he’s not updated it for quite a while after all?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: vonnie123 on 13 Jul 2020, 06:42 am
I have a BDP-2 (IAD) and two BDP-1s.  Manic Moose is a workable software program. It is far more stable than previously. The MYBRYSTON webpage is helpful to locate the device, especially with more than one in use.  I have had some issues with the CF card being corrupted during MM updates.  I have learned to properly reformat the CF cards In the event of corruption.  The written instructions provided were excellent. 

I would like to see better instructions provided on the Dashboard interface, and what things do as the settings are changed and the boxes are checked/unchecked.  I also use Rigelian on my iPads.  I think Bryston should buy the Rigelian app and make it a Bryston product.  You'd save me $3.50 a year on the annual app fee that way.

The BDP-1s are a bit memory taxed changing Manic Moose settings and building databases; I am using one BDP-1 for MPD, and the other one for Roon in the same stack.  Darn things are nine years old and still kicking.  Another BDP-2 or BDP-3 is in my future.

I've have had Roon for several years, and it's a great program to use and has many convenience features.  That said, I think Bryston MPD is flat out sonically superior. 
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: BigGeek on 13 Jul 2020, 01:32 pm
I use Soundirok which allows me to view PDF’s. Some downloads have liner notes, for those that don’t, I create my own, there are archives on the web with liner notes as well that I use on older material. Wikipedia and the artist’s web site is also a good source for information for the liner notes I create.
Roon can also deal with liner notes as well as quite a few other apps.

Can’t Bryston come up with a deal with the owner of Soundirok, he’s not updated it for quite a while after all?

Ditto.

One last comment for now.  I wouldn’t be using a BDP player if it wasn’t for the mobile apps. I would have sold it long ago if MM was my only choice of interface.

Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 13 Jul 2020, 02:11 pm
I have a BDP-2 (IAD) and two BDP-1s.  Manic Moose is a workable software program. It is far more stable than previously. The MYBRYSTON webpage is helpful to locate the device, especially with more than one in use.  I have had some issues with the CF card being corrupted during MM updates.  I have learned to properly reformat the CF cards In the event of corruption.  The written instructions provided were excellent. 

I would like to see better instructions provided on the Dashboard interface, and what things do as the settings are changed and the boxes are checked/unchecked.  I also use Rigelian on my iPads.  I think Bryston should buy the Rigelian app and make it a Bryston product.  You'd save me $3.50 a year on the annual app fee that way.

The BDP-1s are a bit memory taxed changing Manic Moose settings and building databases; I am using one BDP-1 for MPD, and the other one for Roon in the same stack.  Darn things are nine years old and still kicking.  Another BDP-2 or BDP-3 is in my future.

I've have had Roon for several years, and it's a great program to use and has many convenience features.  That said, I think Bryston MPD is flat out sonically superior.

Great post. Your last sentence is all that should matter to BDP owners.  8)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: rhassle on 13 Jul 2020, 04:12 pm
GBaby you keep bringing up MPD versus other ways to listen. This thread is about the interface. Both SoundiRok and Rigelean use MPD for streaming the sound from the hard drive just like MM. There is no sound quality difference from that type of mobile app.

My Tidal rant was about the interface. It wasn't a statement about the sound quality. I seldom stream music from one of those sources and then only to find albums I would like to purchase.

BG
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 13 Jul 2020, 06:04 pm
GBaby you keep bringing up MPD versus other ways to listen. This thread is about the interface. Both SoundiRok and Rigelean use MPD for streaming the sound from the hard drive just like MM. There is no sound quality difference from that type of mobile app.

My Tidal rant was about the interface. It wasn't a statement about the sound quality. I seldom stream music from one of those sources and then only to find albums I would like to purchase.

BG

Okay.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WillyP on 13 Jul 2020, 06:30 pm
Hi James and Chris,

Now I am getting a bit familiar with Manic Moose I have a suggestion for a small improvement. When I choose a tool in the Dashboard more than once the Settings menu disappears from my screen. The Media Player Header has a fixed place at the top of the screen. If the Settings menu is fixed at the bottom of the screen, it would be easier to choose a different tool, without the need for scrolling.

WillyP
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: terrycym on 13 Jul 2020, 07:14 pm
I made the very same comment a while ago but got ridiculed.


Any comments regarding RAM at over 90%?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WillyP on 13 Jul 2020, 08:06 pm
You are right! I must have overlooked it. It is not ridicule at all. You don't deserve such a reply.

If you think it is a good idea to give the Media Player Header a fixed place at the top of the screen, as the developers did of Manic Moose, then there is nothing wrong with a fixed place for the Settings menu at the bottom of the screen.

WillyP
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 13 Jul 2020, 08:14 pm
Folks,

What about including 3rd party APPs like Rigelian?

So our customer would have the choice?

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: terrycym on 13 Jul 2020, 08:26 pm
I believe I mentioned that previously but mentioned Soundirok
Does Rigelian do liner notes PDF’s?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 13 Jul 2020, 09:01 pm
I believe I mentioned that previously but mentioned Soundirok
Does Rigelian do liner notes PDF’s?

Not sure about the liner notes but I like the App.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WillyP on 13 Jul 2020, 09:02 pm
Folks,

What about including 3rd party APPs like Rigelian?

So our customer would have the choice?

james

For me Rigelian would be a good choice, but as far as I know it is for iOS only and Berrie has no plans for an Android version.

WillyP
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: BigGeek on 14 Jul 2020, 12:02 am
Folks,

What about including 3rd party APPs like Rigelian?

So our customer would have the choice?

james

They are already already available. What are you asking? Either Rigelian or Soundirok are my preferences. Each has strengths and weaknesses. Either is significantly better than MM for music listening for my style of listening. Of course a web interface is great for settings and firmware updates, ... 

If you are asking if Bryston should make an app like Rigelian, i would answer yes. It is an app for many devices. You could optimize your Bryston app to be killer for Bryston stuff only.  Also you could control the continued development of the app.

I know it is a pain to create apps for the apple store. They have a lot of conditions and approval steps. But I think your products deserve and need a dedicated Bryston app.

Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 14 Jul 2020, 12:08 am
They are already already available. What are you asking? Either Rigelian or Soundirok are my preferences. Each has strengths and weaknesses. Either is significantly better than MM for music listening for my style of listening. Of course a web interface is great for settings and firmware updates, ... 

If you are asking if Bryston should make an app like Rigelian, i would answer yes. It is an app for many devices. You could optimize your Bryston app to be killer for Bryston stuff only.  Also you could control the continued development of the app.

I know it is a pain to create apps for the apple store. They have a lot of conditions and approval steps. But I think your products deserve and need a dedicated Bryston app.

Hi Big

No I was thinking about just including Rigelian when you purchase a BDP product.  You would just go to the Apple store and download it if you want for free.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: BigGeek on 14 Jul 2020, 12:41 am
Hi Big

No I was thinking about just including Rigelian when you purchase a BDP product.  You would just go to the Apple store and download it if you want for free.

james

It has an annual subscription today. It is nominal.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: BigGeek on 14 Jul 2020, 12:43 am
Not sure about the liner notes but I like the App.

james

I checked and I don’t see a way to view the pdfs in Rigelian. Soundirok has a built in viewer for them.

I like Regilian’s Composer bit. I include composer name in my tagging so Soundirok can find them if you search for them. Not quite as nice.

I like Soundirok’s artist view a little better.

Both are good for me

BG
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 14 Jul 2020, 01:46 am
Folks,

What about including 3rd party APPs like Rigelian?

So our customer would have the choice?

james

Another app, a different set of problems.:o  You would need some highly specific issues with Manic Moose to even dwell on this. That way the new app or operating system can be tailored to correct any patent defects with Manic Moose that can be articulated. :| So far, I'm reading small recommendations.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: vonnie123 on 14 Jul 2020, 01:56 am
I checked and I don’t see a way to view the pdfs in Rigelian. Soundirok has a built in viewer for them.

I like Regilian’s Composer bit. I include composer name in my tagging so Soundirok can find them if you search for them. Not quite as nice.

I like Soundirok’s artist view a little better.

Both are good for me

BG

Is Soundirok being maintained/developed?  I don't believe it gets regular updates.  I use Rigelian and Manic Moose on my ipads.  Manic Moose on the imac desktop.  Bryston should buy the rights to the app (or work out a deal with the dev) and include it for BDP users.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WillyP on 14 Jul 2020, 09:46 am
They are already already available. What are you asking? Either Rigelian or Soundirok are my preferences. Each has strengths and weaknesses. Either is significantly better than MM for music listening for my style of listening. Of course a web interface is great for settings and firmware updates, ... 

If you are asking if Bryston should make an app like Rigelian, i would answer yes. It is an app for many devices. You could optimize your Bryston app to be killer for Bryston stuff only.  Also you could control the continued development of the app.

I know it is a pain to create apps for the apple store. They have a lot of conditions and approval steps. But I think your products deserve and need a dedicated Bryston app.

I don’t think that Bryston should develop an app of its own. Berrie and Bryston have been working together already and Rigelian is very promising. It could take a lot of time for Bryston to finish the development of Nutty Narwhal and a companion app.

My first streamer had a GUI and an app, which was a version of iPeng with some cosmetic changes. The developer of iPeng was far more active with updates and upgrades so after a few years, the adapted version was removed from the Apple Store, in line with Apple’s policy.

As I use an iPhone it doesn‘t concern me, but is there a comparable app for Android? Aurender, for example, offers a very good app for iPad only but leaves Android users in the cold. There should be apps for the Bryston for both camps, in an ideal world the same apps. Berrie has announced there will be no Rigelian for Android. Could he change his mind?

WillyP
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: terrycym on 14 Jul 2020, 11:59 am
Whilst Rigelian & Soundirok are not supported on Anderoid, why not just buy a small, cheap iPad mini?
They don't cost much, certainly when compared to the cost of your hi-fi system


I've just sent a request to support at Rigelian asking them to add Liner notes support. If others do the same....
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 14 Jul 2020, 01:19 pm
I spoke to Daniel at Soundirok and he tells me there is an Android version.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: abk456 on 15 Jul 2020, 09:50 pm
I apologize in advance if this is a query that has arisen before but does anyone experience an occasional momentary pause in the sound when using the search function on MM or is it me?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 16 Jul 2020, 03:02 pm
I apologize in advance if this is a query that has arisen before but does anyone experience an occasional momentary pause in the sound when using the search function on MM or is it me?

I tried to duplicate your problem last night but I could not. Which BDP is causing this and which software version are you using?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: abk456 on 18 Jul 2020, 02:40 am
A new 3.14 and I assume the latest MM
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 18 Jul 2020, 10:29 am
I apologize in advance if this is a query that has arisen before but does anyone experience an occasional momentary pause in the sound when using the search function on MM or is it me?

Hi

Do you mean the song you are playing is paused or when you start the song you searched paused?

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: abk456 on 20 Jul 2020, 06:19 am
If music is playing and I enter a search, there is a small gap in the music, as if it can't do the two things at the same time.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 20 Jul 2020, 10:42 am
If music is playing and I enter a search, there is a small gap in the music, as if it can't do the two things at the same time.

OK I will try that myself on my unit.

james

Update - I tried it on mine and no issue.  maybe network related - I will ask Chris if he has any thoughts.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Calypte on 23 Jul 2020, 12:16 am
I've had my issues with Manic Moose, but this isn't one of them -- assuming I understand the question correctly.  I've had problems with the streaming services, specifically iDagio and Qobuz, inserting unwanted pauses between movements of classical works, but Manic Moose hasn't introduced any gratuitous pauses or gaps in any music that I've played through it.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WillyP on 23 Jul 2020, 04:18 am
Calypte,

How do you use iDAGIO with Manic Moose? With one of the AirPlay options? Or with a computer?

WillyP
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Calypte on 29 Jul 2020, 01:30 am
Ha-ha!  I knew someone would ask that.  Answer: I didn't.  Only Qobuz.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: NorthMac on 31 Jul 2020, 02:39 am
Anyway, BigGeek and I have completely different needs for the software and I am afraid it will not be easy for Bryston to develop an app and a GUI that will satisfy everyone’s needs. I feel that the combination of the two is the way to go.

WillyP


Hi Willy

Interesting thought - maybe there is room for a web and an app version.

james

Just a (few week later) followup to this idea that the two kinds of listeners will not agree on a GUI:  It seems not well understood that the 3rd party apps we are mostly referring to, do not force you to sort using your tags; they also have a Folder browse option that does just what MM does.  So for WillyP, who listens to mostly classical like I do, he could stay in his well organized folder tree as he is doing now, or, with a single touch, see how many albums the Vienna Philharmonic shows up in by hitting Artist sort...which would get better over time as he completed his tagging.  The best apps do not tell you how to explore and play your music... the choice is always yours.  As BigGeek has eloquently explained in his posts, MM is simply not in the same league with respect to this flexibility. 

With competing products to Bryston's digital offerings, their users are not debating whether their provided app is the best solution vs a web interface.  Of course users always want more features, which is a judgement call, however much of the app improvement in other firms stems from the constantly evolving commercial streaming services, not from the core functionality of playing one's own music stored locally. 
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: enviro119 on 2 Aug 2020, 01:13 pm
My suggestion is have a friendly app. Its the one big negative for me. Love the hardware. Hate the software. Thxs for seeking input.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 4 Aug 2020, 07:02 pm
It is very difficult for me to understand folks disdain with Manic Moose and their continuing comparing it to other interfaces in other apps. Personally, I like the Manic Moose interface. It has your colorful art in the middle, and you can see your colorful art to the right of the middle. There is a soft gray and black to its left showing the compositions, and a sprinkle of blue throughout the interface. I have learned to import two channel DSD from my SACDs so I have ALL my music accessible. I don't do any fancy networking, just USB drives. The most important feature I am looking for in the BDP-2/3 is sound quality, and both have them in spades. I guess folks who are disappointed in the interface would rather look at their screens than listen to music. The only time I care about looking at a screen on either my laptop, phone or iPad is when loading my music. Thats it. I could care less about it looking like the Roon interface, Regalian or whatever other interface. To say that a person would not buy the BDP-3 due to the Manic Moose interface is simply ridiculous. I don't get it.  :duh:
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WillyP on 5 Aug 2020, 06:36 pm
I fully agree with Robert (gbaby): I like the Manic Moose interface a lot.  Manic Moose is much more in use here than Rigelian and it is far better than Logitech Media Software, which was installed on my former server / streamer. Of course, it is not perfect - which software is? - and I have a few suggestions.

1. The toolbars should be visible constantly, for example at the bottom of the screen.

2. My notebook has a 15-inch screen, a few inches too small to work comfortably with Manic Moose. Perhaps it is possible to use the available space a bit more efficiently without making the text too small.

3 When MPD is selected in the settings, Airplay (Shairport-Sync) is not available. You have to uncheck MPD first and then check Shairport-Sync. It would be nice if Airplay would be available all of the time, without the need for switching in a tools menu.

4.The Manic Moose manual is quite good, most (but not all) options are explained. I feel that all options should be explained to the users.

WillyP
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 6 Aug 2020, 01:40 pm
Thanks Willie. 8)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: OTM on 6 Aug 2020, 06:26 pm
Willy
Re point 3
- I have always gone under “ playback method” and just one click/ touch on shareport-sync ( dashboard, left side above system and disk information)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WildPhydeaux on 7 Aug 2020, 02:18 am
It is very difficult for me to understand folks disdain with Manic Moose and their continuing comparing it to other interfaces in other apps. Personally, I like the Manic Moose interface. It has your colorful art in the middle, and you can see your colorful art to the right of the middle. There is a soft gray and black to its left showing the compositions, and a sprinkle of blue throughout the interface. I have learned to import two channel DSD from my SACDs so I have ALL my music accessible. I don't do any fancy networking, just USB drives. The most important feature I am looking for in the BDP-2/3 is sound quality, and both have them in spades. I guess folks who are disappointed in the interface would rather look at their screens than listen to music. The only time I care about looking at a screen on either my laptop, phone or iPad is when loading my music. Thats it. I could care less about it looking like the Roon interface, Regalian or whatever other interface. To say that a person would not buy the BDP-3 due to the Manic Moose interface is simply ridiculous. I don't get it.  :duh:

By all means, Bryston, discontinue any misconceived ideas of software evolution. Mr. GBABY is the arbiter of what true audiophiles require. Any visual, functional or operational changes to MM could only be desired by those for whom music is but a novelty and distraction from a superficially attractive interface. Clearly those of us in the unwashed masses compensate for our lack of acute hearing and inability to truly enjoy music by focusing on trivialities.

I shouldn't wonder that candlestick rotary phones are more than any person could reasonably ask for in telephony - after all, it's the connection that's important isn't it? As long as you can phone and order another block for the icebox, what kind of a sophisticate needs more?

Or here's a novel idea: update MM but allow users to choose whether or not to adopt the newer version or simply do nothing and use what they have? Oh, is that an option? On second thought, no, better not. GBABY doesn't get it, so it must not be a thing. Carry on.

Cheers,
Robert
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 7 Aug 2020, 01:15 pm
By all means, Bryston, discontinue any misconceived ideas of software evolution. Mr. GBABY is the arbiter of what true audiophiles require. Any visual, functional or operational changes to MM could only be desired by those for whom music is but a novelty and distraction from a superficially attractive interface. Clearly those of us in the unwashed masses compensate for our lack of acute hearing and inability to truly enjoy music by focusing on trivialities.

I shouldn't wonder that candlestick rotary phones are more than any person could reasonably ask for in telephony - after all, it's the connection that's important isn't it? As long as you can phone and order another block for the icebox, what kind of a sophisticate needs more?

Or here's a novel idea: update MM but allow users to choose whether or not to adopt the newer version or simply do nothing and use what they have? Oh, is that an option? On second thought, no, better not. GBABY doesn't get it, so it must not be a thing. Carry on.

Cheers,
Robert

Come on man. Can't you make a cogent post without getting personal? Its not about you or me.  :o
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WildPhydeaux on 7 Aug 2020, 03:55 pm
Bingo! It's not about any one persons needs. Yet in this thread and many others you seem to feel the need to repeat that MM is perfect for your needs and therefore the changes others are suggesting are unnecessary. We get it - Manic Moose is fine as-is for YOUR needs. You've mentioned it ad naseum.

But to suggest that anyone with a different opinion must be more interested in looking at the screen than listening to music is the height of arrogance.

I have nothing personal at stake here as MM doesn't interest me from a music playing perspective. I just think it's a shame for Bryston not to have a modern interface and I believe it costs them sales. In any case, I'll be moving on soon as the various pops, clicks and required reboots for every configuration change are becoming tedious. Pity, as the BDP & BDA really do sound fantastic when they work.

I also have nothing personal against you. In fact you were one of the first to welcome me with some positive words when I joined this forum. You have good things to offer the Bryston community, including your appreciation of MM. But constantly stating your use-case as the only reasonable one is tiresome.

Cheers,
Robert
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Timslim18 on 7 Aug 2020, 04:19 pm
In this day and age, it is prudent for a high-end audio manufacturer to continue improving their users' experience as long as it in no way degrades the quality of the listening experience.

This is especially true if a company wishes to broaden the demographics of its customer base by bringing in younger customers who expect a user interface of at least equivalent quality to that of their other non-audio devices.

In the automotive industry's early years, manual transmissions met customer needs and the technology still works today.  But customers embraced and now demand automatic transmissions which greatly improved the driving (i.e., user) experience especially for young/new drivers.  Similarly, by limiting user experience improvements, high-end audio manufacturers will be left fighting for market share in a contracting audio market.

In my opinion, as a business and non-tech guy, Bryston has a  workable utilitarian user interface which is especially frustrating on small handheld devices.  Compared with each of the dozens of the other user interfaces on my desktops, laptops, tablets and phones, Bryston's user interface is singularly awkward and archaic in looks, feel and functionality.

I have taken the time to express these views in the hope that I can encourage a change for the good of Bryston's digital products and for me as a customer/supporter of this fine respected company.

My 2 cents.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 7 Aug 2020, 06:42 pm
Bingo! It's not about any one persons needs. Yet in this thread and many others you seem to feel the need to repeat that MM is perfect for your needs and therefore the changes others are suggesting are unnecessary. We get it - Manic Moose is fine as-is for YOUR needs. You've mentioned it ad naseum.

But to suggest that anyone with a different opinion must be more interested in looking at the screen than listening to music is the height of arrogance.

I have nothing personal at stake here as MM doesn't interest me from a music playing perspective. I just think it's a shame for Bryston not to have a modern interface and I believe it costs them sales. In any case, I'll be moving on soon as the various pops, clicks and required reboots for every configuration change are becoming tedious. Pity, as the BDP & BDA really do sound fantastic when they work.

I also have nothing personal against you. In fact you were one of the first to welcome me with some positive words when I joined this forum. You have good things to offer the Bryston community, including your appreciation of MM. But constantly stating your use-case as the only reasonable one is tiresome.

Cheers,
Robert

There is nothing arrogant about me. Sometimes, the truth hurts. I am a logical, pragmatic, practical person who has always been brutally frank. I would not let my consistent, if not persistent, opinion bother you. It's only an opinion. Also, don't read more into my comments than I write. Actually, I am trying to get all of us to be reasonable. The more demands you put on a company, the more prices increases. So, I am trying to save the company money so that cost will not increase to the the point we can't afford this stuff. Again, I'm cool with Manic Moose as it does everything I need it to do except prepare my dinner. :lol:  And, for whatever its worth, I'm not mad at you as you have my namesake. :D

Robert
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 7 Aug 2020, 07:02 pm
In this day and age, it is prudent for a high-end audio manufacturer to continue improving their users' experience as long as it in no way degrades the quality of the listening experience.

This is especially true if a company wishes to broaden the demographics of its customer base by bringing in younger customers who expect a user interface of at least equivalent quality to that of their other non-audio devices.

In my opinion, as a business and non-tech guy, Bryston has a  workable utilitarian user interface which is especially frustrating on small handheld devices.  Compared with each of the dozens of the other user interfaces on my desktops, laptops, tablets and phones, Bryston's user interface is singularly awkward and archaic in looks, feel and functionality.

I have taken the time to express these views in the hope that I can encourage a change for the good of Bryston's digital products and for me as a customer/supporter of this fine respected company.

My 2 cents.

Your two cents is highly valuable. But, do you really want to use an iPhone or any other phone to access Manic Moose? I've done it but prefer my MacBook Pro or iPad. Again, this goes into the nothing is perfect category. I have not read any articulable defects in Manic Moose from folks that warrant a complete change of the interface. However, if I've missed something, feel free to advise. A while back, I was accused of being a Bryston fanboy. I thought it was a complement because I am. The reason is that when I purchased my SP3 years ago, I had issues, and Stan from Bryston called me 10:00 pm on Christmas Eve to help resolve my issues and I gave him hell as I did not understand a lot of the computer jargon. But, Stan showed supreme equanimity, and resolved my issues. So from that experience, I am a FANBOY. :D I am unaccustomed to this kind of service, and I want to encourage it to continue. The only issue I have with Bryston is that I wish Chris will call or send my instruction to put the harness on my BDP-3 so I can use all eight (8) USB drives and wifi. But even now, I'm not upset. If I had to guess a reason, he's probably too busy trying to work on an unnecessary replacement for Manic Moose for someone to find fault in its new replacement. However, thats life. But, I need to give Chris praise too. One day he spent close to three (3) hours with me on the phone helping me with my then, BDP2. So, I have no problems with Chris as he is a great human being.  8)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: zoom25 on 7 Aug 2020, 09:41 pm
The web Manic Moose on a phone is a non-option. On an iPad, it's still a pain. 15 inch MacBook Pro is better. It's perfect on the 27" iMac. If Bryston made a basic app with Manic Moose capabilities that scaled properly on smaller screens, that'd be much appreciated. I wasn't fond of the third party apps. Their metadata and library capabilities were limited and they wouldn't update properly. Spotify's app does a lot more and does it all very clearly on both desktop or iPad or iPhone/iPod.

FWIW I wholeheartedly agree with 'Robert' :wink:
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 7 Aug 2020, 09:51 pm
The web Manic Moose on a phone is a non-option. On an iPad, it's still a pain. 15 inch MacBook Pro is better. It's perfect on the 27" iMac. If Bryston made a basic app with Manic Moose capabilities that scaled properly on smaller screens, that'd be much appreciated. I wasn't fond of the third party apps. Their metadata and library capabilities were limited and they wouldn't update properly. Spotify's app does a lot more and does it all very clearly on both desktop or iPad or iPhone/iPod.

FWIW I wholeheartedly agree with 'Robert' :wink:
8) :D I use a 15" Macbook Pro. It sits to the left of me on a table, and I access both music from the BDP-3 and movies from Apple TV with my Macbook Pro. I am thrilled and appreciative to be living in a modern age.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: zoom25 on 7 Aug 2020, 10:08 pm
8) :D I use a 15" Macbook Pro. It sits to the left of me on a table, and I access both music from the BDP-3 and movies from Apple TV with my Macbook Pro. I am thrilled and appreciative to be living in a modern age.

The whole reason I bought the BDP-1 in the first place was to get away from computers in the first place...
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 7 Aug 2020, 11:43 pm
The whole reason I bought the BDP-1 in the first place was to get away from computers in the first place...

But at least its better than getting up and putting in a single CD or getting up and putting an album on a turntable. For the BDP, the only thing the computer does is keep us from getting up and selecting the music manually through the BDP. It can be done, but not without great inconvenience. Martin Luther King, Jr. use to say "longevity has its place." I say, computers have its place.  :wink: :) The BDP and digital players in general are a godsend for folks with an extensive CD collection.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 8 Aug 2020, 02:04 am
Zoom, I'm sitting here now listening to a brand new Paul Hardcastle release, Hardcastle 9 through the BDP. Nice! The only regret I have about buying my BDP is that I am buying more music than ever and I import them, store them and never play them. :oops: :oops:
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 8 Aug 2020, 02:05 am
Delete
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: NorthMac on 8 Aug 2020, 02:34 am
...The more demands you put on a company, the more prices increases. So, I am trying to save the company money so that cost will not increase to the the point we can't afford this stuff.


Just to be clear here:  it is not any of our responsibilities to decide how Bryston or any company spends their funds.  As a long standing firm they invest money into research for new products, most of which presumably hit the market and make Bryston even more money hence were good investments.  The cost of their research, prototypes, etc. is factored into the price of products, otherwise these would lose them money.  We have all paid Bryston's asking price for something, so by definition we feel we get good value.   In this thread, Bryston via James has asked for honest feedback on the interface(s) for their digital products.  What Bryston wants to do with this, including how much they might be prepared to spend on it, is completely their decision.  My guess is that many contributors to this thread would in fact pay a higher price (not guessing how much) for an up to date interface app, but that would be a different topic to this one.  So please, leave costs out of this.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: zoom25 on 8 Aug 2020, 02:59 am
I can sympathize with the cost aspect, and it absolutely does matter! However, at the current prices they are already charging, these units should already be coming standard with something decent. It shouldn't be extra. If you're going to sell a full fledged solution, then make sure it meets that requirement in every way. When I originally bought the BDP-1, the features and Manic Moose feature seemed fine for the time. However, no way I would consider a BDP-3 as it comes today with its native MPD/Manic Moose. The only thing driving that purchase would be SQ. If I was just building around Roon, I'd also explore other options, especially those that sound well with Roon.

Or you can be like other manufacturers that are only concerned with the hardware and make it very clear that they don't want to deal with the software side of things. They'll either say use DLNA/UPnP or use the hardware as a Roon Ready endpoint. There are products on the market designed with just Roon in mind for example.

From a price point, I'd be down for that solution as well. Forget MPD and Manic Moose and USBs, just make it network only and have it sound as good as possible as a Roon endpoint.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 8 Aug 2020, 10:57 am
Hi Folks,

I really appreciate all the feedback - even though it can get a little heated at times!

We will certainly look at some of these ideas going forward and I think having different versions of the software (apps plus web based) makes good sense and allows our customers to use the most appropriate interface they require.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 9 Aug 2020, 08:41 pm
Hi Folks,

... even though it can get a little heated at times!


james

I'd say more spirited than heated. Anyway, the dialog was all good to me and I learned a lot, and I'm sure others did too. 8) Thanks James for you and your company standing by its customers and product.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WillyP on 18 Aug 2020, 04:03 pm
Hi Folks,

I really appreciate all the feedback - even though it can get a little heated at times!

We will certainly look at some of these ideas going forward and I think having different versions of the software (apps plus web based) makes good sense and allows our customers to use the most appropriate interface they require.

james

James,

When can we expect a new version of Manic Moose, or perhaps even Nutty Narwhal?

WillyP
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 18 Aug 2020, 04:22 pm
James,

When can we expect a new version of Manic Moose, or perhaps even Nutty Narwhal?

WillyP

Hi Willy

That a Chris question by my sense is it is a while off.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: beeah on 18 Aug 2020, 05:13 pm
I do not know if you meant this in jest but if you did not please do not contribute to our forum.

I do not have time for negative people who contribute nothing other than the need to attack others.

Please stay away.

james

I didn't realize the 45th had such devoted followers north of the 49th.

I'll be sure to stay away, both from this forum as well as Bryston products in general (of which I have owned three, and still own one).

Have a nice day.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 18 Aug 2020, 05:17 pm
I didn't realize the 45th had such devoted followers north of the 49th.

I'll be sure to stay away, both from this forum as well as Bryston products in general (of which I have owned three, and still own one).

Have a nice day.

GREAT !!!

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 18 Aug 2020, 05:19 pm
Hi Willy

That a Chris question by my sense is it is a while off.

james

Hi Willy

I spoke with Chris and he said he is working on an update today.

Have you been downloading the BETA versions?

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Timslim18 on 18 Aug 2020, 05:59 pm
Hi Folks,

I really appreciate all the feedback - even though it can get a little heated at times!

We will certainly look at some of these ideas going forward and I think having different versions of the software (apps plus web based) makes good sense and allows our customers to use the most appropriate interface they require.

james

James:

Before this post, I was wondering what your takeaway was after the many views expressed on this topic.

Listening to customers is fundamental to building a successful company. 

Thanks for truly "listening."

Bryston has generated enviable loyalty. You, Chris, Mike, Gary and Stan back up your quality products with customer service second to none.

I look forward to what you will direct Bryston to develop in this ever evolving digital audio world.

With gratitude. 

TS
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 18 Aug 2020, 08:53 pm
Hi

Yes the take -away is I think we need an APP as well as a detailed WEB interface and hopefully satisfy both types of customers.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Jozsef on 1 Sep 2020, 01:55 am
I use MM so obviously I like it a lot. Since you asked, I would appreciate a tree view of the folders rather than simply a back button if this could be incorporated elegantly. Also, in the Default View, it would help new users to have a clear delineation between clickable elements and labels, as the typefaces are not visual clues nor are any others provided.

Tidal and Qobuz, again in the Default View, are a bit of annoying clutter for me since I don't use them. Somebody explained to me that local files sound better than streaming and that seems to be the case so it would be nice to hide those.  :wink:

As an aside, it saddens me to see Manic Moose described as ugly. Insulting other people's taste serves no worthwhile purpose and Chris Rice is a nice guy who does not deserve to have his hard work denigrated. Differences in taste are subjective, although putting on my graphic designer hat, I'd say it looks very nice and I enjoy looking at it and using it.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 1 Sep 2020, 01:24 pm
I use MM so obviously I like it a lot. Since you asked, I would appreciate a tree view of the folders rather than simply a back button if this could be incorporated elegantly. Also, in the Default View, it would help new users to have a clear delineation between clickable elements and labels, as the typefaces are not visual clues nor are any others provided.

Tidal and Qobuz, again in the Default View, are a bit of annoying clutter for me since I don't use them. Somebody explained to me that local files sound better than streaming and that seems to be the case so it would be nice to hide those.  :wink:

As an aside, it saddens me to see Manic Moose described as ugly. Insulting other people's taste serves no worthwhile purpose and Chris Rice is a nice guy who does not deserve to have his hard work denigrated. Differences in taste are subjective, although putting on my graphic designer hat, I'd say it looks very nice and I enjoy looking at it and using it.

I just purchased a Sony 65AG9 OLED television and its black and white interface sprinkled with color reminds me of Manic Moose. Its fine.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Jozsef on 5 Sep 2020, 08:44 am
I didn't realize the 45th had such devoted followers north of the 49th.

I'll be sure to stay away, both from this forum as well as Bryston products in general (of which I have owned three, and still own one).

Have a nice day.
Oh come on, going to the wall over a misunderstanding serves no useful purpose that I can see. You original post made no mention of who was being insulted and I assumed it was Chris, the creator of MM and soon(ish) NN. We have opinions about politics and love to come here and discuss audio and music instead, in many cases very much to get away from disturbing things in the world and clear our heads, I should imagine. I believe that politics, religion and personal insults are forbidden topics here and should remain so. I know I can use a break from strife. It's up to you to agree or not with this idea.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 10 Sep 2020, 01:35 pm

As an aside, it saddens me to see Manic Moose described as ugly. Insulting other people's taste serves no worthwhile purpose and Chris Rice is a nice guy who does not deserve to have his hard work denigrated. Differences in taste are subjective, although putting on my graphic designer hat, I'd say it looks very nice and I enjoy looking at it and using it.

I agree. Nice post.  8)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: GSDaudio on 24 Sep 2020, 01:54 pm
Hi James,

With respect to   "So, I would like to get feedback from those of you using it as to what you like and what you find troublesome."

LIKES:
I manage local libraries of music so I like the structure of MM
I like the web access to MM since I'm always on my Mac.   Wife uses iPad and safari to access...and uses it.   
I had a BDP-1 for years and it is still supported.   True to Bryston's logo.   I know Nutty Narwhal will not be supported...OK since the BDP-1 had its day.

TROUBLESOME:
I prefer that the MEDIA SERVER screen populated first and not the DASHBOARD.   The more "common" user changes should be accessible in the MEDIA SERVER.   Computer settings and audio don't mix well for me so I avoid the DASHBOARD.
MM looks great when screen maximized on the Mac.   Otherwise there is too much scrolling.  If only MM could scale down accordingly
When a playlist is loaded, recycle songs, and random is selected....I always get the same songs played over again.   Some AI to make a better random experience would be nice.

FYI my comments are based on local file playback (17k songs).   My ISP doesn't allow for a meaningful third party or streaming experience.  (rural 10mps)

Thanks for listening!
Richard

Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 24 Sep 2020, 04:39 pm

When a playlist is loaded, recycle songs, and random is selected....I always get the same songs played over again.   Some AI to make a better random experience would be nice.


Hi Richard,

Thanks for the feedback and we'll certain take both the likes and dislikes into account developing nutty narwhal (like most everyone else), but I would like to make one suggestion that you may not have tried in manic moose related to your random playlist remark.  There's a button labeled consume, toggling this will remove a track from the play queue to ensure it isn't played a second time.  Not necessarily the solution you had in mind and perhaps you already considered?

Chris
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: GSDaudio on 24 Sep 2020, 05:44 pm
Hi Chris,

Thanks for the tip.  I sometimes don't use the consume feature when working around the house....I get lazy with creating huge playlists then expect the BDP-1 to run music forever especially when I get my hands dirty i.e. painting.

Cheers,
Richard
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 24 Sep 2020, 06:51 pm
Hi Chris,

Thanks for the tip.  I sometimes don't use the consume feature when working around the house....I get lazy with creating huge playlists then expect the BDP-1 to run music forever especially when I get my hands dirty i.e. painting.

Cheers,
Richard

yah that is a downside to that technique for sure.  If you the have the Bryston DB and Bryston API turned on you can also use the "add some song" feature to help keep your playlist going once it gets down to the last track.


(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=215085)


Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: GSDaudio on 25 Sep 2020, 12:28 pm
Hi Chris,

Thanks for pointing to me to this "add some song" feature!   This is just what I needed!    FYI the feature doesn't appear to work in Song View which I don't use often.

Thanks again!
Richard
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Timslim18 on 16 Oct 2020, 03:02 am
Posts in this forum topic left me scratching my head.  Somehow my incredible frustration with MM must not have been experienced by others.  As recent as last week, I had more aggravation as the last update of MM bricked my BDP-1 once again. Perhaps, I wondered, my expectations of a stable, attractive and intuitive user interface were too lofty.

But apparently not.  I just read the review below and had to agree with each point related to MM.

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/review-bryston-bda-314-dac-streamer-digital-preamp-r941/

The Computer Audiophile on September 4, 2020 in his review of the BDA-3.14 devoted half of his article to describing his user experience with MM.  He wrote... "I couldn't find any redeeming qualities in this interface."

The quality of hardware is only as good as the quality of the software.  Neither is any good on its own. 

Who wants to buy an Aston Martin with glitchy software causing it to stall expectantly and go no higher than first gear?

After eight years, this long-suffering Canadian is just about done with his BDP-1 and his BDP-3 and only because of MM.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: NorthMac on 16 Oct 2020, 05:19 pm
Posts in this forum topic left me scratching my head.  Somehow my incredible frustration with MM must not have been experienced by others.  As recent as last week, I had more aggravation as the last update of MM bricked my BDP-1 once again. Perhaps, I wondered, my expectations of a stable, attractive and intuitive user interface were too lofty.

But apparently not.  I just read the review below and had to agree with each point related to MM.

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/review-bryston-bda-314-dac-streamer-digital-preamp-r941/

The Computer Audiophile on September 4, 2020 in his review of the BDA-3.14 devoted half of his article to describing his user experience with MM.  He wrote... "I couldn't find any redeeming qualities in this interface."

The quality of hardware is only as good as the quality of the software.  Neither is any good on its own. 

Who wants to buy an Aston Martin with glitchy software causing it to stall expectantly and go no higher than first gear?

After eight years, this long-suffering Canadian is just about done with his BDP-1 and his BDP-3 and only because of MM.

Not sure what you mean by 'your frustration' - if you mean having your BDP bricked, my impression is that very few have had this particular problem. If you mean just unhappiness with the usability and design of the interface, well there were many posts in this thread earlier in the summer agreeing with this, and pretty much repeating the Computer Audiophile review criticism.  And in response to a post by you in fact, James did acknowledge that Bryston is now aware of the "range of opinions" around interfaces, and perhaps, a greater awareness of the value of a well designed app.  So that is all we can do at the moment as customers....  short of actually moving away from Bryston as you are intending to do. 
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 18 Oct 2020, 08:20 pm
Posts in this forum topic left me scratching my head.  Somehow my incredible frustration with MM must not have been experienced by others.  As recent as last week, I had more aggravation as the last update of MM bricked my BDP-1 once again. Perhaps, I wondered, my expectations of a stable, attractive and intuitive user interface were too lofty.

But apparently not.  I just read the review below and had to agree with each point related to MM.

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/review-bryston-bda-314-dac-streamer-digital-preamp-r941/

The Computer Audiophile on September 4, 2020 in his review of the BDA-3.14 devoted half of his article to describing his user experience with MM.  He wrote... "I couldn't find any redeeming qualities in this interface."

The quality of hardware is only as good as the quality of the software.  Neither is any good on its own. 

Who wants to buy an Aston Martin with glitchy software causing it to stall expectantly and go no higher than first gear?

After eight years, this long-suffering Canadian is just about done with his BDP-1 and his BDP-3 and only because of MM.

My Manic Moose is not glitchy. Of course, I don't have any fancy network setup and I don't us Roon. I have my own CDs and music that I import. Regardless, I like Manic Moose.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Nitsuave on 21 Oct 2020, 02:18 am
I’ve been using Manic Moose for 6 months with my BDA 3.14 to stream from my NAS as well as Tidal.
There are 2 items that could be tweaked when accessing my album collection in Tidal.

1. When going into an album to view and select individual tracks and then going back out to the album list, MM takes you back to the top of your list.  This same sequence with my NAS albums keeps me in the same range of albums.

2. When I view my album collection in Tidal is it possible to display the list alphabetically by artist instead of by album title?  The artist view sort of accomplishes this but displays all albums for each artist in my collection which is not exactly what I want.

Otherwise, MM meets my needs and the sound of the BDA 3.14 is superb.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 21 Oct 2020, 11:22 am
Thanks everyone for your feedback - we are working on improvements.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: vonnie123 on 22 Oct 2020, 10:11 pm
Quote from: Timslim18 link=topic=171001.msg1827561#msg1827561 date=160281734n8
Posts in this forum topic left me scratching my head.  Somehow my incredible frustration with MM must not have been experienced by others.  As recent as last week, I had more aggravation as the last update of MM bricked my BDP-1 once again. Perhaps, I wondered, my expectations of a stable, attractive and intuitive user interface were too lofty.

But apparently not.  I just read the review below and had to agree with each point related to MM.

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/review-bryston-bda-314-dac-streamer-digital-preamp-r941/

The Computer Audiophile on September 4, 2020 in his review of the BDA-3.14 devoted half of his article to describing his user experience with MM.  He wrote... "I couldn't find any redeeming qualities in this interface."

The quality of hardware is only as good as the quality of the software.  Neither is any good on its own. 

Who wants to buy an Aston Martin with glitchy software causing it to stall expectantly and go no higher than first gear?

After eight years, this long-suffering Canadian is just about done with his BDP-1 and his BDP-3 and only because of MM.

No doubt the BDP-1 is underpowered, but that's not neccessarily the fault of MM.  MM has undergone numerous improvements, and basically the BDP-1 can't keep up.  The original ipad can't be used with anything either.  I have a BDP-1 and two BDP-2s (one has a BOT-1 attached).  The BDP-2s are rock solid, and the BDP-1 is still very serviceable as a Roon renderer.  Where problems arise is when you want to switch back and forth between Mpad, DLNA, and Roon Ready.  The database is sluggish on the BDP-1.  Why you are having difficulty with a BDP-3 is beyond me.  The BDP-2s work great.

Try downloading the Rigelian app.  That might be easier for you to navigate.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: GSDaudio on 23 Oct 2020, 06:35 pm
"Try downloading the Rigelian app.  That might be easier for you to navigate."

I downloaded the app last week.     The app warned that MPD 0.17 too low.   Need MPD 0.19.   (something like that)

I proceeded any way and the BDP-1 became unresponsive.  I had to "turn-off. turn-on" to get it back.

I understand that the BDP-1 is maxed out at MPD 0.17

Try SOUNDIROK ....but it will cost you $5 to try.   

Cheers,
Richard


Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 23 Oct 2020, 11:56 pm

I understand that the BDP-1 is maxed out at MPD 0.17


That's not true, BDP-1's support the latest firmware and Manic Moose currently offers users the ability to choose between 0.17, 0.18 and 0.19

http://support.bryston.com/downloads/BDP/Manic%20Moose%20Manual.pdf

Chris

Chris
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: GSDaudio on 24 Oct 2020, 11:22 am
Hi Chris,

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you !!!

I switched to MPD 0.19.21 on my BDP-1 and it works perfectly!   Rigelian now works and I am starting to play with the interface.

Thank you for the link to Manic Moose pdf.   Hopefully, I won't spread fallacies on this forum again.  :D

Cheers,
Richard
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Pironi on 30 Nov 2020, 11:28 pm
Hello,
BDP2 here,
Just moved to a new home and had to reset all network related stuff to work.
The setup is the same but it seems I have a strange problem.
There is no way to find Tidal login interface in the MM.
Just downloaded the latest f/w

S2.44 2020-11-05

And yes please do something with the interface..
I have lost count on the times that I sat down to listen to some music and I ended up trying to figure out what is wrong with MM



(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=217675)

(http://[img][img][img]
[img]https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=217675)
[/img][/img][/img][/img]
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 30 Nov 2020, 11:47 pm
Recently, I had to upgrade my MacBook Pro. It took quite some time and so I had to use my phone to access Manic Moose. From having used it before, I found it very easy, intuitive and convenient using Manic Moose with my iPhone.  Love live Manic Moose. 8)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: GSDaudio on 1 Dec 2020, 12:29 am
Just unwrapped my new BDP-3!!!!

Everything I turned off in manic moose to keep my BDP-1 working was turned on my BDP-3.....happy, happy, happy!    And man, the BDP-3 sound is a bigger leap in fidelity than I expected!   Both in library folder music and most definitely with TIDAL.   I think it is a good match with the dac in my BP26DA.   

Cheers,
Richard

Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 1 Dec 2020, 11:18 am
Hello,
BDP2 here,
Just moved to a new home and had to reset all network related stuff to work.
The setup is the same but it seems I have a strange problem.
There is no way to find Tidal login interface in the MM.
Just downloaded the latest f/w

S2.44 2020-11-05

And yes please do something with the interface..
I have lost count on the times that I sat down to listen to some music and I ended up trying to figure out what is wrong with MM





Well I'm not going to say you've never had problems with Manic Moose, but in this case TIDAL has changed how devices like the BDP's authenticate with there service and the change is one forced on us all.  There is now a login button in the TIDAL menu found on the default page as per the README that appears before upgrading firmware.

(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=217696)

Chris
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Pironi on 1 Dec 2020, 02:27 pm
It worked.
Thank you very much for the prompt reply!
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: davidtgoh on 18 Dec 2020, 01:40 pm
It would be very helpful for me if there was an ability within MM to read pdf’s of booklets that are stored in the same folder as the music files on a given album. I listen primarily to a very large collection of classical ripped cd’s and hi rez downloads (dsd, dxd, pcm).  I organize through grouping by performer or composer/work in folders - it’s cumbersome but works for me as I frequently compare performances of the same work. I store the booklets of pdf in the same folder even though MM does not recognize them and read the booklets from my networked computer. 
BDP-3, BDA-3. 
BTW-Bryston customer service remains amazing - last wk Chris Rice responded right away and fixed an issue with my BDP through service mode. Many thanks!
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 20 Dec 2020, 02:18 pm
It would be very helpful for me if there was an ability within MM to read pdf’s of booklets that are stored in the same folder as the music files on a given album. I listen primarily to a very large collection of classical ripped cd’s and hi rez downloads (dsd, dxd, pcm).  I organize through grouping by performer or composer/work in folders - it’s cumbersome but works for me as I frequently compare performances of the same work. I store the booklets of pdf in the same folder even though MM does not recognize them and read the booklets from my networked computer. 
BDP-3, BDA-3. 
BTW-Bryston customer service remains amazing - last wk Chris Rice responded right away and fixed an issue with my BDP through service mode. Many thanks!

This should already exist.  It does require both the Bryston DB and Bryston API to be turned on under the Bryston DB media player settings along with get artist inf found under default media player settings.  If it's not working place the unit into service mode and email me the service is so I can take a look remotely.

Chris
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Pironi on 6 Jan 2021, 08:24 am
Hello,
May you all have a happy new year!

It seems that I'm having a problem with the Shairport-Sync service.
There is no possible way to connect from 2 different iPhones, BDP doesn't appear on the list as it normally did in the past.
I have tried to put a fixed IP and hard reset the devices many times.
Do you have any idea on what else Should I try ?

Thanks,
Spyros
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 6 Jan 2021, 11:53 am
Hello,
May you all have a happy new year!

It seems that I'm having a problem with the Shairport-Sync service.
There is no possible way to connect from 2 different iPhones, BDP doesn't appear on the list as it normally did in the past.
I have tried to put a fixed IP and hard reset the devices many times.
Do you have any idea on what else Should I try ?

Thanks,
Spyros

I certainly would avoid using a static ip address.

Two things to check, make sure your iOS devices are connected to the same network as the BDP, the first three octets of the ip address should match (ie if the BDP is assigned 192.168.0.12, your iphone would be assigned an address beginning with 192.168.0.).  The other thing to check is to make sure the service is running after turning it on, you can check its state on the services settings page.

Chris
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Pironi on 6 Jan 2021, 07:58 pm
Hello Chris, thanks for your help.
I have the same first ip octets:
Router is 192.168.31.1
iPhone is 192.168.31.9
BDP is 192.168.31.159

The services are double checked:

(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=219228)


(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=219229)


(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=219230)

Is there something that I'm missing, or any other ideas?

Thanks




Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 6 Jan 2021, 09:05 pm
Hello Chris, thanks for your help.
I have the same first ip octets:
Router is 192.168.31.1
iPhone is 192.168.31.9
BDP is 192.168.31.159


I'm not sure if you've maybe setup some IP address reservation? Usually DHCP servers handout IP's in order (not always, so perhaps this is normal for your device), but there appears to be a large jump between your iPhone and the BDP, 9 vs 159.  What I'm trying to get at is some routers will semi isolate traffic between wired and wireless devices (i guess its a security feature).  I could be totally wrong, but you might want to go into your routers settings and check for any kind of feature that isolates wired devices from your wireless devices.  Its not a feature I see very frequently, but i have come across it a handful of times.  Im also assuming the BDP is wired to your home network and the iPhone is wireless.

Chris
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Pironi on 26 Jan 2021, 07:44 pm
Hello Chris,
I didn't reply earlier because I was waiting for a new router to check the lan to wifi isolation thing...
I have new devices all around and nothing has changed. I have proper connection through ip or the "my.bryston.com" page but it's impossible to see the device on my iPhones list
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 27 Jan 2021, 08:15 pm
Folks wanting a revamp of Manic Moose for the BDP digital player should keep in mind that this revision will cause an increase in prices. My take is functionality and performance over cosmetics or aesthetics, however you want to term it.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: bigbuj on 27 Jan 2021, 10:26 pm
i have spoken to Gary Dayton on FB about a new interface for the bdp-3 and he confirmed to me that it's coming out shortly. MM imo is outdated not user frendly and Tidal integration is a pain. I'm happy Bryston is moving on to a new experience. I am TechSavy myself and i'm happy Gary told me this today cause i get frustrated with MM all the time. All the other competitors like Auralic , Innuos , bluesound , Emmlabs etc... have app/interface that's more intuitive and friendlier. thanks Bryston for the good news , i will not amymore put my BDP-3 up for sale cause i was on the verge of doing it.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Pironi on 13 Feb 2021, 03:15 am
I'm not sure if you've maybe setup some IP address reservation? Usually DHCP servers handout IP's in order (not always, so perhaps this is normal for your device), but there appears to be a large jump between your iPhone and the BDP, 9 vs 159.  What I'm trying to get at is some routers will semi isolate traffic between wired and wireless devices (i guess its a security feature).  I could be totally wrong, but you might want to go into your routers settings and check for any kind of feature that isolates wired devices from your wireless devices.  Its not a feature I see very frequently, but i have come across it a handful of times.  Im also assuming the BDP is wired to your home network and the iPhone is wireless.

Chris

Dear Chris hello,

After many days of experimentation and many changes on my network devices and topology I found out that the problem of not having Airplay was due to some sort of security option on the Vodafone Greece supplied router.
When using internal wireless or when a wifi router is  connected directly to a port of the vf router, services like shout cast or airplay are not allowed. There was nothing in the menu of 3 different routers that they sent me that could be altered in order ti allow these services.
The way it worked for me was from Isp's router with cable to a switch then with cable to a wifi router and to bdp.

Thanks for the support,
Hope this will work for others as well.
Spyros
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 14 Feb 2021, 03:09 pm
Dear Chris hello,

After many days of experimentation and many changes on my network devices and topology I found out that the problem of not having Airplay was due to some sort of security option on the Vodafone Greece supplied router.
When using internal wireless or when a wifi router is  connected directly to a port of the vf router, services like shout cast or airplay are not allowed. There was nothing in the menu of 3 different routers that they sent me that could be altered in order ti allow these services.
The way it worked for me was from Isp's router with cable to a switch then with cable to a wifi router and to bdp.

Thanks for the support,
Hope this will work for others as well.
Spyros

that's good, sounds like the BDP was double nat'd; both routers using the same IP address scheme through me off.

Chris
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 15 Feb 2021, 12:04 am
Will the Pi have the Huevos to Run the new version of MM?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 16 Feb 2021, 05:14 pm
Will the Pi have the Huevos to Run the new version of MM?

Likely, the new software should make better use of multi core devices like our pi based products that use quad core processors and the BDP-3(also quad core device)/BDP-2(multi thread capable).
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WillyP on 16 Feb 2021, 06:29 pm
Chris,

Does this include the BDA-3.14?

Willy
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: abk456 on 16 Feb 2021, 06:34 pm
Any timing yet for the new interface?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: bigbuj on 18 Sep 2021, 02:30 am
any news about new interface of manic moose in the near future , thanx for your answer.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 18 Sep 2021, 11:21 am
Looks like late fall.

One question I have though is with all these new streaming services like Apple Music, Amazon HD, Qobuz, Spotify, Tidal etc. which use their own apps do you think proprietary software will be necessary?

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Twiga on 18 Sep 2021, 02:42 pm
A legitimate question to ask.

Some of us fogies listen primarily (if not exclusively) to our own libraries. Although there are third-party, non-streaming control interfaces out there, I have become quite used to Manic Moose with all its warts and beauty marks.

My $0.02
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: bigbuj on 18 Sep 2021, 03:38 pm
Looks like late fall.

One question I have though is with all these new streaming services like Apple Music, Amazon HD, Qobuz, Spotify, Tidal etc. which use their own apps do you think proprietary software will be necessary?

james

I think a lot of people use Roon and the BDP-3 as an endpoint. But in my case i have a monthly subcription with Tidal Music. I did try Roon but i found that the sound quality is better in my system just using Manic Moose than going through Roon. Also Roon is not a cheap subscription. I do use on my iphone/ipad the app Rigelian and i like the interface but downside of that app is that there is no integration for Tidal and when i play around with Tidal in Manic Moose i find it's a pain. I manage to play the Tidal music that i want but it's REALLY NOT fluid at all.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Silverbullet on 18 Sep 2021, 09:02 pm
I listen almost exclusively to my own music collection and quite like manic moose. Can’t see any reason to pay ridiculous money for something like ROON. An overriding issue is that the internet service where I live is very basic, ADSL only, and I have to share it with four others who continually stream video. A closed room and MM forever I hope.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: J2Ordan on 19 Sep 2021, 02:07 am
Manic Moose has served me quite well; robust/stable and great sounding. Any time i had a problem with it was when doing some network stuff like adding a new router or messing with network configurations. These FEW times were due to my own doing. Despite my mistakes, Bryston was EXCELLENT is resolving the issue.

That said, to be critical, perhaps overly critical, the interface is a bit "DOS Like." I'd like to see something more like "iTunes" or Artist View integration with Qobuz combined with the "Scraper" option in MM.

As far as ROON is concerned, tried it with the 60 day trail in various configurations. It does some interesting things database wise speaking. But... the sound quality was never as good as using MM the BDP3; ripped aiff files or Qobuz. Yeah, could have gone down the rabbit hole of a dedicated server feeding the BDP3 with exotic four figure cabling, power supplies and other audiophile "dingleberries." No desire past experience with has proved to be of quick diminishing returns.

Looking forward to giving the Nutty interface a whirl when available.

JohnJ
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: NekoAudio on 19 Sep 2021, 08:31 pm
I still meet enough people who want to use their own music on local USB-attached or network storage that Manic Moose is a topic of discussion. Plus people want to be able to also use AirPlay and some streaming services' native apps, switching between their own files and other sources seamlessly.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Calypte on 20 Sep 2021, 08:04 pm
I have most of my CD collection ripped to a Passport drive.  Something like Manic Moose is -- as far as I know -- necessary to access the collection.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Timslim18 on 20 Sep 2021, 09:27 pm
Looks like late fall.

One question I have though is with all these new streaming services like Apple Music, Amazon HD, Qobuz, Spotify, Tidal etc. which use their own apps do you think proprietary software will be necessary?

james

Great (and timely) question.

I sense you are observing that  we are in the midst of a sea change. 

I suspect most MM fans are a generation of audiophiles who, commencing in the 1980's, enjoyed visiting CD shops as they first started their CD collections.  They thoughtfully selected CD's and went back home.  They relished the experience of opening the jewel case, carefully inserting the disc in their CD player of choice, sitting back and listening to their new acquisition as they flipped through the album booklet.  It was a visceral experience. 

Fast forward a couple of decades and we find that those same audiophiles have spent countless hours digitizing their CD collections.   They now own a digital player to play their digitized collection.  Yet they are still looking to duplicate the CD playing experience.  Enter Bryston BDP players and their proprietary software, MM.  MM seems to be all they really need and want. MM allows them to continue listening to their thoughtfully acquired music collection ensuring continued value from their original collection and subsequent digitizing efforts.  MM is not slick but it it usable in their eyes.  Mission accomplished.

But now the sea change.

As I see it, a newer generation or two does not have the same desire to collect physical media (other than a nostalgic impulse for an occasional vinyl purchase if they still have a turntable).  Newer generations are looking for spontaneous access to music.  Streaming is the answer to their needs and wants.  In general, they are more song oriented than album focused.  If they like a song, they will save its name to a playlist for future playback through their streaming platform of choice (Apple Music, Amazon HD, Qobuz, Spotify, Tidal etc.).  No hassles of hard drives or network attached storage, no backup protocols or intranet issues.  They want point and click using a fast reliable intuitive attractive user interface on a plethora of control devices.

There are very very few companies that simultaneously build great hardware and develop great software.  I think Bryston is clearly a great hardware company.  As such, to be the best in class, they need an affiliation with a skilled audio centric software company to keep the current files based BDP users content and, more importantly, to enhance internet streaming to attract new BDP users.

To you question about propriety software for Bryston, I think Bryston going it alone is not advisable.  However, a strategic partnership with an audio software company would bridge the gap between Bryston hardware and software for file management and streaming service access.

This way Bryston proprietary software (MM) fans are well served and, therefore, happy.  And the door is opened for future generations of streaming enthusiasts to buy BDP devices.

My 2 cents.

Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 21 Sep 2021, 12:55 am
Hi Tim

But what I was thinking is that the software available from the streaming companies will supplant the need for sophisticated software from hardware companies.

For example I use Qobuz and Apple Music now for most of my listening.  I save the albums and songs I like to playlists within the specific apps and therefor no need for stored libraries.  The only issue I can see is if your network goes down having dedicated stored music on a NAS etc. would be beneficial.

The Apple Music app is light years ahead of most hardware companies software.

best
james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: NekoAudio on 21 Sep 2021, 01:47 am
Many people of all ages are still building large digital collections of audio (and video). The source of the data may not have been physical media, but they still need a way to play back local files. It needs to be possible to do this via a good app or set of apps available on at least iOS and Android, preferably also Windows and Mac.

Lack of an included app that works well and is well supported would mean always having to discuss what additional software you'll need to use. For a product where the main functionality is network streaming, or where streaming is a major selling point, this can become a negative experience. Especially at higher price points. For example there are two products I'm familiar with that support network streaming but that don't include an app, and in both cases streaming is no longer a major selling feature but more of a bonus that might or might not work out for you. All the other products I can think of do include an app, and the quality of the app is always a factor.

Another consideration is that the streaming services first-party apps may not work, or may not support high-resolution audio playback. The Qobuz iOS app will send the audio data over AirPlay, which will negate any attempts to play back high-resolution audio. I think the Qobuz Android app won't send data at all except to Google Cast devices, and you have to instead use something like BubbleUPnP with Qobuz integration for anything else.

At least for now, I don't think we're close to a more interoperable ecosystem where one can rely upon the streaming services first-party apps.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 21 Sep 2021, 11:22 am
Good discussion - thanks folks.  :thumb:
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 21 Sep 2021, 04:45 pm
I primarily use an iPad to control MM.  Some of the MM functionality does not even work there and what does can be  flaky.  I would like to see an app that leverages the capabilities of the device.

 
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Clive197 on 22 Sep 2021, 08:12 am
I primarily use an iPad to control MM.  Some of the MM functionality does not even work there and what does can be  flaky.  I would like to see an app that leverages the capabilities of the device.

Agree wholeheartedly  :D

 :popcorn:
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Eddy124 on 26 Sep 2021, 12:31 pm
Hi Tim

But what I was thinking is that the software available from the streaming companies will supplant the need for sophisticated software from hardware companies.

For example I use Qobuz and Apple Music now for most of my listening.  I save the albums and songs I like to playlists within the specific apps and therefor no need for stored libraries.  The only issue I can see is if your network goes down having dedicated stored music on a NAS etc. would be beneficial.

The Apple Music app is light years ahead of most hardware companies software.

best
james

Hi James,
I don’t use MM anymore, personally I find the interface to clunky and slow when using Qobuz,  (bda-3.14). I use to be a big Apple Music app user, then tidal and now Qobuz. I can’t help but think there will be another app in the future that I may switch to. I don’t just have a bryston network device streamer so my need is for any app to stream from my iPhone , iPad. Airplay is just so convenient so I would prefer a manufacturer to focus on quality sound streaming.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jcn3 on 27 Sep 2021, 08:29 pm
Hi Tim

But what I was thinking is that the software available from the streaming companies will supplant the need for sophisticated software from hardware companies.

For example I use Qobuz and Apple Music now for most of my listening.  I save the albums and songs I like to playlists within the specific apps and therefor no need for stored libraries.  The only issue I can see is if your network goes down having dedicated stored music on a NAS etc. would be beneficial.

The Apple Music app is light years ahead of most hardware companies software.

best
james

james -- i agree with your thoughts here.  bryston is a hardware company and very good at it.  i would definitely leave as much of the software development and ui to others -- you'll just need to be able to work with them.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Jozsef on 27 Sep 2021, 09:56 pm
When the BDP-1 was introduced, it was my understanding that streaming resulted in audible degradation of sound quality and Bryston had created a player to avoid any compromises that could possibly be designed out of the system. Of course streaming would be possible as an option if one is willing to make the tradeoff.

Since the majority always choose convenience, mp3 and the old analog audio cassette being a couple of dramatic examples, we now see streaming predominate. For various mundane reasons, it's not what I use but if Bryston now sees the BDP-3 as a streaming device, that doesn't strike me as happy news since there seems to be a consensus among the members here that locally stored files always sound better.

It's hard to imagine Bryston selling an industry leading device that would be dependent on other companies making suitable software available for it to work in more than a very basic way. I hope that doesn't come to pass. It really should be excellent out of the box and not potentially die due to a third party moving on.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 27 Sep 2021, 10:50 pm
Hi

Streaming is the future for music listening.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 28 Sep 2021, 12:48 am
Manic Moose on the BDA 3,14 must differ than the BDP3. I like Manic Moose and do not find it clunky.  However, I never stream, but rather, I import my own CDs.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Highendfool on 28 Sep 2021, 02:58 am
Spot the glitch! BDA-3.14 @ 2 months old, latest firmware.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=230257)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 28 Sep 2021, 05:01 pm
Hi

Streaming is the future for music listening.

james

Yeah it is.
 
I have a friend who burned 3K CDs and pushed them up to The Amazons. They just became part of the rest of The Amazons eco system, retired his CD player.   I been working on my streaming setup for years with incremental upgrades (network,cabling, streamer,dac etc)  and although CD/files do sound better its not by much (thanks to Bryston). Same for vinyl and I got a decent TT and P-stage .   I helped a friend make modest upgrades to his streaming setup and he now confesses he rarely ever plays CDs anymore.   

When I was a kid in high school all my buddies had some type of rig, even my sister spun vinyl.  Most of those guys don't have any system now and only a couple friends even have rigs at all and they are mid fi.

My daughter is 24 and has many friends (guys and gals) and I dont know any of them who ever or now has any rendering mechanism other than a laptop or phone.   Even her BF who has a degree in performance Viola listens to music on low end portable devices.  Oh the Humanity.     I set up a modest system at my GF condo with a Sonos ZP90, external DAC and some Audio Engine speakers.  Her kid who is 21 has the Sonos app and knows how to use it.  But every time I go over there she is blue toothing music to this little crappy portable speaker.  :duh:   
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 28 Sep 2021, 11:19 pm
HI

I think the landscape changed when the giants (Apple Music, Amazon HD, Spotify-soon)  started offering High-Resolution (CD quality and above) on their streaming services.

I have playlist at home where I have the Qobuz version of a song and then the CD ripped version and then the downloaded version and every time I do a demo for someone it is a 50/50 split as to which is which.

When we introduced the BDP type products years ago it was the only way to get quality audio and all libraries were 'local". Steaming services offered compressed 320 at best. Now unless you have a huge library most of the streaming services allow you to make playlists and download albums or songs.

That being said the quality of the player still matters - how you handle the streaming side of things , the power supply quality, the analog section, the DAC performance etc. still matters. So products like Bryston that offer superb performance with a front end streamer I think will be the direction in the future.

One question I have is where do we think this leaves smaller players like Qobuz and Tidal, and so DSD and MQA go away as well?  Maybe even ROON but I still think a lot of people will still want a quality library and a way to manage it going forward.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: GSDaudio on 29 Sep 2021, 11:53 am
I agree with James take on the future of streaming.   

I just get worried about music being only available by subscription and various internet providers.    How do you get streaming music for your car when you are travelling far north?  Does this mean no music for the remote cottage?   I guess the younger group will be asking for a copy of grandpas old hard drive in these situations.

Cheers 
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: GrooveControl on 29 Sep 2021, 01:05 pm
I use Spotify and they allow you to download whatever you want to your local device so you can enjoy it offline.  You cannot copy it to another device, and you can only access that music with the Spotify app,  but its still a good feature. 
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 29 Sep 2021, 01:42 pm
I use Spotify and they allow you to download whatever you want to your local device so you can enjoy it offline.  You cannot copy it to another device, and you can only access that music with the Spotify app,  but its still a good feature.

What sample rate is the download? 16/48?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: GrooveControl on 29 Sep 2021, 06:11 pm
What sample rate is the download? 16/48?

Sorry, I don't know how/where to check that. 
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 29 Sep 2021, 07:23 pm
Spot the glitch! BDA-3.14 @ 2 months old, latest firmware.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=230257)

What or where is the glitch?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 29 Sep 2021, 08:33 pm
What or where is the glitch?

Player says yellow jackets,  Album art and playlist say Tool.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 30 Sep 2021, 01:50 pm
Player says yellow jackets,  Album art and playlist say Tool.

I have the BDP3. When I import music, I can put any cover art I desire for an album. But, common sense would make one want to put the cover art for the album on the display. What was the source of the music? It could be a problem with he source. Nothing major though.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 30 Sep 2021, 04:36 pm
Sorry, I don't know how/where to check that.

from Spotify support site:

Supported file types

Note: Some of your files may be protected in restricted formats. Install QuickTime on your computer to allow most of these tracks to be played on Spotify.

    .mp3
    .m4p (unless it contains video)
    .mp4 (if QuickTime is installed on your computer)

The iTunes lossless format (M4A) is not supported.

If your file isn’t supported, we do our best to match it with songs from the Spotify catalog. The version we match with might differ from the original.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: arloparanhos on 5 Oct 2021, 04:03 pm
Just jumping in here.  Lots of good discussion in this thread.

I've been using a BR-20 as my DAC & Pre.  Sound is GAME CHANGING.
I tried MM for a few weeks, but find the Bluesound interface much faster and easier to use from my phone.  Phone app controls a Bluesound Node which happily delivers Qobuz up to 24/192 to the BR-20.  For some services Bluesound doesn't support as well, Spotify + archived radio programs on Soundcloud or Mixcloud, a Sonos Port delivers those to the BR-20.  Sonos controller app on phone, ipad is excellent though Port streaming caps out at 24/48. Again, being able to select the audio content from local, streaming, etc. from my phone then leverage the BR-20 as DAC and Pre has fantastic.  This config also allows me to play same music in my other 7 home music zones.  Also allows me to play those same albums while in the car, plane, vacation, etc.  Qobuz supports download and offline playing up to 24/192.  Use the lightning to _____ connector to avoid bluetooth in the signal path when outside the home...

Hope that is helpful to someone trying to cover all their use cases with highest possible sound quality.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: mr_bill on 7 Oct 2021, 12:30 am
James, any updates on what is replacing Manic Moose and when? (If I have my facts straight)
The advent of Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect and Apple Music are changing the plans.
I personally still like Pandora too and nice to use a radio option too like IHeart.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: mr_bill on 7 Oct 2021, 12:33 am
HI

I think the landscape changed when the giants (Apple Music, Amazon HD, Spotify-soon)  started offering High-Resolution (CD quality and above) on their streaming services.

I have playlist at home where I have the Qobuz version of a song and then the CD ripped version and then the downloaded version and every time I do a demo for someone it is a 50/50 split as to which is which.

When we introduced the BDP type products years ago it was the only way to get quality audio and all libraries were 'local". Steaming services offered compressed 320 at best. Now unless you have a huge library most of the streaming services allow you to make playlists and download albums or songs.

That being said the quality of the player still matters - how you handle the streaming side of things , the power supply quality, the analog section, the DAC performance etc. still matters. So products like Bryston that offer superb performance with a front end streamer I think will be the direction in the future.

One question I have is where do we think this leaves smaller players like Qobuz and Tidal, and so DSD and MQA go away as well?  Maybe even ROON but I still think a lot of people will still want a quality library and a way to manage it going forward.

I think you are right on the money here.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: whanafi on 10 Oct 2021, 04:53 pm
To be honest I was thinking about removing support for the client in nutty narwhal let alone adding the server aspect to it and hadn't realized the software was still being maintained.  I can't promise it'll make it in to the firmware, but will certainly investigate it, thanks for bringing it up.

Chris

Chris, I bought the BDP-1 with the promise that it would support LMS and it has done so nicely.  I use iPeng as the client and it sees the BDP-1 as a player along with my other Squeezeboxes.   PLEASE do NOT drop support for LMS.  All of the comments about the native interface are solved by having a mature and supported music server running on a NAS with a mature and supported music client.  That relieves the pressure you get from people pulling in opposite directions.  Don't fight the war, just be neutral and let the equipment do what it is good at.  To be clear, I mean there are any number of streaming and standard library organizing systems out there.  To me, it makes sense to support standards rather than trying to duplicate them.  LMS lives, it works well for those of us with physical collecitons while those who stream need support for their chosen services.  Think of it as concentrating on the API instead of the whole program.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: mr_bill on 10 Oct 2021, 05:36 pm
I like LMS and Ipeng too.
Can LMS be used on BR20 instead of manic moose?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: mr_bill on 10 Oct 2021, 06:15 pm
Hi Tim

But what I was thinking is that the software available from the streaming companies will supplant the need for sophisticated software from hardware companies.

For example I use Qobuz and Apple Music now for most of my listening.  I save the albums and songs I like to playlists within the specific apps and therefor no need for stored libraries.  The only issue I can see is if your network goes down having dedicated stored music on a NAS etc. would be beneficial.

The Apple Music app is light years ahead of most hardware companies software.

best
james

James, how do use Tidal (or qobuz) or Apple Music with a BR20 and a phone app for control?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 10 Oct 2021, 06:19 pm
Hi

Tidal and Qobuz are available as a link through Manic Moose.


(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=230662)


Apple Music and Spotify and Amazon HD you can get on your IPAD or Iphone and stream to the BR20 using Shareport in MM or connect to the USB input on the BR20 using an adapter.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: mr_bill on 10 Oct 2021, 06:32 pm
The USB connection must be with the CCK? (Camera connection kit)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 10 Oct 2021, 11:26 pm
The USB connection must be with the CCK? (Camera connection kit)

Correct - see my Newsletter.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 11 Oct 2021, 04:43 pm
So will MM be getting interfaces to more services than Tidal and Qobuz that offer higher resolution?  (e.g The Amazons, Deezer etc).  Or direct me to link where previously discussed.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 11 Oct 2021, 05:52 pm
So will MM be getting interfaces to more services than Tidal and Qobuz that offer higher resolution?  (e.g The Amazons, Deezer etc).  Or direct me to link where previously discussed.

Hi - not sure about Deezer but the way I see it we will allow the APPS from all the services to be played on our products.  Some using our software and some using the App of the music supplier.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: NekoAudio on 11 Oct 2021, 06:34 pm
So will MM be getting interfaces to more services than Tidal and Qobuz that offer higher resolution?  (e.g The Amazons, Deezer etc).  Or direct me to link where previously discussed.
I believe Amazon Music's first party apps that support casting require a device with one of Alexa, Google Cast, or AirPlay integration. So AirPlay will work for you. I think Deezer is the same but I'm not as sure.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: mr_bill on 11 Oct 2021, 08:21 pm
Hi - not sure about Deezer but the way I see it we will allow the APPS from all the services to be played on our products.  Some using our software and some using the App of the music supplier.

james

This is a good plan.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Stefan_DR3 on 13 Oct 2021, 04:56 am
This is a good plan.

No, I think when James says using the App of the music supplier that means casting or Airplay, not the coveted Bryston player that is the subject of this thread.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: mr_bill on 13 Oct 2021, 02:41 pm
.......as long as it doesn't affect the listening quality, I'm fine - probably be easier
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 13 Oct 2021, 07:50 pm
No, I think when James says using the App of the music supplier that means casting or Airplay, not the coveted Bryston player that is the subject of this thread.

That's what I envisioned.  But actually sending the stream from the Service App to the BDP, like an endpoint.  James is that correct?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 13 Oct 2021, 07:56 pm
Hi Folks,

Yes Apple Music and Amazon HD etc. have their own apps so I assumed most would just use Airplay or a wired connection from their phone or IPAD directly.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Stefan_DR3 on 13 Oct 2021, 09:50 pm
.......as long as it doesn't affect the listening quality, I'm fine - probably be easier

Casting does affect sound quality. For one it does not support hi-res (Airplay will compress it to 16/44.1 before sending it over your network.)

According to all the BDP reviews I’ve read that’s not the best sounding method of streaming, even for 16/44 files. Casting uses protocols that may not preserve integrity of the music, which defeats the purpose of having a high-end “bit perfect” device like the BDP.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 14 Oct 2021, 03:22 am
Normally I stream Qobuz to my BDP through MM or Roon.  Roon/MM and the DAC will indicate higher res file as 24/96 or higher.

  I was playing around with the Qobuz iPAD app streaming directly to my DAC via the lighting port/USB.  If I choose an HD track 24/96 and stream it from the app is plays at Redbook 16/48.  To get the full resolution I have to download the track and then it plays at its full indicated resolution.   
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Francois_Tardif on 14 Oct 2021, 08:08 pm
Hi,

I was wondering... When the songs are tagged with the "Artist", "Album" and "Genre", and when selecting songs in MM using the "Genre" option, it lists all the albums that correspond to the "Genre" selected. This is not very useful since there may be many albums in a specific genre. Can MM be configured to display the artists that correspond to the "Genre" and after selecting an artist, MM would display the albums?

Francois
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 14 Oct 2021, 08:45 pm
Hi,

I was wondering... When the songs are tagged with the "Artist", "Album" and "Genre", and when selecting songs in MM using the "Genre" option, it lists all the albums that correspond to the "Genre" selected. This is not very useful since there may be many albums in a specific genre. Can MM be configured to display the artists that correspond to the "Genre" and after selecting an artist, MM would display the albums?

Francois

Seems to me that is impossible as what music is a particular genre can be subjective.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Francois_Tardif on 14 Oct 2021, 08:54 pm
Sorry for not being clear (English is not my first language). The user (me) tagged the files by himself. There is no subjectivity here. Now, when all the tagging has been done, is it possible to configure MM to first, select a genre and then, select an artist within this genre.

Hope this is clear.

Francois
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: GSDaudio on 15 Oct 2021, 11:32 am
Sorry for not being clear (English is not my first language). The user (me) tagged the files by himself. There is no subjectivity here. Now, when all the tagging has been done, is it possible to configure MM to first, select a genre and then, select an artist within this genre.

Hi Francois,
My experience is that there is no way do what you describe.  It seems the MPD part of MM only allows one "sort" either by Artist, genre or album.   I haven't specifically tried to do what you have since I spend more of my efforts to randomize music not get more specific.   I'll have to try it out.   I use a META program on my MAC to change the meta tags but there is only so much the MPD can do in MM.   I'm not sure if an upgrade to a more recent MPD will help.   

Cheers
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Francois_Tardif on 18 Oct 2021, 04:40 pm
Thank you for your reply. My understanding is also that MM only allows one "sort" either by Artist, genre or album. It makes sense for a sort by artist because there is a limited number of albums for one artist. In the case of a sort by genre, usually, there can be A LOT of albums within a specific genre, so the sort is pretty much useless.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: BSMSPEMBA on 26 Oct 2021, 11:59 am
Hi Folks,

Yes Apple Music and Amazon HD etc. have their own apps so I assumed most would just use Airplay or a wired connection from their phone or IPAD directly.

james

James,

I may have misunderstood, but does this mean that your expectation is that we would plug our iPhone, Mac, or PC directly into our DACs and no longer use our BDP-1/2/3? Personally, I would prefer to use the BDP as the player with the Apple or Amazon HD apps loaded onto it, which would eliminate another USB connection or the need for AirPlay, which as I recall has a limit on quality.

Thank you
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Stefan_DR3 on 26 Oct 2021, 05:17 pm
James,

I may have misunderstood, but does this mean that your expectation is that we would plug our iPhone, Mac, or PC directly into our DACs and no longer use our BDP-1/2/3? Personally, I would prefer to use the BDP as the player with the Apple or Amazon HD apps loaded onto it, which would eliminate another USB connection or the need for AirPlay, which as I recall has a limit on quality.

Thank you

That’s right and I agree with you. With physical USB cable your mobile device or computer is doing the heavy lifting and any old USB DAC will receive it. With Airplay the mobile device is doing most of the work again but the BDP receives it and converts it to SPDIF for the DAC however limited to standard res.

I can understand wanting the BDP to do all the work like it does with TIDAL connect. This is not possible with Apple Music because nobody but Apple has apps for it!  However Spotify connect and Amazon Music would be possible for Bryston to implement - Bluesound does it (one example).
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 26 Oct 2021, 06:04 pm
Hi Folks,

Yes I assume Apple Music will not ever have "Apple Connect" so if you want to use Apple Music you would have to use the APP on your IPAD or Phone. 

You can stream the music to the Bryston DAC then or you can wire it using a USB cable.  With streaming currently you are limited to 48K/24Bit (that may increase to 192/24).  If you use the USB wiring then you can achieve 192/24 resolution.

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: mr_bill on 26 Oct 2021, 07:30 pm
James, How do you find direct digital out on your IPad (into Bryston dac) versus a pi or other streamer?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 26 Oct 2021, 08:33 pm
James, How do you find direct digital out on your IPad (into Bryston dac) versus a pi or other streamer?

The way I do it is use an Apple USB camera adapter (basically a lightning port -->USB A)  to connect to a USB A -->USB B terminated cable -->DAC.  IOS knows its going digital out. 



(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=231358)  + (https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=231359)





Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 26 Oct 2021, 11:09 pm
Yes correct.

(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=231364)

(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=231365)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WillyP on 27 Oct 2021, 10:08 am
The way I do it is use an Apple USB camera adapter (basically a lightning port -->USB A)  to connect to a USB A -->USB B terminated cable -->DAC.  IOS knows its going digital out. 


(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=231358)

The new iPad Air 4 doesn’t have a Lightning port anymore but a USB-C port. What is a good adapter for the connection to a DAC?

Thanks,

WillyP
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: bokko on 27 Oct 2021, 11:55 am
Looks like they sell a USB-C to Type-A adapter found this by browsing accessories for iPad from apple store.

https://www.apple.com/ca/shop/product/MJ1M2AM/A/usb-c-to-usb-adapter?fnode=7b6ca9ca248560dbacfe55fa3705d64486eaa43c23dbb1ea271a99d45062bbd7b7b648b1c6ad130b3263a68c1a6542e8d6ed542cb464c5327d317bace1d63f23fc02452b0e28d9fd8f7e267776fb6ad5f37d179922ae98d33badd102e1ec2e2a

(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=231379)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 27 Oct 2021, 02:42 pm
AudioQuest makes a C to B cable as well.


(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=231383)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: bokko on 27 Oct 2021, 02:52 pm
Being an iPad Air 4 you will want to ensure the https://mfi.apple.com/ is supported or it might be frustrating experience.
Personally I use the AudioQuest cinnamon type a to type b cable with the apple adapter. Less chance of trouble, feels like its heading back to the BlackBerry days when only a companies cable supported headsets, charging, etc.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 27 Oct 2021, 02:58 pm
The other advantage to the Apple Adapter is that some of them have a lightning port on the "A" terminator that provides power.  I have a little audioengine D1 headphone DAC that will not run off the battery of the iPAD.  I been thinking about trying one out to see if it will power the DAC.

This perked my interest so I called AudioQuest.  The Lightning port/Adapter was proprietary (chipped).  The USB C on the Air is not and no longer requires that adapter.  I just realized I have a buddy who just last week purchased a brand new Air and a AudioQuest C to B cable.  I just reached out to him to see where he is at with it. 

 
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: mr_bill on 27 Oct 2021, 06:51 pm
The other advantage to the Apple Adapter is that some of them have a lightning port on the "A" terminator that provides power.  I have a little audioengine D1 headphone DAC that will not run off the battery of the iPAD.  I been thinking about trying one out to see if it will power the DAC.

This perked my interest so I called AudioQuest.  The Lightning port/Adapter was proprietary (chipped).  The USB C on the Air is not and no longer requires that adapter.  I just realized I have a buddy who just last week purchased a brand new Air and a AudioQuest C to B cable.  I just reached out to him to see where he is at with it.


..........so does that mean you can buy the Audioquest cable and hook directly without using the camera connection kit?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 27 Oct 2021, 08:29 pm

..........so does that mean you can buy the Audioquest cable and hook directly without using the camera connection kit?

Yes for any Apple products with USB C (e.g. iPAD Air etc)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: bokko on 27 Oct 2021, 10:39 pm
Back to adapter Willy P was asking about it charges through the lightning port. The type A port is for signal for DAC only. At least I tried my headphone Dac nano iDSD Black Label and would not charge with it off type A port.
Moved it back to USB iDefender (powered by LPS) which powers the nano as well as cleaning up signal and light turned blue indicating it was charging. Not changing any dials or buttons in moving back over. Monolith 6' USB cord used.
I was also able to run a 15' Type a to type b cable (premium) back to seating position doing lossless audio on iPad and worked, often USB can be limited to 6'. The lightning port was being fed by 2.1amp iPad charger

Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WillyP on 28 Oct 2021, 06:23 pm
Thanks for all messages, guys. Much appreciated.

My plans have changed a bit. My iPad Air 2 has a Lightning port and is almost eight years old. My next iPad will have a USB-C port, so a USB B/C cable is a better investment for me and a more elegant solution. I could try a cheap one to test the connection. If everything works, I might consider buying a better (?) cable from Audioquest, for example.

WillyP
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: bokko on 28 Oct 2021, 08:40 pm
Thats where Bryston might need to check the power loading on the ports of devices. back in the day it was 500ma, draw on USB 2 sometimes 1amp on special ports.
With USB C can be up to 20 watts for the iPad Air 4 thats a big load for a Type a or Type B port...would be looking for a USB C version of pictured adapter.

Over to Bryston
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WillyP on 28 Oct 2021, 08:53 pm
James has an iPad Pro…

WillyP
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 28 Oct 2021, 09:58 pm
Hi Folks,

I do not charge my Ipad through the port I use a stand that charges the ipad while it sits on the stand.

(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=231441)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: bokko on 28 Oct 2021, 10:52 pm
 :icon_twisted:


Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: WillyP on 29 Oct 2021, 07:27 am
Hi Folks,

I do not charge my Ipad through the port I use a stand that charges the ipad while it sits on the stand.

(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=231441)


It seems that James has an iPad Pro with a Lightning port. I am looking for a solution now for an iPad with a USB-C port. I have a Loconaq A1 DAC (based on an AK 4493 chip) with that port in use for my headphones. It is possible to connect the DAC to my SP3 with the right adapter. Probably good enough for Spotify but also for Apple Music? I doubt it.

WillyP
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: bokko on 29 Oct 2021, 11:11 am
 :icon_twisted:
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 29 Oct 2021, 12:14 pm
Hi Folks,

Remember that one of the main advantages to using the USB input on the Bryston BDA-3 DAC is USB is resampled and reclocked at the input. 

Also USB data is sent in 'packets' to a ' digital reservoir' (think of it like a holding tank) and released as the DAC requires.  So a lot of the issues with constant streaming interfaces are not an issue from a fidelity performance standpoint.

best
james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: mr_bill on 30 Oct 2021, 04:43 pm
AudioQuest makes a C to B cable as well.


(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=231383)


I think they also make a USB to lightning cable - I wonder if that would work on iPads that don’t have the USB C connector and then not have to use CCK?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 1 Nov 2021, 02:06 pm

I think they also make a USB to lightning cable - I wonder if that would work on iPads that don’t have the USB C connector and then not have to use CCK?

I would be surprised by this.  As I understand it the Lightning port is proprietary technology and requires the Apple Camera adapter for any digital output.  Correctisize me if I am wrong.  :scratch:

Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Stefan_DR3 on 1 Nov 2021, 03:47 pm
I would be surprised by this.  As I understand it the Lightning port is proprietary technology and requires the Apple Camera adapter for any digital output.  Correctisize me if I am wrong.  :scratch:

It absolutely is proprietary and the chips are prone to failure after a very short time if they work at all. My brand new “Amazon Basics” lightning cable can’t even be used to reliably charge my iphone. I also bought a third party lightning extension cable (Male-Female) and it doesn’t work. Best to stick with “genuine Apple” cable or the adapter + standard USB cable of your choice. No way I would invest big bucks in an “audiophile” lightning cable even if they did make one.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: vonnie123 on 4 Dec 2021, 03:55 am
Can anyone offer the correct Syntax for entering a Synology NAS to the Bryston NAS settings?  My attempts to load the NAS music folders keep getting rejected. 

Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: unincognito on 7 Dec 2021, 09:31 pm
Can anyone offer the correct Syntax for entering a Synology NAS to the Bryston NAS settings?  My attempts to load the NAS music folders keep getting rejected.

Could be your synology is enforcing a minimum SMB version support and sadly we've been quite tardy in this department and still only offer SMB1 support, good news is synology allows you to change this.

You can also try entering the settings manually, but suspect you'll need to do the aforementioned first.
Device Name: this isn't critical, its just a name
IP Address: the ip address of the synology, you can also try using the devices broadcast name (may or may not work)
Username: leave empty if anonymous, but sometimes it helps to create a dedicated account for the BDP
Password: well the users password
Share Name: the name of the share your music exists on


(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=233393)


Chris
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Francois_Tardif on 8 Dec 2021, 06:44 pm

(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=233442)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: vonnie123 on 10 Dec 2021, 10:23 pm
Thanks for the info.  I'll give it a try.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: vonnie123 on 10 Dec 2021, 11:15 pm
Thanks for the info.  I'll give it a try.

No luck I'm afraid.  Maybe I'll have better luck when the firmware is updated for the newer SMB2.  Again thank you.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: mr_bill on 11 Dec 2021, 09:59 pm
Any updates on a Manic Moose/software upgrade or change coming?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Francois_Tardif on 13 Dec 2021, 12:51 pm
This must also be done... https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4155

Francois
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: rcarlbe on 25 Dec 2021, 06:13 pm
Is there any sound quality advantage streaming with MM instead of a PC with Roon? Both connected to BR-20 with Ethernet.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 25 Dec 2021, 08:42 pm
Is there any sound quality advantage streaming with MM instead of a PC with Roon? Both connected to BR-20 with Ethernet.

If you do some subject search you will find several threads debating this across various news groups. When I first set up my Roon on a Mac with my Pi endpoint I could certainly tell the difference (primarily streaming Qobuz @ redbook resolution).  MPD with a  much more robust sound stage.  But after putting the Roon core on an SGC St , upgrading my cabling, installing a mesh network with the ST hard wired to a node; Roon sounds as good as MPD.  Except I still believe the Bryston Radio Paradise app (RP) sounds better than the FLAC URL stream in Roon. Although the Bryston RP app is a bit flaky vs the Roon bombproof URL.

Just recently Roon released version 1.8 build 880 I believe with a blurb in the release notes about improved cacheing/buffering infrastructure.  This has subsequently resulted in a debate on the Roon community regarding improved SQ.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: rcarlbe on 25 Dec 2021, 11:07 pm
Thanks, I've read a lot on line: many Roon Community discussions about set up. I'm caught up on the latest release discussions there. I keep up on Audio Science Review too. What I'd like to understand better is if there any innate SQ advantage to MM. This question was spurred by comments I've read about the SQ quality of Roon improving over time, Audirvana and HQ Player being better or not, and different streamers. What I gather from your experience is MM has no benefit over Roon if you equip Roon correctly. Happy to hear more.

I'm actually feeding my BR-20 via USB from a simple laptop. I have tried HDMI and Ethernet and I think USB sounds the best. Does this experience jive with the design measurements of the BR-20? i.e. can the USB section be quieter than the Ethernet section? I found listening from a thumb drive at least equal to USB cable.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 26 Dec 2021, 05:05 am
@rcarlbe

So you have Roon core on the laptop?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: rcarlbe on 26 Dec 2021, 05:38 am
Yep, the cheapest Dell I could find with an HDMI port, SSD drive. I know that is not the Roon recommend signal path. In any case, I only use the laptop for streaming, no music storage or anything else. Turned off as many background apps as possible etc. It is bare bones. Seems quiet. No fan noise, at least that I can hear. I have turned off all DSP in Roon, so it's under the least load. I've checked the Roon log activity and it's fine. I run a 3 ft USB cable to my BR20. I have briefly tried HDMI, Ethernet, MM (Qobuz) and USB thumb drive.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 26 Dec 2021, 03:12 pm
Yep, the cheapest Dell I could find…..


So have you A/B tested SQ of MPD VS Roon?. :popcorn:
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: rcarlbe on 26 Dec 2021, 04:16 pm
Briefly and not unsighted etc. I get "well just test it for yourself"!, But that's not why I posted. I am curious if MM has any SQ-related benefits by design. An example response could be "MM via Ethernet offers the lowest noise floor and least distortion we are aware of amongst all the major streamers". I'm not sure frankly this question can be answers by someone who does not work for Bryston and with specific knowledge of MM's performance. Happy new year.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: J2Ordan on 30 Dec 2021, 03:53 am
FWIW, here are my experiences with ROON via a BDP3 and BDA3. The music was ripped CD's uncompressed (AIFF) stored onto an SSD installed into the BDP3 and Qobuz.
The BDP 3 has built in WiFi. I did the  ROON 60 day trial included with the BDP3.

When using ROON, the ripped music files have to come from the Core, the BDP3 cannot be used as a Core.

The first attempt was to have everything ROON on a MacBookPro (Core/Music Files/Control). Everything was WiFied to the BDP3. The SQ was very lacking compared to listening to the ripped files and Qobuz directly through the BDP3 via The Moose.

I then moved the ROON Core to a desktop computer connected to the router via Ethernet. The laptop was used just as a remote to control the BDP3 through ROON. While this set up was a big step up in SQ, it was still much less than listening directly via The Moose. Both internal ripped files AND Qobuz.

Perhaps using a dedicated ROON server and having everything hard wired opposed to relying on WiFi might have closed the gap. Then the use of various audiophile "dingle-berries" including Ethernet Regan/Gigafoil/upgraded power supplies and four figure power, USB, Ethernet etc cables  all around would provide an additional boost.

In the end, too rich for my blood and in my experiences, diminishing returns at best anyway. The Moose is great sounding and very stable. Personally, I'd like to have better Qobuz integration- similar to Amarra where ripped files can co-exist with Qobuz favorites. Qobuz selections in "Artist View" would be nice. Let's see what lies ahead.

Enjoy the Sounds,

John

Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 30 Dec 2021, 03:01 pm
Manic Moose is great sounding and stable. It cannot be everything for everybody.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: rcarlbe on 30 Dec 2021, 10:38 pm
Thanks John, looks like the sound quality of ethernet and USB are very similar on the BR-20. I'm going to roll with USB between laptop and the BR20 and ethernet back to the router...at least for now.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: vonnie123 on 2 Jan 2022, 01:41 am
Briefly and not unsighted etc. I get "well just test it for yourself"!, But that's not why I posted. I am curious if MM has any SQ-related benefits by design. An example response could be "MM via Ethernet offers the lowest noise floor and least distortion we are aware of amongst all the major streamers". I'm not sure frankly this question can be answers by someone who does not work for Bryston and with specific knowledge of MM's performance. Happy new year.

IMO, MM MPD sounds better than Roon RAAT.   I have two BDP-2s with the factory IAD installed and they are sweet sounding units.  Not as plush as the BDP-3, but close.  I've also owned BDP-1s and they had issues with memory and used third party sound cards. 

I think the Bryston MM MPD sounds great, but if you're shopping for a unit, I'd take a look at the Aurender servers.  I think those are better than the BDPs, mostly due to a superior user interface by tablet or phone using the Aurender Conductor app.  I hope Bryston will work toward upgrading its interface.  Manic Moose is functional, but a bit outdated.  No complaints whatsoever about SQ though.

I also use Aurender A10 and N100SC servers.  Those are not Roon compatible except via Airplay.  The BDP-2s are used exclusively for Roon now after I've integrated the Aurenders into my setup(s).

My comments are based on personal experience; most of my listening is via premium quality headphones/amps.  Hope that helps.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 4 Jan 2022, 01:41 am
IMO, MM MPD sounds better than Roon RAAT.   I have two BDP-2s with the factory IAD installed and they are sweet sounding units.  Not as plush as the BDP-3, but close.  I've also owned BDP-1s and they had issues with memory and used third party sound cards. 

I think the Bryston MM MPD sounds great, but if you're shopping for a unit, I'd take a look at the Aurender servers.  I think those are better than the BDPs, mostly due to a superior user interface by tablet or phone using the Aurender Conductor app.  I hope Bryston will work toward upgrading its interface.  Manic Moose is functional, but a bit outdated.  No complaints whatsoever about SQ though.

I also use Aurender A10 and N100SC servers.  Those are not Roon compatible except via Airplay.  The BDP-2s are used exclusively for Roon now after I've integrated the Aurenders into my setup(s).

My comments are based on personal experience; most of my listening is via premium quality headphones/amps.  Hope that helps.

I think this is a disrespectful post. You get on a Bryston forum recommending an Aurender unit costing much more than the BDP and you expect its interface to compete with the much more expensive Aurender. Come on man, have some respect and qualify your recommendations.  :roll:
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: vonnie123 on 5 Jan 2022, 08:51 am
I think this is a disrespectful post. You get on a Bryston forum recommending an Aurender unit costing much more than the BDP and you expect its interface to compete with the much more expensive Aurender. Come on man, have some respect and qualify your recommendations.  :roll:

What can I say, if you don’t like it, don’t read it.  The point of these forums is to discuss equipment, including where there are shortcomings.  The price point of the BDP-3 is equal to the N100 Aurender series.  The A10 is more expensive and has a DAC.  I like the Bryston transports; I’ve owned four of them - still have two. (I also own a BOT-1).  The Bryston BDP Manic Moose firmware needs to be overhauled.  Inside of Roon, the transports work great.  Manic Moose is functional, but clunky.   I should know, I’ve been using BDPs since late 2011/early 2012. 
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: GSDaudio on 5 Jan 2022, 11:41 am
I find nothing disrespectful with what Vonnie has presented.   I appreciate the honesty of his observations.

Cheers
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 5 Jan 2022, 03:01 pm
What can I say, if you don’t like it, don’t read it.  The point of these forums is to discuss equipment, including where there are shortcomings.  The price point of the BDP-3 is equal to the N100 Aurender series.  The A10 is more expensive and has a DAC.  I like the Bryston transports; I’ve owned four of them - still have two. (I also own a BOT-1).  The Bryston BDP Manic Moose firmware needs to be overhauled.  Inside of Roon, the transports work great.  Manic Moose is functional, but clunky.   I should know, I’ve been using BDPs since late 2011/early 2012.
Fair enough. :o
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: rfbdp1 on 5 Jan 2022, 05:23 pm
What can I say, if you don’t like it, don’t read it.  The point of these forums is to discuss equipment, including where there are shortcomings.  The price point of the BDP-3 is equal to the N100 Aurender series.  The A10 is more expensive and has a DAC.  I like the Bryston transports; I’ve owned four of them - still have two. (I also own a BOT-1).  The Bryston BDP Manic Moose firmware needs to be overhauled.  Inside of Roon, the transports work great.  Manic Moose is functional, but clunky.   I should know, I’ve been using BDPs since late 2011/early 2012.
+1 Thanks Vonnie for your comments. I’ve been a happy Bryston customer since the late ‘70s, most recently owning a Bot1, a BDP1, -2, and now BDP-3. 8) 8) :lol:but I’m also looking forward to an improved MM interface.
Is it me or is the search function clunky and slow ie unreliable?
Would this be a good time to ask why I can play a Tidal album on Tidal but not on MM?
Johnny Cash album shown below won’t play, instead I get message “tidalplay.php?….video.flac”

(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=234801)

(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=234803)

 
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: vonnie123 on 5 Jan 2022, 06:44 pm
You can play an album on MM.  You might try ensuring all firmware is updated, and proceeding to log in and log out of both the Tidal app, and Tidal app within MM.  The album pictured is from my Tidal favorites.   Also, as easy as it sounds, sometimes unplugging the unit and re-powering the BDP can solve a glitch or two.

Subscription integrations can be quirky. 


(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=234805)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: vonnie123 on 5 Jan 2022, 06:54 pm
Additional screenshots.  Function checked it.  Music playing correctly. 

(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=234818)


Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: vonnie123 on 5 Jan 2022, 07:02 pm
The specific album you were trying to play loaded up fine on mine.


(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=234821)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: vonnie123 on 5 Jan 2022, 07:03 pm
deleted duplicate
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 5 Jan 2022, 10:19 pm
The main reason I am satisfied with Manic Moose is that I use local USB drives exclusively to play back files. I don't use Room, Qubuz or Ethernet to access music files. So, I am good.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: rfbdp1 on 5 Jan 2022, 10:34 pm
deleted duplicate
Thanks Vonnie! How did you delete one of the J Cash American recording from MM? I added it to my Tidal collection successfully (!) but am not sure how to delete the non- functioning duplicate title.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 5 Jan 2022, 10:41 pm

The main reason I am satisfied with Manic Moose is that I use local USB drives exclusively to play back files. I don't use Roon, Qubuz or Ethernet to access music files. So, I am good.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Stefan_DR3 on 6 Jan 2022, 01:49 am
Is it me or is the search function clunky and slow ie unreliable?
Would this be a good time to ask why I can play a Tidal album on Tidal but not on MM?
Johnny Cash album shown below won’t play, instead I get message “tidalplay.php?….video.flac”

The search works but there seems to be some pitfalls lately.  I can find the album I want in the Artist View, but only the first one under "missing titles" has a play button, so no way to play the one I want unless it is in My Library!  It used to work months ago last time I tried.

The other problem I seem to have frequently is getting logged out so you can't play anything in TIDAL at all, and constantly having to log back into the Bryston portal.  But that could be because I am also using my TIDAL account on other devices.

I must say that playing back local files, the simplest of use cases, works quite nicely in Artist View.  But I think the whole web-based MM thing would be non-intuitive for someone without computer experience.  There are just too many little buttons, tiny scrolling windows within windows, and ways to get lost.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: vonnie123 on 6 Jan 2022, 02:09 am
Thanks Vonnie! How did you delete one of the J Cash American recording from MM? I added it to my Tidal collection successfully (!) but am not sure how to delete the non- functioning duplicate title.

I never added it to my favorites.  I just did a search on Johnny Cash, and it populated the albums. 

I'm not 100 percent sure, but that should be controlled in the Tidal account, not the BDP.  You can clear loaded tracks by selecting clear at the top of your screen next to update and consume.

Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: GSDaudio on 6 Jan 2022, 02:13 pm

The other problem I seem to have frequently is getting logged out so you can't play anything in TIDAL at all, and constantly having to log back into the Bryston portal.  But that could be because I am also using my TIDAL account on other devices.


That happened about 18 months ago when Tidal changed the 3rd party login requirements.  Probably to make sure that you could not stream on more devices than your subscription allows.    This is top of mind because the BDP-1 had some issues with the new requirements at the time requiring a MM update specific for BDP-1.    That's when I bit the bullet and upgraded to the BDP-3.    At least now the login process is FAST with the BDP-3
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: mr_bill on 20 Feb 2022, 04:22 pm
I’ve read how to hook up an IPad via USB.
Does anyone use a Samsung Tab S in the same way and does that work?
(I know you don’t get Apple Music high res on a Samsung but just curious on the direct hook up USB C method)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 21 Feb 2022, 07:55 pm
I’ve read how to hook up an IPad via USB.
Does anyone use a Samsung Tab S in the same way and does that work?
(I know you don’t get Apple Music high res on a Samsung but just curious on the direct hook up USB C method)

I went to a samsung site and jumped on a chat.  They said the tab s 8 supports digital out via usb c.  It appeared I was interacting with a human of some type.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: mr_bill on 21 Feb 2022, 11:14 pm
Thanks Jobiwon, I wonder if that's the case with the S7 line as well or just new to the S8 Series.

(I'm new to Samsung Galaxy Tablets if you can't tell)
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jobiwon on 23 Feb 2022, 10:01 pm
Thanks Jobiwon, I wonder if that's the case with the S7 line as well or just new to the S8 Series.

(I'm new to Samsung Galaxy Tablets if you can't tell)

I would expect if it has a USB C slot that its highly likely it does. 
Title: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jean7007 on 7 Jul 2022, 07:02 am
Suggestions for Manic Moose

1)
(after back up) to be able to merge (and unmerge) albums into one artist folder by drag and drop
in the playlist it is already easy to drag and drop songs in order

2)
For future listening sessions after upgrade to new BDP to keep track with what BDP version / BOT the CD back up was made
- auto comment in the imported meta data : CD backup by Bryston BDP (nr) & BOT-1

3)
When the scratch disk is set to the same HD/SSD as the storage as the imported CD’s. Bryston db files are showing in the list of music files, can’t these needed database files be hidden and not show up in the music files?

4)
Using (the Mac and ) webbrowser to the BDP to be able to change the complete track (after back up). My BDP library editor allows me to change genre, albumartist and img_album (but only shows me one album)
- artist, album, genre, tracks, release year, comment(s), record label, region (such as Japanese Release) in one simple same way

5)
(Before the backup)
more fields to (be able) fill in: Record Label, Region, Release Year.

6)
drag and drop an image of cover art in the BDP CD Back Up import section as extra to the URL link

7)
Upgrading the CF Card in the BDP-1
the available CF card disk space seems insufficient in the BDP-1? At least when : use memory for temp stoarge is chosen and not yet a scratch disk assigned. The allocated memory runs full and the system becomes stuck.
If so:
Can we  upgrade the 4GB CF Flash to a larger CF Flash? Copying the original 4GB CF to the larger CF? renaming the larger CF to the 4GB CF card ? Is that a possibility and Will this improve the reliability of the BDP?

8)
When performing a backup of CD’s it is very useful in the webbrowser menu CD Back Up  to have a overview for the actual used/free  SSD/ harddisk space always visible. 
- for example at the bottom of the screen, left the user assigned scratch disk /user used/free and on the other side the amount of data size used/free on the assigned HD/SSD for storage of the songs

9)
When the cd backup is ready, it takes time (about a minute) before the CD ejects from the BOT
there is no message that it is busy with anything, until the cd is ejected.
It only shows completed on the last track.
Suggestion;
- can a message be shown, busy (0/100%) wait until cd ejects
- eject the CD directly after the back up instead of after 1 minute
This will speed up the process of backup  many cd’s

10)
While busy with the backup of a CD using the BOT
I noticed that on the physical display of the BDP, the notification shows: CD Ready
Suggestion:
- when using the BOT to backup a CD (using the webbrowser to the BDP) show on the physical display the status of the BDP/ BOT: for example; BOT CD backup in progress (0/100%)

11)
in the dashboard/system information is the notification about the amount of tracks imported.
Can this also show the amount of albums?

12)
Timing (webbrowser entree) for the BDP-1
it takes about 5-10 seconds between pressing the button backup and the message: backup initiated
Suggestion; can that time be shorter?
- a message earlier: back up cd starting
- the backup button to maintain blue until the back up process is started

13)
errors that happen while importing are due to damaged/scratched CD’s.
An enhanced error correction is welcome.

14)
a way of pre run before import of CD’s
-  let the BDP before backup first testing the CD per track for unrecoverable errors  before importing/back up,
- showing the tracks with possible errors perhaps in red,
- deselecting the tracks with errors, skipping those tracks, i.e.
- showing the error rate status of the track in %

15)
a 2nd meta data search engine for the album tracks would be welcome, as musicbrainz sometimes just gives wrong albums/track names or no meta data at all.

albumartexchange.com is a great cover art search engine,
if that could be added to the musicbrainz meta data cover art search engine that would be great
this search engine for cover art has great quality covers
the covers that are not found by musicbrainz are in this albumartexchange.com site

16)
Covert art (if found by musicbrainz)
is shown underneath the cover art of the previous imported CD. A manual press download is often needed to get the cover art uploaded into the BDP.  This could be improved.
Title: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jean7007 on 7 Jul 2022, 07:05 am
Questions Manic Moose

1)
What are the differences to update the DB?
1. - /disk information : update (disk)
2. - media player settings: reset DB.
3. The central update button

2)
Media Player Setting: use memory as temp storage
what are the plus sides of this setting?

3)
I have used a thumbdrive as scratch disk, now I use the external cd import target HD/SSD as scratch disk
The thumbdrive still has >1.6GB in use
When does the data size move / is deleted ? Or is it just allocated memory? And is it safe to remove the thumbdrive.

4)
Upload Web
(on a Mac) Artist view, album, mouse right click to open cover art upload, next to it is upload web, no clue what it does, you can drag & drop the downloaded cover art in the web part.

5)
as the BDP is connected to the (home) network
it would be great if the BDP could be selected and dump music data to the HD/SSD attached to the BDP from another server in the same network, for example via FTP or the likes, is that possible via the NAS service in the BDP?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jean7007 on 7 Jul 2022, 07:06 am
Bugs

1)
At Musicbtainz there are albums with correct cover art but these just wont show up in the BDP for that specific album.
Cover art in Music brainz
No Doubt - Just A Girl did not show up as cover art in the BDP.
willing to upload this cover art to musicbrainz… found in musicbrainz it does exist, it only does not show up in the BDP.
Odd.

2)
In default view I have for example 10 albums from one artist in one folder, but in artist view the folder only shows a few.

3)
Library Editor in the BDP-1
Adding Cover Art to already imported CD’s .
This possibility is there in the media player settings / album art : img_album but it’s not working (correctly). My BDP shows from my library only 1 album with missing cover art.  Not all my albums with missing cover art. Perhaps in time, perhaps it needs to build the DB. I have yet to find out how to select an album and get it in library editor to add cover art.

4)
using the bdp / bot to back up cd’s I have seen one track counting to 300% completed
It could have been a data track / or copy protection track on a audio cd
Suggestion, let the BDP skip data tracks, it does not play on the BDP and only uses harddisk space

5)
Connection to the only meta data source Musicbrainz for the BDP sometimes is gone. Eth is still there. The BDP can be reached by the webbrowser.  Cables are ok. What could be wrong? No meta data = no import CD’s. Reboot the BDP brings back the musicbrainz. Is there another way to re establish the connection?
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jean7007 on 7 Jul 2022, 07:07 am
Macbook/ Imac/Mac tips & tricks webbrowser to the BDP (I have no other computers than Mac)

1)
Change Cover Art (after the CD backup) by downloading the cover art
the standard metadata search engine in the bdp musicbrainz does not alway give a correct cover art
Download the preferred cover art (at discogs, albumartexchange or musicbrainz).
Set  mediaplayer to artist view, go to album, when a album shows zero cover art, right click mouse pad on the empty cover art. The drag drop option will open and downloaded cover art can be placed in the drag drop box. It might showing uploading without any ending/ stays at say 99%. After 5 /10 seconds closing the box shows the cover art is indeed uploaded. Toggle and back to see if cover art is uploaded.

Changing artist name (after back up)
- Cover arts changing works by right mouse click on the square cover art in artist view
-  I hoped that right click on artist would also work to change the name of the artist.
- How to change the name of the artist or album name after the backup is made?
Before backup it is easy to change artist name and track name, if it could be made that in song view the meta data could be edited.

2)
Change track names (before the back up)
When the meta data is loaded, sometimes meta data bugs are visible
for example Celine Dion shows up as Cline Dion.
I have not yet found a way in my BDP for changing the artist name after making the backup. So I make sure to correct any errors before the CD backup.
To change a track name, click on the precize letters (box) of the track name, this will open the box in blue outline and you could change the name of the track.
To change artist name, click on the artist name and change it.

3)
Placing cover art link in the BDP (before backup)
Go to musicbrainz, discogs, albumartexchange
-  open the cover art in the preferred resolution
-  right click: copy location of the image and use this in the url download of the BDP CD back up cover art (4 blue squares at the right)

4)
Alternative changing cover art, meta data
shutdown the BDP
disattach the SSD/HD and hook it up to your computer
open a album location
change the album name, artist name
place the cover art into this main folder of the album and change the name to cover
When ready hook up the SSD /HD to the BDP
the database should rebuild (in time) else press update and all should be changed
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jean7007 on 7 Jul 2022, 07:17 am
Meta data hick-ups
There are some hick ups in meta data when importing CD’s.
The same hick ups as I would have using my Mac as CD ripper.
The unique digital number round the hole in the CD, isn't that unique. A fault of the music industry.
So meta data will get mixed up, and may or may not represent the CD you wish to back up.
For example Aerosmith - Armageddon single and Soundgarden - Hands All Over have the same 'unique' CD ID number.
In the BDP are several options before the back up to change the meta data to another artist.
As well options to manually change meta data, genre, album cover art and artist after the back up of the CD.
I think: The more obscure an album is the more likely the unique CD ID is already used for another CD.
So I use the webbrowser to the BDP-1 & BOT-1 to check the meta data before backup.
Mainstream CD's are less likely to be mixed up with other CD's unique ID.

As people use the Bryston BDP and manually fix the incorrect cover art pointed by musicbrainz or zero cover art. Bryston could upload the fixed corrected cover art/ meta data and send it from the BDP to Musicbrainz so in time their meta data becomes better.

Suggestion
albumartexchange.com is a great cover art search engine,
if that could be added to the musicbrainz meta data cover art search engine that would be great
this search engine for cover art has great quality covers
the covers that are not found by musicbrainz are in this albumartexchange.com site
I have tested this site, placed the cover art link to full screen preview, copied the websadres in the bdp cover art as url and it just works

Example: Michelle Pfeiffer Dangerous Minds, not on Musicbrainz but found at albumartexchange.com

I  opened a musicbrainz account, to drag and drop missing cover art in there, but it takes hours/days for the cover art to show up in musicbrainz. And when it is in musicbrainz, it does not mean it will show up in the BDP.

Media Settings library editor
for me only shows 1 missing cover art, cannot change the track names, cannot change artist name but can change genre and album artist), luckely I can change cover art on artist view.

- I have not found out/ cannot edit meta data for cover art in media player settings/  img_album . The BDP only shows me 1 album with missing cover art (have not found out how to show all albums) Drag & drop a 600x600 pix cover art into the box, the box shows cover art but takes ages but nothing happens, has it been updated, can I close the box? no messages, no updated cover art.
- I have yet to find out how to get the library in media player settings/ db/ library editor to update and show all albums with missing cover art
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: jean7007 on 7 Jul 2022, 07:17 am
Error correction CD’s to import

BDP-1 / BOT time to import one CD, about 60 to 100 seconds per track, 25 minutes per CD for the BDP-1 and BOT.
That is: If no CD’s with scratches are inserted, because then you have to capture track by track until you reach the damaged tracks.and can avoid importing the damaged tracks
Suggestion(s) for enhanced back up of (damaged) CD’s

The BDP should not crash because of CD errors
That the BDP becomes stuck on a CD damaged track with zero progress is frustating. The BDP could give a notification: track cannot be read, skip the track?

CD being physical these can get dirty/ scratches etc
Some CD became stuck in the backup progress
The CD needs to be ejected and the backup progress is stopped (if the whole BDP isn’t crashed)

A error/ timer setting in the BDP could help,
 
Suggestion;
Webbrowser setting in the back up menu in he BDP
* how many times re reading the same CD tracks before skipping the track
* after so many times trying to read the data, skip the track. Not importing it. Next track.
I have seen cd’s stuck in backup on one track for hours without any progress.
Ejecting the CD, skipping the track by deselecting and backup again.

Sometimes after a while of trying to read one CD track, the BOT ejects the CD, inserting the CD again skipping the track manually
can’t the BDP than just skip that track?

For CD’s (with probable issues ) a solution could be
a way of pre run :
-  let the BDP before backup first testing the CD per track for unrecoverable errors  before importing/back up,
- showing the tracks with possible errors perhaps in red,
- deselecting the tracks with errors, skipping those tracks, i.e.
- showing the error rate status of the track in %

Some CD’s take ages to backup
no idea why, it can take 10 minutes per track Kylie Minoque - Body Language album for example takes ages.  ame for Klaus Schulze- The Dome Event 62 minutes per track on the CD.
The next CD goes superfast
What could be the issue, it’s not the HD storage for the BDP, not the /user memory.

Some CD’s take ages to backup
no idea why, it can take 10 minutes per track Kylie Minoque - Body Language album for example takes ages.  ame for Klaus Schulze- The Dome Event 62 minutes per track on the CD.
The next CD goes superfast
What could be the issue, it’s not the HD storage for the BDP, not the /user memory.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: vonnie123 on 9 Jul 2022, 06:17 pm
I have a BOT-1 attached to a BDP-2 IAD. Works as designed. No more than a minute to have the disc read and stored in the BDP.  The question is what data gets read from the CD, which is mostly related to how the CD is coded.  Old redbooks don’t have as much data to read as newer discs.

The BDP-1s are memory deficient.  They get bogged down pretty easy.

I only use the BOT-1 as a player for occasional CD spins.  Backing up my music is done with SSDs/HDDs.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: avsrb on 18 Jul 2022, 08:36 am
Just jumping in here.  Lots of good discussion in this thread.

I've been using a BR-20 as my DAC & Pre.  Sound is GAME CHANGING.
I tried MM for a few weeks, but find the Bluesound interface much faster and easier to use from my phone.  Phone app controls a Bluesound Node which happily delivers Qobuz up to 24/192 to the BR-20.  For some services Bluesound doesn't support as well, Spotify + archived radio programs on Soundcloud or Mixcloud, a Sonos Port delivers those to the BR-20.  Sonos controller app on phone, ipad is excellent though Port streaming caps out at 24/48. Again, being able to select the audio content from local, streaming, etc. from my phone then leverage the BR-20 as DAC and Pre has fantastic.  This config also allows me to play same music in my other 7 home music zones.  Also allows me to play those same albums while in the car, plane, vacation, etc.  Qobuz supports download and offline playing up to 24/192.  Use the lightning to _____ connector to avoid bluetooth in the signal path when outside the home...

Hope that is helpful to someone trying to cover all their use cases with highest possible sound quality.

Dear Arloparanhos,

Long time reader, first post on this forum - thanks to you, as you have the exact combination (BR-20 as DAC + Node as streaming transport) that I might purchase :)

Would you please be so kind to check the following:
1. If the BR-20 is recognised as a USB DAC/DDC by the Node? I could not find any info regarding this.
2. Whether volume control from the BluOS app has any effect? This would tell if the BR20 is recognised as a DAC (no effect) or DDC (volume control works).

I would have PMed you, but as a new member I cannot (yet).
USB audio out is available on the latest Node (N130) and should be enabled automatically according to this Bluesound article: https://support1.bluesound.com/hc/en-us/articles/4417440985879-How-to-enable-USB-Audio-Out-on-NODE-N130- (https://support1.bluesound.com/hc/en-us/articles/4417440985879-How-to-enable-USB-Audio-Out-on-NODE-N130-)

PS:
- From what I've read on other forums, the USB input on the external DAC (in this case the BR20) should be selected in order for the Node to detect it.
- After first connecting a USB DAC to the Node, a disconnect/reconnect of the USB DAC/cable might be needed.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Clive197 on 18 Jul 2022, 09:13 pm
Hi guys. Just wondering if anybody at Bryston is mucking about with Manic Moose.? I can no longer get Artist view to work, thumbnails aren’t working and I can no longer get album info.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Calypte on 19 Jul 2022, 06:47 am
I use MM several times daily.  I've had no recent problems.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Clive197 on 19 Jul 2022, 07:46 am
I’ve done a DB rebuild which seems to have resolved most of the issues but I still can’t get Artist/Album info.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 19 Jul 2022, 02:11 pm
I’ve done a DB rebuild which seems to have resolved most of the issues but I still can’t get Artist/Album info.

Should't your album art be downloaded with your music import? Mine does and I use dbpoweramp.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Clive197 on 19 Jul 2022, 04:23 pm
No that’s not the point. If you touch the album art when playing an album you get a brief (sometimes not so brief biography of the band and details of other albums by the same artist(s). That’s what I now can’t do.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 19 Jul 2022, 06:14 pm
No that’s not the point. If you touch the album art when playing an album you get a brief (sometimes not so brief biography of the band and details of other albums by the same artist(s). That’s what I now can’t do.


Thanks for letting me know. Fortunately, it’s a feature I can do without; just the music please.
  :D
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: drummermitchell on 19 Jul 2022, 06:31 pm
I use dbpower amp also.
Have the album art also.
I go by the name of the artist,track name..hit play.
same with playlists as the album cover shows in the middle of my screen and to the side of the track playing if using my phone.
Music first.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: drummermitchell on 19 Jul 2022, 06:36 pm
Gee I wish Bryston could bring the Bryfi-2 up to speed like MM.
everytime the phone goes to sleep the bryfi app wont go to my play list,have to hit the lower right button before it shows the list.
not to big a deal but a nice treat when I use MM on the main system,my playlist shows up everytime and exactly where I left off.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 19 Jul 2022, 10:55 pm
I use dbpower amp also.
Have the album art also.
I go by the name of the artist,track name..hit play.
same with playlists as the album cover shows in the middle of my screen and to the side of the track playing if using my phone.
Music first.

If I look back, I may find that you were the one to recommend dbpoweramp to me. 8) :D
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: drummermitchell on 20 Jul 2022, 12:08 am
Well gbaby,that’s possible,since I’m a tad north of route 66(age) that’s possible.
DB poweramp has been fantastic all these years thanks to Chris Rice(Bryston).
When I first bought my Bryfi-2 you cued me-up how to get it to work in the summer time,which I thank you very much as the manual ect doesn’t say much how to get it to play unless you are very CP savy.
She’s still doing great on my deck :D.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: gbaby on 20 Jul 2022, 06:16 pm
Well gbaby,that’s possible,since I’m a tad north of route 66(age) that’s possible.



I don’t know as I just turned 68 on 7/18.  :o
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Pironi on 30 Apr 2023, 09:34 am
Hello Bryston people,
Having a problem with the MM again...
On a 3.14 while it started to be a bit laggy I made a Factory reset and from then on there was no way to make it see my NAS.
Starting the process of adding a NAS but it reaches up to the initial volume of the NAS.
From then on it can not see the folders where music is (the drop down menu is dead)
Have been trying from ios devices from win10 pc and from osx devices, having the exact same thing.
Another problem that I have is that when playing a radio station the favorit button (star) is not click able so I can not add favorites and have all the time to search my emails in order to listen to my favorite station.
Another issue is that by trying to resolve some of the above issues I pressed the toggle v2 interface, and now the interface is completely unusable and by no means I can revert to the normal state. Not even to reset it.
So no I have a 4k$ device to use as a Google tv pass through...
Would love not to pay again a roon subscription in order to listen to my NAS stored music, since I feel that roon makes it sound a bit flatter and I really don't like the way you have to remember what music is where in order to listen to.
Even though now with the V2 interface the device is almost bricked.

Any help???
Chris hasn't respond to my mail, so it seems you are my only hope.

Thanks.
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: James Tanner on 30 Apr 2023, 01:52 pm
Hi Pironi

email Adam - atanner@bryston.com

james
Title: Re: Bryston Manic Moose Interface
Post by: Pironi on 30 Apr 2023, 04:40 pm
Hi Pironi

email Adam - atanner@bryston.com

james

Thank you!