[Toberius]

Hi all,

I have a BDA-3 and when connecting it via ethernet I noticed that the firmware I have installed is u2018.05d (index.htm-014).

When I go to the Bryston support page, I find that there is a recent firmware 2020-06c.

Is it always a good option to download and install it?

My serial number is 000827.

Regards.

[thebiglebowski]

Ill have to setup a remote support session to fix this.
Can I have his name and email address?

Adam Tanner
Senior Technician
Bryston, Ltd.
atanner@bryston.com

Sorry for the late reply but Adam from Bryston contacted me the next day and after a remote session concluded that the bcon board was corrupted/faulty. He programmed up a new one and shipped it from Canada to the UK which I received on the 5th May. It was easy to install and the DAC is back up and working.

Massive thank you and thumbs up for some absolutely outstanding customer service.

[christo]

I've got a BDA-3.14 specific question here. I'm enjoying it a lot now that I've got my system settled (just added a 4B3 power amp) but I've only just now noticed that the streamer maxes out at 24 bit PCM and downsamples anything above that (ie 32 bit).

Has there been a firmware upgrade to allow native 32 bit file playback? Or is that not possible?

[James Tanner]

I've got a BDA-3.14 specific question here. I'm enjoying it a lot now that I've got my system settled (just added a 4B3 power amp) but I've only just now noticed that the streamer maxes out at 24 bit PCM and downsamples anything above that (ie 32 bit).

Has there been a firmware upgrade to allow native 32 bit file playback? Or is that not possible?

Hi Christo

I will ask engineering but 32 BIT is irrelevant from a performance perspective relative to 24 BIT.

james

[jcn3]

I've got a BDA-3.14 specific question here. I'm enjoying it a lot now that I've got my system settled (just added a 4B3 power amp) but I've only just now noticed that the streamer maxes out at 24 bit PCM and downsamples anything above that (ie 32 bit).

Has there been a firmware upgrade to allow native 32 bit file playback? Or is that not possible?

do you have any 32 bit content?  i don't think it exists . . .  if you're using hqplayer or something like that to upscale, specifying 32 bits will just result in padded zeros.

[James Tanner]

They sometimes us 32 BIT in Mastering but down-sample it to 24 or 16.

james

[christo]

do you have any 32 bit content?  i don't think it exists . . .  if you're using hqplayer or something like that to upscale, specifying 32 bits will just result in padded zeros.

Yes, some people sell 32 Bit recordings on Bandcamp. I've been listening to this one a lot:
https://atomtm.bandcamp.com/album/texturen-iv

When I play the first track through the BDA-3.14, which downsamples it to 24 bit, it actually sounds different from when I play it through my Panasonic UHD blu-ray player which does handle 32 bit file format.

It sounds a lot smoother via the Panasonic (with the BDA-3.14 as DAC, of course).

Try it out if you can, and let us know.

[christo]

Hi Christo

I will ask engineering but 32 BIT is irrelevant from a performance perspective relative to 24 BIT.

james

That would be most appreciated, James. I'm keen to hear what they say. Apparently you can do it with a "kernel update", whatever that means.

If they can't do it, that's cool. I guess I could have a separate drive feeding the 32 bit files via my Panasonic UHD blu-ray player.

EDIT: I should add though that adding a 4B3 to the system has made the whole question of digital sound file resolution a bit academic. Everything sounds awesome now. But I'm keen to hear what artists experimenting with 32 bit media can do and give their work the type of performance it requires.

[James Tanner]

Hi Christo

32 BIT is only going to affect the signal to noise level.
24 BIT has a signal to noise level way beyond what the ear can decipher so 32 BIT is just a spec game.

I would say the DVD player is sounding deferent for reasons other than the BIT rate.

best
james

[christo]

32 BIT is only going to affect the signal to noise level.
24 BIT has a signal to noise level way beyond what the ear can decipher so 32 BIT is just a spec game.

Maybe. And I imagine they use 32 bit's floating point properties (if I understand them correctly) so people who listen to music via their computer or use other forms of digital attenuation, such as plugging their DACs directly to their power amp (not my bag but it takes all sorts), don't experience any signal degradation when they change the volume.

I would say the DVD player is sounding deferent for reasons other than the BIT rate.

Maybe you're right. It could be something to do with the HDMI. I just tried again it now to make sure and playing that album via the Panasonic UHD blu-ray player definitely sounded less compressed than via the BDA's Pi. The sound from the BDA-3.14's streamer was good, I hasten to add, just fatter. Maybe I need to compare and contrast a bit more..

Anyway, I await your engineer's advice whether 32 bit compatibility could be added via a firmware update or something similar.

[christo]

Also while I was doing that comparison I noticed that the last Manic Moose firmware update seems to have removed the input selection page from the app. I now only get the virtual front panel. I ended up using the remote control instead. Is anyone else getting this?

[James Tanner]

According to our design engineer USB can do 32 BIT

james

[christo]

That makes sense.

I just took another look at the manual and the HDMI cut down to 24 bits too. Oh well.

It all sounds great however you play it. In six months time I'll probably change my mind again about what sounds better...

Thanks, James, for taking the time to answer my daft questions. Cheers!

[James Tanner]