[robb]

Hello

Just wondering what the typical break in time for the Bryston bda-1 normally is and  what can be expected when it is? 

I just hooked one up to my system and straight out of the box the bass is a bit wooly and ill-defined and the soundstage is restricted, compared to my well-used Theta from 1999.

Any thoughts will be appreciated.

Rob

[James Tanner]

Hello

Just wondering what the typical break in time for the Bryston bda-1 normally is and  what can be expected when it is? 

I just hooked one up to my system and straight out of the box the bass is a bit wooly and ill-defined and the soundstage is restricted, compared to my well-used Theta from 1999.

Any thoughts will be appreciated.

Rob

Hi Rob,

I would say give it a day or so. It sounds from your discription though like a major negative change and I doubt that break in would affect the sound that much.

james

[werd]

Hello

Just wondering what the typical break in time for the Bryston bda-1 normally is and  what can be expected when it is? 

I just hooked one up to my system and straight out of the box the bass is a bit wooly and ill-defined and the soundstage is restricted, compared to my well-used Theta from 1999.

Any thoughts will be appreciated.

Rob

Hi Rob

Just wait it out... the bda is very neutral and can be a bit of a shock at first. it will sort itself out. Listen to it for about a month and then go back to the theta and you see what i am talking about.

[robb]

Thanks for the input.

But after about 18 hours of use, the sound of the bda-1 has greatly improved.  Bottom is hefty, solid and taut, defined; highs have sweetened considerably; soundstage is now deep and wide.

So I guess I answered my own question;  the bryston bda-1 definitely needs about 18 hours beak-in time.

rob

[Stu Pitt]

I don't know if its so much break in as it is warm up.  Any digital component I've had - CDP or DAC - sounded better after being powered on for about 3-4 days.  After being turned off for a day or more, they've always sounded thin and have rolled off highs and lows.  At least to my ears anyway.  From my experience, its more obvious and takes a little longer in digital gear than amps/pre-amps. 

I don't own a BDA-1 or a BCD-1, so take this as you will.  I wish more of these things had stand-by switches on them to save a bit on energy, yet keep 'em warm.  Amps especially.  If my NAD gear had a standby mode, why can't my current gear?  No offense to the Bryston engineers.

[robb]

Stu

You may be right--my Theta Pro-Basic IIIA manual says it requires 4 days of warm up to sound its best.  There is a power switch on the front but it only turns off the digital section; the analog section is always powered on.

rob