[Grit]

There may never be a "better" moment to enjoy your music and equipment like when you add a new item to the system, and it makes you tap your feet and put a grin on your face, just because it's a bit better than what you had.

I received my BDP-2 and BDA-2 last week. I'm relegated to headphones for a while, and I just sent my BHA-1 to Bryston for a blue LED switch out, so I'm running on a lesser headphone amp, powering Audeze LCD-2's. My source is CDs ripped with dbPowerAmp to FLAC, stored on my Windows Home Server. The transport was a Sonos (fantastic user interface, amazing WAF, nifty streaming options for background music). I got the BDP-2 connected tonight via BNC coax. I synched up a few songs to play simultaneously through the Sonos and BDP-2 at the same time. The Sonos is connected via RCA coax. It and the BDP-2 are going into the BDA-2.

I listened to 60ish seconds of a song on the Sonos, then switched to the BDP-2. It made me laugh with excitement, out loud. I'm not dramatizing. I really had a deep "ha ha!" laugh. It just sounds more like music via the BDP-2 than the Sonos. I hoped that's what I'd get, but I'm a skeptic, and I thought I or my system might not hear the difference others talked about.

Ha Ha! There's SUCH a difference. I didn't have to A/B to hear it. So much for the concept that digital sources are the same. Bryston, you folks are AMAZING. Thanks so much. Worth every penny, and then some!

Oh and BTW, for the cable folks out there (and I'm one of them), the Sonos got the expensive Transparent Audio digital cable. The Bryston got stuck with a $17 cable off Amazon.com, just to get me going.

[Grit]

That reminds me, I only want to spend money on one nicer digital cable. If you have some experience comparing the BNC vs AES/BEU digital output of the BDP-2 to the BDA-1 or BDA-2, I'd love to hear what you thought!

[ragg987]

Thanks for that comparison, Grit.

I hate posts like this - feels like I am missing out on something and I am in danger of having to splash out on more Bryston products  . Kerchinnnnk !

Does anyone have any experience of BDP-2 vs HTPC for source? A long while ago i sold my Naim CDS2 CD player as felt there was no audible benefit against HTPC.

Rajive

[So There]

Congratulations, Grit:

You're right, the BDP-2/BDA-2 combo is incredibly engaging and accurate. It seems that the distortion and haze of other sources just falls away and the listener is one with the music.

James recommended that I connect the two pieces via AES/EBU, and I'm using the Bryston cable to do so. I believe it's available in the Bryston online store for $105.

Many miles of happy listening,

Rich
________________
Whiney Napa Valley

[Grit]

Congratulations, Grit:

You're right, the BDP-2/BDA-2 combo is incredibly engaging and accurate. It seems that the distortion and haze of other sources just falls away and the listener is one with the music.

James recommended that I connect the two pieces via AES/EBU, and I'm using the Bryston cable to do so. I believe it's available in the Bryston online store for $105.

Many miles of happy listening,

Rich
________________
Whiney Napa Valley

That's a good analogy, about the haze and distortion falling away. Good way to word it.

[budcook]

That reminds me, I only want to spend money on one nicer digital cable. If you have some experience comparing the BNC vs AES/BEU digital output of the BDP-2 to the BDA-1 or BDA-2, I'd love to hear what you thought!

I just replaced an Audioquest VSD-5 Digital Cable w/BNC Connectors with a Cardas AES/BEU cable.  I could easily compare the two cables simply by switching inputs on the DBA-2.
 
The Cardas cable cost more than six times as much as the Audioquest cable so it's not an apples to apples comparison.  The difference I hear in the cables is probably not so much a result of the cable type but silver vs copper and cable quality.  Listening with headphones via balanced Cardas cables from the DAC to the BHA-1 to the Sennheiser headphones, the difference in sound stage was more apparent in favor of the AES/BEU cable. 

If choosing cables of like quality and cost, I'd go with the AES/BEU cable.

[Grit]

I just switched to a silver headphone cable, which felt like it removed a blanket from in front of the sound. Interesting to hear what it does for a digital signal.

[ronman]

I know this is a thank Bryston thread - which I recently did via a "Bryston gives top service " thread - but I just want to quickly ask.......does anyone have experience with usb cables ? What were your findings ?

[budcook]

I just switched to a silver headphone cable, which felt like it removed a blanket from in front of the sound. Interesting to hear what it does for a digital signal.

I'd be interested to know which cable you switched from and which cable you switched to. 

Bud

[Grit]

Stock headphone for Audeze LCD-2 to Moon Audio Silver Dragon. I can't speak as to whether or not it is "worth it" because each of us have different value systems.

[budcook]

Stock headphone for Audeze LCD-2 to Moon Audio Silver Dragon. I can't speak as to whether or not it is "worth it" because each of us have different value systems.

I have no doubt it was worth it.  I experienced the same results when I replaced the standard Sennheiser cable with a Cardas and it's a copper cable.