The Bryston Integrated Audio Card should be considered an essential upgrade.
My initial observations of the new card from a posting under the BDP-2 Thread were: "This is an essential upgrade to the BDP-2, especially for systems having high resolution. The new card simply seems to stay out of the way of the music. I was jotting down a few notes while listening and the first noticeable improvement is how much quite the back ground is, the noise floor has really been lowered (which I did not think possible after listening the first card). The sound stage is huge, both in width and depth. There is greater delineation of fine musical details. Notes seem suspended on a cushion of air with the space between notes better delineated. Micro and macro dynamics are improved and impressive (likely due to the lowered noise floor). Very subtile fine details in music are clearly delineated with this card (no need to lean into the music, just sit back and lots of detail will unfold naturally). Pitch definition is improved, especially in the lower frequencies. There is improved extension, delineation, and definition of low frequencies. All in all this new audio card is a spectacular achievement and elevates the already fine performance of the BDP-2 to a new level. Highly recommended upgrade!"
Having spent more time listening, I feel the factor that is vastly improved with the new integrated audio card is the lowering of timing errors. Timing errors will smear the sound causing a loss of focus and pitch definition. As I have been listening, I was struck by a similarity of the improved pitch definition of the new integrated audio card to my experience listening to a Meridian MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) lossless audio format technology demonstration. The Meridian MQA technology is impressive and one goal of this lossless audio format is to greatly reduce timing errors. One of the cuts demonstrated was Roberta Flack's Killing Me Softly With His Song. Without MQA, the kick drum has a bloated unfocused sound, but with MQA, the drum was focus with vastly improved pitch definition. The same is now heard with this particular cut with the new Bryston Integrated Audio Card. The drum is taut, focused, with vastly improved pitch definition (176/24 file). Vocals now have an organic quality due to lack of smearing. Cymbals have a more natural sound (an instrument that was murdered when digital was introduced), but the reason was partially due to timing errors in the digital signals. I consider the new integrated audio card a crowning achievement for Bryston's engineering team. Once heard, there will be no turning back!
