I'll start off by saying this:
I posted this in the Bryston forum, guess who came out on top in my opinion...
The BDA-1!
And here's how I came to that conclusion:
For over a year I have loved my PS Audio PWD, very detailed and crystal clear.
Played around with cables, speakers, amps and music streamers and ended up with the following setup:
Sonos ZP90 with W4S mod
PS Audio PWD
Primaluna Dialogue 2
Goldenear Aon 3
PS Audio Power cables
Audio Power Industries power conditioner
Anti Cables speaker wires and IC's.
The detail, soundstage and the clean sound was what I loved about this setup.
Last week though, with a little bit of Ivan's help, I bought a Bryston BDA-1.
It arrived, I connected it, let it sit for a day and yesterday started to use it.
I realized that I fooled myself in believing that the PS Audio was 'the shit' for me.
This BDA-1 is also detailed and clean, but it adds a level of 'musicality' and warmth.
The high end was not as sharp and the bass deeper than the PWD.
Also, it sounds more laid back (read: easier to listen to).
The PWD always kept me on my toes and I HAD to pay attention to the music.
The BDA-1 actually let's me enjoy the music more and I'm able to just listen and relax.
Here's my conclusion:
If you want detail, clean and the music simply sent from A to B without adding or subtracting then the PS Audio PWD is your DAC.
If you want detail and clean, but prefer a warmer and more laid back sound, then the BDA-1 is for you, as it is for me!
