[Hoiman]

I bought a SP2 a couple of years ago. After a while (I don't remember how long, I think 1 year) the display went out of order and some other problems. I got a new one. This also has problems now, a few month after the warranty has ended. After 5,5 years display out of order, the SP2 shut down out of it self, the sound went up out of it's self and since a month of 2 when I want to set the volume louder with the remote it doesn't do anything. The last problem is solved by setting the sound lower with the remote because after that it will work again and I can set the sound louder.

I also have an amplifier and I have no problems with this, it sounds great and I really love it.
I also like design and the specs of Bryston equipment very much.

So now I'm in the market for a digital player with a good DAC. I saw what Bryston had to offer and I'm also very pleased with the specs of the new BDA-3 DAC and with the specs of the BDP-2 Digital player. The problem is that I'm afraid that after 5 years I have to buy new stuff because something is out of order and I have no warranty anymore, same as the SP2 I have now. So I wonder is the quality of the "new" digital devices of Bryston better then a few years ago?

And again I don't want to play the troll, but I really wonder what will happens after 5 years, just when the warranty has ended. Bryston does cost a lot more over in Europe then in Canada I really want to know what I get for my money?

[witchdoctor]

I bought a SP2 a couple of years ago. After a while (I don't remember how long, I think 1 year) the display went out of order and some other problems. I got a new one. This also has problems now, a few month after the warranty has ended. After 5,5 years display out of order, the SP2 shut down out of it self, the sound went up out of it's self and since a month of 2 when I want to set the volume louder with the remote it doesn't do anything. The last problem is solved by setting the sound lower with the remote because after that it will work again and I can set the sound louder.

I also have an amplifier and I have no problems with this, it sounds great and I really love it.
I also like design and the specs of Bryston equipment very much.

So now I'm in the market for a digital player with a good DAC. I saw what Bryston had to offer and I'm also very pleased with the specs of the new BDA-3 DAC and with the specs of the BDP-2 Digital player. The problem is that I'm afraid that after 5 years I have to buy new stuff because something is out of order and I have no warranty anymore, same as the SP2 I have now. So I wonder is the quality of the "new" digital devices of Bryston better then a few years ago?

And again I don't want to play the troll, but I really wonder what will happens after 5 years, just when the warranty has ended. Bryston does cost a lot more over in Europe then in Canada I really want to know what I get for my money?

I cannot comment on Bryston equipment but there is an interesting new player/dac coming out from Nuforce called I think the Omnia. Check the Nuforce thread here on audiocircle.

[Mag]

I have to agree the displays are suspect, but Bryston service is not. I sent my SP2 in and they fixed and updated it for free, that may have been because it was a demo unit, the power supply was replaced. It sounded much better than before when it came back.

I suggest the BCD-3, it's that good!

[Hoiman]

I suggest the BCD-3, it's that good!

I believe you, but I have a really good cd player. I want to get rid of it. But also this cd player is a digital device with a 5 year warranty and the question is, will this still working after this 5 years. In the last 7 years 2 SP2 went out of order and the first one is exchanged for a new one. But my second one has after 5,5 years the same problems as the first one, but now the warranty has gone and I have to buy an other device. And because I like the looks and sound of Bryston I want to stay with Bryston stuff, but not if I have to spend my salary every each 5,5 years to replace my hifi equipement.

[ttsto]

Hi
I have BPD-1 / BDA-1 combo since Oct. 2012
Since then I am using it almost daily. As I use last.fm services I run a query to see how many tracks I listened since March.2013, when I was able to enable scrobbling...it is exceeding 80ths tracks, more than 50 per day
The operation is excellent, without issues and sound quality is top
Hope this helps
Titi

[CanadianMaestro]

I have had no tech issues with my Bryston BDA/BDP/BCD series-1 gear, from 2012.

OTH their SP's may be built differently (read as "more parts and more susceptible to wear and tear") and a lot depends on the users' listening habits -- loud vs. soft, etc.

[Hoiman]

Hope this helps

Yes this helps.

[witchdoctor]

I believe you, but I have a really good cd player. I want to get rid of it. But also this cd player is a digital device with a 5 year warranty and the question is, will this still working after this 5 years. In the last 7 years 2 SP2 went out of order and the first one is exchanged for a new one. But my second one has after 5,5 years the same problems as the first one, but now the warranty has gone and I have to buy an other device. And because I like the looks and sound of Bryston I want to stay with Bryston stuff, but not if I have to spend my salary every each 5,5 years to replace my hifi equipement.

This is not an issue about SQ this is an issue about customer service. Have you called the service department? If they need to fix it fine, but it shouldn't cost a lot. Please tell us what happens when you call or e-mail them.

However I am appalled that I am a witchdoctor giving you advice about Bryston customer service and Mr Tanner isn't defending his brand by politely responding to your post. It is not like he hasn't seen it because he is replying to other posters in this circle.

[thunderbrick]

but I really wonder what will happens after 5 years, just when the warranty has ended. Bryston does cost a lot more over in Europe then in Canada I really want to know what I get for my money?

Not a Bryston owner, but after 5 years you have a highly-regarded piece of gear that should last many more years.  And it's paid off, so what's the concern?  My main amp is over 30 years old, has been serviced twice (once my fault) and keeps on chugging along.  I don't worry about it.   

[Phil A]

Most things digital 5 years down the road from a standpoint of being current on digital technology are not as relevant as current models.  That being said, if one is satisfied with the sound quality, then one has a quality piece of equipment from one of the best manufacturers.  Everything ever made will break.  The better manufacturers take care of their customers.  I owned my SP1.7 for many years and skipped at least one generation of surround sound by using a player with its analog inputs.  I updated the chips as they came out for it regularly in both my unit and I had a friend who worked at a high shop for a 6 year period and updated them for several others.

There is no wrong or right when it comes to audio.  It boils down to personal preference.  Some people will prefer something more current and some may not value that as much as others.  For me I went the route of a 2-channel preamp with HT Bypass.  I generally buy factory refurb receivers and then will rotate things to secondary systems (or if they get old enough give them away - gave away a 14 year old Sony ES last year to a friend).  Some may prefer to have an all in one piece for various reasons as well.

Digital technology will change more rapidly than most, if not all, audio devices.  For a bit about a decade back, I used an old Micromega Duo Pro DAC (was made in the mid 1990s) that sounded really nice on CDs (only did 48kHz) with a good transport.  I then had a Bryston BCD-1 which had similar qualities but a bit better.  Then sold that and got a BDA-1 used for literally a few weeks for a hair less than I sold the CD player for.  That allowed me to get into hi-rez.  With an Oppo player and an HDMI audio de-embedder, I enjoyed my SACD collection in hi-rez with a nice DAC.  I've since evolved into file playback with a different DAC.

The point is with digital equipment if one is expecting the latest and greatest for many years, they may be disappointed as the technology will change (if it is their desire to have the latest and greatest).  When I was just into CD playback, I was more than content with the sound I got back then.  So it also depends on what your goals are - e.g. CD playback only or hi-rez and CD playback.

[Photon46]

My response to your question isn't about the quality of Bryston gear or service, but digital playback equipment in general. I've been buying CD and SACD players and DACs since the first days of the digital revolution. I've had equipment at price levels from $500 to more than $5000 per unit. Denon, Cambridge Audio, Assemblage, Marantz, Luxman, Arcam, and others I can't recall at the moment. Both my experiences and those of friends lead me to think that the most troublesome parts of CD players are the displays and the laser read assemblies and the rate of failure may not have anything to do with the price of the unit. Probably part of the reason is because most CD players made use parts from sub contractors and a manufacturer cannot control a sub contractor's quality control issues.

Unfortunately, I don't think there is any manufacturer you can depend on to make a CD player that is CERTAIN to last more than five years. There's a certain failure rate for parts and no manufacturer is immune from parts failures. The unfortunate reality is that if one wants to enjoy high end audio with a high price tag, one has to be willing to gamble that your equipment will fail and you may lose your money. You may lose your "investment" if the manufacturer goes out of business, no longer can get repair parts, changes distributors in your country, or you decide to sell and your equipment is no longer in favor with the current tastes of buyers out there.

Like yourself, I have gotten tired of constantly replacing prematurely dead CD players that were expensive for my budget. I've had several rather expensive players die after just a few years only to find that they couldn't be repaired because some part the manufacturer sub contracted is no longer available. For that reason, I spent more than I'v ever spent in the past and bought a Luxman SACD/CD player in large part because of their reputation for durability and in-house manufacturing of many components. Time will tell if that was money well spent.

[witchdoctor]

This is kind of evolving into a topic about the best bang for the buck digital front ends. Yes, Moores Law dictates a fast paced change in digital products. Maybe it is better to buy a front end with the intention of replacing it every 3-5 years rather than keeping it. using that approach the most I would spend on a digital front end would be $300 and a pre/pro $1000. For example I just bought the Sony UHPH1 with that in mind:
http://www.homecinemachoice.com/news/article/sony-uhp-h1-review/24374

Is it a Bryston BDP2? Not hardly but I could buy 10 of the Sony's for the price of 1 BDP 2 and when I replace it in 3 years or if it breaks I won't worry about $$$.
Plus while I am saving 90% of my cash am I giving up 90% of the SQ? Not hardly, as you can see from the review the SQ of the player is outstanding and it does video as well as audio.

[Phil A]

My response to your question isn't about the quality of Bryston gear or service, but digital playback equipment in general. I've been buying CD and SACD players and DACs since the first days of the digital revolution. I've had equipment at price levels from $500 to more than $5000 per unit. Denon, Cambridge Audio, Assemblage, Marantz, Luxman, Arcam, and others I can't recall at the moment. Both my experiences and those of friends lead me to think that the most troublesome parts of CD players are the displays and the laser read assemblies and the rate of failure may not have anything to do with the price of the unit. Probably part of the reason is because most CD players made use parts from sub contractors and a manufacturer cannot control a sub contractor's quality control issues.

Unfortunately, I don't think there is any manufacturer you can depend on to make a CD player that is CERTAIN to last more than five years. There's a certain failure rate for parts and no manufacturer is immune from parts failures. The unfortunate reality is that if one wants to enjoy high end audio with a high price tag, one has to be willing to gamble that your equipment will fail and you may lose your money. You may lose your "investment" if the manufacturer goes out of business, no longer can get repair parts, changes distributors in your country, or you decide to sell and your equipment is no longer in favor with the current tastes of buyers out there.

Like yourself, I have gotten tired of constantly replacing prematurely dead CD players that were expensive for my budget. I've had several rather expensive players die after just a few years only to find that they couldn't be repaired because some part the manufacturer sub contracted is no longer available. For that reason, I spent more than I'v ever spent in the past and bought a Luxman SACD/CD player in large part because of their reputation for durability and in-house manufacturing of many components. Time will tell if that was money well spent.

I've also gotten out of the market when it comes to high end disc spinners for that reason.  File playback with a good DAC is my preference.  It is not the fault of the disc player manufacturer if the manufacturer of the drive discontinues it after several years.  In order to make a new drive work with the same player, it may require new software and engineering which I don't think many manufacturers would want to get into vs. making current models.

I do have a older modded Oppo which basically is not used much.  Right now it is sitting in a secondary system used primarily for HT.  I had a problem with a sticky drawer and opened it up and it seems to be better.  Since I don't do disc playback, unless someone else comes over with a disc, it won't see much tons of use.  Right now I have it sitting between an old Carver C-9 sonic hologram generator and the preamp just for fun the few times I may use it.

[witchdoctor]

I've also gotten out of the market when it comes to high end disc spinners for that reason.  File playback with a good DAC is my preference.  It is not the fault of the disc player manufacturer if the manufacturer of the drive discontinues it after several years.  In order to make a new drive work with the same player, it may require new software and engineering which I don't think many manufacturers would want to get into vs. making current models.

I do have a older modded Oppo which basically is not used much.  Right now it is sitting in a secondary system used primarily for HT.  I had a problem with a sticky drawer and opened it up and it seems to be better.  Since I don't do disc playback, unless someone else comes over with a disc, it won't see much tons of use.  Right now I have it sitting between an old Carver C-9 sonic hologram generator and the preamp just for fun the few times I may use it.

I love Carver products, that C-9 is still rocking huh? I have an AV-505 amp that absolutely sings and  was a CL find last year.

[Phil A]

I love Carver products, that C-9 is still rocking huh? I have an AV-505 amp that absolutely sings and  was a CL find last year.

My first separates (35+ years back - when I was 5 years old of course ) were Phase Linear products.  Probably owned most of their products at one point.  I owned the C-9 when it first came out and eventually sold it. I had two C-9s, both bought used later on.  A friend really wanted a unit and he helped me pack up my speakers when I moved just over 3 years back so I gave him the other one.  I had no used the current one much.  I sold my LD players (had two) with RF demodulators and 140 discs about a year back and the C-9 was sitting there (and wasn't used much before that).  So when I got my Oppo 203 for that room, I rotated players around taking the 103D to the bedroom (which feeds the outdoor speakers and makes it convenient to use the iPhone to select music from my NAS sitting outside) and I moved the old 93 with a couple of hard drives to the upstairs bonus room.  Don't use that system tons but I don't have to go searching for discs or music to play now.  Took the modded 83 back downstairs and made a couple of pairs of cables and hooked it to the C-9.

[Hoiman]

It's not that the digital world is changed that is not my problem. The problem is that it doesn't work anymore as it was sopose to be. Display out of order, the  volume button works by it self. That is my complain. So what I want to know are the display problems history, are the volume button problems history etc... So that's what my question is about, does it stands for more then 5 years or will I come across the same problems. Will the BDP-2 have a broken display after a few years.

Of course every thing will breakdown after usage, but I hoped that my SP2 (for example) lasted longer then 5,5 years. And again I'm not here to complain/play the troll/etc.... I just wonder if this products are better made now at Bryston.

[Phil A]

It's not that the digital world is changed that is not my problem. The problem is that it doesn't work anymore as it was sopose to be. Display out of order, the  volume button works by it self. That is my complain. So what I want to know are the display problems history, are the volume button problems history etc... So that's what my question is about, does it stands for more then 5 years or will I come across the same problems. Will the BDP-2 have a broken display after a few years.

Of course every thing will breakdown after usage, but I hoped that my SP2 (for example) lasted longer then 5,5 years. And again I'm not here to complain/play the troll/etc.... I just wonder if this products are better made now at Bryston.

I owned my SP1.7 for more than 5 years with no problems.  A display and the volume control can likely be fixed.  If you are happy with the sound quality and features, then regardless of how long it lasts, whether it is 3 years or 7 or whatever, then for the price, it will be hard to get the same quality 2-channel sound with good surround too at such a price point.  It also depends as noted earlier on your preferences (e.g. HT, Music, etc.)

[Hoiman]

will be hard to get the same quality 2-channel sound with good surround too at such a price point.

Totally agree,that's why I want to stick with Bryston.

[veloceleste]

My first separates (35+ years back - when I was 5 years old of course ) were Phase Linear products.  Probably owned most of their products at one point.  I owned the C-9 when it first came out and eventually sold it. I had two C-9s, both bought used later on. 

Ha!Same here, amps and other equipment, Phase 400 then 700 series II,  PL 1000 noise reduction/dre (which was my favorite piece of PL gear), and the C-9 of course. When everything was just right with the C-9 (I think atmospheric conditions even had an effect with that  ), the effect was stunning. Surround sound had nothing on the C-9 IMHO.
Back to digital: Since 1985, of all the components both analog and digital that have come and gone through my house, only CD players and the digital board on a Pioneer Elite HTR have broken.

[Krutsch]

This is kind of evolving into a topic about the best bang for the buck digital front ends. Yes, Moores Law dictates a fast paced change in digital products. Maybe it is better to buy a front end with the intention of replacing it every 3-5 years rather than keeping it. using that approach the most I would spend on a digital front end would be $300 and a pre/pro $1000. For example I just bought the Sony UHPH1 with that in mind:
http://www.homecinemachoice.com/news/article/sony-uhp-h1-review/24374

Is it a Bryston BDP2? Not hardly but I could buy 10 of the Sony's for the price of 1 BDP 2 and when I replace it in 3 years or if it breaks I won't worry about $$$.
Plus while I am saving 90% of my cash am I giving up 90% of the SQ? Not hardly, as you can see from the review the SQ of the player is outstanding and it does video as well as audio.

I have one of these in my Head-Fi rig for playback of DVDs, Blu-rays and DVD-Audio (I have a large collection). Works well and sounds good with optical plastic.

I've tried plugging in a USB thumb drive and using FLAC files for network streaming to this device. Guess what? No gapless playback. I will stick with my BDP-1 for digital audio file playback.