[Mag]

Okay, I've listened extensively to my new Bryston BCD-1,for the last two days  comparing it to my Sony NS9100ES and I'm ready to write my review.
Equipment:
Pre-amp for multi-channel: Yamaha RX-V2200
Amps- Bryston 3B SST, 3B ST, 2B LP
Power conditioner: Art SP 4x4
Graphic Equalizer: Alto EQU231LED
Speakers: Paradigm Studio 100 v2, Paradigm Studio 20 v3, Paradigm CC 470 v3, Paradigm cc 370 v3, Paradigm Monitor 9 v2, B&W DM 601S3
Sub: Velodyne CHT-10
Interconnect: Cordis Crosslink
Speaker wire: ordinary 14 gauge
6 Decibel boost applied to bass freq. with equalizer.

First off my 9100 was a upgrade from my Sony DVP NS975V. The 975 is a good mid-level player that sounds bright compared to the 9100. The 9100 initially seemed only marginally better, but overtime I found I was using the 9100 exclusively because of it's more natural sound.
I use the 9100 by toslink as I could not discern any difference between analog when volume level matched.

First impressions of BCD-1 powering up using analog connection, bass was solid. Also the BCD-1 using analog is the first time I heard analog better toslink.


Playing my favorite cd's in the Bryston then playing it on the 9100.:
At low spl level, below 85 decibels I could not discern any significant difference between the two players. At higher spl levels, (my typically volume levels), that I discerned differences. The Bryston was tonally accurate and became even more apparent the louder the volume. Drums solos like the Mule in Made in Japan or Moby Dick in Song Remains the Same sounded so real. Cymbals are distinguishable from just a clang. At the end of Whole Lotta Love the gong was a gong and not a garbage can lid.
The Bryston presents a slightly more forward image than the 9100 which seems to suspend in the air giving the perception of depth and body. I never perceived harshness in the cd's I played.
The BCD-1 was not able to salvage a terrible recording like the Song Remains the Same disc 1, it still sounded like crap. But on another mediocre recording such as Rush- Exit Stage Left, it seem to elevate the playback to a remastered level. I was able to discern in the song Jacob's ladder a kick drum, whereas before I thought it was the bass guitar. The song 'Radar Love' by Golden Earring which everyone knows is bassy, came through like I never heard it before, with very natural sounding bass.

Conclusion:
The BCD-1's strength is the tonal accuracy, which is sharp and articulate throughout the sound spectrum with natural sounding bass. It clearly bettered the 9100 in cd playback at higher spl levels. However, the BCD-1 did not elevated cd's to concert dvd levels as I had hoped.
As for cd playback, it's the best I've heard.

[James Tanner]

Hi Mag,

Thanks for the feedback.  Just to be clear are you saying you still prefer the sound of DVD Music disc's
(either Dolby or DTS or PCM) in Stereo on your system through the Sony?

james

[Mag]

Thanks for the feedback.  Just to be clear are you saying you still prefer the sound of DVD Music disc's
(either Dolby or DTS or PCM) in Stereo on your system through the Sony?

That's correct, I played the concert dvd AC/DC 'Live in Donington' in multi-channel PCM, afterwards to compare. And it's at higher level of resolution. Oh, and all my listening was in multi-channel stereo.

I forgot to mention in my review that I use cd-r's as I copy the originals and put them away. The BCD-1 had no incidents of not being able to read the disc. It loads  in just a few seconds. Whereas my 9100 usually takes half a minute to load sometimes longer if it has trouble loading. Some discs it gets stuck on for some reason and other times it doesn't.

[James Tanner]

Thanks for the feedback.  Just to be clear are you saying you still prefer the sound of DVD Music disc's
(either Dolby or DTS or PCM) in Stereo on your system through the Sony?

That's correct, I played the concert dvd AC/DC 'Live in Donington' in multi-channel PCM, afterwards to compare. And it's at higher level of resolution. Oh, and all my listening was in multi-channel stereo.

I forgot to mention in my review that I use cd-r's as I copy the originals and put them away. The BCD-1 had no incidents of not being able to read the disc. It loads  in just a few seconds. Whereas my 9100 usually takes half a minute to load sometimes longer if it has trouble loading. Some discs it gets stuck on for some reason and other times it doesn't.

Hi Mag,

When you say 'higher levels of resolution' - how do you mean?
Also 'pardon me for my confusion here' but your using the analog 5.1 multchannel PCM out of your DVD Player and comparing that to the same DVD played on the Bryston CD Player in Stereo?


james

[Mag]

When you say 'higher levels of resolution' - how do you mean?
Also 'pardon me for my confusion here' but your using the analog 5.1 multchannel PCM out of your DVD Player and comparing that to the same DVD played on the Bryston CD Player in Stereo?


james


[/quote]

No, when I play dvd's it's with toslink, I only use 5.1 analog for sacd. Then I use multi-channel soundfield on av/receiver.
When playing the dvd in pcm stereo, I did not compare it to anything on cd. It was immediately obvious it was higher resolution to anything I heard on cd in the last two days.

[James Tanner]

When you say 'higher levels of resolution' - how do you mean?
Also 'pardon me for my confusion here' but your using the analog 5.1 multchannel PCM out of your DVD Player and comparing that to the same DVD played on the Bryston CD Player in Stereo?


james

No, when I play dvd's it's with toslink, I only use 5.1 analog for sacd. Then I use multi-channel soundfield on av/receiver.
When playing the dvd in pcm stereo, I did not compare it to anything on cd. It was immediately obvious it was higher resolution to anything I heard on cd in the last two days.
[/quote]

Hi Mag,

That's really strange because Optical (toslink) is a 'compressed' digital signal.  In the case of Dolby it has a 12 to 1 compression and in DTS it has a 3 to 1 compression. Also just as an aside try using the COAX from your DVD player instead of the Toslink into your A/V receiver when listening in Surround. COAX has a much 'purer' digital signal path.

james

[Mag]

I do have two albums both in dvd and cd, Enchanted Evening with Kitaro. And Yanni Live at the Acropolis. I'll listened and compare both of these to be fair and I'll get back if I have anything relevant to add.

[Mag]

My humblest apologies James for speaking to soon. I should have spent more time auditioning before posting a review. I was too eager and did not want to leave everyone in suspense.
After comparing the above 2 mentioned cd's to the concert dvd's. The BCD-1 was  clearly better. More so on 'Enchanted Evening' which sounded muddy and muffled at times, phased in and out and lacked the clarity of the BCD-1 which was consistant throughout the cd. The Bryston was more dynamic detailed yet played the quiet passages ever so delicately, with a whisper on 'Heaven an Earth'. Just a beautiful presentation! I must have climaxed at least a dozen times.
Yanni- Live at the Acropolis dvd faired better but still came up short.

If I'm not mistaken after approx. 30 hrs of use the BCD-1 sound has opened up from when I first powered up. Did you find this also?

That's all for now, I'm still eager to get in more listening time. But will have to shut'er  down shortly for some sleep.

[James Tanner]

My humblest apologies James for speaking to soon. I should have spent more time auditioning before posting a review. I was too eager and did not want to leave everyone in suspense.
After comparing the above 2 mentioned cd's to the concert dvd's. The BCD-1 was  clearly better. More so on 'Enchanted Evening' which sounded muddy and muffled at times, phased in and out and lacked the clarity of the BCD-1 which was consistant throughout the cd. The Bryston was more dynamic detailed yet played the quiet passages ever so delicately, with a whisper on 'Heaven an Earth'. Just a beautiful presentation! I must have climaxed at least a dozen times.
Yanni- Live at the Acropolis dvd faired better but still came up short.

If I'm not mistaken after approx. 30 hrs of use the BCD-1 sound has opened up from when I first powered up. Did you find this also?

That's all for now, I'm still eager to get in more listening time. But will have to shut'er  down shortly for some sleep.

Hi Mag,

I also find that the sound improves after the first 30 hours or so. Please do not report me to the engineering staff though because I always get - 'what are you smoking'.

It is a strange phenomenon though because the change is not something you can measure. I always find when I do audio shows that things sound better after about 2-3 days of use. The soundstage opens up and the sense of timing of all the instruments improves.

james

[Mag]

You know how I was saying how good AC/DC- Live in Donington sounded in dvd. Well I transfered that to cd and it sounds even better played on the BCD-1.
I have a few more dvd's to tranfer. aa