[clewlor]

Hi all, sort of new to the Circles.  I have a Bryston 4BSST and am looking to build a nice 2-channel system around it.  I have Dynaudio Contour S3.4 speakers that will be used here.  Unfortunately my budget does not allow for a Bryston pre and CD player (though I would like to).  Any thoughts or suggestions on a good, new preamp and CD player that would go well with my amp and speakers?  I would like to keep the total amount to less than $3k US.

Thanks and I appreciate the help!

[James Tanner]

Hi all, sort of new to the Circles.  I have a Bryston 4BSST and am looking to build a nice 2-channel system around it.  I have Dynaudio Contour S3.4 speakers that will be used here.  Unfortunately my budget does not allow for a Bryston pre and CD player (though I would like to).  Any thoughts or suggestions on a good, new preamp and CD player that would go well with my amp and speakers?  I would like to keep the total amount to less than $3k US.

Thanks and I appreciate the help!

Maybe consider a new Bryston CD Player and a used preamp.

james

[clewlor]

That could definitely be an option.  Do you think the CD purchase is more important than the preamp one?

So, let's say that I saved a little more.  For my system, which preamp from Bryston would you recommend?  I do like the idea of balanced connections but not sure that I really need them.

[Hugh]

James,

YGM.

Hugh

[James Tanner]

That could definitely be an option.  Do you think the CD purchase is more important than the preamp one?

So, let's say that I saved a little more.  For my system, which preamp from Bryston would you recommend?  I do like the idea of balanced connections but not sure that I really need them.

Hi Clewlor,

I think the CD Player is critical if you want the best CD has to offer so I would rather see you with a used preamp and the new CD Player.

A Balanced preamp makes a lot of sense so see if you can find a used BP20 or BP25 preamp which gives you the 'Balanced IN' for the CD Player and the 'Balanced Outs' for the 4B SST.

james

[alexone]

That could definitely be an option.  Do you think the CD purchase is more important than the preamp one?

So, let's say that I saved a little more.  For my system, which preamp from Bryston would you recommend?  I do like the idea of balanced connections but not sure that I really need them.

hi, clewlor!

i think you should try to get your 4 bsst connected via xlr to a preamp you prefer. a used bryston preamp is a perfect match. and  if you could add the bcd-1 on top...big deal. what i mean is that the balanced ins/outs are the number one choice. its not that the unbalanced are 'bad'... its just like you suffer from resolution loss somehow compared to the balanced ones. and once you took the balanced you'll realize you need 'em.

i do have the bcd-1, bps26 and 4 bsst (all xlr connected) and its just an amazing combination.

greetings,

al.

[clewlor]

That's good information on the XLR connections.  I will definitely look into the option of having the connections as I would like to hear for myself the difference.

Just curious (here lies the path to danger , what is retail on the BP26?  I've done some searching and mainly see the units priced in non-US dollars.

I would love to do an all Bryston system.  To audition I have to drive about 50 miles to a dealer but not that big of a deal.  I heard the BCD-1 at another dealer in a city I was visiting and was impressed.  It was right up next to a Cambridge Audio 840C (which seems to be getting a lot of press).  And my brother has the Rega Apollo and loves it so he has been pushing me that way.  I would like to stay with the amp in my system and keep everything in the same family.  In more of my price range would be the BP6 but no XLR connections there.

[James Tanner]

That could definitely be an option.  Do you think the CD purchase is more important than the preamp one?

So, let's say that I saved a little more.  For my system, which preamp from Bryston would you recommend?  I do like the idea of balanced connections but not sure that I really need them.

hi, clewlor!

i think you should try to get your 4 bsst connected via xlr to a preamp you prefer. a used bryston preamp is a perfect match. and  if you could add the bcd-1 on top...big deal. what i mean is that the balanced ins/outs are the number one choice. its not that the unbalanced are 'bad'... its just like you suffer from resolution loss somehow compared to the balanced ones. and once you took the balanced you'll realize you need 'em.

i do have the bcd-1, bps26 and 4 bsst (all xlr connected) and its just an amazing combination.

greetings,

al.

Hi Alex,

I would be very interested in your thoughts on the CD Player Balanced out vs Unbalanced.

james

[mkaiser]

Hey Clewlor,

If you are currently using a CD/DVD Player and a pre-amp in your system now, i would upgrade to the Bryston CD player first and, if you could waite a bit and save up for a BP26 you will be very happy you did. It is completely worth saving up and it is priced very fairly though ultimately the call is yours.
I own the BCD-1, and the BP26 with balanced connections though i can't give an accurate mini review as i only listen through headphones currently until i decide on speakers later this coming year.

Mark

[alexone]

That's good information on the XLR connections.  I will definitely look into the option of having the connections as I would like to hear for myself the difference.

Just curious (here lies the path to danger , what is retail on the BP26?  I've done some searching and mainly see the units priced in non-US dollars.

I would love to do an all Bryston system.  To audition I have to drive about 50 miles to a dealer but not that big of a deal.  I heard the BCD-1 at another dealer in a city I was visiting and was impressed.  It was right up next to a Cambridge Audio 840C (which seems to be getting a lot of press).  And my brother has the Rega Apollo and loves it so he has been pushing me that way.  I would like to stay with the amp in my system and keep everything in the same family.  In more of my price range would be the BP6 but no XLR connections there.

hi, clewlor!

yes, go for a bryston all in all system. it doesnt just make sense because of the familiar sound you also will have a cosmetically matching sound monster.
when i was looking for a sound system that would fit into my money and demand wishes i found that the high end offers are not from the cheap side at all...and they heve never been. no matter what company you are looking at. surely 3000 euros to pay for a cd player like the bcd-1 is not a small amount of money. but if you know that music is your way and if you want to get all the performance then give yourself a 'kick' and you wont regret  that you spent once more money. you will get what you paid for!!

i bought the bps 26 one year ago before bryston announced the price changes. it was around 3500 euros. my amp was 3800 euros.

al.

[alexone]

That could definitely be an option.  Do you think the CD purchase is more important than the preamp one?

So, let's say that I saved a little more.  For my system, which preamp from Bryston would you recommend?  I do like the idea of balanced connections but not sure that I really need them.

hi, clewlor!

i think you should try to get your 4 bsst connected via xlr to a preamp you prefer. a used bryston preamp is a perfect match. and  if you could add the bcd-1 on top...big deal. what i mean is that the balanced ins/outs are the number one choice. its not that the unbalanced are 'bad'... its just like you suffer from resolution loss somehow compared to the balanced ones. and once you took the balanced you'll realize you need 'em.

i do have the bcd-1, bps26 and 4 bsst (all xlr connected) and its just an amazing combination.

greetings,

al.

Hi Alex,

I would be very interested in your thoughts on the CD Player Balanced out vs Unbalanced.

james

hi, james!

ok. here is my point of view:

first i have to say that i like all kind of music except classical things. so rock, rap, reggae and almost everything in between that is my goal.

unbalanced:
the bcd-1 gives a very clear and correct sound image when connected via unbalanced and compared to a lets say 500 euro cd player. when i switch between these both players its like the bryston is a bit louder without changing the volume control. i think the output stage has to be blamed for it in a positive way. and the bass is improved, too.

balanced:
the differences between these connections can be heard much much clearer than the unbalanced thing described above.
if i turn the rotation knob to xlr its like a curtain is pulled aside. as i already said its not that the unbalanced are 'bad' but the balanced offer a more
open soundstage. the louder i listen to the music the better it comes. the bcd-1 must be a clock- it tells you every second what time it is...incredible!
the bass is almost scary (and i like it). hope my neighbours do so as well?! and like in the case of the unbalanced the balanced connection is once more louder without changing the volume.

the bcd-1 now had a few very nice reviews in the meantime. i agree with them here. i personally would have asked for cd-text and for program functions that makes the player able to play the songs as the user wants it... but hey, wasnt everyone who already had bryston components waiting for the opportunity to complete his sound system and not always breaking his nerves about thinking what player makes a perfect match?
the bcd-1 does it.

may the sound be with you.

al.

[James Tanner]

Hi Alex,

I would be very interested in your thoughts on the CD Player Balanced out vs Unbalanced.

james

[/quote]

hi, james!

ok. here is my point of view:

first i have to say that i like all kind of music except classical things. so rock, rap, reggae and almost everything in between that is my goal.

unbalanced:
the bcd-1 gives a very clear and correct sound image when connected via unbalanced and compared to a lets say 500 euro cd player. when i switch between these both players its like the bryston is a bit louder without changing the volume control. i think the output stage has to be blamed for it in a positive way. and the bass is improved, too.

balanced:
the differences between these connections can be heard much much clearer than the unbalanced thing described above.
if i turn the rotation knob to xlr its like a curtain is pulled aside. as i already said its not that the unbalanced are 'bad' but the balanced offer a more
open soundstage. the louder i listen to the music the better it comes. the bcd-1 must be a clock- it tells you every second what time it is...incredible!
the bass is almost scary (and i like it). hope my neighbours do so as well?! and like in the case of the unbalanced the balanced connection is once more louder without changing the volume.

the bcd-1 now had a few very nice reviews in the meantime. i agree with them here. i personally would have asked for cd-text and for program functions that makes the player able to play the songs as the user wants it... but hey, wasnt everyone who already had bryston components waiting for the opportunity to complete his sound system and not always breaking his nerves about thinking what player makes a perfect match?
the bcd-1 does it.

may the sound be with you.

al.
[/quote]


Hi Alex,

Thanks for the comments - much appreciated.

The XLR Balanced outputs have 6dB more GAIN than the single ended outputs (this is common with Balanced circuits). You have to be careful when comparing Balanced circuits to Single Ended (RCA) circuits because short term your ear will always prefer the 'louder' sound.

That being said, I also find that the Balanced output on the CD player provides a more open soundstage with more space, clarity and detail.  I agree the bass tightens and becomes very articulate. The problem is not many preamps offer a fully 'Discreet Class A' Balanced input the way the BP26 does.

I wanted to get some feedback on this from customers using this arrangement because as far as I know none of the reviews so far have listened to the BDC-1 using the Balanced XLR outputs. Given the terrific reviews we have already on the BCD-1 it will be interesting to see how reviewers respond to the Balance configuration.

james

[alexone]

Hi Alex,

I would be very interested in your thoughts on the CD Player Balanced out vs Unbalanced.

james

hi, james!

ok. here is my point of view:

first i have to say that i like all kind of music except classical things. so rock, rap, reggae and almost everything in between that is my goal.

unbalanced:
the bcd-1 gives a very clear and correct sound image when connected via unbalanced and compared to a lets say 500 euro cd player. when i switch between these both players its like the bryston is a bit louder without changing the volume control. i think the output stage has to be blamed for it in a positive way. and the bass is improved, too.

balanced:
the differences between these connections can be heard much much clearer than the unbalanced thing described above.
if i turn the rotation knob to xlr its like a curtain is pulled aside. as i already said its not that the unbalanced are 'bad' but the balanced offer a more
open soundstage. the louder i listen to the music the better it comes. the bcd-1 must be a clock- it tells you every second what time it is...incredible!
the bass is almost scary (and i like it). hope my neighbours do so as well?! and like in the case of the unbalanced the balanced connection is once more louder without changing the volume.

the bcd-1 now had a few very nice reviews in the meantime. i agree with them here. i personally would have asked for cd-text and for program functions that makes the player able to play the songs as the user wants it... but hey, wasnt everyone who already had bryston components waiting for the opportunity to complete his sound system and not always breaking his nerves about thinking what player makes a perfect match?
the bcd-1 does it.

may the sound be with you.

al.
[/quote]


Hi Alex,

Thanks for the comments - much appreciated.

The XLR Balanced outputs have 6dB more GAIN than the single ended outputs (this is common with Balanced circuits). You have to be careful when comparing Balanced circuits to Single Ended (RCA) circuits because short term your ear will always prefer the 'louder' sound.

That being said, I also find that the Balanced output on the CD player provides a more open soundstage with more space, clarity and detail.  I agree the bass tightens and becomes very articulate. The problem is not many preamps offer a fully 'Discreet Class A' Balanced input the way the BP26 does.

I wanted to get some feedback on this from customers using this arrangement because as far as I know none of the reviews so far have listened to the BDC-1 using the Balanced XLR outputs. Given the terrific reviews we have already on the BCD-1 it will be interesting to see how reviewers respond to the Balance configuration.

james
[/quote]

hi, james!

funny that the reviewers did not consider the balanced way...whatever- hopefully the next will do so

happy new year!!!

al.

[mustangkc]

Another option that should fit your budget is the BP26 so your Pre/power amp combo is set then get a used DAC to augment you current CD player. The DAC will clean up the digital stream out of any CD player and a DAC-1 for instance has balanced outputs that will work very nicely with the balanced inputs on your BP26. Good luck with you quest it should be an outstanding system.

[clewlor]

So many choices.... It's hard to decide what is the best path to take - new cd player/used pre, new pre/DAC, etc.  I guess I will just have to go out and use my ears to figure this out.  I am leaning towards a used BP25 and a new BCD-1 right now.

I appreciate all the members who have been very helpful to a newbie who is a little confused.  You guys have been great!  I will make sure to keep an update here and let you know what I decide to do.  In the meantime, any other comments/tips are very welcome of course.

[Viajero5000]

This might be a good time to ask:

1) What're the sonic differences between the BP25, BP6 and BP26?

2) Which one is 'better' sonically, 25 or 6?

[jethro]

clewlor:

Another option which might be cheaper than the BCD-1 and BP-26 is an SP-1.7 combined with a
DVD player. I'm not sure of the used prices on the SP-1.7 but it might match your budget.
A couple of my friends and I did some comparisons between the SP-1.7, benchmark DAC, and
the Bel canto DAC3. Overall we preferred the SP-1.7 and Dac3, with the Dac3 having a slight edge
over the Sp-1.7. When I switched to a 4B-SST from the 4B-ST, the gap between the DAC3 and
SP-1.7 narrowed. The three of us covered an age range from early 20's to mid 40's so my old ears
didn't come into play. I haven't heard the BCD-1, but I'm guessing that the BP-26 and BCD-1
would be a superb combination, but the SP-1.7 might be good enough for now and better for
your budget ?

[James Tanner]

This might be a good time to ask:

1) What're the sonic differences between the BP25, BP6 and BP26?

2) Which one is 'better' sonically, 25 or 6?

Hi Viajero,

The BP-20 or BP-25 get you about 80% of the way to a BP-26.

The BP-26 has the advantage of the larger MPS-2 power supply. If you add the MPS-2 to a BP-20 or 25 your real close.

james

[Viajero5000]

Thanks James. How does the BP 6 compare with the BP 25?

[James Tanner]

BP-6 is a simpler version of the BP-26 - no balanced ins or outs, 4 sources and it has an internal power supply. It is a great option if the BP-26 is out of reach and Balanced lines and multiple inputs are not required.

Relative to the BP-25 I would say it is very close.

One thing to remember about all our preamps is that they all use the same GAIN stages - it is only the features that change as you move from one preamp to another.  I think which preamp to get (BP6/BP16/BP26) is generally more one of system Application rather than significant Performance differences.

james