BDA-1 reviews....

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James Tanner

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Phil A

Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #61 on: 21 Aug 2010, 01:39 pm »
Won't get any arguments from me - love mine

BrysTony

Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #62 on: 21 Aug 2010, 02:32 pm »
Won't get any arguments from me - love mine
+1  :thumb:

vegasdave

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Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #63 on: 21 Aug 2010, 06:40 pm »
Pretty cool!

alexone

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Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #64 on: 21 Aug 2010, 08:27 pm »
Won't get any arguments from me - love mine

agreed!!! :thumb:

al.


KeithA

Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #66 on: 22 Aug 2010, 06:51 pm »
Won't get any arguments from me - love mine

Best thing since sliced bread  :wink:

Keith

1oldguy

Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #67 on: 22 Aug 2010, 09:42 pm »
Best thing since sliced bread  :wink:

Keith

Should be interesting for sure.All in due time of course for this oldguy.

Keith The funny thing is,is that after my experimenting with tone controls I finally came to my senses and realized that I'd rather hear the truth.There was a clarity with the BP-26 I missed,a pureness if you will.So it's Bryston for me from this time on.I won't be looking for greener grass as they say.

James Tanner

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Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #68 on: 21 Mar 2011, 09:20 am »

vegasdave

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Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #69 on: 22 Mar 2011, 12:39 am »

Mag

Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #70 on: 22 Mar 2011, 01:29 am »
Yeah great review, confirms what we already know and that we have golden ears. 8)

Like at the dealer I listened briefly to Oxygen by Jarre. This was on top MacIntosh tube gear and reference Dali speakers. The sound was very impressive as it filled the room, but it was missing that something that engages me into the music.

With the BDA-1 playing the same Oxygen by Jarre. The BDA-1 paired with my Sony transport has this rich tonal quality to it that invites listening, easily trumping what I heard that day, on my less expensive gear. :smoke:

James Tanner

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Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #71 on: 27 Mar 2011, 01:42 am »
Bryston BDA-1 DAC

I have made references to my experiences with the Bryston BDA-1 DAC under my Bryston posts in the amplification section, but this product is so good that I thought it only fair to make a post in the DAC section. Unfortunately, I have not had the option of listening to this DAC in direct comparison to other DAC's in the same system, but I hope that I am a fairly seasoned listener who has heard many different DAC's in many systems, I including most recently at the 2011 CES.

Let me cut to the chase. This piece of electronics is superb and is probably a good run for the money for anything under $7500, which is pretty good considering that it lists for $2150. Although it has most of the main types of inputs, except firewire (allegedly the best and present on the Weiss for $8k), I have only used the Toslink and coaxial inputs due to the components that I am using with it.

If you want to know what the BDA-1 sounds like, go audition some the latest versions of the Bryston 28's because they have essentially the same analog driver sections. This means it sounds highly focused, incredibly fast, absolute pristine highs, state of the art mid bass and bass, and a noise floor so quiet that you cannot tell that you are listening to electronics. While this device sounds great with everything I have put through it, it is remarkable with acoustical stringed instruments and percussion, because you can hear decays and resonances that I presume are normally lost in the noise floors of lesser devices.

This device is so good that my tube preamp has only two of its inputs being used, a balanced input from the DAC and an analog phono. Anything I can run through the DAC I do, because it is SO much better then their analog sections and their D to A conversion. I was about to buy a new CD player or at least a new Blu-Ray, but just for the hell of it, tried a cheap Sony Blu-Ray that I bought in Costco for $230 2 years ago and thus probably inferior to what you can buy for the same price today, and connected its Toslink output to the DAC. Although i expected an improvement, I was not ready for what I got. It far exceeded my ARC CD 3 MK2 and I believe (based on memory) is superior to the $10k Meitner, although I have not had that unit in my system.

I have run several different Mac models through this DAC and they all sound the same, incredible, provided that you have at least 4 Gb of ram. BTW, on the advice of the Meitner engineers, I buy my digital cables from Monoprice.com, typically at a cost of $3-4. Also they say that you must use at least 2 meter lengths with optical cables to minimize internal reflections affecting the primary pulse.

My only disappointment with this unit is that the remote is an extra cost item, which means that I have to manually switch the inputs from my other devices.

Russ
The Mobiusman

1oldguy

Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #72 on: 31 Mar 2011, 08:54 pm »
Someday I shall open mine up.I will,i will ,i will  :thumb:

jaxwired

Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #73 on: 1 Apr 2011, 02:42 am »
I would love to buy a BDA-1 to match my other Bryston gear, but I hate to mess with a winning combination.  If it aint broke...  My benchmark DAC-1 is bloody awesome.  From the day I received it direct from Benchmark to now I've loved it AND it's a headphone amp.  I've never heard a BDA-1 and if James want's to send me one to audition I l'd gladly give it a whirl, but short of that I just can't beleive that a DAC can sound better than this benchmark, at least in my system.

drummermitchell

Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #74 on: 1 Apr 2011, 03:23 am »
I had the Benchmark and for me found it thin sounding and trebly.
Then I aquired  the BCD-1 which I really like and also the BDA-1 after that.
I think the BCD-1 and BDA-1 are so close that I second guess which one is better.
Now the BDP-1 will pair up with my BDA-1 sooon real soon.

BrysTony

Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #75 on: 1 Apr 2011, 03:29 am »
I had the Benchmark and for me found it thin sounding and trebly.
Then I aquired  the BCD-1 which I really like and also the BDA-1 after that.
I think the BCD-1 and BDA-1 are so close that I second guess which one is better.
Now the BDP-1 will pair up with my BDA-1 sooon real soon.

After you get the BDP-1 you will find that the BCD-1 gets a lot of rest.   :)

Tony

1oldguy

Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #76 on: 1 Apr 2011, 03:33 am »
I had the Benchmark and for me found it thin sounding and trebly.
Then I aquired  the BCD-1 which I really like and also the BDA-1 after that.
I think the BCD-1 and BDA-1 are so close that I second guess which one is better.
Now the BDP-1 will pair up with my BDA-1 sooon real soon.


What he said. :wink: :thumb:

James Tanner

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Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #77 on: 1 Apr 2011, 10:56 am »
From: Hart, Michael
Sent: April-01-11 1:22 AM
To: 'jamestanner@bryston.com'
Subject: Re: BDP-1

Hi James,

Compared to the BDP/BDA, the Classe CDP202 reminded me of how the 202 sounded when I used single ended cables and stock power supply. When I switched to the Chord XLR cables, Shunyata V-Ray II power supply and Shunyata power cords, the Classe came alive.

But now, compared to the Bryston combo, the Classe sounds like it did before the cable/power upgrades. It's like the cable/power improvements took the music half way there.

The Bryston combo finished the journey. Well done!

Michael S. Hart
Partner

Anonamemouse

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Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #78 on: 27 May 2011, 02:43 pm »

James Tanner

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Re: BDA-1 reviews....
« Reply #79 on: 15 Jul 2011, 03:37 pm »
MEMO: To All Bryston Customers
SUBJECT: New BDA-1 DAC Review
DATE:  July 2011

Hi Folks,   

NEW BRYSTON BDA-1 DAC REVIEW
(Reviews do not get any better than this!)


http://www.avrev.com/home-theater-accessories/acoustics-eq-room-tuning/bryston-bda-1-dac-review.html