BDA-1 -- News?

Gustavo · « **Reply #40 on:** 3 Jul 2008, 03:40 pm »

I would like to know the aprox. list price of the BDA-1.

James Tanner · « **Reply #41 on:** 3 Jul 2008, 03:43 pm »

Quote from: Gustavo on 3 Jul 2008, 03:40 pm

I would like to know the aprox. list price of the BDA-1.

Hi,

$1995 US and Canadian Suggested List.

james

James Tanner · « **Reply #42 on:** 3 Jul 2008, 03:47 pm »

Quote from: Robert57 on 3 Jul 2008, 03:29 pm

James, I am also excited by this DAC as a way to play high-res digital download files (like HDtracks) and lossless files in iTunes via a Mac Mini /USB. Admittedly, I am more a poet than an engineer, so please pardon some shaky techy questions, especially if they've been addressed elsewhere:

1. Most high-end DAC's advertise extensive jitter filtering circuits (like a PLL or two ). Does the BDA-1 have a PPL or similar jitter filter to help clean up the jitter coming in from the transport/source or the SPDIF or USB connection? Have you done any jitter measurements against other competing DAC's, or against the BCD-1 you'd be willing to share? The Bel Canto DAC3 would be a worthy benchmark in this price range as it also has a USB connection. John Atkinson at Stereophile has a rigorous test he does on DAC jitter that would be interesting to replicate.

2. The USB connection in an external DAC often has higher jitter, and poorer SQ, than SPDIF coax, particularly if the incoming digital signal first has to be converted to SPDIF before the D-A stage (the BC DAC3 reportedly falls in this category). Some USB DAC's have chosen to have a direct I2S connection from the USB input to the DAC, avoiding any SPDIF and its resulting jitter. Does the BDA-1 have a direct I2S connection to offer the lowest possible jitter from USB?

3. Any remote option to switch the inputs?

Thanks.

Rob

Hi Robert,

There will be a full remote available in about 2 months.

I have been told that the USB outputs on the Macs and PC's are limited to 48k/16 bit - not true? I was told you have to use the Optical or SPDIF for 96/24 capability and specialized sound cards?

I will ask engineering on the other questions.

james

mr_bill · « **Reply #43 on:** 3 Jul 2008, 04:11 pm »

I believe you are correct James.

James Tanner · « **Reply #44 on:** 3 Jul 2008, 04:37 pm »

Quote from: Robert57 on 3 Jul 2008, 03:29 pm

James, I am also excited by this DAC as a way to play high-res digital download files (like HDtracks) and lossless files in iTunes via a Mac Mini /USB. Admittedly, I am more a poet than an engineer, so please pardon some shaky techy questions, especially if they've been addressed elsewhere:

1. Most high-end DAC's advertise extensive jitter filtering circuits (like a PLL or two ). Does the BDA-1 have a PPL or similar jitter filter to help clean up the jitter coming in from the transport/source or the SPDIF or USB connection? Have you done any jitter measurements against other competing DAC's, or against the BCD-1 you'd be willing to share? The Bel Canto DAC3 would be a worthy benchmark in this price range as it also has a USB connection. John Atkinson at Stereophile has a rigorous test he does on DAC jitter that would be interesting to replicate.

2. The USB connection in an external DAC often has higher jitter, and poorer SQ, than SPDIF coax, particularly if the incoming digital signal first has to be converted to SPDIF before the D-A stage (the BC DAC3 reportedly falls in this category). Some USB DAC's have chosen to have a direct I2S connection from the USB input to the DAC, avoiding any SPDIF and its resulting jitter. Does the BDA-1 have a direct I2S connection to offer the lowest possible jitter from USB?

3. Any remote option to switch the inputs?

Thanks.

Rob

Hi Rob,

1. Yes our BDA 1 has two PPL’s to reduce jitter – 1 on the input receiver and 1 on the sample rate converter. Have a look at the review of the B100 DAC in Stereophile. They did extensive tests on our DAC in that review which shows extremely low jitter measurements. (In fact John came to me at the last audio show in Denver recently to compliment us on the quality of our DAC in the B100). We have looked at other DAC’s but I would rather not comment on our findings. What I can say is that the jitter on the BDA-1 is hidden in the noise floor of the Audio Precision AP2700 test gear.

2. Yes our USB input has the direct I2S connection from the USB output.

3. We do have Pronto Codes available for the BDA-1 if you want to us a universal remote with it until or instead of our new universal remote.

James

Robert57 · « **Reply #45 on:** 3 Jul 2008, 05:54 pm »

James, thanks for the fast and very encouraging info. The direct I2S USB connection especially is key. Do you have any pro reviews in the works for the dac? I'm sure you won't have any trouble getting takers.

Rob

James Tanner · « **Reply #46 on:** 3 Jul 2008, 05:58 pm »

Quote from: Robert57 on 3 Jul 2008, 05:54 pm

James, thanks for the fast and very encouraging info. The direct I2S USB connection especially is key. Do you have any pro reviews in the works for the dac? I'm sure you won't have any trouble getting takers.

Rob

Hi Rob,

We certainly have had lots of requests for reviews including the Pro side but we are so backorder it will be a while before I can free some units up for review. Same problem we had with the CD Player.

james

Jon L · « **Reply #47 on:** 3 Jul 2008, 07:34 pm »

Quote from: KeithA on 24 Jun 2008, 02:00 am

It almost brings tears to my eyes to see somebody is doing it right, especially for aspects that most other companies seem to just ignore:

1. The upsampling button includes bypass as well as the synchronous (and better IMO) modes of 88.2 and 176.4 kHz.

2. Direct USB-to-I2S connection. So rare to see this implemented correctly.

3. True 75 Ohm BNC connectors!! Seems like every other company is using the wrong impedance 50 Ohm BNC connectors (thick white dielectric covering all the way to the tip of the connector) while at the same time boasting about their "BNC" capability

brucek · « **Reply #48 on:** 3 Jul 2008, 08:14 pm »

Quote

I have been told that the USB outputs on the Macs and PC's are limited to 48k/16 bit

Yeah, I don't believe that's true. My understanding of this is a bit weak, but I have looked at the USB 2.0 specification download, and it seems if you refer to endpoint synchronization characteristics for both source and sink devices on pages 72+ of the usb_20.pdf documentation, you can see the maximum data rates are determined by several factors and are by no means limited to 16 bits or 48 KHz.

I have come across (on the internet), devices that load their own Windows drivers to take care of the basic maximum native Windows USB data rate of 16 bit / 48KHz, but I've also seen devices such as the Benchmark USB DAC1 that claim they offer USB input support up to 96 kHz sample rates at word lengths up to 24 bits, while still using the basic native Windows USB audio drivers. This seems appealing to me as a plug and play DAC without messing with Windows. I would think that most of the usage with respect to the USB ports for external DACs would come from Windows computer driven streaming music.

Presently I use my laptop for streaming audio out to a standard 16 bit / 48 KHz bit USB soundcard, and then digital out from that soundcard to my Bryston SP2 processor.. I can't use an optical SPDIF output from the laptop, because it only has an HDMI output from the laptop (since it's brand new). HDMI interfaces on laptops will become more and more prevalent as time passes, and so USB will become (I would think) the output of choice for streaming digital music to feed an external DAC (or USB soundcard).

If I ever purchased an external DAC to feed USB streaming audio (to increase the quality of my present situation), I would hope it had the capability of greater than 16 bit / 48 KHz transfer. It seems to me that the ability to pump that up to 24 bit / 96 KHz is certainly possible, but maybe I'm wrong.......

brucek

mfsoa · « **Reply #49 on:** 3 Jul 2008, 08:43 pm »

GROUP BUY GROUP BUY GROUP BUY!!!!!!

I think this would be a great idea

How 'bout you, James

-Mike

Seriously though, I feel that you'll be riding a good part of the coming wave (continuing transition to PC, wireless etc.) with this DAC. Well positioned!

James Tanner · « **Reply #50 on:** 9 Jul 2008, 06:08 pm »

Hi All,

Starting to get reactions on the External DAC - this one from a dealer:

"Hey James,

We just received the DAC yesterday so I haven't had to much time to fully evaluate the product, but perhaps I can sum up my initial reactions; !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

And it looks pretty cool too.

James Davies @ Absolute Audio Video"

vegasdave · « **Reply #51 on:** 10 Jul 2008, 09:06 am »

Sounds like you've got yet another winner on your hands, James.

hadden · « **Reply #52 on:** 10 Jul 2008, 01:37 pm »

This dac is in my future I think. I used to have the B60 integrated and loved it. Looks like I'm coming back to Bryston.

I have a question about Jitter and Jitter measurements. In the stereophile review of (was it the B100 with Dac?) the jitter measurement was in the 180 ps. Does the BDA-1 measure lower than this? in the specs of BCD-1 and BDA-1 it states jitter to be below threshhold of the measuring equipment. So what does this mean exactly -- effectively no jitter? I am interested in using the BDA-1 through the USB input with my computer as a server using Foobar2000. There has been a lot of debate over what exactly is bit perfect and how much the computer can negatively affect jitter numbers. Have you been able to discern a difference between the BDA-1 and the DAC option in your integrated amps preamps etc. I am trying to understand the debates on this and my head is spinning a bit at the moment.

James Tanner · « **Reply #53 on:** 10 Jul 2008, 02:41 pm »

Hi Hadden

The jitter is hidden in the noise floor of the measuring gear so it is very low indeed. I will try to get you an actual number.

james

hadden · « **Reply #54 on:** 10 Jul 2008, 02:59 pm »

Quote from: James Tanner on 10 Jul 2008, 02:41 pm

Hi Hadden

The jitter is hidden in the noise floor of the measuring gear so it is very low indeed. I will try to get you an actual number.

james

Thanks James, I appreciate Brystons no-nonsense approach to these matters. Too much voodoo in this hobby.

James Tanner · « **Reply #55 on:** 10 Jul 2008, 07:11 pm »

Hi All,

I have a PDF of the finished literature for the BDA-1 - email me if you wish a copy.
jametanner@bryston.ca

james

mcullinan · « **Reply #56 on:** 17 Jul 2008, 01:27 pm »

James,
Do you have any more impressions from people on the BDA-1?
Mike

James Tanner · « **Reply #57 on:** 17 Jul 2008, 01:29 pm »

Quote from: mcullinan on 17 Jul 2008, 01:27 pm

James,
Do you have any more impressions from people on the BDA-1?
Mike

Hi Mike,

No reviews yet as we are supplying our dealers and customers first. I would say like the CD Player it will be a few months before you see any 'official' reviews.

james

alexone · « **Reply #58 on:** 17 Jul 2008, 06:22 pm »

james,

when i listen with the sp2 via aes/ebu or coax fed by the bcd-1 i can clearly hear 'drop outs' when a song ends and the next one begins. even if i choose and safe the 'digital force on' function...something like the cs 43122 inside the processor isn't fast enough?!

do i have to expect the same with the bda-1?

alex.

James Tanner · « **Reply #59 on:** 17 Jul 2008, 06:46 pm »

Quote from: alexone on 17 Jul 2008, 06:22 pm

james,

when i listen with the sp2 via aes/ebu or coax fed by the bcd-1 i can clearly hear 'drop outs' when a song ends and the next one begins. even if i choose and safe the 'digital force on' function...something like the cs 43122 inside the processor isn't fast enough?!

do i have to expect the same with the bda-1?

alex.

Hi Alex,

No I have not experienced any dropouts with my BCD-1 feeding the BDA-1.

james