You know guys one of the issues I think we run into with the BDP-1 is that it is not really understood what it is and what it does. I almost think if it does not fit in with the 'standards' that are currently accepted (noisy laptops with high jitter rates and such and anything but bit perfect output) there is almost an initial dislike for the concept out of the gate and a pre-disposition not to like it.
There is no denying the state of the art specs of the BDP-1 that many have measured and attested to now and maybe it is just so different from what they are use too it breeds contempt???
james
In my case, it is not about not "getting it", it is more about motivation to change something that already works. The BDP-1 is ground-breaking in some ways, but very late to the digital party in others.
I have already invested in learning how to rip, how to organize a large collection of music, how to store and back it up, and in a device to attach to my Bryston DAC, Pre-amp, and amp. The best device at the time I built my system, was the Transporter, and by definition it is a streamer. I get fantastic performance, and I isolate the computer/noisy/moving bits in another room by using a network to feed the data.
When James started talking about his vision for the BDP-1, he described a model of use that was back to a Player - media needed to be inserted. That seemed like a step backwards to me. I already have a great User Interface, and can control remotely from either a conventional remote control, or from an app on the iPad.
With the actual release of the BDP-1, it was clear that the device could be controlled remotely, but the content still needed to be "inserted". For those just transitioning to digital, there is no discontinuity, and the model of use is something very familiar - plug in the USB flash drive, and music plays.
I have just moved to a place where I can no longer run wired Ethernet to my Transporter, and have to use Wi-Fi. Over 802.11b, which is what the Transporter supports, I get dropouts with high resolution material.
Ironically (for me), I am now looking at the BDP-1 as an alternative.