Hi,
it just come to my mind this morning that I would like to share with you my interesting experience with BP26 preamp. Please sorry as english is not even my second language, thanks.
Now after my brand new BP26 have six weeks on it's back, the unit is nearly reached it's optimum performance and still grow. This preamp surprise me every day with something new which I appreciate and listen with a lot of pleasure. As this probably differ from other users experience, my BP26 took more than 400 hours to come on song and form the sound signature which I remember from Byston/PMC demonstrations I heard in the last few years. Yes, it took me a few years to find an ultimate preamp which is up to my taste and my understanding of correct music reproduction in home environment. As a reviewer, I made a lot of reviews during years for respectable local hi fi and music magazine and webzines too. During last 4-5 years I had a chance to arrange a home dem of everything available here and that include literrary every big name, honestly. I spent a lot of time and I mean really a lot of time and gasoline to find out what would or not float my boat after 15 years of being in Naim camp. Describing all that I dem'd after Naim would be endless, but it's quite shocking how some of the very very respected hi end brands are not even close to the Bryston sound even properly burned in. There was a moment when I thought that I would never find an amp with which I would be satisfied (ok, actually my wife initiate that statement and I almost accept it). Years are passing by and dem's and shows too. Local shows are always interesting and as I remember on every of them during last few years there was one top of the line Bryston/PMC setup which always sounded good to me with my own 'sound of the show' mark, but not to the point where you can say 'this is it for me'.
In the meantime, two years ago I've been witnessed to the best sound I ever heard, a system consisted of top of the line Spectral gear and I almost started to make plans to buy Spectral preamp as from my experience it was pretty much better than anything I heard before. Luckily, my additional plans about to buy Spectral power amp actually prevent me to proceed with the deal as the total price of the both units is very very serious for me, so I decided to rethink and put everything on a hold. You cannot imagine how I am pleased that I do that like I was and the final reason is last year demo of Rega Isis/BP26/7BSST2/PMCIB2i which totally disarmed me as the best what I ever heard in my life (for me even better than Spectral) and I really heard 'everything'.
As I sold everything I owned from Naim, I needed to start from the scratch, but experience teached me that preamp is the most important component in the system, something like soul of the system and source is the heart. Choice has been obvious, BP26 and a week later BDA-1 which are both now in my home. For the amp, of course that would be from Bryston, but I am not sure about my final choice of the speakers, so not sure if it would be 3BSST2 or 4BSST2, but even now with little Quad 99 power amp I am very happy and I can hear pretty much of what BP26 can deliver. I must say that I appreciate very much sonic righntess which Bryston provide and seriously good sense for 'start and stop' of the tones. It's quite unbeliveable how easily many other expensive gear fail on this task.
I still wait for some last details of the tapestry related to a little bit more defined images and depth, but as preamp and DAC surprise me every day with something new and on same recordings, I have strong reasons to belive that this would be truly fantastic sounded system, especially when SST2 jump in. This is all even better experience with BP25 remote which James sent to me personally as a gift.
Stay well guys, you are one wonderful and different community.
Oz
