[jamesromanow]

I have a rather odd case with my CD1:
Van Morrison's "What's wrong with this picture" cd won't play.  Worse, it says 'no disc' when I load it.

It played fine for about a year on my Arcam, the previous player.

Other than the CD1 being unduly sensitive to low humidity it's worked flawlessly.

Any thoughts?

[James Tanner]

Hi James,

It may be a bad CD relative to the drive - try recording the CD to a CDR and see if it plays.

james

[jamesromanow]

okay that worked.  Thanks.

I have a couple of other questions on the BCD1... you want them public or if you prefer, email me at doc@drbooze.com

[James Tanner]

okay that worked.  Thanks.

I have a couple of other questions on the BCD1... you want them public or if you prefer, email me at doc@drbooze.com

Nothing to hide at this end so be as public as you wish

James

[spinner]

Oh please tell. I just got one and want to know as much as possible about the player. Thanks for any info..........

[jamesromanow]

Well it's kind of odd.  I toyed with the idea of sending it back to Bryston for almost a year. 

It was a much bigger sound improvement on the Arcam than I expected but it was finicky. 

There were about 4 or five CDs it would balk at. (all of which, having now fixed the Van M, now play.) It still doesn't like fingerprints on discs, and when humidity is low, it starts to make clicking noises through the speakers. 

problem is I live on the prairies and about 9 months of the year the humidity at room temp is maybe 30%. 

But the maddening thing was it was intermittent.

I'm wondering now if it was some kind of a breaking in issue, because the last winter was fine.

I've had it two years now, and haven't sent it back nor complained, but it's the first piece of finicky hifi I've ever owned. (baring maybe sundry cartridges and tonearms)  Don't know if this is a quirk of the high end, or if I should do anything about it.

[James Tanner]

Well it's kind of odd.  I toyed with the idea of sending it back to Bryston for almost a year. 

It was a much bigger sound improvement on the Arcam than I expected but it was finicky. 

There were about 4 or five CDs it would balk at. (all of which, having now fixed the Van M, now play.) It still doesn't like fingerprints on discs, and when humidity is low, it starts to make clicking noises through the speakers. 

problem is I live on the prairies and about 9 months of the year the humidity at room temp is maybe 30%. 

But the maddening thing was it was intermittent.

I'm wondering now if it was some kind of a breaking in issue, because the last winter was fine.

I've had it two years now, and haven't sent it back nor complained, but it's the first piece of finicky hifi I've ever owned. (baring maybe sundry cartridges and tonearms)  Don't know if this is a quirk of the high end, or if I should do anything about it.

Hi James,

The BCD-1 uses a dedicated Phillips CD drive and some CD's that have none redbook content (video) may not play. Usually making it into a CDR solves the problem.

Clicking noises is an odd one - I would assume it was a tracking problem but it if continues we can certainly replace the drive for you.

james

[sweetspot]

I've had the bcd-1 for about two years. I guess if I were to describe the sound in one word it would be "WOW"! It just grows on you & anything else just doesn't cut it. It has been the the most significant improvement I have made in my system. Even my non-audiophile friends comment on how good my system sounds! :

[redbook]

Same for me...not looking any further for a player. BCD-1 has given me great satisfaction.

[Diamond Dog]

It was a much bigger sound improvement on the Arcam than I expected but it was finicky. 
There were about 4 or five CDs it would balk at. (all of which, having now fixed the Van M, now play.) It still doesn't like fingerprints on discs, and when humidity is low, it starts to make clicking noises through the speakers. 
problem is I live on the prairies and about 9 months of the year the humidity at room temp is maybe 30%. 

Hi Dr. Booze :  I also replaced an Arcam with my BCD-1. I have had first-hand experience with the BCD-1 getting indigestion when you feed it anything which deviates from the Redbook spec but other than that no issues. I also live on the Prairies and have my system set up in a room where the humidity does not exceed 35% year-round and have had no problems like what you've described.

D.D.

[rob80b]

Well it's kind of odd.  I toyed with the idea of sending it back to Bryston for almost a year. 

It was a much bigger sound improvement on the Arcam than I expected but it was finicky. 

There were about 4 or five CDs it would balk at. (all of which, having now fixed the Van M, now play.) It still doesn't like fingerprints on discs, and when humidity is low, it starts to make clicking noises through the speakers. 

problem is I live on the prairies and about 9 months of the year the humidity at room temp is maybe 30%. 

But the maddening thing was it was intermittent.

I'm wondering now if it was some kind of a breaking in issue, because the last winter was fine.

I've had it two years now, and haven't sent it back nor complained, but it's the first piece of finicky hifi I've ever owned. (baring maybe sundry cartridges and tonearms)  Don't know if this is a quirk of the high end, or if I should do anything about it.

Hi james(romanow)

Mine sounds like a stylus encountering some dust on a vinyl disc.

Robert

Thought I’d post my concern one more time before shipping my BCD-1 off to Bryston.
I’ve been experiencing an intermittent loud tick, which sounds very similar to a stylus encountering dust or defect on a vinyl record or a static discharge, sometimes it’s random other times repeatable by replaying that section of music which I would assume eliminates something in the electrical line or static as it also occurs in the humid days of summer.
Is this the sound, which is emitted during error correction, because it’s extremely annoying, it really is starting to drive me crazy as it popped up at least a dozen times over the weekend on various discs.

Problem is it may not surface for days and then its back, so I’m not too sure how service will trouble shoot it.
Question is has anyone else experienced this annoying loud tick?

[jamesromanow]

Hi James,

The BCD-1 uses a dedicated Phillips CD drive and some CD's that have none redbook content (video) may not play. Usually making it into a CDR solves the problem.

Clicking noises is an odd one - I would assume it was a tracking problem but it if continues we can certainly replace the drive for you.

james

reading the other posts it sounds like I should send the one I've got in for a service.  I'm off for a couple of weeks next week so it's a good time to send it back.  I'll contact HQ tomorrow and work out the protocol.

Thanks to everyone for their comments and help.

[rob80b]

reading the other posts it sounds like I should send the one I've got in for a service.  I'm off for a couple of weeks next week so it's a good time to send it back.  I'll contact HQ tomorrow and work out the protocol.

Thanks to everyone for their comments and help.

Hi James

Let us know what the final diagnosis is, after a week in service mine did not show any problems, ticking or otherwise. The problem remained at my end, James (Tanner) offered to drive down to TO and lend me his but it’s such an intermittent problem I blamed the problem with the CDs. Other than that, the BCD-1 still stands as one of the best sounding CD players out there.

Robert

[1oldguy]

The BCD-1 Is a must own player.So I own it.

[rmurray]

I couldn't agree more ............love mine, may buy a spare one so I will never be without this great device..... :

[jamesromanow]

sent player in around the 7th before I left town.  It came back the day after I did.  New drive, new chip and new badge - has to look good or it will sound bad  - zero cost.  Great service all round. (And the service techs couldn't find the problem.  Curse of the dreaded intermittent problem.)  Mind you a big part of choosing Bryston was choosing long term service.

More interesting I was using my old Arcam while the BCD was absent.  When I first plugged it in, I thought "This is pretty good.  Maybe as good as the Bryston." 

As it happened, I was listening to it when the Fedex guy came.  I swapped out the Arcam and started the album (Blue Heron choral recording, 2006.  I don't know about y'all but near as I can tell nobody knew how to make good Digital recordings till about 2000) at the beginning rather than work out where I was before I was interrupted.

No question the BCD is much better.  More precise.  More spacious.  It's good to have it back.

[spinner]

 Good to hear it........ 

[saveloy]

Fantastic.  Now it's time for a BDP-1...........

[rob80b]

it starts to make clicking noises through the speakers. 

problem is I live on the prairies and about 9 months of the year the humidity at room temp is maybe 30%. 

But the maddening thing was it was intermittent.

Great service all round. (And the service techs couldn't find the problem.  Curse of the dreaded intermittent problem.)  Mind you a big part of choosing Bryston was choosing long term service.

Hi James

Let us know what the final diagnosis is, after a week in service mine did not show any problems, ticking or otherwise. The problem remained at my end, James (Tanner) offered to drive down to TO and lend me his but it’s such an intermittent problem I blamed the problem with the CDs. Other than that, the BCD-1 still stands as one of the best sounding CD players out there.

Robert

Hi James

I'd be curious if the ticking comes back, mine still it does winter or summer (low or high humidity), thing is mine makes one loud tick  (as I mentioned it sounds like a stylus encountering dust on a record) but I'm still not certain if it's the disc or the BCD-1  but as you it's intermittent.

Robert