BDA2 and BDP2 Reviews

James:

Just to let you know I FINALLY ripped all of my CDs onto a WD My Passport Ultra 2TB drive. Whew, that was a lot of work!)

I am amazed that it sound SUBSTANTIALLY BETTER than the original CDs played through an Oppo 95 to the BDA-2 directly! Smoother with details I did not hear before – also more “coherent”. astounded

Any personal or Bryston observations around this?

Best – hope all is well

John
 
MEMO: To All Bryston Customers
SUBJECT: Review on BDP-2/BDA-2 Combo

September 2014

Hi Folks,

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Review on the Bryston BDP-2 Digital Player and the BDA-2 DAC combination from AudioStream Magazine.

Please see link below:

Bryston BDA-2 and BDP-2 | AudioStream


My favourite comment:
For the final switch, I connected the BDA-2 DAC directly to my MacBook Pro (running Audirvana Plus) via USB and the differences without the BDP-2 in the picture were notable. First off bass response became much more diffuse and overall there was a lessing of the sense of fine grained resolution I got with the Bryston combo. Images were less distinct, tone colors were less distinct as well, and dynamics appeared to take a few steps in the wrong direction, becoming less snappy.

There's no question that the BDP-2 network player offers improved performance over the MacBook Pro in most important areas.
 
Yes but limited station selection at this point. We have installed our own server at bryston so will be hosting more going forward.

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Above is the selection windows for Bryston radio.

james
 
Thanks James, very helpful. I realize this is a loaded question but how would you compare the BDP2 sonically to the Aurender gear?
 
speltz

Re: BDA-2 DAC

I'm delighted to say that I now own a BDA-2, paired with the BDP-1 I purchased nearly two years ago. And I'm loving the results!

The most obvious (and I do mean obvious) change is the 3-dimensional soundstage the BDA-2 delivers. In the past, the soundstage from my system was always 2-D -- left to right. This is the first time my setup has ever produced a soundstage with depth, in particular extending back behind my speakers (MartinLogans).

My experience is consistent with the reviews I've read saying the sound is moved back (recessed) with the BDA-2. But it's not a negative when it's delivering that 3-dimensional sense of musical space. The music still has plenty of toe-tapping energy and drive, with both pop/rock and jazz music.

Initially, there was some harshness to the upper frequencies. I was sure the fault lay with my system, which has a tendency to tip into over-bright territory. Yesterday I swapped out the XLR cable connecting the BDP-1 to the BDA-2, and that seems to have solved the problem. I listened continuously for about 90 minutes earlier today with no fatigue.

My old DAC was neither old nor cheap, but the BDA-2 is superior to it, and the differences are not subtle. A subtle improvement is all I expected -- hence my delight with the actual results.
 
I thought I'd let BDP users with Windows Phones know that there is another MPD player for Windows Phone. It is called Chimney.
After testing the free program, it looks like a decently made MPD player.

Cheers!
 
I have owned the BDP2 for a little over a year. It was my first Bryston product.
The sound quality has always been flawless. I use the DACs in my Esoteric K-03
SACD Player and the presence of the BDP-2 has left the transport of my SACD
player very lonely. I added the first day the largest solid state drive I could find
and I now have it loaded up with AIFF files and continue to add more regularly..

I have played around with the Aurender offerings and although the sound quality
is very good, I think the Bryston is a little bit better, but it is in terms of fit and
finish and the whole pride of ownership thing that the Bryston really wins versus
Aurender.....Price points are pretty similar depending on configuration.....

My experience with the BDP-2 led me to consider Bryston's amplifiers. After
discussing amp choices with Magnepan for my 3.7s, I decided to go with a pair
of 7BSST2s and from the very first note, I heard more detail than I had with my
prior Pass Labs X350.5 and I've never looked back. I had an issue with one
of the amps a few days after purchase of it tripping a fuse and arcing upon
power up and Bryston traded emails with me on a Sunday night and I had
an RMA number Monday morning. They even fedexed a new amp to me rather
than making me wait.......they didn't have to do this let alone do it overnight
but they did......I think Bryston as a company is very high on my list......
Both of the components I've purchased from them will likely remain in my system
for a very very long time.....
 
zuluwarrior0760 said:
I have owned the BDP2 for a little over a year. It was my first Bryston product.
The sound quality has always been flawless. I use the DACs in my Esoteric K-03
SACD Player and the presence of the BDP-2 has left the transport of my SACD
player very lonely. I added the first day the largest solid state drive I could find
and I now have it loaded up with AIFF files and continue to add more regularly..

I have played around with the Aurender offerings and although the sound quality
is very good, I think the Bryston is a little bit better, but it is in terms of fit and
finish and the whole pride of ownership thing that the Bryston really wins versus
Aurender.....Price points are pretty similar depending on configuration.....

My experience with the BDP-2 led me to consider Bryston's amplifiers. After
discussing amp choices with Magnepan for my 3.7s, I decided to go with a pair
of 7BSST2s and from the very first note, I heard more detail than I had with my
prior Pass Labs X350.5 and I've never looked back. I had an issue with one
of the amps a few days after purchase of it tripping a fuse and arcing upon
power up and Bryston traded emails with me on a Sunday night and I had
an RMA number Monday morning. They even fedexed a new amp to me rather
than making me wait.......they didn't have to do this let alone do it overnight
but they did......I think Bryston as a company is very high on my list......
Both of the components I've purchased from them will likely remain in my system
for a very very long time.....
Click to expand...


This certainly is an "above & beyond" way to run a company. Not the first time I've heard people praise the company for some such similar. Congrats Bryston!
 
Bryston are leaders in this wonderful industry when it comes to service. Absolute top notch, I love that company.
 
I will be glad when I get my BDP-1 back. It has been gone for three weeks now. Not complaining, just a comment. Fortunately, I have two, so only my HT/stereo is inop for music at the moment.
 
Hi James

I had to stop by my brothers apartment yesterday afternoon to pick something up, where he was watching football on the big screen, through a
BRYSTON SP-3 and 9BSST.

Shortly, we switched to the BDP, which I learned was hard-wired via AES/EBU XLR to the SP3. I have to admit, even listening at a low SPL, maybe 75 peak, I was floored! The noise floor just fell away, it just was inky black between quiet passages and between tracks, but even listening to a HD-track download of Dave Brubeck, Take 5, I couldn’t believe the sharpness & power of the mid-frequency detail..even at these listening levels. I asked my brother if he noticed the change when he added the BDP-2, and his comments were that while similar, but distinctly better than the top OPPO DVD player he has, the ease of use with the paired i-pad mini, the SSD loaded with files, make for a dream combination. I know the 9BSST 2 with the extremely low distortion levels and ability to extract the deepest bass and most articulate details combined with the almost [straight-wire] playback capabilities of the SP-3 pre-amp made for a total package.

I guess it is time to step up and get the BDP-2 ASAP!

Wayne
 
Ricjor1 Ricjor
Senior Member


I've been in this hobby for 20 plus years. I've owned several Wilson Audio speakers, Parasound, PS Audio, and a few others. Let me just say emphatically that Bryston has the best customer service that I've ever experienced. I recently purchased a BDP-2 and had a few questions. I was put in contact with Gary Dayton of Bryston and he has gone above and beyond what I expected.

This is what all companies should strive for...the bonus is the BDP-2 sounds fantastic!
 
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