BDA-1 and BDA-2 cannot be more different from each other than they are.
The difference is absolutely enormous, much bigger than a difference between any amps in Bryston lineup from 4B SST to 28B SST.
There is no single aspect of sound reproduction with some level of similarities, they have completely different presentation of soundstage depth and width, tonality is utterly different, focus night and day.
This was conclusion of 7 people that listened to both DACs in the same system at the same time.
I do not know of any two DACs from the same manufacturer released in sequence that sound more differently than BDA-1 and BDA-2. |
I have both the BDA-1 and BDA-2 and yes they are in my opinion virtually identical in sound. The BDA-2 supports USB -2 to 192 k which is why I bought it. If you feed the BDA-1 with any digital source other than USB you will have a difficult time telling the difference. They are both great. |
I just came back from my Bryston dealer. They told me that in their opinion the BDA 2 is "marginally" better than the BDA1 and that you really have to stretch to hear an improvement...but it is there. He said some features have improved, that is the biggest difference.
He said most people wouldn't notice a differnce and you really have to have top end gear before and after it to notice the small difference that is there. |
Hello Kclone, I'm glad you're enjoying the new BDA-2, I have no doubt it has to be great, considering its predecessor... I have already pulled the trigger on "The other one" and am awaiting delivery soon so I will do a personal comparison between it and the BDA-1, of course...If it doesn't compare well with the 1...then "oops" and I'll have to re-think it all again. Here's hoping that it was justified for me at this time, though I will never doubt the BDA 2 would have likely been an excellent choice. Best of luck with yours! |
The BDA-2 is fantastic, especially when paired with the BDP-2 server. I have had the PS Audio Perfect Wave II, the NAD M 51, and Mytec Dac in my system the past few months. All of them are very good but in my system i decided the BDA-2 is best for my preferences. I really like how it performs with with poor recordings.
Lissnr, you can always get the BDA-2 from some of online places that let you do a 30 day trial. If you like it , it may save you from buying the more expensive one |
I have loved the sound of my BDA-1 since I bought it new a couple of years ago...it is everything that the audio rags have stated and my system took full advantage of it. On that note however when I heard and read about the BDA-2 I decided to sell the 1 and am now "lingering" between Dacs. I would love to hear the BDA-2 and assuming it's everything the 1 was "and then some" there is no doubt in my mind I would enjoy it immensely. The only thing is, I've already become seriously distracted after listening to a [considerably more expensive] dac which I have borrowed from a friend and auditioned in my system (very much to my delight). It's the Lampizator 4 Gen 4 and it's tremendous. Hmmmm. |
with all my due respect to bryston electronics, they've overstepped the threshold of my affordability. i use mytek 192 and so far loving this unit a lot. |
I have the BDP-2 and I think it's great. I did not want a conventional laptop or a Mac mini in my main system and that's why I bought the Bryston digital player. I have it connected to 2 DACs, Bricasti M1 USB and a PSA Perfect Wave DAC mk2, in my system and they both sound great. Even though I have a PSA Perfect Wave transport, I rarely spin a disc anymore. I have a 2TB Western Digital external HDD connected to the BDP-2. I currently have about 1TB of WAV files on the HDD. I found that WAV files sound better than FLAC files when I compared them. I use an Ipad as a controller and it works great and the sound is excellent. If you're wondering why I have 2 DACs, I like the M1 better but I also like the PWD and may use it for another system in the future. |
ahh all of you cheap parasites. no one did after all... |
I has opportunity to audition them... and they were fantastic. In fact they outperformed the new linn akurate ds1, by quite a margine... with the density and thickness of the overall sound quality. Of course the system was all bryston and dealer tells me that there is a synergy effect when brystons get together. If you are into a bryston type of sound philosophy, these combination should be the way to go. |
Would love to hear more about this from owners. Anybody? |
Anyone try the new BPD2 ? |
With such few "upgrades" it seems like a strange move for them, especially
considering the price increase. |
I would like to plug my 1 TB Hard drive into a USB port.
Then, access my Apple lossless files through a Tablet through the internet.
When I asked Byston about this hook up, they were concerned about that much data on the Hard drive.
So, perhaps the version 2 will allow for larger Hard drive units ? |
From what I have read on the BDP-1 AudioCircles site, there is no real improvement in peformance, just in handling capacity and some features, e.g., NAS connectivity. No one who has a BDP-1 needs to go out and upgrade, and I think the BDP-1 will remain available.
I think it is a stellar product. SQ is breathtaking if your source material is good.
Neal |
I'll plan when everybody else will try and probably used or maybe won't at all.
Forgive me being smart and cheap parasite. |
