Problem with system


Last yr I purchased a Schiit Bifrost.  It worked and sounded fantastic for 5 days, then I lost dynamics and clarity.  I ordered another Bifrost  thinking it must be the dac.  But no, it still lacked dynamics, clarity.  So I sent in Bryston amp, got sent a new amp.  Still lacked detail clarity.  Sent in preamp, was told nothing wrong by Bryston.  Ordered Gungnir.    Plugged pre and Gungnir into system, still no dynamics, simply lost detail, dynamics.  Sent Gungnir back for refund.  Of course I switched out speaker wires, even ordered a cheap Cambridge integrated and Dali speakers to troubleshoot.  I tried all iteration with components. Seems to be preamp (bp6).  Anyone ever heard of a componant (in this case Bifrost dac) damaging a preamp?  I’ve been trying to resolve now for a yr. Just ordered bp19.   Thanks

 

crossfreeee

Showing 1 response by 1bitsoul

Based on what you have shared, one can deduce the Bryston BP6 preamp is assumably the most likely culprit, as you’ve systematically swapped DACs, amps, speakers, and cables with no improvement.

A subtle or intermittent fault (e.g., degrading component, connection issue) might have been missed by Bryston’s initial tests. Their “nothing wrong” conclusion suggests basic functionality (power, signal pass-through, no gross distortion) was intact. But, they might not have tested for nuanced issues like dynamic range loss or subtle frequency response changes under your specific setup (e.g., load, input voltage, duration). Specifically XLR/RCA voltage changes.

However, power issues or system interactions can’t be ruled out. I'd start by removing the BP6 completely to confirm, re-test with a clean power source, and push Bryston for a more thorough evaluation. That would be step 1, and then move to whatever the outcome of that would be.

If you can share more details—exact amp model, speakers, connection types (RCA/XLR), or if bypassing the BP6 helped, it would be helpful.

Best of Luck!