experience with Bryston BDA-1 ?

Make sure you are bypassing windows kernal. go download asio4all. what other gear do you have and what did the new dac replace? I haven't heard the Bryston but I have read a few comments on line that did report what you are saying about the dacs sound.

the Bryston is an excellent DAC, I've auditioned it... the problem is computer technology. I have several PC's and have done the same PC vs CD player comparison over SPDIF into a DAC. The CD player always wins hands down. Where the game changes is with asynchronous USB into a DAC, when I went that route with the HRT Music Streamer II USB DAC it blew away my DAC/ CD players. Apparently jitter is a big problem for PC digital output unless you use asynchronous USB. Unfortunately most audio DAC manufacturers aren't PC savvy, the USB on their DAC is the older synchronous solution which has no jitter correction between PC and DAC. Since you have 1 of the best DAC's you may want to invest in a Hiface Evo (~$200) as an asynch USB to SPDIF converter

Davide256... you are exactly correct on your analysis if he was using the normal SPDIF output of a computer. That generally comes right off the motherboard and you are correct that it has crazy levels of jitter. But then again what can we expect. The entire digital output was designed for computer games and probably has 50 cents worth of parts to do the whole job.

He is coming out of a Lynx audio card using AES/EBU. That's an $800 dedicated 24/192 studio audio card with Mac and PC OS spicific drivers, about as good as you can do. It has its own internal word clock and the jitter out of the card is very, very low. If you peek inside a $10K+ Sooloos you'll find a Lynx. OK, now it goes into the Bryston which also reclocks and reduces jitter. IMHO probably not a jitter issue.

I would more suspect that the Player software is not setup correctly and is being influenced by the OS drivers. I would uninstall MediaMonkey and then do a fresh install of either it or J.River Media Center. There are step by step installation guides on the manufacturers site or on Computer Audiophile... follow them exactly!

You have the correct pieces, keep at it!

Thanks for the suggestions; I will try to re-install mediaMonkey and look up audiophile over the weekend.

I don't think I am alone with this kind of setupm and I
thought this is getting popular.
Will be nice to hear story from similar setup (PC-LYNX-Brystone).

10-06-10: Cerrot
Make sure you are bypassing windows kernal.

This is a must...