BDP-1 USB Bus Question
 

One of the consistent "rules" I keep hearing about computer based audio is that you should not use a USB connection for your hard drive and also a USB connection to a DAC as it overburdens the USB bus in the system. If I use the BDP-1 pushing files out via USB from an attached USB hard drive to a BDA-2's asynchronous USB input, is this not overburdening the BDP-1's USB bus? Or at least compromising the best sound possible? Maybe the BDP-1 is designed to get around this issue somehow?

Hi

I was not aware of these USB 'rules' - can you link me to what is being said?

james

James, I suspect he's talking about completely overloading the bus until there are drop-outs in the audio. Perfectly possible in a computer with a handful of devices (high res. mouse, keyboard, HD, audio, printer, etc) all using the bus at once. This is not what is going to happen with your special purpose BDP devices and is one of the great things about your device vs a general purpose computer.

Bavarian:

While I understand audiophile nervosa, the BDP is supposed to make digital audio easy. My recommendation: relax and enjoy the music!

Thanks:music:

james

I am guilty of the Nervosa affliction! No argument there.

I fully agree and understand, though maybe I should clarify why I ask. I only recently found out that the BDP-1 can also output via USB and am carefully looking for a DAC or computer with a DAC option that will provide very good DSD playback. The BDP-1 and the BDA-2 will support DSD playback in the future though only over USB. Chris Conaker from Computer Audiophile and Mytek Digital have both said this. Among others, though I will try to provide some links for you too. Mytek supposedly offers their DAC with a firewire input to avoid this problem. I am considering upgrading to the BDA-2 (currently have the BDA-1) but don't want to buy something that will be a compromise when used this way. This is definitely not a dig on the BDP-1 or the Bryston DACs, I absolutely love them. My understanding was that they were originally built to only output via BNC and AES and then demand required that Bryston make changes to make it more user friendly. I want to be sure I am making the right decision with whichever DAC or DAC/computer I purchase. I will be keeping the BDP-1 for PCM regardless, as I think it is the best piece of digital equipment I have ever come across. I am only trying to get a firm grasp on this computer audio stuff as until DSD came along, I really had no interest in that side of things. I don't mean to be a pest. Was hoping this was the place I could get some educated clarifications.

I will ask Engineering.

james

My message was merely completed in an "enjoy the music" spirit, not in any way to imply you were being a pest!

If you've browsed computer audiophile, you have obviously seen that there are many ways to handle digital right now.

One of the wonderful things about this forum, and I think you've probably seen it already, is that few here will strongly push in the direction they've selected. We all acknowledge there many different ways to implement enjoyable and wonderful sounding systems.

While acknowledging that there are probably better ways, here's what I do and why:

Mac Mini running Audirvana. HDMI out to a 55" TV for the primary graphical interface. The Apple wireless keyboard and wireless trackpad make a great remote control. I can also use remote desktop on my laptop (if I want to have the larger TV off) or the remote application on my iPhone. Firewire interface to an external 4g HD storing the library. USB to the Esoteric DAC for the audio. The Esoteric DAC also serves as my preamplifier, as I do not have any analog sources in the man cave.

I've selected this approach because Audirvana seems to be on the leading edge of processing different file formats. Thus, -anything I download-, I can play via one library and one player. Even if my DAC doesn't natively support one of the formats, Audirvana handles it without a hiccup. I don't have to wait for a hardware manufacturer to update software for my system or all my files to work. I can change DACs anytime I want simply by plugging my USB cord into a different DAC. Audirvana auto-recognizes the capabilities of the DAC and I'm good to go.

Now, for the reasons you (or someone else) brought up in another thread, I think the special purpose media server/renderer is the future. I think Bryston agrees. However, and all respect to Bryston as they are certainly the top of breed in this category, I don't think any of these manufacturers current has the software engineering capability to keep up with all the latest file format trends and to provide the frequent product updates this entails. On the other hand, I've updated my Audirvana software to add features a number of times in 2013. I expect this will change as more manufacturer's gain software engineering capability in-house.

Anyway, above are the reasons I selected my approach. The firewire HD -does- provide a separation between the USB audio and the file system bus and, yes, my audiophile nervosa (not technical necessity) is why I selected this particular separation. :)

Another way to phrase the question would be is the USB out on the same bus as the USB in.

I didn't realize DSD from file player to the DAC has to be over USB. That is unacceptable in my world. I have a Shunyata Python AES digital cable, and see no reason to go to a USB cable for DSD.

You mean no reason other than SPDIF was never designed to carry DSD? :)

I didn't realize DSD was created to run over USB. I thought it was just an encoding scheme used to represent an analog signal. Same principle as PCM, but a different format.