In-Coming BDP-3
 

My seemingly endless pursuit of a new media player has come to an end. After a year or two of reading the reviews and chatting with folks on various forums, a BDP-3 with the build in WiFi is on its way.

I considered modifications to my MacBook, souping up a Mac Mini and building a box powered via Hackintosh, Linex or Windows. The usual suspects were carefully researched Aurender, Lumin, Naim etc and the used market places were closely monitored.

So many members here and elsewhere kindly shared their experiences with their chosen servers. What made the decision so hard is that all of these products are good. One could easily be pleased with any. And yes, all have their pros and cons.

What tipped the scales to the Bryston:

1. Built in WiFi, no need to deal with external wiring.

2. The ability to add one's own local storage.

3. A newer design with more processing power and perhaps future proofing.

4. Higher resolution playback potential.

5. ROON Ready & choice of other third party controllers.

6. Great Customer Service. A phone call away and a real person answers the phone.

7. Made in North America, Canada to be exact.

8. A coming price increase September 1.

Hope this may be of help for anyone else in their decision making process.
If interested, there is still time to avoid the increase. If you are a member, give a shout to Ivan.

Cheers!

:wine:

John... A Big Congrats! :beerchug:

In-Coming BDP-3
 

Congrats John! Your points 2, 6, 7, 8 are factors for me too.

I don’t have a large collection and I don’t have any DSD files so I’m actually considering a used BDP-2 because it seems “good enough” and the back panel is less cluttered. I only want to put a SATA drive in it so I don’t care about the extra USB ports that the BDP-3 has.

Not sure if I would regret it lacking the HDMI output in the future though.

John.......Congratulations on a well thought out decision. I'll be watching for your review.

Stefan-

All of my music right now is ripped from CD's in the AIFF format via dbpoweramp. I question the logic of paying for "HD" downloads of say Disraeli Gears or Turn of the Cards. Music however recorded in contemporary times is another matter. If, it's recorded natively at 24/94 or higher etc there may well be an audible difference. This potential is nice to have.

HDMI is something i have not thought about or concerned with at this time. Others with experience please chime in on that.

In my mind, the BDP3's processing power is very future proof and extra ports are never a harm especially with the isolation in the DBP3's design. UGG, in the computer world, "future proof" is very relative.

BTW, support your local public library with gusto! It's a great source for music, books and other great stuff!

Dan-

Thank you! It was a tough decision to say the least and you detailed analysis of the Aurender series made it all the more so. For my particular needs, it all fell nicely into place this morning.

Cheers to the listening of sounds on our well hunted systems.

Congratulations on your purchase John. I just sent my BDP-2 back to Bryston for the BDP-3 upgrade. I have really missed the convenience of the BDP-2 and I cannot wait for its return.

Congratulations on a well-researched decision and excellent choice. We’ll look forward to pictures.

gbaby it's good to know you like your Bryston and it's upgradeable.

Tony, Thank you. The decision now is where to place it. I did this temporary shelve for the MacBk last winter. Enlarging it will get me started. My end goal is to eliminate the CD player and pack up the Cd's.

John, I would move the MacBook Pro next to my seating position as you will not need it next to your audio system. I keep my MacBook Pro next to my seating position so I can access the music on my BDP as well as play anything of interest on my Apple TV via MacBook Pro.

gbaby-

So you control your BDP 2 via your MacBk? I was going to use my iPad. It's the second version so it won't update beyond IOS 9.... IOS 10 is required for the third party controllers but Manic Moose will work with IOS 9.

I agree with that logic. I haven’t bought any HD downloads yet - my high res collection is all on disc (SACD) which I can send via HDMI from my Sony SACD player directly to the BDA3 that I also intend to buy.

So it seems the HDMI out on the BDP3 would only be needed for sending native DSD from files (which I don’t have) to the BDA3.

Note that native DSD files can be sent from the BDP3 via USB to non-Bryston DACs that support it. The BDA3 only supports DoP (DSD over PCM) from USB. Native DSD requires HDMI.

Why did you upgrade? You have stated that you prefer 44/16 PCM and don’t like any music on DSD. So are you just after faster loading times?

I upgraded for several reasons. First, having built in wi fi keeps me from having to use a bridge. Second, I need the additional USB outputs so I can connect to both my SP3 and BDA-3. Third, all reviews stated it was slightly but audibly better sounding than the BDP-2, particularly in the bass frequencies and midrange with both having more weight to the sound. The speed factor was not a consideration as it does not load in any faster when booting up from start. Does this make sense?

You can use your iPad or iPhone for that matter. However, I recently purchased a used 2015 MacBook Pro which sits on a table next to my TV chair. So, I can control my music as well as play something using Apple TV. I stay on youTube so I can beam anything on my MacBook Pro to my television using Apple TV. The MacBook Pro enables me to multitask. I can listen to music surf the web and playback youTube all at once. :D I find Manic Moose works with anything: PCs and Mac products.

John... your BDP-3 is already on its way to me. ;)

Ivan-

There goes that greased lightning again. A day earlier than expected!:shadesrock:

Yes thanks for your input.

Loading times of large libraries and ripping CDs with the BOT-1 is supposed to be faster.

I have never used or saw the need for the BOT-1. I can import a CD using iTunes quicker than the BOT-1. But, you are right, the BDP-3 does rip music on the BOT-1 faster than the BDP-2. I guess a BOT-1 would make sense if you place a built in hard drive on the BDP-3. :scratch2:

I went through the same decision process not that long ago. I'm loving the decision and the BDP3 and BDA3 combo. You'll enjoy the heck out of it!

Jack

Thanks Jack.

I believe the latest version of the bdp 2 has the same audio card as the bdp 3.

I already replaced my card in my BDP-2 so I will not need it when it is upgraded. But, the BDP-2s that came out after the new sound card will contain it.

Jack-

A DAC is probably my next upgrade down the road. The BDA 3 has caught my attention. How do you like yours?

I'm loving it! The sound from the BDA and BDP3 is fabulous. These two pieces of equipment just crank out great sounds no matter what you throw at them. I'm back to listening to my own collection vs. Pandora because it was easy and my McIntosh server had crapped out.