NEW Dyn's/Bryston BDA1

[Bluemeanies]

Well I have to admit I think I drove some people on this forum a little crazy by not making a decision...do I, don't I, what should I do questions in regards to purchasing some equipment namely the Marantz 8801 or a separate DAC.

My apologies. I was a pain in the A_ _!

I spent some time with myself and finally went out one day to couple of audio stores in the nearby area and also in a nearby state.
Salesmen are a funny bred. While they are all cut from the same cloth there are salespeople who stand alone separate from the masses that are lets say pushy, at time arrogant and then just plan rude. In my quest to driving myself nuts and some people on this forum I wanted share this insane uncertainty of UNdecesion with the above people. Although they are I admit few in numbers, they stand out and are well remembered.
I actually had one guy tell me that most people HATE their speakers because they know DEEP DOWN their speakers are crap and that's was the real reason I was in his store. I looked around to make sure I do not fall into the rabbit hole or better yet I thought I was in the Twilight Zone.
In another store and this was the BEST I told the owner that I purchased a second pair of speakers (Dynaudio Focus110A's) specially for 2channel listening and his response was funny but something I would NEVER SAY if I wanted to make a sale.
"Two pairs of speakers are like having TWO D_ _ _S. Whats the purpose"?
These stories are true and while I am laughing now I was angry at the time thinking "I wanted to make a purchase how hard can this be"?

I spent two days tracking down the right store and found that what I was looking for both in salesmanship and advice, and quality of product I found in my own backyard. I started my trek working from the furthest point out thinking I would discover something new. I was wrong.
I found a store close to home that had both the Marantz8801 and my B&W 804S speakers. The music demo consisted of classical, jazz, blues, rock, country and Frank Sinatra whom I enjoy very much. The detail in the midrange just did not seem to be there for me. Basically what I was listening to was more of what I already have. Although I must say I cannot compare the Marantz 8801 with my Outlaw 990. There were many things such as Audyssey and AirPlay that I would benefit from in my system. The 8801 room calibration with the 804s was done at my request and with no argument from the salesman. It was with a pair of Focal's which sounded rather sweet. One thing he did tell me about my system that he felt would help improve and thought I should try before investing in a pre-amp was more power. At present I have the Outlaw 7700, 200watts per channel amp and he was suggesting stepping up to 300watts and going from there.
My idea of having two systems was not foreign to this place. I had purchased the Dynaudio's 110's at a good price. It just happen that this store also had Dynaudio 110's which I was hugely surprised. Matt (salesman) said they had more than a thousand hours of play on them. I had asked about Dynaudio's new edition to their speaker line but he said there were rumors and if he told me he would have to kill me.
Matt had the Bryston BDA1 hooked up to the 110's and they sounded awesome. Very sweet to listen to. Distinctive. He let me take the BDA1 home for a few days to demo and assure me with the proper breaking in my 110's would sound just as good. He advise me to break the 110's with the the low frequencies to flat and 0 while the frequency response to O across the board. After about 100 hrs he recommended adjustment of both low frequency and input sensitivity.
The Bryston is an excellent piece, built like a tank and I must admit it is the first DAC I have used in my life and could not imagine comparing it to anything other DAC simply because everything sounds great now and the breaking in process is not even half over.

In conclusion I am excited about my new editions and below is a Photo album with pictures of my HTR.
PS I am in the process of rewiring and doing some housekeeping so please excuse the mess under the screen.

Thanks





http://www.audioaficionado.org/membe...e-theater.html

[Pider]

Excellent! Finally finding the right store is sometimes more than half the battle! Nice system! Keep us up-to-date on your progress.

[Bluemeanies]

Thanks Pider!,,
You just made my day....BETTER!

[Jack in Wilmington]

It looks really good to me. I'm not too far from you, could you tell me where you finally made your purchase? I'm always looking for a nice hifi shop to visit.
As you can see from my equipment list, I have Dyns and Bryston also. Thanks, Jack

[Bluemeanies]

Hi,
Your right around the corner, Jack!
I went to HiFi house in Delaware.
2304 Concord Pike, Wilmington Delaware 19803
Phone 302 655 4780/302 478 3575

You can ask for Gene or Anthony if you decide to stop in. Tell them Frank sent you. They are very knowledgeable. I have been going there for years. There is also another dealership down the street called Overtures. Speak to Dave who is also very knowledgeable.
I found thru the years both stores satisfied my needs. It boils down to two things. What kind of product you want to buy and how much money you want to spend.
You can go online to read about both companies.

Hope that this helps you. Like I tell my wife there is "no end in sight with this hobby".
Enjoy,Frank

[Jack in Wilmington]

I've been dealing with HiFi House for like 20 years now. You mentioned a saleman named Matt and that threw me off. I bought my Bryston BDA-1 from Anthony along with several other pieces. I've also purchased other gear from Quest for Sound in Bristol, Pa. Good talking to you Frank.

[Bluemeanies]

My apologies about naming using Matt's name. Matt was the a sales-person I dealt with in the before mentioned story.
I should have previewed my post.
No problems with HiFi House and there is no Matt.
The before mentioned places were in NJ.

Where did you purchase your Contours?

[Jack in Wilmington]

Originally Posted by Bluemeanies

My apologies about naming using Matt's name. Matt was the a sales-person I dealt with in the before mentioned story.
I should have previewed my post.
No problems with HiFi House and there is no Matt.
The before mentioned places were in NJ.

Where did you purchase your Contours?

From a private owner. He was starting law school and had moved into a high rise apartment building and couldn't use the Contours there. I've had them for 2 years now. I also have a full set of Ushers that I use in my HT setup. Where did you get your Focus 110A's? I checked out the Focus 140's before I purchased my Usher X-719's.

[Bluemeanies]

I purchased the 110's from an ad on Audiogon. The name of the outfit was Dedicated Audio a family own business which I have to say they were very attentive and answered all of my questions. I purchased the whole package stands and speakers.
The Bryston BDA1 came from Hi-Fi House.
I personally like that place. When I went in there looking for a DAC I was speaking to Anthony and we engaged in a conversation about speakers namely Dynaudio. As you know they do not carry that brand. .Anthony mentioned what great speakers they are and ask me what kind I had purchased. He again responded how well made Dynaudio products are made and how Bryston will add to the experience if I choose the BDA1.
That's what I like about that place they do not bad mouth what you already have and try to sell you their products. They listen to what you want. If your are just looking then they leave it at that...your looking. If you have questions they answer them and most important if they do not know the answer they say so.

Jack what kind of cables are you using?
In your opinion do your think these high price cables make a difference?

I want this 2channel system to be all that it can be but I dont want to spend ridiculous amounts for overpriced cables. I am not sure if I believe in the idea that spending $500-$1000.00 for 1 meter of cable is indeed a truth in electronics or an illusion. Don't get me wrong I am not connecting lamp cord to my B&W's. As a matter of fact I am using MIT cable that I purchased from a friend of mine years ago. He paid $600.00 for them. LCR channels and I picked them up for $200.00.
I been thinking of investing in cables from Morrow Audio. Right now I am using a pair of Monoprice Premium Audio Cables.

[Pider]

Dedicated Audio +1