New Bryston BCD-3!

[James Tanner - Bryston]

Originally Posted by Chad.Wagner

BDC-3 DAC - Is this a new product that would add the functionality of the BDA-3 to the CD player?

OOPs - sorry meant BDA-3 DAC

james

[randyhat]

I installed a new BCD-3 into my system today. It's only been running a few hours so if these players need to break-in, mine has not. I have two other CD players in my system that I am comparing it to. One is a Sony 5400ES CD/SACD player and the other is a 20 year old Meridian 508.24. Out of the box this player is impressing me. Compared to the Sony it seems to have a bit more detail and more lively sound. Compared to the Meridian it is a bit more open and less of a lush sound. The most immediately noticeable difference with a couple a familiar "bass reference" recordings is that the Bryston has a leaner bass than both the Sony and the Meridian. It will be interesting to hear if this changes over time. The bass quality of the BCD-3 was welcomed on the opening cut of Melody Gardot's album The Currency of Man. This song has some bass that in parts have sounded overpowering...even with the built in subwoofers on my Vandersteen Quatro CTs. Played on the Bryston the bass was a little less present and without the boom I have experienced with my other players (especially the Meridian). The bass was solid with the BCD and never obscured the midrange. The quality of the BCD's bass definitely improved the listening experience of the album. The next bass "test" cut is "Hotel California" from the Eagles Hell Freezes over CD. On this cut the leaner nature of the BCD slightly diminished the impact of that deep drum beat on the intro. Again, the bass was there...just a little more subdued. I will be curious to hear this changes at all over the next couple of weeks. Perhaps because of the somewhat leaner bass, the midrange seems to be clearer and more open than on any of the other two players. This lively separation of instruments has added a bit of life to the presentation that I didn't realize I was missing.

I will report again as the unit continues to break-in. A point of reference I find interesting is that my Meridian player is ancient in terms of digital age and my Sony is getting a bit long in the tooth. Both were considered fairly representative of the state of digital technology for their time (Not necessarily State of the Art)...but both were well regarded. I am hearing a engaging quality in the Bryston that I never heard upon first hearing my other players. I am really enjoying the first few hours of this player.

[James Tanner - Bryston]

Hi Randy

Your comment "I am hearing a engaging quality in the Bryston" is interesting as I too was taken with the engaging aspect of the new CD player.

I know its not necessarily something we can measure but I was really enamored by it on first listen as well.

james

[randyhat]

James...does the sound of the player change much as it breaks in?

[James Tanner - Bryston]

Originally Posted by randyhat

James...does the sound of the player change much as it breaks in?

I think there are some subtle changes in terms of soundstage height and width but not excessive.

The frequency response is very flat so I am not sure if you will notice much difference in the bass response - maybe a little.

james

[randyhat]

James....I am currently running the BCD-3 through my preamp via RCA cables. Does a balanced connection offer any sonic benefits?

[James Tanner - Bryston]

Originally Posted by randyhat

James....I am currently running the BCD-3 through my preamp via RCA cables. Does a balanced connection offer any sonic benefits?

Yes in my opinion - Balanced eliminates noise and also offers more gain.

james

[randyhat]

Still enjoying the BCD-3. Lots of detail yet smooth....kinda like my Vandersteen Quatro CT speakers. The observations I made before about the leanness of the bass while true is really more of a function of it's lack of bloat/bloom. The bass of the BCD-3 is solid and goes deep when the music does...never before. The only issue I have had so far is it's difficulty reading a disc with finger prints. When CDs all came in jewel boxes is was easy grab the CD by the edge when taking it out of the box. Nowadays more and more of the CDs are packaged in sleeves within the cardboard box. Sometimes it is impossible to get the CD out without pinching it with your thumb and forefinger and pulling it out of the sleeve. When you do this you invariably leave a small fingerprint on the play side of the cd. The BCD-3 seems to be pretty sensitive to this. In the two weeks I have had the player I have run across maybe 3 CDs with this issue. Cleaning the CD to remove the finger print fixes the problem. Why is it that cheap CD players seem oblivious to these surface imperfections yet the higher end players are much more finicky?

[James Tanner - Bryston]

MEMO: To All Bryston Customers
SUBJECT: UHF Review - Bryston BDA-3 DAC

April 2017

COMING SOON:

Full in-depth review of our new Bryston BDA-3 DAC in UHF Magazine.

By the way, the BDA-3 will be on our next cover.

“We began our listening sessions with the unit you see here, the Bryston BDA-3.

We had reviewed the BDA-2 in an earlier issue of UHF, and we can say that the third incarnation of this converter is a mighty leap forward.

As usual, we don't give “stars” or other numerical ratings to products we review, because that would take away the nuances we strive to add to our reviews. Suffice it to say that this is a very good product.

Well, we should possibly add one more nuance: we liked the BDA-3 enough to have purchased one for our reference system. And, to add one more nuance, two of our panelists bought one as well.”

UHF Magazine

[PierreB]

Wow.