Bryston BDP-1 digital player, thoughts?

[BFlowers]

This seems like a great device for those of us who don't want to mess with a computer in our music rooms. Has anyone heard this player? Are there any obvious downsides to their approach? Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

[Dane]

Bdp-1

This sound is great even from ripped CDs! The BDP-1 is one of my favorite audio related items I have purchased in several years.

Downsides? - No, but... If you are not familiar with setting up a wireless router and downloading apps to a iPod/iPhone/iPad type devices for a remote control, then you will probably require some assistance.

The reviews have been extremely positive including John A. measurements in Stereophile.

As always, I would encourage you to go take a listen to one of these units.

 

[welwynnick]

Most users play media from USB drives or hard drives, and are very happy with it.

However, I dont' believe its like other media players, because you can't stream music over a network from a server.

Nick

 

[KeithR]

i like my Bryston DAC, but a $400 mac mini can outperform this product.

 

[Old Listener]

This seems like a great device for those of us who don't want to mess with a computer in our music rooms. ... Are there any obvious downsides to their approach? .

You aren't going to get away from a computer and software entirely. You would need it to rip CDs and tag the resulting music files. Then you transfer them to a USB device (hard drive or flash drive.) If the small display on the front of the BDP-1 isn't adequate for you to select music to play, you'll need a wired or wireless connection to a computer, a smart phone or a tablet running an MPD client.

Nothing wrong with any of this. Just realize that you may need to understand the same concepts and do the same things you would have with a system based on PC or Mac software.

Bill

 

[FrantzM]

i like my Bryston DAC, but a $400 mac mini can outperform this product.

I agree with the above and that too

You aren't going to get away from a computer and software entirely. You would need it to rip CDs and tag the resulting music files. Then you transfer them to a USB device (hard drive or flash drive.) If the small display on the front of the BDP-1 isn't adequate for you to select music to play, you'll need a wired or wireless connection to a computer, a smart phone or a tablet running an MPD client.

Nothing wrong with any of this. Just realize that you may need to understand the same concepts and do the same things you would have with a system based on PC or Mac software.

Bill

 

[Jay_S]

You aren't going to get away from a computer and software entirely. You would need it to rip CDs and tag the resulting music files. Then you transfer them to a USB device (hard drive or flash drive.) If the small display on the front of the BDP-1 isn't adequate for you to select music to play, you'll need a wired or wireless connection to a computer, a smart phone or a tablet running an MPD client.

Nothing wrong with any of this. Just realize that you may need to understand the same concepts and do the same things you would have with a system based on PC or Mac software.

Bill

For someone already using a computer this product doesn't seem to be all that compelling or useful. Am I missing something?

 

[BFlowers]

It avoids the issue of having a computer in your music room. I have multiple Mac's including iPhone and iPad to control the device. I could download and rip music on my main computer, then transfer to a hard drive and play music from that or the stick. My concern is with sound quality and ease of use. My one attempt to play "high rez" music (though admittedly brief and not optimized) resulted in sound no better than my current digital/CD which is excellent. It seems as if a device
like this lacks flexibility in changing sound cards (or other customization options that I may not be familiar with). Keith R said that a $400 mac mini can out perform this product. How would I do that? BTW, My DAC has mainly balanced inputs. There is also toslink, glass and an adaptor for single ended. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[FrantzM]

BFLowers

You simply connect.. really use the the Toslink splitter. It connects to the headphone jack in the Mac Mini and that is it: Digital Audio from the Mac Mini ... You download iTunes, it is ready to play ...the MSRP for Mac Mini is $699 not $400 but you get the vibes You get up to 24/96 Bit transparent with the Mac Mini ...from USB or Toslink ... I don't know about 24/192

 

[KeithR]

the other thing with the Bryston---you still have download music to a hard drive anyway, then connect it to the Bryston. so you already are going through the "pain" of computer audio

 

[BFlowers]

I didn't know iTunes supported 24/96.

 

[FrantzM]

I didn't know iTunes supported 24/96.

Not a Mac expert but I know that if the hardware supports the rates then the output can be set to 24/96 this way:
open Macintosh HD/Applications/Utilities then Audio/MIDI Setup utility and set the output to 24/96. That's it.

24/192 I don't know for sure but I think it does ...