Bryston BDA-1 DAC

[Dreadhead]

I like your diet plan. You should write a book.

I started the diet plan since then, though I did ride 20 miles the day I had the poutine. It's an easy diet: don't eat much. I lost 90lbs, ate a lot put back on 50 now I'll lose 60 (already off 15) and call that quits for a while unless I start gaining again.

[feckn_eejit]

Not as good as the best I've had in Montr

[cetoole]

Cheese curds and gravy. YUM. I had poutine for the first time in years about a month ago and mouth is salivating at the memory

Poutine was pretty awesome, had it for the first time in Montreal and Quebec this summer.

[darthsilverice]

Not as good as the best I've had in Montr

[TC_Shadow]

Well, according to the specs I can find, the Dodson is also 2.3 V RMS out (unbalanced). And based on some of the other specs I saw on teh interwebs, it seems that 2.3V is not inordinately high. However, I defer to the DAC experts on this one. Regardless, I did not find the need to volume match and the specs seem to provide support for the reason why.

As an aside, I note that the DacMagic's output is 2.1V. Is a difference of .2V a significant amount in these applications?

Random notes:

Output Levels

BDA-1: 2.3V unbalanced; 4.6V balanced

ECD-1: 1.6V unbalanced; 3.2V balanced

DacMagic: 2.1V unbalanced; 4.2V balanced

DA217: 2.3V unbalanced; (can't find specs for balanced)

Is it reasonable to assume that all balanced output will be 2x unbalanced output? Something tells me it's not that simple.

My ECD-1 Vout is significantly higher than 1.6V, I would say it's at least 3.2V unbalanced (matachd to 0.1dB with another source that has 3.5V output) and probably 6.4V balanced.

Are there different versions of ECD-1 (I remember reading the manual and thought to myself that's a high output)?

[n_maher]

Are there different versions of ECD-1 (I remember reading the manual and thought to myself that's a high output)?

The ECD manual I've seen matches what The Monkey reported.

http://electrocompaniet.no/pdf/manualer/ECD1_V1.pdf

[The Monkey]

I always thought the ECD-1 sounded hotter than those specs, but they are indeed the published specs.

TC_Shadow, have you actually measured Vout?

[Dusty Chalk]

Poutine this; poutine that.

Literal FOTM?

[jinp6301]

mmm, poutine. I tried making it myself once. It makes me feel bad thinking how much oil, gravy and cheese I put in mine.

[TC_Shadow]

I always thought the ECD-1 sounded hotter than those specs, but they are indeed the published specs.

TC_Shadow, have you actually measured Vout?

I will do that. Do I measure Vrms with 1khz wave at 0db?

[The Monkey]

Of course.

Actually, I have no idea.

[Dreadhead]

Usually that's how it's done. At least according to a couple guys at various companies I spoke to about volume matching with a multimeter.

[TC_Shadow]

I always thought the ECD-1 sounded hotter than those specs, but they are indeed the published specs.

TC_Shadow, have you actually measured Vout?

I am reading my ECD1 tech spec from the manual.

Output level (unbalanced) - 2.45V

Output level (balanced) - 4.9V

Max output (balanced) - > 14Vrms

Output impedance - 40Ohm

This corresponds to what I am hearing.

[The Monkey]

Very strange. Does your manual have a date or version/revision # on it?

It would be great if you could scan it.

Edited October 31, 2009 by The Monkey

[TC_Shadow]

Very strange. Does your manual have a date or version/revision # on it?

It would be great if you could scan it.

[The Monkey]

Thanks very much. That would be more consistent with what I perceived when I had the ECD-1. Here are more specs from the manual on the website (the only one I've seen). I wonder if it's a typo or if the revised the unit.

Analog stage

Output level (unbalanced).............................1,6 V

Output level (balanced)..................................3,2 V

Gain (unbalanced).........................................1.6 X (4 dB)

Gain (balanced)...............................................3.2 X (10 dB)

Maximum output (balanced)..........................> 14 V RMS

THD (1 V out, 1 kHz)........................................< 0.002 %

Channel separation ( 1 V out, 1 kHz)...........> 90 dB

Equivalent input noise....................................4 uV

Output impedance..........................................100 Ohm

Analog filter (-3 dB)..........................................75 kHz

The title of this document is ECD1_V1 FWIW.

[The Monkey]

The Bryston BDA-1 was just named The Absolute Sound's "Digital Separate of the Year" for 2009. I recently sold mine because, while proficient, it just didn't have enough "life" or "musicality" or whatever that ethereal/elusive quality is that we all seek. And it reminds me that DAC reviews, just like everything else in our audio world, need to be taken with a large salt lick.

[VPI]

It might have been the best they tested but I can think of numerous DACs out right now that I much preferred based on the short term listen to your Bryston.

By the way, let me know if/when you want me to drop by with a loaner DAC.

[Voltron]

It might have been the best they tested but I can think of numerous DACs out right now that I much preferred based on the short term listen to your Bryston.

By the way, let me know if/when you want me to drop by with a loaner DAC.

Aren't you in a foreign land, monsieur?

[VPI]

Nope, canceled. No more travel until my Vacation, in a different foreign land.

[Voltron]

Vachement cool!

[The Monkey]

Jeff, I'd love to check out the PerfectWave. I'll shoot you a PM to see what works for you.

[The Monkey]

Stereophile reviewed the BDA-1 this month. It was basically a rave, but a very superficial review that focused more on how the reviewer set it up than sonic impressions. Atkinson found some problems with the measurements, but I'm not sure what sonic impact they might have because he, of course, was less than clear on that point.