Bryston BDA-1 Digital to Analog Converter

Bryston is a Canadian company specializing in high-end audio components. Bryston components are revered by audiophiles and are extraordinarily well built, which allows them to offer a 20-year transferable warranty on analog components, 5-years on digital products and three years on components with moving parts.

The BDA-1 is a standalone component, fully equipped with eight digital audio inputs, enough to serve a system with multiple digital components, including two S/PDIF coaxial and two S/PDIF BNC inputs, two Toslink optical, one AES/EBU digital stereo input and one USB audio input. That may seem like a lot, but consider that a CD player, DVD player, SACD player and BD player use four digital inputs. If you add a computer via USB audio input, the digital audio output of a flat panel TV, a cable box, and a music server, you've quickly used every digital input. Analog outputs include single-ended RCA and balanced-line XLR connections. A single S/PDIF output bypasses the D to A converters and can be used for recording purposes.

The Bryston employs dual Crystal CS-4398 digital to analog converters with 192 kHz/24-bit output. It accepts digital audio signals with multiple sample rates: 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz and 192 kHz and bit rates from 16 to 24 bits for PCM audio and 16-bits for USB audio.

All incoming digital signals are re-sampled and re-clocked to reduce jitter. Jitter causes mistiming of the digital pulses that can significantly reduce audio performance. According to Bryston, jitter is reduced to a negligible level of 1/1000 of a nanosecond (that's one billionth of a second). By comparison, one nanosecond is to one second as one second is to 31.7 years (credit: Wikipedia).

The same Bryston digital wizardry upsamples incoming digital signals to as high as 192 kHz, depending on the sample rate of the input signal. Digital audio signals with sample rates of 32 kHz, 48 kHz or 96 kHz are upsampled to 192 kHz, and 44.1 kHz and 88.2 kHz signals are upsampled to 176.4 kHz. A switch enables comparison of the upsampled and non-upsampled signals.

The BDA-1 can be activated via the front panel switch or connected to a system with trigger outputs operating between +3 and +12 volts.

Enough of the tech-talk, you get the idea. Every aspect of the BDA-1 is designed to squeeze the best performance out of a digital audio signal. You can learn more at the Bryston website - the important issue is how it sounds.

Bryston's BDA-1 demonstrates the importance of audio DACs to the overall sound of a system. The digital prowess of the BDA-1 delivers clean, transparent audio performance and a consistency of sound for all digital sources, whether it's a CD or DVD player, iPod or computer.

Listening to the Wadia 170i Transport, an iPod dock with its digital output connected to the BDA-1 was the most revealing test. The Wadia 170i bypasses the iPod's analog outputs and taps the digital output, allowing the Bryston to convert the digital pulses to analog sound. Simply stated, the Bryston DAC elevated the iPod to an audio source well suited for higher end music systems.

The DACs upsampling function offers tangible, palpable benefits in musicality and overall timbre. When upsampling is engaged, the overall frequency response sounds more evenly distributed across the entire range. Mids sound less emphasized and more balanced with the rest of the music. The upsampling circuit converts a 44.1 kHz, 16-bit Red Book standard CD output to 176.4 kHz (4x) sampling rate and 24-bits of signal resolution.

The Bryston BDA-1 takes a good digital source and makes it better. Conversely, the flaws in a poorly recorded digital source are revealed as well. It's one of the hazards of high-end audio. Like a high-resolution photograph reveals blemishes, a high-resolution audio component reveals flaws in musical fidelity and realism. Fortunately, the upside outweighs the downside.

The Bryston BDA-1 earns its high-end cred by virtue of its audio performance, extensive connectivity and design. You could certainly acquire an outboard DAC for less than the $2150 asking price for the BDA-1, but you would be giving up a component that can handle a complete system and offers extraordinary sound quality. I've seen phono cartridges costing nearly that much, and - bonus - the BDA-1 doesn't require any tracking force adjustments. Consider the BDA-1 a must-have component for stereo and home theater systems that demand the best digital audio quality.

Specifications

• Frequency response: 20-20 kHz +/- 0.1 dB
• THD + Noise: 0.002%
• Intermodulation distortion: 0.0003% Noise: -140 dB unweighted
• Jitter: negligible
• Dimensions (W x H x D) inches: 17" x 2.750" x 11.1" (standard, with feet) 19" x 1.750 x 11.1" (rack mount model, with feet)
• Weight: 18 lbs.
• Price: $2150
• Contact: bryston.com