BRYSTON BCD-1
Digital sources
The BCD-1 is not an extravagant colourist like Musical Fidelity or Meridian - it does not deliver deep soundstage and rich tonality. Expect rather a lightning fast and accurate player that extracts the information from silver discs with merciless precision and authority. No single sound detail is spared.
Funkce a forma
Crystal Semiconductor CS4398 multibit converters in the BCD-1 use delta-sigma processing - the signal is upsampled from 44.1kHz to 192kHz, then 128-times oversampled and then synchronized by Bryston's CL circuitry to minimize induced jitter.
The rest of the device builds on Bryston's amplification expertise so it is not surprising to see huge toroid transformer, careful shielding and power filtration. The parts are discreet as Bryston sees an advantage in their better stability and stricter tolerances.
When the chassis of the BCD-1 is opened it is not unlike a look into a 15 years old Technics player - it is quite empty. The plastic Philips VAM1202/12 transport was modified for better synchronization with the DAC, yet it is plastic so it behaves like that.
Nízké frekvence
The Bryston BCD-1 excelled in Front Line Assembly's Artificial Soldier - it delivered multilayered synthesized sound that was propelled by puncy basslines and computerized structures. The player has a great sense of rhythm and timing so no wonder that my feet started to tap.
Čistota rozlišení
The Bryston's background is ink black and very quiet. This provides a perfect backdrop against which all the sound bits are served with great accuracy. Not only Deutsche Gramophon recordings but also The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down From A Mountain soundtrack (Stephen Endelmana) was very dynamic. Harp strings or flaring French horns give "you are there" feeling. Men's choir or a big drum excited my room with a lot of energy.
Tonální věrnost
The sound of the BCD-1 may not be everyone's cup of coffee. The result will depend a lot on which other components in the audio set up will be used. Thus you can vary the sound from uninvolving and emotionally cold to a warmer style. I prefered Ayre C-5xe, that I reviewed earlier, as it was more universal sonically. Also Sony XA9000ES could play with passion and made listening sessions both analytical and enjoyable, perhaps at the cost of greater neutrality. Where the XA9000ES was diplomatic the BCD-1 was merciless. The intersting fact was that I could hear the same quantity of details from both devices, just the way they sent them to my ears was different.
I liked the BCD-1 most when I paired it with the Accuphase amplifier: the Bryston provided speed and clarity and the Accuphase colours and sophistication. If you plan to buy a CD player then the BCD-1 should be on your list, however I recommend to audition it before you buy in your home set up not to end up with an overly analytic system.
Prostorovost
The connectivity on the BCD-1's rear panel includes RCA, XLR, 12-V link and an RS232C PC standard inlet for software update, as well as digital outputs (AES/EBU, Toslink and S/PDIF). The company does not recommend to combine the BCD-1 with other transports or D/A converters because they say the performance of digital elements in the BCD-1 was super-optimized to reach extremely low jitter levels.
Připojené komponenty
- Sources: Ayre Cx-7e
- Amplifiers: Bryston B26/2BSST, Accuphase E-210A
- Interconnects and speaker cables: více typů Cardas, Nordost SPM Reference
- Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Contour 1.1, Totem Rainmaker, Infinity Classia C336, JBL ES80
Galerie
ACCUPHASE DG-58
The Accuphase DG-58 is a 4th generation 'voicing equalizer' of Japanese manufacturer. The device won me over with its impeccable finish, top notch operation and a friendly user interface. It comes in traditional satin gold with high ...
Doporučení prodejci
Nisel SK, Bratislava, tel. +421 905 203 078
ACCUPHASE DP-720 SACD
Accuphase engineers further expanded on the features that had made their DP-900/DC-900 transport/DAC combo so phenomenal - the result is the one-box DP-720. This player is built with almost fanatical attention to detail. The ...
Doporučení prodejci
Nisel SK, Bratislava, tel. +421 905 203 078
ACCUPHASE DP-770 SACD
Every new product from this Japanese manufacturer is a small feast, especially if it is a device positioned at the top of the product line. Also, although affordability may be a relative term, spending under 20,000 euro for a digital ...
Doporučení prodejci
Perfect Sound Group, Praha, tel. +420 722 960 690
Nisel SK, Bratislava, tel. +421 905 203 078
AUDIOLAB 8300CD
The 8300CD is a preamplifier, a CD player and a DAC (ESS Sabre), all in one neat package. Audiolab offers 8300MB monoblocks that are half-width of the 8300CD so the two monos and one source component create a compact high end system. ...
Doporučení prodejci
Horn Distribution, Praha, +420 272 656 485
AUDIOQUEST Dragonfly Red
The original USB DAC of Audioquest happened to be a small revolution back in 2012. Four years later there are already more newborn dragonflies – v1.2, Black and Red. This review is focusing on the latest Red version that has ...
Doporučení prodejci
AQ s.r.o., Červenka, tel. +420 585 342 232
AYON CD-07s
Smooth liquidity is another typical element of the Ayon sound. The sound is analog-like, viscose, fluid, flowing, smooth. You may as well discard all these adjectives and replace them with the single formulation: the Ayon is a ...
Doporučení prodejci
Nisel SK, Bratislava, tel. +421 905 203 078
AYON CD-35 Signature SACD
The CD-35 is one of the most versatile digital players available. In its “Signature” version (the one we used throughout this review) it replaces a CD and an SACD player, a highly capable DAC, and an excellent preamplifier. Thus the ...
Doporučení prodejci
Nisel SK, Bratislava, tel. +421 905 203 078
