Bryston BDP-1

We are entering a new age for music enjoyment. We have an ability to reproduce recorded music with more accuracy and faithfulness than ever before. This has been enabled by the recent developments on recording and distributing music in 'high resolution' computer readable formats. Until recently any new format required an extensive infrastructure to get launched and need the cooperation of a complete chain of contributors and well as major investments to get underway. But with the continually increasing power of the personal computer and media like the internet and recordable DVD's it is now possible to distribute the highest resolution audio to anyone with the desire to play it. Many digital playback systems incorporate an 'all in one' approach to digital playback where the computer has the operating system (EX: Windows or Mac), the video interface, the CD ripper/player, the motherboard, the soundcard and the DAC's contained in one chassis. Think of this approach more as an audio 'receiver' rather than the more performance oriented approach of independent tuner, preamplifier and power amplifier in order to optimize performance in each specific area. This receiver approach is fine for what it is as it allows for a very easy solution for someone who is looking for ease of use. The problem is the performance suffers due to issues of noise and distortion created by this all in one approach. The computer is a great tool for searching and downloading content, but it may become a cumbersome tool for playback of quality content. The Bryston BDP-1 Digital Player is much easier to use in practice than a typical multipurpose desktop interface.