[Gibalok]

It's not a full stack until you've got a 4B sitting underneath 'em.

Roger that!

But i have a question how BHA-1 compared to Gustard h10.

I compared BP26/MPS2 as headAmp and Gustard H10 with TH900 and HE560. So with Fostex BP26 is smoother, but with HE560 Gustard has more power.

My question is do i need BHA while having BP26? What is the difference?

 

[Mortalcoil]

FWIW I'm really digging the TH-900 / BHA-1 combo.
 
Fantastic energy and snap.

 

[Gibalok]

  FWIW I'm really digging the TH-900 / BHA-1 combo.
 
Fantastic energy and snap.

No doubts. 
 
My question is whether BHA-1 as a headamp is better than BP26/MPS2 preamp. BP26 sounds very good with Fostex TH900. Guessing whether BHA-1 is significantly better

 

[Chris J]

It's not a full stack until you've got a 4B sitting underneath 'em.

I disagree!

 

[Mortalcoil]

Originally Posted by Gibalok /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
No doubts. 
 
My question is whether BHA-1 as a headamp is better than BP26/MPS2 preamp. BP26 sounds very good with Fostex TH900. Guessing whether BHA-1 is significantly better

 
 
Hmmm.
 
Unfortunately I have no experience with the BP26/MPS2 so I can't comment.
 
Hopefully someone may chime in with such experience.

 

[WilCox]

Hello everyone.

New Bryston BHA-1 owner here with a full Bryston stack and using a HD800 and Adam Artist 5 Powered monitors.

Started with the Bryston BDA-2 DAC and got the BHA-1 to complete the Bryston sound. 

Congratulations! Sounds like a wonderful setup. How do you like the Adam monitors?

 

[ivanlyf]

Congratulations! Sounds like a wonderful setup. How do you like the Adam monitors?

Hello,

Hmm I think the Artist 5 has a V-shaped response (emphasis on bass and treble). If you love very extended trebles, it will do the job.

I was like this but after using the HD800 and BDA-2, I find Adam's treble to be a bit on the bright/harsh side as compared to the HD800

Hope this helps

Ps: I listen mainly to classical music and a bit of jazz

 

[ivanlyf]

Hey all,
 
Just wonder if any of you have experienced this wonderful effect before and the explanation behind it:
 
So I've been listening to my classical music on the HD800 driven by the BHA-1 and a BDA-2 DAC for about 1.5 days now. Listening to some Mahler, Beethoven Symphonies & Concertos.
 
The 1 thing I noticed immediately when I switched amplifiers from the TEAC HA-501 to the BHA-1 was the recording became much louder with the BHA-1.
 
Previously, with the TEAC HA-501, I would use Adaptive Volume -> Peak Level Normalize / Night Mode in Jriver MC20 to boost the sound volume / 'reduce the dynamic range'. This way, I could hear the whole recording comfortably especially those instruments playing softly on the background. The drawback was clipping / distortion & a compressed sound.
 
When I switched to the BHA-1, I found Adaptive Volume to be too loud. Hence, I turned it off in Jriver MC20. Every instrument is just of the right volume, the pianos, the violins etc... it's crazy!
 
Does anyone have an explanation for this??? 

 

[DDDamian]

  Hey all,
 
Just wonder if any of you have experienced this wonderful effect before and the explanation behind it:
 
So I've been listening to my classical music on the HD800 driven by the BHA-1 and a BDA-2 DAC for about 1.5 days now. Listening to some Mahler, Beethoven Symphonies & Concertos.
 
The 1 thing I noticed immediately when I switched amplifiers from the TEAC HA-501 to the BHA-1 was the recording became much louder with the BHA-1.
 
Previously, with the TEAC HA-501, I would use Adaptive Volume -> Peak Level Normalize / Night Mode in Jriver MC20 to boost the sound volume / 'reduce the dynamic range'. This way, I could hear the whole recording comfortably especially those instruments playing softly on the background. The drawback was clipping / distortion & a compressed sound.
 
When I switched to the BHA-1, I found Adaptive Volume to be too loud. Hence, I turned it off in Jriver MC20. Every instrument is just of the right volume, the pianos, the violins etc... it's crazy!
 
Does anyone have an explanation for this??? 

Hi ivanlyf,
 
I have similar equipment, and can offer one explanation: power. The BHA-1 is much more powerful than the HA-501. And the HD-800's, while sensitive, really respond better to the higher voltage-swing and power the BHA-1 can supply. You've been artificially boosting the quiter background instruments using dynamic range compression as the HA-501 was losing them to the foreground sound. Well-driven, the HD-800 can detail them all brilliantly. This has little to do with volume, and lots to do with powerful control of the drivers.

 

[ivanlyf]

  Hi ivanlyf,
 
I have similar equipment, and can offer one explanation: power. The BHA-1 is much more powerful than the HA-501. And the HD-800's, while sensitive, really respond better to the higher voltage-swing and power the BHA-1 can supply. You've been artificially boosting the quiter background instruments using dynamic range compression as the HA-501 was losing them to the foreground sound. Well-driven, the HD-800 can detail them all brilliantly. This has little to do with volume, and lots to do with powerful control of the drivers.

 
Thanks! Now I know what it means to truly drive a headphone well
 
Yeah, I suppose the HA-501 wasn't supplying enough power to boost these softer, accompanying instruments above the background noise of the amp.
 
Can I then say that the Bryston BHA-1 has a higher signal to noise ratio??
 
It's wonderful, finally hearing my classical music without reducing dynamic range. The piano and violin sound so so natural!

 

[DDDamian]

   
Thanks! Now I know what it means to truly drive a headphone well
 
Yeah, I suppose the HA-501 wasn't supplying enough power to boost these softer, accompanying instruments above the background noise of the amp.
 
Can I then say that the Bryston BHA-1 has a higher signal to noise ratio??
 
It's wonderful, finally hearing my classical music without reducing dynamic range. The piano and violin sound so so natural!

Heck of a combo there - yeah should be amazing with orchestral. I haven't used my HD-800's much with the BHA-1 (not enough power in single-ended, new cables finally arrive Monday for balanced).
 
It's not really signal-to-noise ratio, it's more that the HD-800's are fairly tough to drive, and higher-powered amps can control the drivers' movement better, resulting in a clearer, less muddy or distorted signal. This clears up the main tones and let's the rest shine through. Compare to a cheap radio where all you hear is a bad rendition of the louder noises. The HD-800 is one of the more detailed or resolving cans out there, sometimes too much so, and the amp is just giving it a very clean signal to work with at a power level and control level that hides less.
 
Welcome to high-end sound

 

[ivanlyf]

  Heck of a combo there - yeah should be amazing with orchestral. I haven't used my HD-800's much with the BHA-1 (not enough power in single-ended, new cables finally arrive Monday for balanced).
 
It's not really signal-to-noise ratio, it's more that the HD-800's are fairly tough to drive, and higher-powered amps can control the drivers' movement better, resulting in a clearer, less muddy or distorted signal. This clears up the main tones and let's the rest shine through. Compare to a cheap radio where all you hear is a bad rendition of the louder noises. The HD-800 is one of the more detailed or resolving cans out there, sometimes too much so, and the amp is just giving it a very clean signal to work with at a power level and control level that hides less.
 
Welcome to high-end sound

 
Hmm, not enough power for the HD800 in single ended? I'm using the SE output now and I'm extremely extremely impressed by the BHA-1!
 
The music is just right.
 
- I can hear the whole orchestra comfortably without adjusting the dynamic range,
 
- The piano, violins etc sound so natural
 
- I get a detailed and musical sound combined together
 
I can't wait for my CH800S balanced cable to come as well

 

[grdlow]

Imo, the HD800 sounds best out of balanced outputs and with high gain. With the BHA1 set to high gain, I find there is slightly more low end grunt which complements the HD800 well.

 

[DDDamian]

Imo, the HD800 sounds best out of balanced outputs and with high gain. With the BHA1 set to high gain, I find there is slightly more low end grunt which complements the HD800 well.

I think the above is the way to go. I tried them single-ended on high gain and it didn't have the horsepower for louder music styles. My balanced cable shows up Monday, with a second, shorter one following later.
 
@ivanlyf - for symphonic or chamber music the single-ended output on high gain is likely fine. It is using half the amps output circuitry. For rock, electronica and other louder music genres the balanced output is really the way to go as grdlow says.. I think you'll hear the difference once your cable comes in

 

[Rdrcr]

Got my new HE-560's with a balanced cable from Charleston Cable Company and I'm really enjoying the sound.  Thus far I'm finding the 560's smoother, faster, deeper, and fuller than my HD-650's. The 560's vocals and instrument separation are also impressive.  
However, it is worth noting that the HD-650's are an over-achiever for the money and a great headphone especially when amp'd properly.  The differences in sound characteristics between the two cans are not quite as drastic than I originally anticipated.  I'll be keeping both!
 
Mike