The Bryston BDA-3.14 proves that digital sound doesn’t have to be cold: it’s open, pure, and possesses a clarity that fills the silence between the notes. It moves with rhythmic precision, and there’s no harshness at the extremes of the spectrum. At the same time, it breathes, is smooth, and sounds very natural.
Retail price: 5190.00
With the optional HDMI module.
The Bryston BDA-3.14 is a high-quality digital-to-analog converter with integrated preamp functions, designed to convert audio sources with exceptional reproduction and a refined stereo image. This DAC/preamp delivers detail in every instrument, offers refined sound, and creates an open soundstage without distortion. The Bryston BDA-3.14 serves as the heart of any serious audio system, bridging the gap between digital sources and amplifiers and delivering impressive dynamics.
With the Bryston BDA-3.14, you’ll experience music with precision: nuance in soft passages, power in crescendos. The quality of the preamp ensures that streaming, USB sources, and digital inputs are all reproduced with clarity. The DAC preamp creates a spacious stereo image in which instruments sound natural and three-dimensional. Detail in the high frequencies is preserved without becoming harsh; the dynamic range between soft and loud remains captivating.
If you’d like to hear how the Bryston BDA-3.14 sounds in your setup, you’re welcome to come for a listening session in our listening room. Would you like to compare different DACs or preamps side by side, or discuss a trade-in to add this Bryston BDA-3.14 to your system? Please contact us, and we’ll schedule a session that suits your listening style.
Dimensions: 43 or 48.3 cm × 8.5 cm × 29.3 cm Weight: 4 kg
Frequency response: 20 Hz–20 kHz ± 0.1 dB Total harmonic distortion plus noise (20–20 kHz): ≤ 0.002% Intermodulation distortion: ≤ 0.0003%
Output voltage: Balanced XLR: 4.0 V Single-ended RCA: 2.0 V
Noise level: RCA: −134 dB XLR: −140 dB
Digital inputs (10): 4× HDMI, 2× USB Audio Class 2.0, 1× AES/EBU, 1× S/PDIF coaxial (RCA), 1× S/PDIF coaxial (BNC), 1× Toslink (optical)
PCM support: up to 384 kHz / 32-bit DSD support: up to DSD-256 (quad rate)
Analog outputs: balanced via XLR; unbalanced via RCA
Setup control: Web interface, IR remote control, RS-232, IP, 12 V trigger Upsampling capability on AES/EBU and S/PDIF inputs
Power supply: separate power supply units for digital and analog circuits Analog output section class: discrete Class A balanced
The Bryston BDA-3.14 is a high-end DAC/streamer born from a design philosophy centered on precision and musicality. Developed by the Bryston team, known for their expertise in audio engineering, the BDA-3.14 utilizes precise DA conversion and high-quality components to achieve a pure sound reproduction. The chassis is crafted from solid aluminum, and the internal wiring has been carefully designed to minimize signal interference. Bryston manufactures its products in Canada and pays close attention to the selection of materials to ensure optimal performance.
Bryston is there for those genes who demand pure and sterile sound. Grant Avenue Studio, founded in 1976 by the Lanois brothers (including Grammy award winner Daniel Lanois) and Bob Doidge, is a recording and mixing facility based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, that also offers mastering and tape transfer services. The hallowed rooms in the stately, remodeled early 1900s Edwardian house on Grant Avenue have hosted countless recording legends such as Gordon Lightfoot, Bruce Cockburn, Ian Thomas, U2, Johnny Cash, Los Lobos and countless others. Bob Doidge became the sole owner of the studio in 1985 and calls Hamilton a cultural gem, just southwest of Toronto on the shores of Lake Ontario. Above the mixing desk in the main Grant Avenue room hangs a pair of JBL 4350 studio reference monitors, a 4-way speaker capable of tremendous detail and output levels. The main monitors are powered by a pair of Bryston 4B amplifiers, including the 41st 4B ever produced by Bryston. IMAGE AMP HERE Built and installed in the late 1970s, this 4B amplifier has been running almost nonstop since it was manufactured 40 years ago, illustrating Bryston's commitment to superior engineering and production quality. Grant Avenue also uses three of the model 2B amplifiers: one powers nearfield monitors, while the other two 2Bs power the studio's extensive headphone queues that can effortlessly drive ten or more headphones simultaneously. In the more than 40 years that Grant Avenue has been home to so many iconic artists and sessions, their stable of Bryston electronics, running almost nonstop, has needed one repair. For a recording studio, an amplifier must provide excellent performance and be inherently reliable, says director Bob Doidge. "When we bought the first 4B in the late 1970s, our research showed that these amplifiers would give us the purity of sound we wanted for our studio. After four decades with Bryston, I can't imagine anything better. The special thing about this manufacturer is that they offer a 20-year warranty on their amplifiers!
