D160,
Those are very rare. I'd love to find one. Let me know if you ever see one for sale. |
I've got to write a mea culpa here. I was totally wrong in my post of nearly three years ago about how a Bidat sounds with a high quality preamp and how the bitstream compares. I own a newly modded Bitstream (version II) and Super Plus modded Bidat. I now have a Conrad Johnson CT5 tube preamp and it has greaty improved the sound of both units. Even John Wright called the volume controller of the Bidat "flawed."
Wright's 2010 mods of the Bitstream are nothing short of revolutionary. I'm in the process of an extensive comparision between this latest iteration of the Bitstream and the Bidat. I'll post more later. |
Not to challenge the expertise of others here, but I don't believe that the modded BiDAT driven directly into a seriously decent amp and using its digital volume control can be surpassed by ANYTHING under $10,000, including the Bitstream, as good as that is. The BiDAT, based upon my extensive listening, is the one of the best three DACs on the market for redbook CD's if you drive a good amp with it. Using the BiDAT's analog outs robs you of a great deal of the Meitner magic, IMHO. That being said, you need to match it with an excellent main amp. I'll grant that a side-by-side comparison of the modded units going through a preamp is probably very similar. Just my two cents. |
Audiofun,
I didn't realize that you haven't heard John's very latest mods. Get ready, my friend. Even though you are a long-time Bidat fan like me, nothing can prepare you for what John is doing right now. He's raised the Bidat to an entirely different level. One caution: Because John uses blackgates and teflon caps extensively, the burn-in after modification is *not* to be underestimated. Listening during the burn-in process can be downright bizarre. Instrument placement can shift, bass comes and goes, and the very character of some recordings changes. Once the "new" Bidat settles, the soundstage, bass and microdynamics are unlike anything *I've* ever heard. Because you have access to a far more extensive array of DACS and understand the Bidat "sound" I'm particularly eager to learn what you hear.
Preliminarily, I can say that the "new" Bitstream matches the Bidat's soundstage but it's early days and my Bidat mods are several months old. John made what I consider to be a major breakthrough just before your unit got to him. Consequently, you're about to hear something very special.
Enjoy. |
Lush and Darkmoebius,
Just wanted to give a shout out to you guys. Your posts over the years are what inspired me to get my Moray James digital cable and pursue mods on my bidat and get a bitstream. You should get a commission! If people new just how the bitstream and bidat stack up to most of the current digital, they'd be stunned. Audiofun's the first person who's really tried to run a head-to-head comparision with the latest and greatest. It should be interesting.
P.S. If you haven't heard Moray's latest cable, it's a revelation. I had his version of two years ago and the latest one is *twice* as good and was (as usual) used to voice John's latest mods. |
Dark,
I concurr with Lush. I've been in pretty constant communication with John and Moray during the past couple of months and I just did a A/B at a friend's house with the brand new mods and an older one. It *is* more of everything we like about the unit. My friend is shipping his unit out next week...and he's pretty tight with his money, FWITW. The good news for bidat owners is that the power supply innovation is now part of the upgrade for it, as well. |
Bigkidz,
I also don't mean to imply that the upgrading decision is an easy one. It's a hassle and money's money. I'm too nervous to ship my bitbox again. ;-) I only know that the new upgrade takes nothing away from the analog/musical glory of the original in my system. |
I have no answer to your conundrum, Bigkidz and what I'm about to write should not be construed as advice because I don't profess to know what's best for anyone.
For me, cost is always an issue. Does the improvement justify the trouble and the money involved? It's also one reason why I keep going back to the John Wright well. I've never paid for an upgrade (I've done three) that wasn't worth *more* than the time and cost I invested. I'm always a bit skeptical going in (i.e. what more could you do to make this better?) and so far I've always been blown away when the unit returns. I think the mods are successful because John listens to these units constantly. He helped create and refine the product. This is not his full-time job and he tends to understate the quality and impact of his work. In my conversations with him, he seems to be in pursuit of a "musical ideal" more than drumming up extra business. I trust his ears and while I wouldn't upgrade every year, I'll probably want whatever he calls a "breakthrough." I think the guy's a genius when it comes to DACS....and he's humble about it. |
Slothman,
I just did a direct and lengthy A/B with my just modded bitstream and a low S/N bitstream that belongs to a friend here in St. Louis. He *loves* his bitstream but is packing it up this weekend for the mods. You lose none of the analog flavor and musicality but you get a huge and cinematic soundstage and much better, deeper bass. The PRaT is also vastly improved. Personally, I consider Moray's digital cables, and I've used three versions, to be an essential part of the upgrade. I've directly a/b'd his digital to top-of-the-line offerings from Harmonic Tech and Kimber I have owned and it blows them away when used with the bitstream or bidat. The mods will be the best $500 you're ever likely to spend on audio; the modded bitstream is one of the world's great DACS and it's been run against units costing thousands more by me and many others. |
Slothman,
This *is* an opportune time. John's breakthrough has to do with the power supply and some new caps, but the swagger over these mods is not just hype by niche users or people who can't afford "better." The changes can be appreciated in every level of system. I own the new Thiel CS3.7's, which are HIGHLY revealing, but my other friends who own bitstreams have Magnepan's or two-way transducers as well as completely different wiring and amplification. When the front end source is right, everything else just sings. Plus, the price is just crazy for the increase in quality that is delivered. |
I'm sure John would never refer to them as "miracle mods" but they're enough a stride forward that I'm sending my Bidat in for the upgrade even though it was done in November of 09. As I understand it, the power upgrade discovery occured around January of 2010. There may have been other minor modifications during the year since your mods were done and I have no idea what they are. My bistream was completed in March of this year. |
You're welcome, Mike. Let us know if you get the upgrade and what you think of it. |
I use the Shunyta Python CX on both units and MJ's latest digital. I'm too poor to go up higher in the Shunyata line. Sigh. John has Moray's email or you can email me for it. I haven't found anything better than this combination with the Museatex gear..YMMV. Which Shunyata are you using with the Bidat? |
Mike,
Sweet system! Love the Mac gear. I've got Thiel CS3.7's, Conrad-Johnson Ct5 preamp, Classe Delta 2200 amp and a CEC transport working with the Bidat and Bitstream. |
D160,
Congrats. Again, please contact me if you ever see one for sale. |
Ditto. I think the Blackgates are special..but am eager to hear your impressions. The analaog stage of digital is as critical to outcome as the chips used, IMHO. |
