Above each button is an LED that lights up to indicate that that source has been selected.
Upsampling is available with AES/EBU and all S/PDIF inputs, but not with the USB or streaming inputs. At far right is a standby/on switch, and to its left are ten pushbuttons for selecting sources, and an 11th for selecting the upsampling function.
The BDA-3.14’s front panel looks almost identical to the BDA-3’s. (Both models are also available with 19”W faceplates.) Build quality is typical Bryston - exemplary - with an aluminum case and a beautiful, tastefully understated faceplate of anodized aluminum available in black or silver. Weighing 8.45 pounds and measuring 17”W x 3.4”H x 12”D, the BDA-3.14 has the same outer dimensions as the BDA-3. Of course, you can also use the BDA-3.14 with a power amp and conventional passive speakers, and use it as a preamp and digital source - or bypass its volume control and connect it to a preamp or integrated amp and use it as a DAC. Connect it to a set of active speakers ( e.g., my own Elac Navis ARF-51s, $4599.96/pair), and you have a complete high-performance digital music system. That combination of features makes the BDA-3.14 ideal for Simplifi’d hi-fi. The BDA-3.14’s digital volume control lets it be used as a preamp. Roon Ready, it can act as a Roon endpoint and its AirPlay emulator allows it to accept CD-resolution streams from i-devices, Macs, and iTunes libraries on Windows PCs. Like the BDP-Pi, it has an Ethernet port, USB Type-A ports for connecting external drives, and built-in clients for the Qobuz and Tidal streaming services. Like the BDA-3, the BDA-3.14 has a full range of digital inputs, plus balanced and single-ended analog outputs. Hence the model number of the new integrated product - 3.14 is an approximation of the mathematical constant pi (π), denoting the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. The BDP-Pi derives its name from the Raspberry Pi single-board computer at its core. Essentially, it combines two products on one chassis: the acclaimed BDA-3 DAC ($3795) and a network streamer based on the BDP-Pi ($1495).
Can an audio component be more than the sum of its parts? Bryston’s new BDA-3.14 streaming DAC-preamp ($4195, all prices USD) invites that question.
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