Finally took the Bryston 4B Cubed plunge

jafant,
Everytime you come into the the conversation I smile. It's a real pleasure reading what you have to say and the way you say it. On a different note (pun intended), what about the ModWright upgrade on an 8005 SACD player? You mentioned this earlier and I shared the same thoughts for months before I pulled the proverbial trigger on BCD-3 player. I don't own many SACDs (they're all hybrids) and the platform seems to be dying. ModWright boasts about SACD playback improvement more than Redbook CD, so I made the choice that I did.

Thank You for the kind words - professorsvsu.I consider myself fortunate as I grew up with music in my parent's home.In fact, I cannot remember a time when a stereo was not in my family's home. It was entertainment back in those days, long before cable tv and the internet.  I bought my 1st stereo in 1988 although mid-fi in nature. In 2000, I stepped up into entry level hi-fi with Rotel, B&W gear. Around 2011-12 I re-discovered my musical gear passion and began the next Audio journey via traveling for my work until 2015. During those critical years I visited several excellent dealers/retailers who helped narrow down my short-list.Reading the audio press is the flipside of this coin. I read Stereo Review and Audio Magazine from the late 80's until publication ceased.I picked up and subscribed to Stereophile and The Absolute Sound starting in 1993 to present date. I picked up and subscribed to HiFi+ and HiFi News & Record Review starting in 2011 to present date.  For web-based reading, check out dailyaudiophile.comStill, the best way to progress and grow is auditioning the Gear. I do not have the good fortune of several dealers/retailers in my immediate area.I must travel to Atlanta, Nashville or New Orleans.Now, to address the Marantz 8005 mod- it is still fairly new and not many audiophiles own this spinner. SACD is in production more so in Japan than the U.S.A. Reissues are hot as well as new releases for Classical themed music. For Jazz, Pop and Rock titles, eBay / Amazon offers thousands of used discs going all of the way back to initial pressings in 1997.
Yes, you made a wise and excellent choice purchasing the BCD-3. Bryston has made a promise and commitment to the owners that stock parts and service will be available for many years to come. Digital is far from a dead format both player and dac offerings.Happy Listening!

When I bought my Bryston preamp and amp 8 years ago, I really wanted a different preamp. A used ARC Ref 5, but the one I had available got missed (local) Anyway I wanted the amp, and bought the preamp kind of not caring. But I have to say the Bryston has shown me it has more every time I upgrade. (The latest speakers and DAC show me the Bryston just have more than meets the eye.)Just saying Bryston in general can be surprisingly good when they get top notch mates.

elizabeth and jafant,
If you ever make your way to northern Michigan, let it be known. I'm buying dinner and drinks.

Glad to hear that your Bryston experience is as positive as mine was. Did I mention that they are bullet-proof? While shifting the 4B ST, I accidentally touched the output posts to a slab of aluminum chassis - basically, using it as an arc welder. It shut down immediately, and came back to life some minutes later, none the worse for wear. What build quality!