BAD8 FAQs

Are the BAD4 and the BAD8 the same circuit?

No the BAD8 has a modern ADC chip and a slightly modified analog section.

Why did you change the ADC chip?  Why didn’t you just double the BAD4?

Though the BAD4 is a proven solution that was loved by many, it has a high latency compared with modern ADC chips. The BAD4 ADC has a latency of 66 samples, which is approximately 1.5ms at 48kHz, 0.75ms at 96kHz. With the emergence of audio-over-Ethernet, and the use of hardware inserts, latency has become more of an issue. It makes sense at this time to reduce the latency in the ADC chip.  Though we are still doing final measurements, we can say that the latency of the BAD8 is less than 25% of that of the BAD4.

Will the BAD4 still be available?

The BAD4 has been discontinued, but we do offer the BAD4M and B4 daughter cards.

Does the BAD8 sound even better than the BAD4?

We all know that in the end, which piece of gear has better sound is a very subjective subject. We can say that we believe that in some ways the BAD8 might have a little more detail. The sound is very similar to the BAD4 in that both use the BX1 transformer and pretty much the exact same analog circuit path.  We made some minor tweaks to the analog section to best compliment the new ADC chip. The BAD4 has gone through rigorous AB testing over the last 6 years.  The BAD8 will be subject to the same testing.

Can the BAD4 and BAD8 exist in the same chassis?

Yes, but if your Mothership was purchased before the BAD8 was available, you will need a new Motherboard to get all 8 channels of the BAD8 to work in each slot. Also, there will be a jumper on the BAD8 that you can set so that the latencies match. This will increase the delay of the BAD8 so that it matches that of the BAD4.

Can I trade in my BAD4s for BAD8s?

No, your BAD4s already ROCK!