Battle of Burson Op-Amps
Burson is an Australian brand that took the world by storm with its revolutionary flagship 'Conductor' line of DAC/AMP products back in 2019. They revolutionized power supply technology with their proprietary Max Current Power Supply (MCPS). This was a game-changer for audio equipment. Now Burson offers a lot more DAC/AMP and other sound equipment, such as Soloist, Playmate, Supercharger 3A/5A, etc.
I have been trying to post this review for quite some time because I wanted to have a comparison of their various op-amps. I have been using the V5i-D (I was so impressed the first time I used them in my little bear that I have V5i-Ds on all my supported portable setups) and V5 Discrete Op-Amps (for giving a desktop-like feel to my portable setups) for the past few years, and I would like to thank Burson India for sending me their latest V6 Vivid Op-Amp for the comparison.
In terms of design, the V-5i series are partial discrete Op-amps and come in both singular and dual supply architecture, whereas the V5/V6_vivid are fully discrete Op-amps, i.e., they permit the use of high-quality compensation capacitors, and allow for two pole compensation schemes that are impossible to implement in IC designs and are designed to serve in desktop setups.
For the following review, I have decided to use these op-amps on different kinds of devices. To properly understand the impact of the OpAmp rolling, I chose each device with different characteristics from the others. Depending on the architecture of the device, the op-amps have been tested in both singular and paired modes. I have used the following portable devices for this review: Xduoo-XD05, Little Bear B4 and Little Bear B4x, and Zishan DSD. Some devices such as Burson Playmate2 require more than one op-amp whereas devices such as Xduoo xd05 use a single op-amp. Also, the architecture changes depending on Single Supply, using the wrong op-amp or not caring about the actual pin structure can lead to damage to your device as well as the op-amps.
Little Bear B4x and B4-
As soon as I switched from the stock op-amps on all these devices, there was a huge difference in terms of performance, quality, and tonality. Moving to V5i-D from the stock op-amp, there was a noticeable increase in all the parameters; the overall sound became more engaging, more detailed, and more textured. The soundstage was enhanced, and the dynamics became far richer and more exciting. The upgrade also improved the overall performance in terms of output power. Using V5i-D on the Xduoo-XD05 gave me the best synergy I had with my DT880-250 ohm on any portable setup I had so far, as per my taste.
Again, switching from V5i-D to full discrete op-amps like V5 discrete or V6 vivid made a huge difference. With portables, although they took a hit on battery life and the portability of the setup, I now had to either modify the casing or use them as non-portable equipment. The difference in quality and performance was such that it immediately gave the imitation that I had moved to an actual desktop setup with amazing power and overall sound quality. The texture became even richer with the increase in transparency and details. The sound became more intimate and enjoyable. In terms of staging, there was also a minor change, with much-improved imaging and micro details.
Now if we compare the V5 discrete and the V6 vivid, there is a slightly less noticeable difference as compared to the above comparisons. The V6 vivid outperforms the V5 discrete by a narrow margin. It is slightly more transparent and does enhance the soundstage. Overall, it feels slightly more enjoyable and punchy. Other than that, there isn't much of a difference to notice, but if we have to pick a winner, the V6 Vivid is unquestionably the king of Burson op-amps.
I would highly recommend upgrading the stock op-amp of any portable device with the Burson V5i series and the V5/V6 series for desktop setups. I felt they were better than other op-amps I have tested, such as the NE5532 (slightly mid-centric) and the LM4562 (more balanced sound), for overall performance, aesthetics, and sound quality as per my taste, and the best part is they come with a lifetime warranty.
I have been trying to post this review for quite some time because I wanted to have a comparison of their various op-amps. I have been using the V5i-D (I was so impressed the first time I used them in my little bear that I have V5i-Ds on all my supported portable setups) and V5 Discrete Op-Amps (for giving a desktop-like feel to my portable setups) for the past few years, and I would like to thank Burson India for sending me their latest V6 Vivid Op-Amp for the comparison.
In terms of design, the V-5i series are partial discrete Op-amps and come in both singular and dual supply architecture, whereas the V5/V6_vivid are fully discrete Op-amps, i.e., they permit the use of high-quality compensation capacitors, and allow for two pole compensation schemes that are impossible to implement in IC designs and are designed to serve in desktop setups.
For the following review, I have decided to use these op-amps on different kinds of devices. To properly understand the impact of the OpAmp rolling, I chose each device with different characteristics from the others. Depending on the architecture of the device, the op-amps have been tested in both singular and paired modes. I have used the following portable devices for this review: Xduoo-XD05, Little Bear B4 and Little Bear B4x, and Zishan DSD. Some devices such as Burson Playmate2 require more than one op-amp whereas devices such as Xduoo xd05 use a single op-amp. Also, the architecture changes depending on Single Supply, using the wrong op-amp or not caring about the actual pin structure can lead to damage to your device as well as the op-amps.
Burson Playmate2 -
As soon as I switched from the stock op-amps on all these devices, there was a huge difference in terms of performance, quality, and tonality. Moving to V5i-D from the stock op-amp, there was a noticeable increase in all the parameters; the overall sound became more engaging, more detailed, and more textured. The soundstage was enhanced, and the dynamics became far richer and more exciting. The upgrade also improved the overall performance in terms of output power. Using V5i-D on the Xduoo-XD05 gave me the best synergy I had with my DT880-250 ohm on any portable setup I had so far, as per my taste.
Again, switching from V5i-D to full discrete op-amps like V5 discrete or V6 vivid made a huge difference. With portables, although they took a hit on battery life and the portability of the setup, I now had to either modify the casing or use them as non-portable equipment. The difference in quality and performance was such that it immediately gave the imitation that I had moved to an actual desktop setup with amazing power and overall sound quality. The texture became even richer with the increase in transparency and details. The sound became more intimate and enjoyable. In terms of staging, there was also a minor change, with much-improved imaging and micro details.
Now if we compare the V5 discrete and the V6 vivid, there is a slightly less noticeable difference as compared to the above comparisons. The V6 vivid outperforms the V5 discrete by a narrow margin. It is slightly more transparent and does enhance the soundstage. Overall, it feels slightly more enjoyable and punchy. Other than that, there isn't much of a difference to notice, but if we have to pick a winner, the V6 Vivid is unquestionably the king of Burson op-amps.
I would highly recommend upgrading the stock op-amp of any portable device with the Burson V5i series and the V5/V6 series for desktop setups. I felt they were better than other op-amps I have tested, such as the NE5532 (slightly mid-centric) and the LM4562 (more balanced sound), for overall performance, aesthetics, and sound quality as per my taste, and the best part is they come with a lifetime warranty.
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