Burson 160 or Meier Concerto?

I don't own either, so I can't answer your question directly. However, if you haven't already, you may want to read the 6moons review of the Concerto as it makes comparisons to the HA-160.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/meier3/meier.html

My interpretation of the review is that the Concerto is the favorite.

In addition, Skylab has done an excellent review of the Concerto in which he indicates it and the T1 pair very well (as do other contributors to the thread).

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/471583/review-meier-audio-concerto-headphone-amp

From the reading I've done about the T1 (and I think I've read every T1 related thread), the general consensus appears to be the T1 pair better with tubes. Though there also a number of posts which suggest the T1 works well with good SS amps.

I came very close to going with the Concerto + T1 myself. All the comments about greater synergy with tubes vs. SS put me off in the end. I've since decided I'm not going to go with the T1 at all at the moment. It's too big an investement given I'm still very new to the hobby and don't have enough exposure to different heaphones and amps, etc. to know where my preferences lie. My current thinking is the HD 650 with the little dot IV and Matrix M-Stage. With those amps I can then sample a wider ranger of "middle-tier" headphones (i.e. the Senns, Grado, Beyer, AKG, etc.) and go from there.

I've heard both, and vastly prefer the Concerto. Probably buying it when bills stop coming in...

The Burson has no real pros for me. I find it difficult to hear real differences with amps on auditions (you need time with them) but the Burson was easily the brightest amp I've heard. Good if you like or need a bright sound, but I don't need any more top end added to my RS2.

The step volume is just awful on an amp this price; it's bricky, notchy, volume control between steps is too big, and you get channel cut out mid step. This alone would have been a delabreaker for me, even if the amp sounded the way I'd like it.

The Concerto I found, clear, warm and with some nice depth to the bass and mids, not something I've heard from any amp before. I also like the low and high gain switch, which gives excellent fine volume control on low impedance phones, and plenty of power on high gain for high impedance phones. This is nice, as I have phones at both ends of the spectrum.

I own the Concerto and have to say....   No matter what I plug into it they just sound fantastic.  Hands down one of my favorite amps. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icenine2 

BTW I'll be buying Beyer T-1's for this.  On a side note:  Those Woo amps are beauties.  I haven't even looked at tubes in years but those are sweet.

A great pairing (Concerto with the T1s):

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/471583/review-meier-audio-concerto-headphone-amp/420#post_6879328

Burson: stepped attunator, high and low z headphone jack, slightly warmer sound.

Concerto: relay-based volume control, gain switch, crossfeed, very low noise levels

This is based on my own store audition.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ypoknons 

Burson: stepped attunator, high and low z headphone jack, slightly warmer sound.

Concerto: relay-based volume control, gain switch, crossfeed, very low noise levels

 

This is based on my own store audition.

so which do u prefer and which ahas more power?

Originally Posted by spartan123 

I own the Concerto and have to say....   No matter what I plug into it they just sound fantastic.

you could upgrade its AD797ANZ opamps to AD797BN, and be amazed by the SQ improvement. The audible diff is pretty big: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f6/audio-gd-discrete-op-amps-reviewed-OPA-earth-OPA-moon-OPA-sun-v-2-a-397691/

I have never auditioned the Meier.  But the Burson HA-160 suits my AKG K701 perfectly.  It's almost LP like which is so rare in today's digital gears and the sound is relaxed but not slow! It just flows so freely. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drubbing 

 

The Burson has no real pros for me. I find it difficult to hear real differences with amps on auditions (you need time with them) but the Burson was easily the brightest amp I've heard. Good if you like or need a bright sound, but I don't need any more top end added to my RS2.

 

The step volume is just awful on an amp this price; it's bricky, notchy, volume control between steps is too big, and you get channel cut out mid step. This alone would have been a delabreaker for me, even if the amp sounded the way I'd like it.

 

 

Being a RS2i owner I could appreciate your comment. May I ask though, the issues you found are apparant even with the low level output of the Burson ?
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greeni 

Being a RS2i owner I could appreciate your comment. May I ask though, the issues you found are apparant even with the low level output of the Burson ?

 

Not sure what you mean. I found it too Bright all round.

Hi Drubbing

Sorry I do not convery what I meant properly, English not my mother tongue.

As I understand it, the Burson amp has two output jacks, one of which has a lower output level.

I read somewhere else that Grado RS1 do not work well with the jack with higher output level, but works fine with the jack with lower level.

The RS1 and RS2 should present largely similar load characteristics to an amp.

I just wonder if the issues you found with brightness and step volume presist even with the low level output jack ?