Burson Cable + PRO RCA to RCA version.
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Cable + Pro Review

Gear used for review:

Steinberg MR816x > Schiit Gungnir Multibit > Eddie Current Aficionado > Focal Utopia / ZMF Auteur

The packaging on the Cable + Pro is tastefully minimalistic. You can tell that Burson's focus is on audio and not wowing you with fancy cases and expensive materials. I was provided the R2R version, which is RCA to RCA. They also include a power adapter and micro USB cable to power the active module.

The first thing I noted when listening to the Burson Audio Cable + Pro was the increase in gain compared to my other cables. The Cable + Pro has a an active buffer discrete op amp that is powered by a micro USB connector, common on a many electronics. This added 6dB of gain in my system. It wasn't easy to do quick A/B testing and I've found that that is usually a poor way to hear the differences between two components. Instead, I spent one day with the Burson Cable + Pro cables and then another day with cables I wished to compare. I ended up comparing 3 cables. The Cable + Pro, BlueJeansCables LC-1, and Pangea Audio Premier RCA cables.

I found the Cable + Pro to have a slight mid and lower treble focus compared to other cables. I don't want to say that the extension on either ends was less, just that there was a slight emphasis to the mid range and vocal region. This made music very easy to listen to and any harshness was eliminated. In my system, I prefer the Blue Jeans LC-1 as it's a little more balanced. Pangea Audio Premier is noticeably tighter in the bass and has more high frequency extension.

In terms of sound staging, the Cable + Pro seemed to have the best layering so sounds were well separated from front to back. LC-1 was the second best, a little more balanced between width and depth. Pangea cables push the whole stage away from you, which is useful when wearing headphones but they can also add a touch too much air and treble.

Differences in cables are small and are much more subtle compared to amps or even potentially tubes depending on the amp's design. Don't take these statements as absolutes, instead use them as reference points to tweak your system if it's too bright, dark, or doesn't have the extension you want.

Here is a comparison of the Cable + Pro vs the Pangea/LC-1 cables volume difference at the same potentiometer setting:



You can see the ~6dB difference between the two cables. I didn't have a problem with the volume increase but you could have problems with amps that have high gain settings if you listen at low volumes as you might get pot imbalance.

I also wanted to see if the higher gain would affect distortion at high listening levels. Both of these measurements were taken at 100dB SPL which is very loud. Normal distortion levels are excellent.

Cable + Pro distortion at 100dB SPL:



Pangea distortion at 100dB SPL:



I think the biggest benefit besides the impedance matching the active buffer provides is the gain increase for a low powered source like an ipod or phone aux output.