Supreme Sound (Burson) Audio Lycan Review
Introduction:
Let me start by stating that this is my second review of an audio product. I am an audio enthusiast, being that I spend tons of money on decent audio gear. I can tell what sounds good to me, and that generally falls in line with the general consensus amongst fellow audio enthusiasts. So take from this what you can, especially with my lack of audio vocab.
Equipment wise, I own/have owned HT Omega Claro Halo, K702, HD650, K550, Beats Studio, SE535 Reshelled (CIEM), Xiaomi Piston 2, TTPOD T1-E, Xuelin ihifi960, Blox BE03, Brainwavz S5, Bravo Audio Ocean, PreSonus HP4, Racoon SG-300. So I get a good sense of what I can get in terms of sound quality for the extra cost. My favourite combination is Foobar with ASIO playback to HT Omega to my K702. Source is very important, and most of my music is in FLAC.
Methodology:
The source for this review will be my Xuelin DAP (ihifi960); it features National Semiconductor LME49990 for low-pass filtering, Dual Wolfson WM8740 DACs, ad8397ardz rail-to-rail Amplifier. For this review, I will only be using the Line-OUT. The only time the amp will be in the equation is if I comment on the Xuelin DAP as a whole. Source files will be in FLAC format. All sources are powered from the wall, no surge protector used.
The main "guest of honour" headphone amp will be the newly released, (~$249-$299USD) Lycan. It is a solid state Class A amp. It will be reviewed with the OPAMP supplied to me by SSAudio (JRC5532D), Burr Brown OPA2134PA, and 2x OPA-V5-S (Same sound as 1 OPA-V5-D. It will undergo 50 hours of burn in with the JRC5532D and 100 hours with OPA-V5-S. The OPA2134PA already has hundreds of hours of burn in, not that I have been able to notice any burn in audio changes in OPAMPs. It will be warmed up 15 mins prior to listening
It will be reviewed against:
(~$120USD) Bravo Audio Ocean which is a hybrid tube Class A amp. The only mod so far is the tube. I'm using a ($20USD) Sylvania JAN CHS 12AU7, instead of the stock Chinese tube. I will eventually upgrade the mosfet, caps, and a PSVANE tube. It will be warmed up 15 mins prior to listening
(~1500USD) Anthem Integrated 225 which features a Class A headphone OUT. To be fair, the price includes components that the previous 2 dedicated headphone amps do not include (phono preamp, 225W of speaker output power). It will be warmed up 15 mins prior to listening
Lastly, the amp that is included in the (~$360) ihifi960 DAP
I will be listening to these headphone amps through the Sennheiser HD650, and Unique Melody reshelled SE535. The high impedance headphone and low impedance multi balanced armature CIEM will give us an idea on the versatility and synergy with these amps. I for one am curious to find out.
Due to the many combinations to test, I will limit the song selection to 3 songs.
Amaranthe - Amaranthine
Beautiful and pure vocals from Elize Ryd, in vocal harmony with male vocal Jake Lundberg, and "death growls" from Henrik Englund. This song is very satisfying to my ears, and her high notes are just so powerful and controlled; it is simply epic.
The National - Runaway
The way this band combines relatively simple melody and soothing vocals is just unmatched. The instrument placements is just so involving. Matt Berninger's voice is so full of emotion, it takes me out of where I am, and puts me in a moment of pure musical heaven.
Muse - Hysteria
A very energetic song with a lot of things going on. It has very fast notes from the guitar and bass guitar, with equally exciting drums. I have always found the vocals to perfectly suit the song, however, it is the instrumentals that really make this song. However after careful listening, I find that this track is a lot harder to get just right with these audio gears.
Supreme Sound (Burson) Audio Lycan Headphone Amp / Preamp / Op-Amp Test Bench
OPA2145PA
HD650
Amaranthe - Amaranthine
Synthesized notes are light and not in the way. The vocals are very smooth except for the very high notes which comes off a bit harsh. High hats and drum notes are not well defined. The Guitar solo sounded bland and not passionate. By the end, the highs just got too in your face sharp.
The National - Runaway
The bass was very strong, but lots of static/interference just ruined the listening experience. The background notes are well presented.
Muse - Hysteria
Bass guitar sounded very muddy. The guitar sounds recessed; and just doesn't sound like a lossless track. Very center/narrow soundstage. During the solo, the little side notes sounded awkward (didn't belong there)
UM SE535
Amaranthe - Amaranthine
Synthesized notes are light, but too light. The vocals are lacking in naturalness. The muddy bass notes and sharp highs made the song not enjoyable at all. It gets a bit better for guitar solo when the layers of notes are not present.
The National - Runaway
Both the bass and highs are too lazy. Notes carry some character, while the soundstage is too small. I can't pick up the obvious emotions in the vocals.
Muse - Hysteria
There is a lot of bass and sub bass, while still being a little muddy, drums and bass becomes background noise, all notes lack realism, more resolution than hd650 but not musical
JRC5532D
Terrible static during warmup
HD650
Amaranthe - Amaranthine
Vocals are rich, but doesn't have that extra ethereal extension that the OPA-V5 has. Harmony doesn't have the richness/cohesion.
The National - Runaway
Tight bass, good vocal presentation, everything sounds very balanced
Muse - Hysteria
Nothing bad, just lackluster.
UM SE535
Lots of loud popping when I turn my head. loud shrieking during startup. Little squiggling interference noise
Amaranthe - Amaranthine
Very pure and strong vocals, synthesized notes have character, piano/harp audible, percussion is very well detailed, bass is quick, highs not very high reaching
The National - Runaway
Very light and real bass drum, strings are very real and quick, voice is very strong and great dynamic, horns have great background clarity
Muse - Hysteria
Bass is light and accurate; soundstage is more forward and 3d, guitar solo enjoyable with side noises not distracting
OPA-V5-S (x2)
HD650
Amaranthe - Amaranthine
Highs have been rounded and smoothed out, a little shy of perfection. Everything sounds better, which makes this combo enjoyable, being that the mids are fuller, and the bass a little bit stronger.
The National - Runaway
The string notes are very strong and clear. Vocals are very natural. Everything sounds very forward, and you are put right in the middle of the soundstage. The music sounds more involving, and a little less like a spectator. The different soundstage presentation is neither good nor bad, it is just different.
Muse - Hysteria
Bass is not very strong; the bass guitar is accurate and musical. Vocals are a little harsh. Guitar solo sound more natural. Overall, the sound is better than the OPA2134PA in every way, but doesn't sound as full and as dynamic as it can be.
UM SE535
Amaranthe - Amaranthine
The voice almost has a transcendent echo, clear and sweet linger, very strong and satisfying bass, brings the male vocal to almost same level as female, very high reaching highs without sharp. Better recognition of harmony
The National - Runaway
Best sub bass, very clean strings and voice, voice is very real, immediate like in the same room
Muse - Hysteria
Bass is stronger, bass guitar is accurate and fast, percussion overall has much cleaner sound, right side guitar is not as intrusive, voice is a little bit smoother, guitar solo is very clear, highs sounds better, side noise was a bit sharp
Bravo Audio Ocean
HD650
Amaranthe - Amaranthine
The highs are a little harsh. The lows are powerful and tight, but do not provide much sub bass. Sound reminds me of the HT Omega and K702 Combo, I normally find the HD650 lazy and not much detail. The Bravo Audio Ocean definitely gives it enough oomph to sound alive.
The National - Runaway
The vocals are very clear and filled with passion. This combo makes this track highly musical and enjoyable.
Muse - Hysteria
Very fast and energetic playback, with good detail retrieval. Kick drum sounds very real, though not very strong. Vocals really shine in this setup, more than the Lycan. The guitar solo was very musical and all the notes blended well.
UM SE535
Amaranthe - Amaranthine
Highs are clear by itself, but when combined with rest of music, it doesn't shine. Gets a bit muffled, the bass does not extend very low, and not very tight.
The National - Runaway
Vocals are clear and emotional; instruments are well placed in the soundstage with their own characteristics. It is very musical. Soundstage is a bit more defined than HD650 The bass is very powerful and has good control
Muse - Hysteria
Doesn't sound very dynamic, with good instrument separation. Overall, just doesn't sound very good. Not very clear
Anthem Integrated 225
HD650
Amaranthe - Amaranthine
The synthesized notes in the intro are very delicate and clear. The vocals sound very natural and the whole song is well paced (PRaT). The piano flows in and out of the song with grace. The bass is controlled, and the guitar sounds very natural. The highs are very smooth. There is just not a single negative thing I can say about this playback.
The National - Runaway
I have not heard this song better than this set up. The vocals are so rich and full of emotions, I was simply awestruck. There were just waves of emotions following the vocals and the trumpet. The soundstage is very open while also being intimate. The sound is so musical and embracing; I have not heard a more natural and analog playback of this song. My wish list will now include The National – High Violet on vinyl to see if that can take it up another notch, even though I would be perfectly happy with this setup.
Muse – Hysteria
The intro bass guitar is very musical with good tempo. The vocals are not overpowering. The bass is light. The guitar solo is clear with very natural side guitar noises. It is much more integrated and noticeable in this set up.
UM SE535
Amaranthe - Amaranthine
The sound is very neutral. The bass is not very strong. The track is very detailed, but overall dull.
The National – Runaway
The bass extends low, and is very full. The vocals are lush. The tempo feels a bit slow. The highs are detailed. It sounds good, but not great.
Muse – Hysteria
The tempo is fast, with clear bass guitar. The melody is very involving. The bass is strong.
Xuelin Ihifi960 Amp ad8397ardz
HD650
Amaranthe - Amaranthine
The voice has the same sweet linger similar to the Lycan. Highs have great extension and very smooth. The bass is tight and powerful. The percussion has great realism. I cannot find any flaws.
The National - Runaway
Vocals are strong and filled with emotions. The string instruments are very natural. It has powerful bass that blends right into the music. It's so beautiful, just awestruck
Muse - Hysteria
Lively musical playpack, with very clean highs and pure mid range. The vocals and guitar are very center stage(intimate). Melody really carries with this combo with very involving presentation
UM SE535
Amaranthe - Amaranthine
The sound is very clear, with tight and punchy bass. Guitar and vocal entrance was perfectly balanced. Great soundstage and component balance.
The National - Runaway
Tight bass with great sub bass, very detailed vocals. Instrument placement and entrance in soundstage is very gentle and satisfying.
Muse - Hysteria
Very clean bass guitar entrance. Not that musical, voice is bland, Highs are very smooth.
MISC Observations:
For some reason the IC OPAMPs have some static/interference during certain songs/notes. Warming up the device helps quite a bit, but still doesn't make the use practical or enjoyable. The UM SE535 really suffers here due to loud pops. It also makes these noises much more frequently as I move the CIEMs around. Just tapping on the enclosure will cause the other unit to exhibit these symptoms. Maybe someone can enlighten me one this. For all I know it could be user error. I tried to use the K702. Changed the source to HT Omega sound card; nothing fully solved this issue.
Lycan OPAMPs Impressions
OPA2134PA
Overall is just terrible when compared to the OPA-V5-S. The highs are often too harsh. The lows are powerful but lazy or muddy. The midrange is fine. It also lacked details when compared to the OPA-V5-S.
JRC5532D
JRC5532D proved itself to sound much better than OPA2134PA. It has smoother highs, more controlled bass, and greater midrange purity. The major fault in this OPAMP for me is that it needs a long warm up period before most of the static/interference noises disappear. It is a very frustrating OPAMP to use with my CIEM. The weird noises and loud pops completely ruin any listening experience. This may be my specific OPAMP. I tried to change the source and source cable, which did not remove the interference. On my In comparison to the OPA-V5-S, it does have plenty of room for improvement.
OPA-V5-S
Very similar to my experience with the Supreme Sound V5s in my HT Omega Claro Halo card, it proved itself beyond a doubt the best OPAMP/upgrade in the system. It opens up the soundstage a little more, while providing greater detail. This creates a very musical atmosphere. The naturalness of the vocals along with the presence of the instruments makes the system sound analog. I think that is a very high praise for the V5s; and that is what I observed when comparing to the previous 2 IC OPAMPs. It compares worlds beyond the IC OPAMPs, and I cannot imagine anyone picking those 2 over the V5s. I guess the real test is with other headphone amps I included in this review.
Bravo Audio Ocean Impressions and Comparison with SS Audio Lycan (OPA-V5)
The Ocean is a high gain amp like the Lycan, so plenty of power to drive the HD650, and almost too powerful for the UM SE535. There is pretty much no way I'm turning the knob beyond 9 O'clock. When paired with the HD650, I was quite impressed. There was good detail retrieval, though not as good as the Lycan. There were clear and extended highs, which came off a tiny bit edgy where the Lycan was just buttery smooth. The bass was tight and controlled like the Lycan. I did notice that the bass was lacking in bottom extension, though the overall presentation and synergy with the HD650 was very good. I am excited to see what new PSVANE tube, cap mods and mosfet mods will do to improve the sound of this amp. As I mentioned above, this combo is highly musical and enjoyable, and gives the HD650 a lot of energy.
Somehow when paired with the UM SE535, the sound quality is hit or miss. It lacked enjoyable highs and bass in Amaranthine and Hysteria, while sounding pretty great at Runaway. I don't believe this difference is due to the analytical nature defining the quality of the recording. I do not observe this trend anywhere else. I can only assume with no proof that the Ocean at this level of gain output does not provide the best balanced sound. Runaway might not have been as dynamic of a track to suffer from this phenomenon.
Many people on the internet who are first getting into tubes really enjoy tinkering or simply listening to the Bravo Audio line of hybrid tube amps, and commented on the decent quality and pairing with the HD650. I fully agree. It is a very fun amp, with obvious deficiencies. The sound is definitely not neutral, a bit on the warm side, which I like with the HD650. The negatives would be the lack of pleasurable audio pairing with low impedance devices, and top and low end power and extension. I hope that my mods will make this amp a constant on my desk. Right now it is generally stored in a box until I want to audition it or mod it. The Lycan on the other hand found itself a permanent spot on my desk. Which desk, I haven't decided yet. It is just a great all-rounder.
Anthem 225 Impressions and Comparison with SS Audio Lycan (OPA-V5)
The Anthem is a phenomenal integrated amp. It has finally brought out the details in my record player, and given the utmost realism to my speakers. I cannot be happier with this setup and thankful for Parts Connexion for selling one at a reasonable price. That aside, I have heard that the headphone amp on this unit is not an afterthought. It has good internals to be a great headphone amp. My first impressions on the HD650 are very positive. It makes all 3 songs exceptional to listen to. It breathes life into each song and elevates the listening experience. In terms of Runaway, there is not competition which amp is the best; the Anthem blows anything else I have out of the water when paired with the HD650. On the other two songs, the Lycan is able to be a competitor. Though a competitor, I do believe the Anthem is better when pair with the HD650. The Lycan does everything very well, however; it does not provide the same level of depth in the playback, and the same level of lushness.
You will notice above that I did not write a whole lot for Anthem and UM SE535. What I noticed was that the Anthem did a good enough job to make the songs enjoyable. But there were obvious deficiencies in bass impact, and the depth that it brought out of the HD650. When compared to the Lycan, the Lycan did a much better job at creating that bass impact and depth. With the Lycan, the sound was more natural, with better dynamics.
Xuelin Ihifi960 Built-in Amp (ad8397ardz) Impressions and Comparison with the SS Audio Lycan (OPA-V5)
Xuelin makes a wonderful DAP that is relatively affordable and sound fantastic. I don’t know if the fact that it uses a 3 cell lithium battery (11.1V) makes a true difference or not, but I have a feeling it does. Most other players use 1 cell, so it can be powered by an USB connection. It sure makes it easier and more user-friendly, instead of a 12V bullet connector. The only downside may be the limited UI, and 32GB limited microSD expansion slot. Rockbox is available but not without some sacrifices.
To the sound! This is DAC and Amp combo is just superb. The highs are perfect, with lush vocals. The bass is powerful and controller. The atmosphere is so natural/transparent with great presence. It sounds very good with both the HD650 and UM SE535. Somehow Hysteria didn’t come out as well when paired with the UM SE535; it’s just not the same level of depth and lushness that the other songs exhibited. Overall, the Xuelin amp performed very well just like the Lycan. With Amaranthine and Runaway, both systems performed near flawless with both the HD650 and UM SE535. Hysteria sounded better with different combinations. When Lycan and UM SE535 or Xuelin Amp and HD650 are paired, it sounds great, but not when Lycan and HD650 or Xuelin Amp and UM SE535 are paired. In this regard it seems like the Lycan is on par with the built in Amp in my DAP.
Of course each unit has its advantages and disadvantages. The easiest to point out is that the built in amp is portable; and the Lycan has swappable OPAMPs for endless audiophile tinkering fun. I would not have had so much fun if I had to shut my computer off every few minutes, and disassemble the sound card to roll OPAMPs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Lycan is a beautifully constructed headphone amp with more power than what I know to do with, and competes at a high level of audio fidelity. In the few units that I have tested, it has bested the Bravo Audio Ocean, and matched quality with my Xuelin Ihifi960 internal Amp. During my short comparison with my HT Omega Claro Halo sound card with OPA-V5s in them; the Lycan sounds very similar to my sound card’s headphone amp. In my test setup, nothing sounded better than the Anthem paired with the HD650, but the Lycan was close. The Lycan actually did better than the Anthem when paired with the UM SE535. In a way, in this setup, you can say the Lycan is the Jack-of-all-Trades, but master-of-none. But I find that to be an insult to the Lycan.
When based on value, the $300 Lycan, beats out the $140 Ocean. Other comparisons will be apples to oranges. My $200 sound card performs very similar amp quality, so does my $360 DAP. My $1500 integrated amp generally did a better job. The beauty is that everything shines in its own way. None of those amps failed the test or my expectations in any way. So am I trying to persuade you to buy a Lycan? Sort of… As an OPAMP rolling test bench… Definitely. Nothing is easier, and the audible differences are not hidden by other components. What I am really happy about are the OPA-V5s, and I would want anyone who has the opportunity to roll OPAMPs to try them.
Unfortunately, I realize that my conclusion is not very conclusive in terms of someone wanting to use the Lycan as a dedicated amp. I have read that many people are impressed by the Lycan, and so am I. I just don’t have any input on how it stacks up against the likes of Burson Soloist or Schiit Asgard 2. I will say that this is an amp that I will be keeping and using for many years to come. I love how it looks, and I love how it performs.
