Before i start my review of the Burson Audio V6 Vivid Opamp, i would like to say thank you to Burson Audio for giving me the chance to test the V6 discrete opamp in exchange for nothing but my honest opinion, which is represented by this review.
When the unit arrived...
The V6 arrived in a little padded plastic box. Its nothing too special, but i think its important to mention that the V6 arrived without any damages.
As soon as the V6 arrived, i installed it in my little dot. The V6 is pretty big, just like the V5. Lucky for me that i tested the V5 before and that i have soldered my own extension cord for the Burson Audio opamps before i conducted the V5 testings. So i also used my self made extension cord for the V6s testing sessions (as seen in the picture below).
When installing the V6 i noticed that it is just as sturdy built as the V5, which will surely impact its lifespan positively.
The Testing:
I tested the V6 by listening to Punk Rock, Alternative Rock, Classis Rock and Heavy Metal aswell as by playing Video Games like Overwatch and by watching movies.
The Gear i used for the Testing:
PC -> Tascam us-1x2 -> little dot 1+ -> analog audio attenuator made by fostex (only used to keep the noise level down) -> Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm
For testing the V6 i used the Yugoslavian 6HM5 tubes in my little dot amp.
Some general things i noticed:
When listening to mainly acoustic songs (like Swing Life Away by Rise Against) everything sounded very natural and quite warm. The representation of the Vocals is quite realistic and it is possible to hear quite a lot of details very clearly.
Comparison to other opamps (LM4562na, Burson Audio V5):
Compared to the LM4562na the V6 is a really nice improvement. The bass is punchier and better controlled, whilst the mids sound more realistic (especially vocals). The Treble department seems to be filled with more details and more sparkle in general. The biggest improvement was done to the Soundstage. Width as well as depth have increased, which is especially audible when playing games with very nice audio (like Overwatch) or when listening to songs which are wonderfully mastered (just like "Where is my mind" by the Pixies).
The difference between the LM4562na and the Burson Audio V6 is quite audible, and the V6 surely is an improvement.
Compared to the V5 the V6 was not the biggest upgrade. The sound of the V6 seems to be a little teeny tiny bit warmer and punchier than the sound of the V5. Also the soundstage provided by the V6 seems to be a little bit more spatial. Basically there is no big, or no, difference here.
Conclusion:
I am quite sceptical when it comes to opamp rolling, but the V6 (just as the V5 did before) once again showed me that there are indeed quite audible improvements in sound quality. I would by no means call myself an "audiophile", lets just say, that i enjoy having a very nice audio quality when gaming or when listening to music.
At a price point of 70 bucks, i probably would not have bought the V6 due to its price tag. Even tho it is a very nice opamp, the price tag simply is set too high for me. Anyhow, its up to you to decide how much you pay for your sound quality. And if you personally have no problem with paying such a price, the V6 definitely is a nice choice.
When the unit arrived...
The V6 arrived in a little padded plastic box. Its nothing too special, but i think its important to mention that the V6 arrived without any damages.
As soon as the V6 arrived, i installed it in my little dot. The V6 is pretty big, just like the V5. Lucky for me that i tested the V5 before and that i have soldered my own extension cord for the Burson Audio opamps before i conducted the V5 testings. So i also used my self made extension cord for the V6s testing sessions (as seen in the picture below).
When installing the V6 i noticed that it is just as sturdy built as the V5, which will surely impact its lifespan positively.
The Testing:
I tested the V6 by listening to Punk Rock, Alternative Rock, Classis Rock and Heavy Metal aswell as by playing Video Games like Overwatch and by watching movies.
The Gear i used for the Testing:
PC -> Tascam us-1x2 -> little dot 1+ -> analog audio attenuator made by fostex (only used to keep the noise level down) -> Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm
For testing the V6 i used the Yugoslavian 6HM5 tubes in my little dot amp.
Some general things i noticed:
When listening to mainly acoustic songs (like Swing Life Away by Rise Against) everything sounded very natural and quite warm. The representation of the Vocals is quite realistic and it is possible to hear quite a lot of details very clearly.
Comparison to other opamps (LM4562na, Burson Audio V5):
Compared to the LM4562na the V6 is a really nice improvement. The bass is punchier and better controlled, whilst the mids sound more realistic (especially vocals). The Treble department seems to be filled with more details and more sparkle in general. The biggest improvement was done to the Soundstage. Width as well as depth have increased, which is especially audible when playing games with very nice audio (like Overwatch) or when listening to songs which are wonderfully mastered (just like "Where is my mind" by the Pixies).
The difference between the LM4562na and the Burson Audio V6 is quite audible, and the V6 surely is an improvement.
Compared to the V5 the V6 was not the biggest upgrade. The sound of the V6 seems to be a little teeny tiny bit warmer and punchier than the sound of the V5. Also the soundstage provided by the V6 seems to be a little bit more spatial. Basically there is no big, or no, difference here.
Conclusion:
I am quite sceptical when it comes to opamp rolling, but the V6 (just as the V5 did before) once again showed me that there are indeed quite audible improvements in sound quality. I would by no means call myself an "audiophile", lets just say, that i enjoy having a very nice audio quality when gaming or when listening to music.
At a price point of 70 bucks, i probably would not have bought the V6 due to its price tag. Even tho it is a very nice opamp, the price tag simply is set too high for me. Anyhow, its up to you to decide how much you pay for your sound quality. And if you personally have no problem with paying such a price, the V6 definitely is a nice choice.
