Burson Audio Supreme Sound Opamp V5i

I've tried different combos with my toys, and having spent enough time listening with Burson v5i Dual, I can safely recommend OPA for those of you who, like me, loves Muses02 .. you will not be disappointed .. for vocal music,I still prefer Muses02, but for other genres Burson is really impressive!Good job!Recommended.The taste of sound differences is an important component of emotional involvement for the music lover, and Burson fully gives me a full sense of it .. And it's worth it, thanks.

Review of the OPAmp Burson V5i applied to the ZiShan DSD.

The installation was easy and fast, although if it was necessary to desolder the Dip-8 socket and solder the V5i directly to the card so that it could close correctly becoming the V5i the permanent OPAmp of my ZiShan DSD, I could not take picture of the V5i since I paid the service of a company of electronics technicians who soldered the V5i to the ZiShan DSD card in only 10 minutes but they did not allow me to take pictures of their service.

It takes me 4 hours a day for 10 days for the V5i to Burn-in correctly.

My opinion about its sound: Its sound is perfect, the separation of the voices is so effective that it is possible to understand the verses of each voice you sing at the same time that the MUSES 02 does not achieve !, the high frequencies are perfect, full of detail without getting to go over bright, and it is magical that finally the bass took its ideal level, deep thick and tight without dulling the details thus becoming the "V5i in the sound you want to get so much"

Try to update a second V5i for my LITTLE BEAR B-2 portable headphone amplifier unfortunately, even though this included an OPAmp JRC4556AD OPAmp was not compatible with the Burson V5i, when I tested its sound I realized that it did not sound and when I went up volume was totally distorted sound, I tried the two V5i in case the problem was the V5i but in both OPAmp's the same fault was presented.

I give you the greatest congratulations to BURSON AUDIO for its true High-End OPAmp V5i that has been for me the best I've heard so far and my biggest thanks for giving me the opportunity to try your newest courtesy product =)(= .

Burson Audio Supreme Sound Opamp V5i
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Disclaimer & Backgound:

I was contacted by Charles (SS-Audio) due my posts in Zishan DSD thread. and was sent the opamps in exchange of honest review. here we go.
I'm just an enthusiast in portable hifi, especially in DIY DAP/AMP including many collection mostly nameless, rising chinese brand IEM and Earbuds.
Trust your ear, as my review is based on my perceptions and listening experience. so your result may be differs from my observation.


Gear for testing:
1. Zishan Z1
2. Zishan Z3
3. Zishan DSD (open case testing), then finally mount it permanently
4. Earbud FAAEAL 64ohm & 150ohm
5. Custom DIY 300ohm Earbud, Toneking TO180 (150ohm)
6. KZ ZSR, KZ ZS10, KZ ZS5, KZ ZS3

OPAmp for Comparison
1. MUSES 02 and 8920D
2. BB OPA2134PA
3. LME 49720NA and LME49990
4. AD 823A
(other opamp in my collection is not quite worth of comparison)

Songs for Testing:
1. Susan Wong - My Live Stories
2. Jamie Valle - Round Midnight
3. George Benson - Guitar Man
4. and some TWICE K-Pop Songs (yeah.. ok i know.. these are my daugther fav, but you can easily get high sibilant from the songs here)

Built:
Came in enclosed plastic box which padding can accomodate 2 of these..
This may be one of the best OPAMP built.. to me it looks like a hybrid regular DIP8 with CAN opamp..




but this thing is bigger than standard opamps.. so DAP with tight space will not fit at all.. including my Zishan DSD which i'm testing this Opamp in open case condition.. due to very lack of space...
(my attempt of creating extended adapter also failed, due to said limitation..., the only way to mount this opamp on Zishan DSD seems to solder directly onto the PCB, which i'm going to do soon.)
<updated, see below>



Looking at the V5i-D itself. i believe Burson can easily made a mod to this opamp, the need to trim gold feet, and remove the plastic.. more like a browndog's adapter approach.

On Zishan Z1 and Z3, no issue plenty of room here..



On Walnut V2s


This opamp generate less additional heat.. and still only slight warm to touch after extended period of usage.


Sound:
Firstly noticable that on my Walnut V2s, Zishan Z1, Z3, and finally Zishan DSD, when using this Opamp there is not loud thud when powering on.. compared to my other opamp (excluding the MUSES)

Overall sound to my ear this Opamp is significant improvement over BB, LME and AD.. as Instrument seperation is clearly impoved. highs were improved but noticed no sibilance compared to LME49720NA. Lows are more puchy and extend well.. but not bring overall warmt like the 2134, which to some may color the overal experience..

Now comparing to the MUSES02 and 8920.. honestly i cannot distinguish between both of my MUSES they perform the same.. high, mid, low, and seperation... this also applies to the Burson V5i.. A-B them , i really cannot tell the difference..

Overall the sound is a welcome improvement over your common "famous" Opamps in the market, you will get no wrong choosing this as your main goto opamp for upgrade.. (maybe slight competition over the MUSES, but the built quality excel in the Burson V5i)..

PS: this opamp's price seems maybe overkill for budget DAP.. but well worthed for more pricier DAP..

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UPDATE (23 Aug 2018)

After think it over and perform multiple rolling this V5i-D op-amp vs my collections (with case opened, due cannot be closed when using this opamp.. too big .. ) .thn Finally i decided to put it permanently on my Zishan DSD (AK4497EQ version)

First thing to do.. is to remove the original DIP-8 socket, with the right tools (solder, flux, wick) .. its easily done.


After that.. i need to trim the Burson V5i-D golden pins.. to make it flush, no protruding pins on the back of the PCS as it may puncture the battery..

(compared trimmed pins with stock)

a bit of soldering... and DONE..


Even-though after this opamp is put without dip-8 socket.. the size is still a tad bigger than normal opamp+adapter/socket.. i still need to push hard the PCB to fit in the case...

after closing the case.. turn it on.. immediately appreciated the choice to put it permanently on my zishan DSD..
Zishan by nature (due to AK DAC) is a slight warm DAP.. with this opamp i felt the character is a bit different.. more flat .. but powerfull sounding..

for those who want to have better sound in the zishan..and sacrifice the option for rolling opamp.. then this is the opamp for you... Highly Recommended..

and for the big footprint.. please Burson Audio, make it smaller (to standard dip-8 size.. )
also if i may suggest.. Burson Audio need to include a sticker, something like Intel Inside approach.. but with "Burson V5i Insided" / "Burson V5i Infused" / "Burson Powered" or any similar message

Thank You.

Before Christmas holiday last month, I was listening to Norwegian composer Kim Andre Arnesen’s great work – Magnificat recorded in Nidaros Cathedral by the award-winning 2L Studio. I also found an Youtube video of the live recording of Magnificat 4. Et misericordia. It was very helpful to better locate the instruments/vocals as well as the “dimension” of the sound stage. 2L studio had won multiple awards for its “Immersive Sound” recording – a three dimensional enveloping sound recording system. I once used 2L Audiophile Reference Record dvd to set up a Linaeum speaker system at home.

Right around that time, Charles of SS-Audio contacted me and offered a free trial of their Burson V5i op-amp in exchange for an unbiased review. Charles “caught” me at the right time so I agreed to the offer.

I don’t consider myself an audiophile or an engineer. I am just fascinated by the 3D sound concept however. Over the years, I have evolved into a budget-minded portable DAP listener. The equipment used for this test reflect that.

Equipment in the test

* DAP : Zishan DSD (AK4497eq DAC)
* IEMs: KZ ZS10 (1DD, 4BAs) , Tennmak Pro (6mm + 9mm DDs)
* Op-amps: Burson V5i, LM4562 (stock), LME49860NA, AD8066AR on SOIC DIP adapter

Sound Tracks Used for General Testing
* 2L: Nordic Sound – 2L Audiophile Reference Record, 24bit 192khz, flac
Tracks consist of modern jazz, opera, strings instruments, church organ, and more.

Music Genres testing Sound Tracks

* Instrumental/Orchestra
- Selected tracks from 2L Audiophile Reference Record
* Orchestra/Opera
- Delibes: Lakme – Duo des fleurs Sabine Devieilhe & Marianne Crebassa (dsd256)
- Arnesen: Magnificat 4. Et misericordia Lise Granden Berg, soprano (dsd256)
* Rock/Pop
- Santana: Evil Ways (dsd256)
* Vocal
- Eva Cassidy : Autumn Leaves (16 bit 44.1k flac)
* Jazz/Blues
- Oscar Peterson Trio In a Mellow Tone (dsd64)
- selected tracks from 2L Audiophile Reference Record
* Synth-pop
- Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Relax (dsd256)

I was planning to use my well-worn Sennheiser HD439 for this test. However, the HD439 sound just too “different” from other IEMs to complicate this test. So I used KZ ZS10 (hybrid 1DD+4BAs) and Tennmak Pro (6mm+9mm DDs) instead.

Before I receive the offer from Burson, I have already ordered two new op-amps – LME49860NA and AD8066. LME49860 is a plug and play, but both AD8066 and Burson V5i are too tall for the Zishan DSD to be put back into the case. So I conducted most of the test without the case.








Testing

The performance of the stock op-amp LM4562 is best characterized as clean, lean, fast, but relatively laid back. May be that is reason why LM4562 is popular with many OEMs. Most of the listeners would be perfectly happy with it. To me, the sound is just too laid back. The “width” of the sound stage seems fixed and artificially (too) wide. It was very noticeable in the Oscar Peterson Trio’s In the Mellow Tone track. The actual stage was small and tight, but LM4562 “expands” the width of the soundstage way too much. That just messed up the sound in my head. Also Vocal is sitting in the middle, between the listener’s ears. LME49860NA is actually in the same family with the stock LM4562 (identical to LME49720). LME49860NA has a wider operating voltage range, but for reasons unknown to me, its bass is fuller and louder. It also shifts the vocal to the front of the listener ever slightly. It still have the same sound stage width issue the LM4562 has. But I consider LME49860NA a slightly improved version of the stock op-amp.

AD8066 is very much the opposite of the LME49860. It has a v-shaped profile, superb accuracy, high resolution and dynamics. It has more realistic spaciousness than LME49860. Base noise level is slightly higher than LME49860. One big bonus: it also offers thick but fast bass. Extra “punch” in bass occurs around 80-200 Hz, however the kick drum range at around 3,000 Hz is lacking in weight. It has an asymmetrical V-shaped sound with extra emphases on the sub bass end. Bass-head listeners will find it very pleasing.

Burson v5i is a semi-discrete op-amp in a beautifully-crafted metal casing. There are many detailed technical write-ups in this Review section so I will skip writing one. V5i is very different from LME49860 or AD8066. First, it is slightly louder across the entire range yet maintain a very low base noise level. I can praise v5i’s accuracy, high resolution and dynamics all day, but its mid-range that steals the show. V5i manages to retrieve and reveal mid-range details without losing the overall tonal balance. The bass and treble qualities are still tactile and rhythmic. The goosebumps inducing details in the mid range creates a more intimate sound stage, closer to the listener. Sound tracks focusing on vocals and solo instruments (as in jazz jamming or orchestra featuring soloist performance) really shine.


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Testing Summary

General Property
- Volume - v5i > AD8066 > LME49860
- Airiness/Sound stage v5i > LME49860 > AD8066
- Brightness LME49860 > AD8066 > v5i
- Analytical sound LME49860 > AD8066 > v5i
- Intimacy v5i > LME49860 > AD8066
- Transparency LM49860 > v5i = AD8066
- 3D sound v5i > LM49860 > AD8066

Musical Instruments
- Drums v5i > AD8066 > LME49860
- Bass/double Bass AD8066 > v5i = LME49860
- Vocals v5i > LME49860 > AD8066
- Cello v5i > LME49860 > AD8066
- Acoustic guitar LME49860 > v5i=AD8066
- Electric guitar v5i > AD8066=LME49860
- Violin v5i > AD8066=LME49860
- Piano v5i > LME49860 > AD8066

Music Genres
- Instrumental/Orchestra v5i > LME49860 > AD8066
- Rock/pop AD8066 > v5i=LME49860
- Vocal/opera v5i > LME49860 > AD8066
- Jazz/Blues v5i > AD8066 > LME49860
- Synth-pop LME49860 > v5i > AD8066

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Conclusion:

The music genres I listen to are Jazz/Blue, classical/orchestra and Latin jazz/pop. 5vi shines in these genres. True and accurate presentation of the details and textures, and realistic sound stage is what I want. I suspect that is what most of the listeners want too. Burson 5Vi upgrade is a easy decision to make.

Introduction

I was contacted by Burson Audio to conduct a review on the V5i, as such I was provided with two Op amps to test them in my Little Dot I+ and My Objective 2 on the output side. Tube rolling aside I found that the GE JAN-5654W which are the military variant are my favourite tubes for ”ME” at the moment. They have excellent clarity without sounding overly digital while simultaneously not being sloppy in the bass department, as a result these were the tubes I chose to use for this review. I am in no way affiliated with Burson Audio, all results are my own findings and personal opinions. For the time being my review is based on the Little Dot I+ since I use it the most, in the near future I will review these in the objective 2 amp. Right now my Little dot has been paired with an AliExpress knockoff of the Muse02 op amp which by itself was decent for what it was.

I started to get into great sounding audio when I 8 years old playing around with mixing tapes and than burning cd’s. When I was 13 I got an iPod mini which is when I started playing with compression only to learn the hard way that it ruined the audio files. When the world moved on to iPods and high compression in favour of convenience I was left behind with my CD’s and portable disc player knowing that this was the best way to listen to music.


I don’t call myself an audiophile but rather a music and gear enthusiast. I have other hobbies and love getting new equipment, tools and gear for each hobby or task, than putting it to good use in my day to day life. If I cant justify a purchase, I wont buy it…simple as that. I’m not interested in high end cables and typically try and find the best value for my money wherever possible. That said, I do like to have certain high end items if I know I will use it daily or often so the definition of ”value” is very subjective. Usually my internal justification entails reading hours of reviews and educating myself on certain products. Specifically how they work and how the engineering principals would apply, aswell as reading between the snake oil marketing gimmicks. In most cases
this has served me well over the years.

The V5i Dual Op Amp
For the sake of this review I will skip the physical, fit and finish of these OP Amps since this is the least important aspect when the equipment is closed up. They are much larger than a standard amp and I would encourage those that have clearance issues in smaller equipment to check the data sheet and measure with a micrometer. These amps do have a nice quality feel to them and a nice laser etching of the manufacture and model on the face. After removing a few screws on the bottom of my Little Dot i+ and popping the little op amp into the slot, I was ready to roll.


Test Setup.
The testing setup I’m using is the little dot i+ (V5i Dual op Amp and GE JAN-5654 Tubes) mated to my Hifiman 400i planar magnetic headphones, and my Ibasso DX120 in DAC mode. I’m most familiar with my DX120 since I use it almost daily. I would love to do an A-B comparison however having only one Little dot makes this impossible, so for now as difficult it may be the review will have to be based solely on swapping the op amp.

Music

• Guillaume Perret- Sirenes
• The Haggis Horns - Stand up for Love
• Jesse Cook - I Put a Spell on You
• Quadro Nuevo - Tango Del Mare

Lows
Those luscious lows are addicting on the 400i's, there is no question about the planar magnetic bass. This is not a night and day difference and unsubstantiated without an A-B switcher, however there is something different that seems to push the lows to dig further. The Melancholy mood in Guillaume Perret's Sirenes paints an eerie atmosphere which is reinforced by the now deeper digging bass. In the haggis Horns - Stand Up for Love, The bass seems more organic and less digital with more soul compared to the Muse02 knockoff, the bass also seems to be better controlled throughout the spectrum.

Mids
The mids are probably where I detect the least amount of difference especially in the french horn in Quadro Nuevo - Tango Del Mare, however the total package seems to come together nicely with a sense that the music is live in an intimate studio, yet somehow it sounds more engaging, more alive with the V5i. The closest visual representation I can think of is on an HDR TV where the upgrade allows the colors to pop out a bit more akin to the V5i allowing music to Pop a bit more, the former being more obvious or contrasting. The air around the instruments once again allows the separation to stand out in an impressive way since this track also carries a lot of depth and layers.

Highs
Im a huge fan of Jesse Cook, and unfortunately due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak the live concert I had booked is now cancelled, as a result listening to his recordings will have to do for now. When I play "I Put a Spell on you" I can hear a slight amount more air between the instruments. The twang in the background guitar takes an interesting seat on the stage, while Jesse guitar takes a slight backseat to the lush intimate vocals. I chose this song as its fairly busy with multiple layers without being overwhelming which would otherwise make it difficult to detect discernible differences, it also has vocals which if you may have guessed by now is the least of what I listen to. One would have to spend substantially more money on a better sounding setup for this genre of music (400i, LD i+ with V5i Op Amp). I do feel though however that the highs are somewhat discernibly different not by overall clarity but rather soundstage width and instrument separation or air around the instruments. I would love to at this point do A-B comparison on a stock OP AMP little dot but as mentioned this is unfortunately not in the cards at the moment as I don’t own two LD i+ amps.


Performance Closing thoughts:
The 400i's are a bit of chameleon when it comes to some recordings, they are very transparent and can be picky which makes them a great review candidate for showcasing the V5i. They scale very well with source quality and one thing I've noticed is that there is this invisible wall to the width of the soundstage, where height was never an issue but width can . At times, depending on the source cause the 400i's to sound out of balance or "Off" when the recording hits the "invisible" sound wall for width. This is more depending on the recording than anything else, strange though that I noly hear with the 400i's. That being said I do believe that the V5i has improved the overall width of the soundstage which I believe is the reason why there is a bit more air around the instruments, however this will not fix a sloppy recorded track that has no attention to detail. The V5i does seem to help a smidge with this virtual sound width wall phenomenon in the 400i's as well. Regarding the V5i there is no question though that its arguable one of the best performing op-amps available in its price class. As mentioned these are my findings and im trying to find differences and improvements, if someone was to swap the OP amp without one knowing, I highly doubt anyone would wake up one day and say "Hey! This thing sounds great…What happened?!". The improvements im noting could also be the placebo affect which unless I have a second identical amp that very few do, I cant perform an A-B switch to rule this out. Im still claiming that I notice an increase in air and soundstage in the highs, the lows dig a touch deeper and have more "soul". The music as a whole seems to sound a smidge more lifelike and engaging, more realistic and less digital.

Value
In The quest for value I think the V5i is a great opportunity to step up your game into some high end OP-amps. The price for admission is high compared to some other op amps but low in a world where people spend hundreds of dollars on cables. Once you justify how much you will use the equipment and whether or not its worth it to spend the money, the rest is easy. Since I’m not one to spend unnecessary amounts of money on speciality cables trying to convince myself I hear a difference, I’m far better off spending money on an OP AMP or two to maximize the equipment I already have. There are a lot of pieces of well designed equipment that were produced in china with generic but swappable parts, the little dot having come with a cheap op amp and basic tubes is a fine example. Op amp rolling is also cheaper than rolling the entire amp. Paired with the little dot i+ I think the V5i is a no brainer upgrade since you only need one, pair that with some nice tubes and you will have a winner. Given the opportunity if I got another amp I would likely be looking at installing these OP amps.

Work in Progress. 
 
 
This is my mini-review of Burson Audio Supreme Sound V5i op amp.  I use it in two  devices.  First is my Matrix M-stage HPA-1 desktop amp using Tidal HiFi into a  Schiit Bifrost Uber.  The 2nd device I use it in is a portable Dap/amp the Walnut Hi-Fi V2.  My other higher priced opamps I have are the Sparkos SS3602 and the Muses 8820.  I have a handful of other inexpensive more commonly used opamps.
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
I really enjoy the V5i.   It just raises the airiness, clarity and details to another level compared to my other opamps.    I never really got into home speakers but all my life I have been into car stero so Imaging and Staging has always been two of my main focuses in what I consider good sound.  Normally audio stuff never meets my hopes when I first listen.  My original plan was to install it in the Walnut which I had the Muses 8820 in and then let it burn-in the recommended 100 hours.  The V5i made my jaw drop when I stuck it in the walnut.   Width and depth of soundstage, I admit I am not good at making comparisons of but the the improvement in the imaging was kinda of shocking with the placement and air between instruments.   I dont hear that level of staging or imaging with my Sparkos or Muses opamps.   I am not saying the V5i is better than the Sparkos but I certainly enjoy the V5i more than the Muses.  The Sparkos and Muses both seem to me to lean more towards a smoother more organic presentation while the V5i seems a tad more digital with more clarity and with striking apparent detailing.   Actually, I think owning the V5i and Sparkos are a good combination.  My M-Stage, a warm amp, combined with my favorites: HD600s, VE Zen 2.0 Blacks, and Westone 4s which are all neutral to warm makes for a little of a tame presentation.  The V5i really adds some airiness, life and zest to those combinations.  If I decide to use one of my hotter and brighter items like my grados, my mojito earbuds or a few of my iems the Sparkos makes for better synergy.  I just leave the top unscrewed and I can change them out in like 2 minutes.

Undoubtedly, one of the biggest influences on the audio market was the invention of the operational amplifiers. Compact and inexpensive (mostly) chips allowed to create small and well sounding products. But not always the miniaturization is good for sound quality, and then comes to the aid well-known company Burson.

In addition to developing popular DACs and amplifiers, Burson is also known as the creators of the V4 and V5 discrete op amps, but because of the large size of those solutions, not every device is suitable for upgrading with these opamps. Recently, company released V5i - a more compact model, using hybrid schematics inside.


First of all, I'd like to thank to Burson audio for providing me a pair of V5i in exchange to my honest opinion.

V5i designed for easy OpAmp rolling with devices, allowing that. V5i can be used to replace big number of "traditional" OpAmps, details can be found on the official website. You should look carefully, whether you need single or double V5i, they are not interchangable. Also they differs in price a bit ($49 vs $69). Apart from the V5i, on the official website are sold various useful accessories that can come in handy - extenders for those cases when V5i not fit in the body of the device in the normal position, capacitors to upgrade power supply, insulation to protect against interference, different sockets and adapters. By the way, separate nice bonus - V5i is covered by a lifetime warranty.


I've received my OpAmps in a simple plastic container, sealed by a brand tape. A simple and effective solution.

First candidate for upgrade became Audinst HUD-DX1 — very good DAC/amp combo with great potential, although not everyone likes its monitor sound representation with a hint of brightness. Replacement of stock Muse9820 is easy and quick. You will need two screwdrivers (H2 and Philips 1) as well as special pliers for extracting chips. I strongly recommend usage of chips extractor for everyone, as opamps legs are soft and can be bent very easily, while sockets are tight, so it's really easy to damage your chip. Actual replacement can be done under 5 minutes. You'll have to unscrew the screw that secures the volume control knob and remove it. Then unscrew the 4 screws at the corners of front paned and remove it. The last step - Philips screw on the back side of device near RCA connectors, then the board can be easily removed and parts replacement is easy.


Usually I am skeptical about such upgrades, often it requires a blind tests with two devices to fully disclosure the difference, but in this case sound changed drastically.

Bass is more accentuated so the overall representation becomes warmer, or, to say more precisely, it's loosing that hint of coolness that present in stock. Lows became more layered, separation of instruments in this range also improves. Midrange is almost unchanged, perhaps there is a bit of detail increase, but it's barely audible. Because of bass improvement, treble became less accentuated and sound more musical. After the upgrade, HUD-DX1 became pretty usable even with bright headphones.


I've tried some other devices capable of amp-rolling. xDuoo XD-05 as a result of the upgrade becomes slightly tighter and got more details in LF. Unfortunately, treble remained unchanged, looks like problems in this range isn't caused by amplification. To install V5i in the XD-05 I had to slightly bend the capacitors around the socket. I also tried these amplifiers with Valoq DAP. Because of the design, V5i do not fit in the opamps bay, so they can be used only with an extender. Player became not portable, so it's not a best candidate for tweaking. From the sound point of view, player gains better defined mids and treble with improved details level.

Of course, there is no silver bullet, and not all devices became better as a result of V5i installation. In some cases, the changes in the sound come not to your taste, sometimes device is tuned exactly for particular OpAmp. But in most cases V5i does the trick, so it's probably the simplest and most affortable way to improve sound of your devices. As for me, I'm really glad with a step forward that my DX1 made with V5i.

P.S. As usual, I've made a first impressions video.
[VIDEO]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1KiXaKRXE0[/VIDEO]

Two months ago I received an offer from Mr.Carlos (BursonAudio) to test V5i discrete op-amps. At that moment I was looking for the perfect op-amp for my balance amplifier iBasso PB2 "Pelican". I can replace there four single pre-amps (the gain op-amps) and four single output op-amps (power op-amps).



The signal source I used was the balanced line output of the FiiO X7 player or iBasso DB2 balanced DAC output with Hidizs AP60-II player as USB transport.





When I got the op-amps from Burson Audio it were not V5i, but four V5-OPA-S pieces, which are higher grade than V5i. Packed very well, even plastic ties included to fix the op-amps in a horizontal position or upside down.









I have tested the different op-amps from the iBasso kit, but they do not impress me by the sound at all. So I bought the top op-amps from Sparkos and MUSES.




The supply voltage of the op-amps in the PB2 amplifier is +/-8V, but sparkos and muses can operates up to +/-18V. Therefore, I made the PB2 mod for powering it from external power supply with two 4S li-po batteries with total voltage near 30V. The high voltage supply for op-amps allow them to work in an optimal mode with minimal harmonic distortions and with higher slewrate.



In the V5-OPA-S specs, the maximum supply voltage is +/-15V, but they works OK on +/-16V supply voltage with minimal heating.

Of course, the size of the V5-OPA-S is not small at all, I think even the owners of some desktop setup will have problems with this op-amp installation. In my iBasso especially, the pads for op-amps are located on the board very close to each other and it was impossible to install it vertically in the board. So I had to make the extension board adapters.



The V5-OPA-S width is also so large that the dimensions of the four op-amps exceed the dimensions of the iBasso housing. So plastic ties would be useful

But all these inconveniences turned out to be such a trifle when I heard the sound quality of these op-amps from BursonAudio.

First of all, instead of the output power op-amps in the PB2 I put dummy boards with jumpers and tested different op-amps in the preamplifier stage with GAIN = 3.

Op-amps from Sparkos produce a very precise, layered sound. All instruments are very accurately positioned in space and there is a lot of air between them. However, the sound lack strength because the output current is about 50 mA.

Op-amps from MUSES have an output current up to 250 mA and they sounds very powerful, at the same time much more natural than Sparkos. However, there is no such airiness and lamination like in the Sparkos op-amps. The MUSES03 op-amps easy open up any headphones, even isodynamic like AlphaDog and high impedance dynamic like DT-1770.

And then I PUT_IN the V5-OPA-S - and they became a sunshine for my ears! They combined the best advantages of both op-amps tested above - the intensity sound of the MUSES03 and layering and accuracy of the Sparkos sound. However, the power output was not enough to open up tight headphones. I did not find the maximum output current specs for the V5-OPA-S in the manual, but comparing with the sound of MUSES03 it was obvious that the output current is much less than 250mA.

Therefore, for maximum power, I put the MUSES03 on the output power stage of PB2. And now I have an excellent desktop-portable setup on which I can test any headphones and DACs.



Although, sometime I want to try more neutral powerful op-amps in the output stage, may be it can be the OPA1622 type, because they does not color the sound at all, unlike MUSES03.

I want to express my great gratitude to Mr. Carlos for the provided samples of magnificent op-amps from BursonAudio.

This great little opamp was provided to me by Burson here at Head-Fi for an honest impression and review.

I tested in my FX Audio DAC-X6 which is an impressive little unit for the price and has rollable opamps. Prior to using the V5i in my DAC-X6, I had used the OPA627 and the LME49860 which are quite popular opamps in the audio scene. The DAC-X6 came with an OPA2134 by default and it sounded fantastic out of the box. I swapped that out for an LME49860 and while at first it was a bit difficult to tell the difference, over time I started to hear the differences and it sounded better to me. I then swapped the LME49860 for an OPA627 which is regarded by many as the best there is and to my surprise it didn't sound as good as the LME49860 to me so I went back to using that as my permanent opamp.

Then came Burson, a company I had never heard of and they offered me to try out their V5i SS Opamp in my X6 and I can safely say that the V5i has dethroned the LME49860 for me.

The gear I used are as follows:-

• FX Audio DAC-X6 w/V5i SS Opamp
• AKG K712 Pro
• HD 598SR
• Fidelio X2

The first thing I noticed about it was that the soundstage was remarkably better than before, it felt more open and spacious and accurate, especially noticeable on headphones that have a large soundstage like the 3 I tested it with.

Imaging felt superior to the LME49860 as well, I play a lot of competitive games and I found it easier to notice where critical sounds were coming from with the V5i. This coupled with the nice, large and open soundstage made for a very immersive and accurate experience not only in games but in music and movies as well. Everything felt so crystal clear and had lots of detail.

The bass was fantastic with the V5i. Over the LME49860 I immediately noticed the bass having a bit more presence, being tighter and extending a bit lower as well with finer detail and texture. It sounded phenomenal when listening to bass oriented music or movies and games with huge explosions and powerful gunshots. Games like Battlefield 4 sounded absolutely breathtaking.

The mids sounded more of less similar to the LME49860 which isn't a bad thing cause they were already great. Vocals and instruments sounded clear and seperated. Not much more I could want from the mids.

The treble felt more detailed and had more sparkle. In songs that had a lot of high notes it gave more goosebumps than the LME49860 did and it didn't sound painful or fatiguing in any way at all. This was especially obviously with the K712 Pro which is a rather bright headphone.

Overall it's a fantastic little opamp that should be given a try if you have an amp that has rollable opamps. Only downside is that it's a bit pricey but in the end you do get what you paid for. It's also super easy to install and uninstall because of it's cubed shape, thank god for that because I hate the normal shape of opamps.

Here are some pictures below (excuse the dead photography skills).

I’ve never been a person who enjoys sound straight out of the box, I tweak everything for my personal enjoyment. Opamps, cables, foam linings, cables, equalization; everything that can get me sweet mids, bass that punches and digs deep, smooth treble that sparkles at the end, and ties together in one nice pleasant presentation.

So how far would one go for tonality, for that extra ten percent of micro-detail, for slightly more controlled peeks, treble sparkle and linear bass response? How about as far as buying an Opamp? I was completely oblivious Burson Audio created an affordable opamp that could replace many of the existing budget opamps as a premium upgrade alternative, and a representative offered me one to try out.




Had I known of this opamp prior to purchasing the NJR Muses02, or the TI LME49720HA, I would have purchased this opamp with no hesitation, as it is a clear upgrade over the NJM2068D on the gain stage of the JDS Labs Objective O2 amplifier.

So what’s wrong with the NJM 2068D?

The 2068D does nothing wrong, but the Objective 02 sounds fatiguing with this opamp. The upper mids are glared, there’s not much weight in the low end and treble is grating. But it’s less than one dollar on the market and easy to replace.

The LME 49720HA is highly regarded, costs a third of the NJR Muses02 why not use this opamp?

The mids are a touch warmer but also clearer than the 2068D for the cost of the upper mids being too bright and shouty even with the Sennheiser HD600. The treble is slightly rolled off, sub-bass still to be desired; maybe the Muses02 will fix the low end.

And you know what, the Muses02 does fix the low end.

The NJR Muses02 is bass reincarnate! Sub-bass digs deep, bass tones in piano and cellos resonate and pronounce themselves in thunderous body, vocals linger and wrap itself in warmth, treble is there but isn’t refined like Burson Audio’s opamp. Slow decay and a darker presentation is why you get the Muses02. The problem with the Muses02 is that bassy ear/headphones can sound bloated, and peeky vocals tend to stay around a little too long due to the slower decay. As of December 19, 2017, the Muses02 is also ten U.S. dollars more expensive than the Burson Audio opamp.

Okay so how do I make the voices go away?




Introducing the Burson Audio Supreme Sound V5i Opamp. Percussions hit hard with speed and definition, treble sparkles, micro-detail in the background is brought forward, and peaks are more controlled than before. The dreaded honk of the Audeze iSine 20 is reduced, the Sennheiser IE80’s bass hump is controlled, the Sennheiser HD600’s treble is brighter. The V5i isn’t a magic cube that does your taxes and makes your problems go away, but the V5i keeps sound under control. A definite upgrade over the stock opamp in my JDS Labs Objective O2, and it will stay in my amp forever.

So if you want to keep your current gear and want the extra ten percent of micro-detail, for slightly more control in peeks, treble sparkle, linear bass response and natural tonality; then I highly recommend the Burson Audio V5i Opamp.

Firstly I would like to thank Burson for sending me these op-amps for review, as always I will try to write and honest review. These received over 100hrs of burn-in as is suggested by many users.

Gear Used:
Topping D30 > A30 > German Maestro GMP8.35d / Dita Dream / Hifiman RE2000 and more.





https://www.bursonaudio.com/products/supreme-sound-opamp-v5i/

Op-Amp Rolling, Packaging and Build:
First off I have done some op-amp rolling in the past with cmoy type amps, and believe op-amps make a small change in sound, and it can be for better or worse depending on the circuit and headphones being used.

I recently got the Topping A30 which is a fantastic budget amp, and I wanted to see how good it could sound. Burson were really helpful, and the A30 needs the dual op-amps, as the stock ones are OPA2134, they are a drop in replacement, and the A30 has sockets in it for easy op-amp rolling.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL TO INSTALL THE OP-AMPS THE CORRECT WAY AROUND, YOU WILL KILL THEM OTHERWISE (instructions on the Burson website)

The V5i come in a small plastic box with the op-amps snugly in place in the foam inlay. They are very well protected.

The V5i are well built, they are well put together and are slightly wider and taller than normal chip op-amps so they may not fit in all designs.





Sound:
Now as stated before I believe in small differences between op-amps, but putting this in was the biggest difference I have heard between op-amps.

Instantly I was surprised at how the sound opened up compared to the slightly closed in sound of the OPA2134. The soundstage got more holographic and accurate, the bass also gained a little body and now digs deeper and has more realistic punch.

There is more air around all instruments and overall just a more defined and realistic sound.
Now this really was quite a big difference in sound from the OPA2134 and this little amp is now even better value.

These will set you back around $70 which is quite a lot considering the amp is not a lot more, but op-amps are a key part of the circuitry and these brought some very welcome changes that enhanced my listening experience. To be honest I was shocked by how good they made the amp sound, so if you can afford them, depending on your amp, they can bring some welcome differences.


Sound Perfection Rating: 8/10 (excellent upgrade in my amp, adds a small amount of warmth)

Introduction and Background
Burson contacted me about reviewing one of their opamps since I owned a Little Dot 1+. I jumped at the chance to try one of their opamps with the Little Dot 1+ since I've tried many other opamps (all the usual suspects from Burr Brown, Muses, LMI, etc.) in the past with this great performing yet inexpensive tube-hybrid amp. I decided to try the V5i-D.

A few weeks went buy and I received the V5i-D. Initial impressions were this thing is built much better than your typical chip based opamp. I opened up the bottom cover and removed the Muses 8820 I had in place and inserted the V5i-D. Replacement was super easy with no issues.

I connected the Little Dot 1+ to a MHDT Steeplechase DAC and fired both up for warm-up. After warm-up I plugged in a ZMF Auteur Classic headphone and settled in for initial listening. I have to say from the get-go I was surprised with what I heard!


(Little Dot 1+ paired with Topping D50s and Sundara or HD6XX for travel setup.)

I normally prefer to run my ZMFs with pure tube amps whether they are OTL or transformer coupled designs. After spending some time with the Little Dot 1+ with the V5i-D opamp I'm going to have to reintroduce this amp into the regular home rotation. For the last year or so I have been using the Little Dot mainly for traveling paired with a Topping D50s DAC and usually a HD6XX, Sundara, or Aeon Flow X. I could throw everything into a back pack and easily set everything up in a hotel room. The humble Little Dot 1+ is transferred to a higher level when using the V5i-D opamp. It really makes a big difference. More on that and specific aspects of the sound below.

Bass
Both bass quantity and quality are improved with the V5i-D. Bass lines that could be lost in the mix with other opamps are easily heard and followed with the V5i-D. Bass slam also increased as well as speed. Very nice job Burson!

 Mids
Mids become much more lush and liquid while not becoming to slow or losing any detail. Simply put the increased lushness in the Mids while running the V5i-D makes the Little Dot 1+ sound much more like a full tube amp and not a hybrid. That is a very positive change imho.

Highs
Highs become more extended without adding any harshness with the V5i-D. I'm a drummer and enjoy hearing the decay and shimmer of cymbals in well recorded tracks. This makes a recording sound much more life like imho. This shimmer and decay was much easier to hear with the V5i-D.

Soundstage, imaging, and Resolution
Soundstage width and depth both increased with the V5i-D. Imaging also becomes more precise as its easier to place respective instruments and voices. Overall resolution of the Little Dot 1+ also increases when using the V5i-D.

Final Thoughts
I really like the changes the addition of the V5i-D brings to the Little Dot 1+. To my ears it increases the performance across the board to the point where the Little Dot sounds like a much higher priced amplifier. I was only listening to the Little Dot when travelling for the last year or so but now I'm introducing it back into the regular rotation. If you own a Little Dot 1+ you really owe it to yourself to try it with the V5i-D opamp. It really transforms the amp.

I have received this burson v5i-d free of charge in return for an honest review

I know sound is subjective and this is my first review so I will try to do my best.


My first impressions was wow, I spent a week listening and in general am very happy with how it sounds in my zishan z3. The z3 has a bit of a roll off in the bass and highs , I used the kz zs5 (good combo) for this review and ty hi z hp150. I also try it in my Walnut F1(beautiful combo) and my wife's zishan dsd but for this review I will use my zishan.


For most of this review I used a few songs and albums that I know and listen to often. Here is a list of some of these;


Pink Floyd's dark side of the moon (whole album) the subbass in opening track is wonderfully defined (better then all the opamps I have heard)

And the clocks in time really come alive!


Rush's caress of steel ( necromancer) soundstage is wider then before, some small details seem better pronounced and the drums sound beautifully separated and kick a bit harder


For bass and subbass

21 Savage's issa (close my eyes) bass hits hard and rumbles but never bleeds into the rest, vocals seem less veiled and better defined


Beastie boys's hello nasty special edition (stink bug) the percussion is very well defined, the rumble from the sub bass has more control but everything stays clean and crisp


DJ Shadow's the mountain has fallen( three Ralphs) the bass reaches deeper without overwhelming, bass hits with better depth and definition and rumble, soundstage seems wider, separation seems more defined and the metal coin at the end of the track is really textured, just the right amount of highs


For mids

El gran combo de puerto Rico's sin salsa no hay paraíso, the brass instruments, and percussion seem better defined, vocals more emotional, Made me want to dance across my living room!


For the highs

The beatles’ sgt. Pepper's lonely hearts club band, adds a bit of sparkle that the z3 is missing, not much but a bit more and seems smoother and yet more outlined, instruments seem more discernable


And for vocals all of the above plus

Portishead's portishead, the vocals come alive, become more emotional, bass never takes away from the vocals, highs are just right, and Beth gibbons voice sounds beautiful


I compared the burson with the original opamp and my budget favorite the now obsolete lme49720ha


To me it seems as the v5i brings the vocals forward a bit, not in a bad way, in a nice way, more emotional, intimate, but doesn't take away from the rest of the range, the lme49720ha seems to have a bit more bass and highs but not as well controlled or textured, and against the original opamp they both are better but the v5i seems to separate and control the frequencies much better, soundstage is wider even though the lme49720ha is pretty close the v5i takes the cake and the original opamp simply doesn't compare, seems a bit too aggressive in the mids, bass is not as hard hitting and sub bass seems less controlled and a tiny bit muddy and highs are a bit too harsh compared to the v5i


For the hell of it I compared it to my wife's zishan dsd, I remember it being I jump ahead of my little z3 but with the v5i it seems the z3 catches up, I was baffled, didn't expect that


I would say the burson v5i has a slight focus on mids, they seem more emotional and intimate but doesn't take away from lows or highs, and the sub bass and bass is very well controlled and textured reaching deeper, having the perfect amount of rumble but never sloppy. highs are nice, sparkly, and have a bit more air but never piercing even with the kz zs5. Brass instruments are really a joy to listen to, honestly I would recommend this opamp it really is a step up.

Introduction

I was contacted by Burson Audio to conduct a review on the V5i a few months ago. The v5i op-amp took a long time to arrive from Hong Kong. I was provided with one Op amp to test them in my Topping D10 dac.

I bought the Topping D10 as a 2nd hand unit for AUD$100, to use as a spare. My main dac(s) are Yggdrasil and Bifrost 2. So why did I buy the cheap Topping D10? One, I could use it as a spare and it's cheap. Can just keep it in the drawer and forget about it. I have always view the D10 as clear but digital sounding - which is another way of saying I don't like it.

I like a dac that is neutral sounding and also have a soul to the tone and the Topping D10 in it's original form isn't it.

The V5i Op Amp
I did not know about this op-amp before it arrives. I did not read up much about it because I want to experience it without being tainted by others impressions.

This is the tiny bugger.



Installing it into the Topping D10 dac is straight forward. Open up the D10 and see the picture below on how to install it.

In the first picture is the dac in it's original form. The black chip 'circled' is the original. In the 2nd picture, you can see the Burson v5i op-amp installed 'circled - and it must be installed with the words facing left like you see it in the picture. This is important as installing it the wrong way will result in no sound and may damage both the op-amp and dac.



Test Setup.
My listening gear consists of :-

Source - PC, Schiit Wyrd > Topping D10 with v5i op-amp installed.
Amps - Ultrasonic Studios Oblivion and McChanson 300b amp for speakers and headphones.
Headphones - Audeze LCD4 ; HiFiMan He1000se

Music

• Fourplay - 101 Eastbound
• Dire Straits - Private Investigations
• Holly Cole - Hold On
• Jennifer Warnes - First We Take Manhattan

Lows
Lows goes deeper now. Quite a marked changed.

Mids
This where it stands out for me. Mid range and vocals are very engaging now and sound organic and natural. Love it !

Highs
Sound a bit rounded off but still very detailed. This makes for a non fatiguing listen especially for longer sessions.


Performance Closing thoughts:
I am used to Yggdrasil for 4 years and I won't lie when I say that the Topping D10 is so far from Yggdrasil's performance scale that it's not worth comparing.

However taken on it's own - Topping D10 with Burson v5i op-amp installed show a marked improvement that makes this cheap dac worthy as a spare dac in case I need one. In the company of my gear, it was still enjoyable and engaging enough. Recommended.


Value
Not knowing how much this v5i opamp cost, I can't comment on the value to performance ratio.

Burson V5i op amp upgrade for Creative Sound Blaster X7

Link to the Bursonaudio.com site for the V5i


Disclaimer: I was contacted by Charles from Supreme Sound (Burson Audio), provided (2) single op amps and (2) double op amps, for my honest opinion of their product.

What is it:The Burson V5i is a hybrid op amp. It has an integrated chip, which is what most op amps are in entirety, but also takes some parts, and separates them, adding some high end discrete components. This is to improve performance while maintaining a small form factor. This is how they can shrink down the V5 into the much smaller package, while retaining the sound signature of the full blown V5. I have not heard the regular V5, but this was their design principle in making the V5i. The V5i is much smaller and “should” be a drop in replacement for most op amps.

What does it do: Operational Amplifiers main job is to amplify a signal, typically a voltage (can also be used to amplify current, voltage to current, or current to voltage). If you are interested in learning more about op amps, I found this website to be beneficial. The math may seem simple, but in real world components, achieving the best performance can be difficult. It is striking a balance between performance, size, cost, tradeoffs, etc. Each company will use a different design with certain design goals in mind.

Why me: As many of you may already know, I purchased the complete X7 op amp swap, Sparkos Labs SS3601 and SS3602 op amps, shortly after I purchased the X7. My review is located in my signature. I have used those op amps for many months, and have been very happy with their performance. They greatly improved the sound quality of the X7, and I still believe that op amps are a great way to get more out of such a versatile DAC/Amp/VSS unit. Before that purchase, I did not believe that op amps could make that much of a difference. I have gladly changed my tune, and will continue to suggest op amp upgrades for equipment that can have them swapped. Most IC op amps seem to have to make sacrifices, and fully discrete is the best way to go (audio as the end goal of the op amp, as they have MANY different uses).

Starting point: Upon receiving the Burson V5i op amps, they were burned in for roughly 150 hours, as Burson suggests 100 hour burn in period. Now I did listen and use the X7 normally during this burn in period. I did notice that as time went on, the V5i op amps did seem to change over time. When I first received them, I was not impressed with them. Coming from the Sparkos, they didn't seem as clear, and they weren't as efficient (volume dial needed to be turned up more for the same volume). I went back to gaming and watching movies, listening to music, but not analytically.


Critical Listening post burn in: The V5i op amps do have some nice qualities. They produce clean and tight bass, a very musical mid range, but do seem rolled off in the highs compared to the Sparkos. Soundstage, instrument separation, and overall clarity are very good, much better than the stock op amps that come with the X7. These are a definite upgrade, and for $120 for the complete swap, not a terrible price to pay for a noticeable change in sound. The Sparkos, which I believe to be the best op amps available in a small form factor (they're also fully discrete), are double the cost at $240 for the complete swap.

Setup/Equipment: I tested the Burson V5i op amps several different ways. I used just the X7 and it's amp, as many will be using the X7 in this way. I also used the RCA outs to connect my Linear Tube Audio MicroZOTL 2, which has a much "blacker" background, and overall very good sound quality. The X7 was connected to my PC via USB, using Foobar2000 updated to the latest version. For Headphones, I used Hifiman HE-X V2, Fostex TH-X00 Ebony, Monoprice M1060, Beyerdynamic DT990 SE 250ohm. I also listened through my 2 channel setup, which consist of X7>MZ2>Marantz SR8500 AVR>Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grand speakers.

Overall Thoughts: I know the Sparkos very well, and they will remain my op amp of choice for the X7. The entire frequency response with the Sparkos is crystal clear and matches my headphones of choice, perfectly. At $240 though, you are pretty close to Modi Multibit, which you can use with the X7 through the optical out (and still use the Virtual Surround Sound (SBX). Even just switching out the Duals, which make a larger difference to sound quality, will set you back $160 before shipping for the Sparkos. The V5i, will be $80 for the Dual swap. That is a much easier amount to swallow, especially if you are trying to keep your setup simple with an all in one solution.

The Sparkos require less power to output at the same spl level. I noticed this in my Sparkos review, that they played much louder than the stock op amps. The Sparkos during this review were usually at 11:00-11:30 on the MZ2. The Bursons to achieve the same volume, sat around 12:30-1:00 on the MZ2 volume dial. The Bursons are more efficient than the stock op amps, but do not match the Sparkos. Another thing I noticed is that the Bursons got HOT during use. I would say they were within the 60-80 degree Celsius operating range at all times. This could be due to the metal enclosure on the V5i, and there not being a case on the Sparkos. The bottom cover will NOT fit on the X7 with either the Sparkos or Bursons installed. IMO this is very minor and no big deal. Neither projects out from underneath, they are just a mm or two larger than the cover can manage.

Without a direct comparison between the two, I really didn't notice the V5i as lacking. They sounded great when they were the only op amps in the X7 for a few months. Gaming, Movies, and Music all sounded great and I was happy. Ignorance can be bliss, and without swapping back and forth between the Sparkos and the Bursons, I grew to really enjoy the V5i op amps. One area where I think they can really help people, is with headphones that are V or U shaped where the highs can become fatiguing. The Bursons brought down the highs enough to make a few of my headphones more enjoyable for extended listening. Particularly my TH-X00 and DT990. The slight drop in highs really helped the DT990 for music, and they were still great for FPS gaming, with plenty of the detail that is needed to hear the sounds you do want to hear. The Bass and Mids were truly good, very comparable to the Sparkos, and I would have to nit pick to find any differences in these areas. I cannot change the op amps fast enough to get a true comparison of the differences in Bass and Mid range (hearing memory is extremely short!). Both excel in this area. My two main headphones are Planar (HEX and M1060), which both recess the highs naturally, and the Sparkos really help those headphones in this area. Headphones with an edginess to the highs, may sound better with the Bursons for music. I know for me, I preferred the DT990 with the V5i op amps.

As you may know, the X7 does have a built in EQ, so you can change the sound however you want. All of my listening was completed with a flat EQ, and if you aren't against it, you can dial in the V5i op amps by bumping a few decibels here and there. I realize that some are COMPLETELY against EQ, so this review is with the V5i straight into the X7 without any help.

Burson (critical listening) with comparisons to Sparkos:

Led Zeppelin "Whole Lotta Love", FLAC rip from remastered CD. Very low background noise, Robert Plant's voice is extremely clear and natural sounding. Snare drum sounded impactful and decayed well. The Top Hat is where I noticed a difference between the Sparkos. It sounded slightly recessed, and not as clear as the Sparkos. Overall this song sounded great and natural.

Live "White Discussion", FLAC rip from CD. This is one of my favorite songs to test all kinds of gear. When the band jams, it gets loud and congested with heavy guitar and drums, and they can overpower the rest of the instruments and singing. The V5i performed very well, where each instrument is clearly heard when listened for, and the overall sound was better than I expected. The guitar was not as clear on the V5i compared to the Sparkos, but without knowing this song as well as I do, this could be missed by many listeners. The V5i IMO do a very good job of keeping the impactful changes, with great bass and mid bass. I did not like this song with the stock op amps.

Metallica "Master of Puppets", FLAC rip from CD. Alone the V5i do a very nice job on this song. Another song with a lot of things going on, and the only notable difference I could tell was the drums didn't sound as clear versus the Sparkos.

The Who "Love Reign O'er Me", FLAC rip from CD. Love this song, the beginning with the rain and piano, is one of my favorite starts to a song ever. The Bursons did not disappoint. Everything was clear, impactful, and Roger Daltrey sounded very lifelike. The Sparkos are better, but it isn't as obvious on this track.

Black Sabbath "War Pigs", FLAC rip from CD. Sounded great, another one of my favorite demo songs. I did notice a big difference in clarity of the symbol crashes and their decay. The Sparkos really show their muscle here, my notes on the Sparkos: "Symbols decay FOREVER". This really stuck out when the Sparkos were installed, and there was a noticeable difference when the V5i were installed. The symbol decay was still very good on the Bursons, but clearly not as good as the Sparkos. Everything else, like drums, guitar, vocals, all sounded very good.

Arcade Fire "Reflektor", FLAC rip from CD. This is a bass heavy song and really the reason I chose it. There is some good percussion, male and female vocals, and a song I really like. The V5i sounded very clear with bass and vocals, but again lost to the Sparkos.

Summary:
The bass and mids performance of the Burson V5i was very good with all of my listening. Vocals sounded clear with both Male and Female voices. Really the one note that kept coming up, was a lack of clarity in the upper ranges. The highs seemed a few decibels down compared to the Sparkos, and finer details just weren't there against it's twice as expensive foe. The V5i did excel with everything else, and compared to stock, this is a very nice upgrade, at a price that I think is worth it. I would call the Burson V5i a "warm" sounding op amp compared to the Sparkos. This may be exactly what you are looking for, especially if you are trying to tame the highs of certain headphones.

I was contacted by Carlos from Burson and offered an excellent opportunity to try out their product line up in exchange with my honest opinion and I thanked him for this chance, in this opportunity I got two V5i single (V5is) which are plugged on to my HA-02 an excellent price to performance headphone amplifier made by Dethonray. The V5is have gone thru 50hrs of burn in time which in my hearing, there are no longer changes in sound. I have no affiliation with Burson company.

you may find the detail of the V5is https://www.bursonaudio.com/products/supreme-sound-opamp-v5i/



In this review I am using line out from DTR1, connected to HA-02 amp using local made mini to mini. Tin P1 iem. As a music lover the original op amp which are OPA627Ap are good in giving sense of neutrality.



Songs:

Send My Love – Adele .flac 16 bit

No Sanctuary Here – Chris Jones .dsf

Mombasa – Inception OST – Hans Zimmer .flac16 bit

Starting with Send My Love by Adele using Tin P1 which is well known for its power hungry iem has started a good experience with the detail on the Adele instruction voice that has reverb which was never heard in previous OPA627AP, sense spaciousness and clarity are next finding. A pleasant to hear each instrument I sense there are more space, none of it feel congested, this is also bringing out better headstage and well-textured low. Adele voice is more pronounced and at dead center position.

Depth and Imaging is getting better , I can easily pin point each musical instruments position, one example the sound of tambourine started on 00:52 in between the music appears starting on bellow right then quickly shifted to upper left repeatedly, highs are also crisp without making ears tired, pleasant!

Going to the next song, No Sanctuary Here by Chris Jones, yet another pleasant experience of clarity and instrument separation in general speaking. Low notes produced by bass are definitely clearer in sounding; this detail was somehow unheard at OPA627. Mids presented in fairly neutral and no coloration. Details are rich especially when acoustic guitar solo started at 01:51 those sound of the guitar pick against the steel strings are sound realistic while at the same time at the background they keeps on maintaining excellent layering sound of Hammond and bass guitar.

At Mombasa by Hans Zimmer, V5is works very well in giving good dynamics and fast lows, impact of the low in this song felt stronger than before. Again nothing sounds packed or too crowded.

The V5is from Burson has become my new favorite op amp when pursuing for clarity, superb details, clear mids and better definition in low. from what I experience from it at the end, I dont mind to leave the amp naked without its enclosure

Salam!

This review focuses on portable devices, especially the Little Bear B4 Portable Vacuum & Valve tube headphone amplifier. I recently got my hand on a Burson v5i op amp and tried it in the B4. Executive Summary: Recommended!
 

 
 
My test setup was using an iBasso DX90 as source, later changed it to a Shanling M1 and a Zishan DSD for DSD128 tests. My test songs (FLAC except the DSD) include the Driving Towards The Daylight (Joe  Bonamassa) album, Into the Electric Castle (Ayreon), Star One (Arjen Lucassen), Endless Forms Most Beautiful (Nightwish) and the DSD recording of Beethovens 5th (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Manfred Honeck, Reference Recordings). I used Music Maker TK13s IEMs, Shockwave III IEMs and Phonon SMB-02 monitors headphones. Disclosure: The v5i was provided by Burson audio for review. I certify that this review reflects my true thoughts about the v5i. I have no connections to Burson audio, beside receiving a test sample from them.
 

 
I previously replaced the B4s stock op amp (TI NE5532) wih an OPA2107 and notice a significant improvement. The OPAs and especially the 2107 come with a likeable, but slightly 'laid back' sound signature.
 
This changed completely when I plugged the v5i in the B4. The op amp transformed the B4 and opened up the signature, both in the areas of transparency and sound stage width. Details that previously were lost, appeared like a light was turned on. What I really like is that the v5i didn't make listing tiring, it just removed a veil that I previously didn't realize was there. Especially with the Shockwave, the wider sound stage is glorious. And at the same time it did not negatively impact on the 'tube' characteristics of the B4.
 
As an op amp upgrade the v5i-D (for Dual) did work in anything I plugged it in. Its seems to be a quite uncritical op amp in regard to gain and voltage supply. It gets slightly warm during operation, but nothing to call home about, which makes it a good candidate for portable devices.
 
In the Walnut V2 portable player the v5i works equally well. Please check out http://www.head-fi.org/t/828315/walnut-hi-fi-v2-wav-mp3-player-by-wt-screenless-budget-killer-combo-dap-amp/2580#post_13405139 for a detailed view.
 

 
Sadly in the Zishan DSD I cannot try the v5i as its size (height) does not fit into the PCB sandwich. Its works (and sounds quite good) in a dry run but I cannot close the case, so I omitted the Zishan from my tests. That's also my main criticism, its still too large (for certain portable devices).
 
Baseline: I can recommend the v5i for amp rolling of your portable device (if its fits in physically). Even a puny little cmoy will likely benefit from it.

Disclaimer:

I received the Burson V5i opamp free of charge in exchange for an honest review and feedback. I have no connection to Burson





Preamble / Equipment used:

I bought the Little Dot 1+ amp a couple of years ago as I was interested in exploring the ‘tube’ sound. The LD1+ amp had stella reviews. Combining an upgradable opamp and the capacity to try different tubes all whilst remaining affordable made it a perfect choice. One thing I wasn’t expecting was just how great a sounding amp the LD1+ is, even in its stock set up! I spent a long time trying many different tubes finally settling on one tube that seemed to offer by far the most balanced and superior sound of all the tubes I tried, the
6HM5 EC900 EI Yugoslavia – Platinum.

As I am most familiar with these tubes I used them for the reviewing process although I also tried other tubes with different sonic qualities to verify my thoughts in relation to the unique qualities of the V5i opamp.

In terms of headphones I mainly used the Sennheiser HD 540 Ref 1 as I have had more time with this headphone than any other. Again, I also tried many other headphones to clarify my thoughts on the qualities of V5i

I mainly used the iBasso DX80 line out for input and on occasion the Cowon i9

For testing audio components I use many albums, too many too list! but ranging in quality from
Vinyl 24-192, DSD, 24-192 Digital, 24-96 and some Flac 16-44. Classical to Hip Hop!
Essential I try to cover all the bases!



Assembly:

Fitting the opamp is quite easy. The amp is easily accessible by unscrewing the screws on the end of the amp. Once the insides are accessible, gently prying up the opamp gives access to the seat of the opamp. Making sure the amp is the right way round fitting is very easy.

One thing I did notice is how easy and perfectly the V5i opamp connects. It feels professionally made, much more so than the opamp the LD ships with.
(You can see the V5i Opamp sitting nicely just below the yellow rectangular 'Tenta' thingy!)




First Impressions:

My immediate thoughts, ‘straight out of the box’ were of an obvious immediate increase in quality. What came across in the first few minutes even, was how much richer, louder and ‘meaty’ the V5i was. The mix had more authority and a better balance.


Burn In:

I noticed the first big change after approximately 60 hours of burn in with a further refinement after 100 hours


In Brief:

Burson have created an opamp that is tuned not to ‘show off’ but to allow the player, amp and headphones to give the best they have. In other words the V5i is tuned with great skill, care and a deep understanding and appreciation of music.

The V5i offers a balanced sound in the sense that it allows everything an equal share, the highs, mids and the lows with a touch of warmth in the low end and also gives exceptional instrument separation and accurate soundstage placement.

Very much an upgrade from the stock opamp of the Little Dot 1+ The V5i shares and in some areas, sometimes even surpasses the qualities of well known high end opamps such as Sabre, Burr Brown and the OP687

In Detail:

The V5i opamp had around 160 hours burn in. Initially I found the low end to have a warmth that I found a little invasive over all and perhaps a little loose and unfocussed. After 60 hours of burn in and use this tightened up nicely and after the 120 hour mark this was improved further until finally any initial 'issues' I had disappeared

The ‘Highs’

The treble is just spot on, never sibilant yet always delightfully clear. Its hard to say much about the highs as they just . . . work! They have what I would consider a ‘reference’ quality in terms of their accuracy. Importantly they work perfectly in relation to all the other frequencies presented in the music

The ‘Mids’

I feel similar to the mids as to the highs, they are tuned sympathetically in such a way that vocals, both male and female are always clear in the mix and come across as natural and real. They can be a little forward but not in a way that is unsympathetic. I would be hard pressed to fault them

The ‘Low End’

In general the low end is impeccably behaved presenting the bass that is present in the mix. What is also impressive is the quality and balanced restraint. On classic ‘bass’ tracks such as ‘Royals’ by Lorde the low end offers a perfect middle ground of having that big low end sound without exaggerating it, allowing a detailed and organic bass. Very impressive to hear

Soundstage:

The soundstage is presented as it is in the recording. Because of the superb detail retrieval of the V5i everything is clearly positioned where it should be and in its own place.

Sometimes with audio and audio components certain ‘studio type tricky’ is used to make something apparently sound 'better' to the inexperienced ear than it actually is. Burson Audio I find refreshingly pure and honest in their creation and tuning of the V5i opamp

Instrument Placement:

A very impressive aspect of the V5i is how everything in the mix has its own clear place, all of which is clear and detailed. With some albums it seemed the V5i almost magically ‘sorted out’ bad mix’s!

All Together:

I should begin by saying though that I have a definite sense that Burson have, somewhat humbly, got themselves ‘out of the way’ and tuned their V5i to allow the recording, the player, the headphones to do what they do best. A sign of a company that is manned by true music lovers

Its nice to say but I’m not sure whether the V5i is a bit too good! in the sense that it truly reflects the quality of audio you feed to it so if you listen to badly mixed poorly compressed audio then that is exactly what you will hear

As such the following points should be taken not as big faults but more as subtle flavours that someone such as myself, who enjoys and seeks audio perfection has noticed. The V5i opamp is a very, very good chip.

The first aspect of the opamps sound that I noticed was how the highs, mids and low end all seem to get an equal footing in the presentation of the audio. Combined with a touch of warmth in the low end this sometimes creates something of a paradox (although only with certain albums) On the one hand you have an ‘audiophile level’ of details in the treble and the mids with a weight in the low end that holds everything together very nicely but sometimes it can be a little too much. However this is just personal taste, I don’t think of this characteristic as a fault or an issue

To look at it another way, at times I feel I’m listening to a high end HiFi tuned opamp yet other times with >better recorded albums< I had a definite Audiophile level of detail, resolution and PRaT touching at times on being close to perfection!

As I mentioned above I think this is indicative of the quality of this opamp and is not a fault

Another aspect of the V5i character which was noticeable was how much ‘louder’ it is than the stock Little Dot 1+ opamp. This amp sounds like it really wants you party with and enjoy the music. The amp delivers a very confident rich sound which on occasion leads me to turning the amp down a tad.


In Conclusion:

There is no doubt the Burson V5i is a huge upgrade to the Little Dot 1+ amp. The V5i opamp is a TOTL capable opamp that gives great detail, amazing instrument separation, a confident soundstage and an ‘equal opportunity’ for the highs, mids and lows to all have a chance to shine in the mix.

I remember reading a while back that the addition of the V5i opamp made the LD1+ into a amp that was way, way above its price point and brought it in line with some other amps costing $1000+
Is this true?
Well, I have no desire to go out and buy a $1000 amp so . . .

Im certainly very happy to now have had the chance to test this out for myself and see what everyone has been raving about


I would like to thank Carlos & Burson Audio for the opportunity to enjoy their wonderful V5i Opamp and I would like to wish them continued success in their future endeavours. I will be watching this company very closely in the future

UPDATED ON February 23, 2019

Carlos (Burson Audio representative) has kindly offered me a free trial of the Burson V5i op-amp in return to my honest feedback.

Burson Audio is famous for its discrete V4 and V5 op-amps, but many applications cannot accommodate them due to their larger size. Thus, they made the V5i which is smaller comparatively. I would still prefer an even smaller size, i.e. to use it in Zishan DSD.

The V5i can be used to substitute for many op-amps of different models. A nice bonus provided by Burson Audio, an Australian company, is the lifetime warranty for the V5i.

The two op-amps came in a plastic container secured with strong scotch tape. This eliminated the chance of damage during shipment.

I used the V5i in Zizhan Z3. The song I listened to was “So Far Away” from “Brothers in Arms” by Dire Straits in DSD format. I picked that song as it has all the ranges of frequencies with good air between instruments.



Of course, any review of this kind is subjective as reviewer’s taste in music varies. Thus, it is very subjective.
With this in mind, I will outline the changes in the sound quality compared to the LM4562NA op-amp.



The soundstage appeared wider to me. It sounded enhanced.

Zishan Z3 with LM4562NA op-amp had recessed bass and highs. I look for headphones which are V-shaped to satisfy my liking. The V5i is more flexible in that I can use a wider range of phones. With the V5i I can use studio headphones as these ranges are quite good. The bass with the V5i is more emphasized, sounds deeper and thus, the general tone is warmer. The lower frequencies become more layered and the instrument separation (bass guitar and drums) is more defined. The bass and sub-bass rumble, but they do not bleed to other frequencies and do not suppress them. They are controlled and textured quite well.


The mid-range is almost the same. It is more focused as compared to the LM4562NA. The vocals are more vivid and defined. On the other hand, they are forwarded a bit (which may not appeal to some). Due to this, the vocals sound more emotional and engage a listener.

The high frequencies are less accentuated, but they are still present at a good level. They have the right balance and are sparkly with a transparency tone. They are not piercing and quite airy. The treble is smooth. It sounds more open and dynamic.

I've tried 10 different op-amps (OPA 1642, JRC 4580, TLE 2082CP, LME 49860NA, OPA 2604AP, NE5532AP, NJM2068M, NE5532P, LME49720, NJM4556AD) but V5i is by far much better than these as far as SQ is concerned.



There are some cons for the V5i as well. The sound is a bit distorted at high volumes and it is slightly noisier.

To conclude the review I can say that in general the sound is less analytical as compared to the LM4562NA , but more musical which is more to my preference.

I am so grateful to Carlos for the possibility to open a new world of op-amps.

P.S.
Carlos was kind enough to send me two more op-amps and I will extend my review here with Walnut V2 and Zishan Z1.

Here you go.


Now let’s see how V5i installed in Walnut V2 changes the SQ. Let’s not get into details about the pricing as everybody knows that just the opamp (V5i) costs more than the whole player itself. For me it is justified and I will try to explain why.

The Walnut stock opamp (RC5532A) sounds a bit rough to me (especially in the treble part) and lacks the depth as far as the lows are concerned. I’d say that the player makes a good match with warm and dark headphones which manages or compensates for the annoying and aggressive treble. The presentation is rather edgy.

With the V5i installed, the Walnut ends up having a more organic presentation. Besides, there’s a distinct improvement in the sound stage width, as well as in the instrument separation and layering.

I was so much impressed how V5i was able to give a richer output with more robust bass presentation. It also smoothed out the treble range, and enlarged the sound stage (I have already written about that above). With V5i you can pair almost any kind of earphones, including treble prominent ones.


Now about Zishan Z1 paired with V5i.

The stock op-amp is NE5532P. I was told that modding Z1 is a mug’s game. But fortunately it was the other way about.

V5i gives Z1 more well-rounded sound as compared with the stock op-amp. The sound is clearer, fuller and more dynamic. The highs are sweet and more refined. The mid-range is much thicker. But what is improved the most is the bass. It is really robust and powerful. The soundstage is wider and deeper. At least the way I perceive it. It sounds natural and not super exaggerated, though. It’s just amazing to me. The instrument separation is very pleasing. You can feel physically where the musicians are. I can immerse into music with Burson op-amp.

I know that it’s hardly possible to get all the benefits the Burson V5i can offer in budget gears but definitely you can hear and feel the difference in the sound as compared with stock op-amps. Who knows, there can be another step to SQ improvement after trying Burson V5i op-amps.

1) Introduction: A little while back I was contacted through PM by Carlos from Burson Audio who offered me a free sample of the v5i opamp in exchange for a review, an offer which I accepted. I would like to thank Carlos and Burson Audio for this opportunity.

2) Setup: I have attempted to ABX as much as possible the v5i against the LME49860 and for doing so I used two DAC/Amp devices using an LME49860: a) An Audiotrack Prodigy Cube Black Edition which uses the LME49860 natively and b) An xDuoo XD-05 whose default opamp had been replaced by an LME49860 a while back as I didn't like the default sound. As per diagram below, the Prodigy Cube is connected to the PC via USB and its optical output goes into the optical input of the XD-05. I volume matched the device by successively connecting their headphones output to the input of my PC internal soundcard, an ESI Juli@, and measuring their output volume with software. In that configuration and setup both devices essentially sound the same.



I then replaced the LME49860 of the Prodigy Cube by the v5i as can be seen on the following image.



Using my current favorite earphones which are the Simgot EN700 Pro, Toneking Nine Tails and Whizzer A15 Pro I then proceeded to test out the differences between the two opamps.

3) Testing: What struck me first was the bass response, tighter, punchier, better defined and seemingly louder with the v5i. Since the bass seemed louder I proceeded again with connecting the headphone outs of the devices to my Juli@ input in order to measure the frequency responses using a white noise file for playback. What I found out, using Voxengo SPAN in VSTHost for measurement, is that there was no difference in frequency responses, the earphones output of both devices being dead flat along the whole spectrum. So, unless I did something wrong or the testing methodology isn't adequate for a reason that escapes me, it appears the bass only seems more elevated and this feeling is certainly due solely to its significantly increased tightness.

After that I soon stopped "ABXing" and carried on with just listening to my favorites playlists using the Prodigy Cube/v5i only. As I was primarily using the Prodigy Cube/LME49860 before and was very used to its sound I sure went into a few more wows, mainly due to perceived increase in separation, soundstage and detail retrieval. At some point I felt the treble was sometimes grainy and running a sine sweep soon convinced me otherwise and that the "grain" must be treble texture/details.

4) Conclusion: This is in my opinion a very worthy upgrade and the v5i stays in my Prodigy Cube Black Edition. I'll certainly be purchasing a couple more of those opamps in the near future for putting in my less used devices, the XD-05 and Audinst Hud-MX1 (which also uses LME49860).