Burson Audio Supreme Sound Opamp V6 Vivid

Burson kindly sent a V6 Vivid to give my honest impressions. With that out of the way I can proceed to give you my thoughts on it. The Topping D10, actually already have a socket installed for chip rolling. The original ic was good, and it won me over as a decent dac which really was purchased to convert usb to coax or optical. One upgrade I did to the D10 was a usb cable that split the data and power so the power to the D10 was a separate usb that I plugged into an Audioquest Jitterbug and that into a filtered AC setup. This lowered the noise floor a bit.

With the V6 vivid installed, it remained about the same noise floor maybe a bit lower.

Now for the sound, I did not notice any elevated or more pronounced emphasis anywhere. I tried the D10 on solid state, tubes and a mix up of all tube, all ss and mix and match. I mostly listen to electrostatic head phones so while I do love bass and dynamics, these are the weakest points of them. With the V6 you installed, I noticed the high frequencies had a more detailed attack and longer decay when appropriate. One album I used to test the V6 with is Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield, many various versions. So the V6 Vivid let the bells and other high frequency instruments shine and shimmer with a detailed air to them. I also use 10,000 Maniacs “In My Tribe”, because this is a bright release, a bit dry and seems anemic all over, but great music. With the Vivid V6 installed, it made little details come out a bit. It also separated everything in an appropriate manner, ie Natalie Merchant in the center and front with the drums behind her, bass is behind and a little to the side and you could hear both the bass and bass drum could be identifiable.

The true bass test for me is John McVie and Mic Fleetwood on the self titled album with Stevie and Lindsay on it. The lead off track Monday Morning has a driving bass that has lots of detail with each string pluck. The Burson chip did not slow the pace or blur any detail. The bass did not overpower the midrange. I did not detect any coloration in the sound on any of my listening.

Now mind you that none of this is dramatically different, mostly subtle improvements. The most notable difference was the dynamics which had an increased maybe 2 dB’s over the stock chip. I should also mention the cables in and out have an influence on sound.

The only drawback is that this chip does not fit in the Topping D10 case which I knew about before receiving the Burson.



The list of equipment used to evaluate includes the following electrostatic headphones

Koss ESP950 with a Stax adapter

Nectar Pollinator

Stax L300, SR-404, SR-002, Sigma Pro and SR-X mk3

Preamps used were an ARC LS7(tube) and an Adcom GFP565(SS)

Amps Cary Rocket 88(all tube), Adcom 8008(SS) and a stand alone Stax SRM 212(SS) with an upgraded power supply.

Various cables were used.

All files were played through Foobar2000 and discs were played on a Sony SCD775.



Music was all digital from cd quality up to SACD (DSD files and disks). And the ones I used:

Pink Floyd DSotM

Linda Ronstadt Heart like a Wheel

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac

Steely Dan a large variety

Manfred Manns Earth Band Angel Station

10,000 Maniacs In My Tribe

Mike Okdfield Tubular Bells (original, TBII and, TB 2003)

Alan Parsons Project I Robot, Turn of a Friendly Card and Eye in the Sky

Dvorak Symphony No 6 Sir Colin Davis London Symphony Orchastra

Keb’Mo Keb’Mo

Richard Edgar Academy of Ancient Music JS Bach Brandenburg Concertos

Oscar Peterson Exclusively for My Friends

Warren Zevon Excitable Boy

Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds





In all cases, I compared more than one headphone for each evaluation music selection to ensure no one set dominated my impressions.


Now with well over 100 hours playing time things got only better. The bass detail is outstanding, the initial note have more detail as does the trailing ends. The high frequencies now have a more detail and volume. The mids are good as you can ask for.

The Topping D10 with the original chip I would give it around 80/100. With the Burson V6 Vivid raises it to a 90/100, and the only way to get more out of it is audiophile grade resistors and caps.

The Burson V6 vivid makes a very good DAC into an excellent budget DAC.

Most Recommended!

~

Disclaimer:

John Burson -after having seen my posts in the Zishan Z1 thread- contacted me & offered me a Burson
opamp of choice to try with the player. I picked the V6 Classic Dual with DIP socket extenders, but due
to some logistical difficulties that ended up being a non-option, so I gladly accepted his offer to send me
a V6 Vivid Dual instead. (in exchange of nothing, but my honest opinion of course)




The test setup:

For the past year I've been happily using my Zishan Z1 with the 49720HA opamp. I used to think I was quite the
hipster to use something like this, but compared to the V6 it's just tiny.


Since right now I don't really have anything else to test the V6 with of course I used the Zishan Z1 with my trusted
& well respected HD600 cans.

Since I've read another reviewer disregarding the V6 vivid + Z1 combination I started thinking what could've been
the cause of this. Upon some reflection I think I may know why. A long time ago, when I bought this player on a
impulse I was really disappointed with it, because it sounded pretty bad with everything & it did not take very long to
find out that it's due to it having a really high output resistance. (close to 100 Ω I think) What this means in practice
that with this player it's basically impossible to achieve perfect electrical coupling. (It is recommended to try to have
an output resistance no higher than 1/8th of what your headphones or earphones have) As such after realizing
that the player sounds horrible with all of my IEMs I just relegated it to 'burn in rig' duty. This has only changed when
on a whim I listened to the player my HD600s that sounded thin & dead with all of my daps and this is what prompted
the first opamp upgrade to the 49720HA & what made this review possible. I also used the Xiaomi Graphene
Headphones for testing briefly, but I gave that pairing up very quickly, since they are not a good match with the Z1 in
general.

Fitting the V6 inside the player is of course impossible, so I used a Burson DIP-socket extender to make this work
with an external fit. (as pictured below)

----

My honest opinion on the sound:


I'm no good audio reviewer material, listening back and forth, trying to find minutiae of differences is not something I cannot really do. So after some burn in, I just listened to to music -in shuffle mode- over the past couple of days, while doing a little back and forth with my previous opamp. Before the burn in I thought the sound resembled entry level Naim gear the most, meaning overly engaging sound with boomy -even for the Z1+HD600 combo worse than normal- bass and a pleasantly smooth top end with great sparkle, all that with a better and more realistic midrange / vocals than before. After the -off the head- burn in period of 50+ hours the sound felt completely elevated across the board. Yes it's still a very engaging listen, but it doesn't sound like Naim anymore. Now the sound is close to uncolored with a touch of extra brightness and bass energy, so The Vivid naming is apt. I suppose the main point is that the V6 powered player has reached a level of high fidelity, sophistication and technical ability that I did not think possible with just opamp rolling, at least not without other modifications. The HD600s are not great cans for testing staging, but the soundstage felt perhaps a touch better than normal, with great ambience. Orchestral pieces sounded really amazing & just ehm grand. (that description is probably not very good, oh well) Another horrible description incoming, you've been forewarned! I really like the sound of 'crying' accoustic instruments, if you don't know what that is, then listen to Wu Bai's 'Last Dance' on Youtube & you'll know. Anyway I feel that those crying string sounds are absolutely amazing with this opamp and I could say that the emotional delivery in general is very good. I think it goes without saying that the opamp is still too engaging for a laid-back, relaxing listen though.

TLDR: The sound is great, I'll continue using the Z1+V6 combo for the foreseeable future.

Is it worth the $70 asking price?

Now this is an interesting question! I think for the Zishan Z1, as much as the performance has improved, I don't think It's easily worth the $70 + import taxes to get there. Though considering that I like using the HD600s everywhere, at least where their open nature is not a problem It's tough to say. Maybe it's possible that I would go for it, since realistically I don't think I could spend $100-150 and get a player that sounds better with these headphones. (Luckily I don't have to, since I get to keep the V6 for free, imagine that!)

With more expensive desktop gear though I think it can be totally worth it. If one way or another you have the opamp switching option in a $1000+ dac or preamp, adding a number of these could bring more than enough improvements to justify the extra 10-30% spent, well that's what I think anyway, though component matching and mis-matching can also be a factor.

Battery:

The Z1 lasts 7 hours with the V6, this is barely shorter than what I normally get with the 49720HA. Overall this is a very reasonable performance for my aging battery, so I can safely say it's fine, there is nothing to worry about.



What would you think if you saw someone pointing this thing at you on the train?

First of all: I am a foreigner so my english may not be perfect.

Equipment used:

PC Sound card: EVGA NU Audio Pro

Headphones: Audio Technica ATH-AD2000x

Music used: 1995 Chesky Records - The Ultimate Demonstration Disc (FLAC's); lindsey stirling -- Home album (Flac's); Eivor albums Bridges and Slor; Haggard album "And thou shall trust seer", Finntroll albums

Opamps:
Burson V5i-D (bought myself)
Burson V6 Dual CLassic's (bought myself)

Burson V6 Dual Vivids (sent by Burson in exchange for a honest review).Packaging was great.No complaints here.





The review will be done on an Nu Audio Pro and to improve the sound i decided to go Opamp route.I bought a pair of Burson V5i-D and they are ok but ... not enough.I was really curious about the top of the line V6'es .I read the description on the website to choose between vivids and classic. I listen more violin, piano nowadays so i thought classics would be more suited for me.Finnally i bought a pair of classics.The stock opamps on the Evga Nu Audio Pro didn't stayed too long on the board.I wouldn't turn back to stock opamps.I have been spoiled. Thank you ... burson !

Burson offered me to choose one of their opamps.I choosed the V6 Vivids because i already had v6 classics.


So after playing with V6 classics and V6 vivids back and forth i had some intersting realiazations.In the past i had been a rock guy with bands like Haggard, Rammstein, Iron Maiden, Rotting Christ.I was in agressive music and funny enough i realized that the V6 classics i choosed initially are more suited for agressive heavy rock music.

This is how i described the V6 classics:
The sound overall is more agressive.The voice feels like it wants to agreesively take the front stage over the other instruments.My ears hurt a bit with V6 classics..The soundstage is smaller and feels unnatural.It feels squeezed artificially.The heavy metal rock songs on the other hand are perfectly at home with V6 classics.The v6 classics bring much detail in the heavy metal rock instruments.The instruments are nicely separated and detailed.The agressive signature of the songs is brought forward by the v6 classics natural agressive tone.The punchiness of Finntroll band is awesome .

THe V6 Vivids:
The sound is more soft and sensual.Is not hurting the ears.
The Ana Caram track "Correnteza" (from Chesky Records album) feels so much natural and soft and airy on Vivids.It brings a natural sound like this "how it was meant to be played by the artist".Emotion and sensuality is emanated with the V6 Vvids.The V6 Vivids are softnening the sound of the heavy metal songs.I listened to Haggard that have parts of heavy metal/death metal voice and parts with orchestra, female soprano and classical music.

The overall conclusion is that the Vivids are great for specific music.The unfortunate situation is if you sometimes want a more agressive song you don't know what you miss because you may don't know how the V6 Classics deliver this parts.

The V6 Vivids are worth buying at the price but it is a luxury/premium item after all.In PC market most people use onboard sound let alone changing opamps.At 130 euros these are more expensive than the sound cards that vast majority population buy.Also those sound cards under 130 euro usually don't have replaceble opamps.


The other point is the comparision between V5i-D vs V6. I do feel if you are pleased with a more mediocre sound or if you listen to many podcasts the V5i-D are great and cheap relative to V6.The voice clarity on V5i is great.Voice in music is great too but they fall short on the rest relative to V6.It has a deeper/clearer bass than stock opamps.Another advantage with v5i is that they are small enough to not have problems fitting physically in sockets.This are very good for begginers.

Conclusion:
The V6 line is for people that are really interested in sound.For them the V6 prices are worth it.

Intro:

The word Vivid can be described as delineated or perceived as distinct, and I think this perfectly describes the sound from this opamp. Hi, this is SoundDouble and welcome to my review of the well regarded Burson V6 Vivid opamp. Hope you enjoy.

I want to thank John from Burson Audio for sending this out to me in exchange for this review. All comments and opinions here are my own and I haven’t been asked to lie or deceit in anyway. No reason for me to, because spoiler alert *It’s really good*

Story:

After initial communication with John I requested one Dual channel opamp. Originally I thought more devices of mine were using dual channel opamps, but I was surprised to be wrong. So I will only be able to give impressions using this one guy below. Little Class-A single ended tube hybrid headphone/preamp I got on Amazon. I’ll put the link in the bottom in case anyone is interested. Good thing about this amp is simplicity. Basically 2 x 6j1 tubes, an opamp, a volume pot, connectors and components for power. Any changes done to it show up fairly easily.



On the bright side I have Beyer dt1990, Denon AHD5200, and Drop AKG K7XX to test. Not to mention a slew of iems and a handful of other opamps to compare. Sources included Rotel cd14 and Samsung tablet streaming apple lossless, both thru the Topping E30 dac, and my humble modified turntable being fed thru a Schiit Mani.

Process:

First thing was some measurements, and no not with a headphone rig. Would be cool if I had one though. Afterwards I swapped in the V6 Vivid and checked the power draw using my kill-a-watt. It was showing a .2w increase with the V6 Vivid as compared to the stock NE5532 that was included in the amp. Well within range of my 10w linear power supply.





Now that we’re all warmed up. That is the tubes, the opamp, and myself of course. April in South Florida isn’t known for cold winds. We can finally do some listening. BTW fitment was a little tight pushing the nearby cap to an angle and I had to leave the top plexiglass off.



Sound and Pairing:

I started off with the DT1990s, being my recent go to headphones, and I noticed 2 things immediately. #1 blacker background. Considering this is a tube hybrid I know there’s some harmonics and noise going on there, but this was obviously cleaner. Then there was #2 - time slowed down. Don’t leave yet, let me explain. Crescendos seemed to last longer and there seemed to be more notes on guitars and violins than I remember. What I realized was that each note or tone is more distinct. I can isolate sounds better, instruments better, and vocalist better. What was happening during the crescendos is that I can hear the progression of chords better. It makes it seem like there is more going on and it’s lasting longer. After this I ended up adding some more movie sound tracks to my library. J



Next step was the matching. I am a firm believer in synergy between equipment. While my DT1990 sounded best on my vintage Technics receiver, the K7XX sounded best with the V6 opamp/tube amp combo. How do I know? When the right songs play the feet tap, the head bobs, the shivers on the back of my neck and finally for a select few songs – tears. Going from Black Eyed Peas to Hans Zimmer to Lily Allen all displayed the same detail and clarity presented by the V6 Vivid.

In regards to the different octaves and sound descriptors. Bass is more on the tight and clean side. This is my only slight gripe as I felt it was missing just a touch of sub bass. Mids are clear and neutral. Not warm or full bodied, but more balanced. Vocals are well appointed and clear. I can visualize the mic and singer’s mouth, and how far away they are in the soundstage. Soundstage is circular and not really any abnormalities with this relating to the Vivid. It is fairly large and open using the headphones I have. Changing to my Jamo 707s being fed by the XTZ edge A2-300 power amp shows nice depth and accuracy within the speakers but not really extending outward to the sides. I have gotten more width using different combos in the past, but this is more than acceptable. What is really nice with this matching was the treble. I heard an increase in detail and location coming from the soft dome tweeters that I haven’t heard before. Still within the confines of my speaker placement but nice non-fatiguing and appreciated.

Edit:
I recently got some new tubes, 5654W matched pair, and the sound signature mutated. There is still clear and detail, but not as much as before. In exchange there is more bass. Sometimes too much. What this tells me about the V6 vivid, is that it doesn't inhibit change. doesn't force its own way but works with what else is connected. Perfect for tuning the sound of your system.

Burson V6 Vivid vs:

Here I will do a quick list of the main differences between each opamp I have. I actually ended up replacing my dip socket in the process of this review since my 2072 was sitting loose in it. Both sockets were the same, purchased from Burson Audio a year ago. No other changes to the system were made during the comparisons, and none of these have the black background I hear on the V6.

JRC 4556AD – I would say this guy has more bass and body, but not near the detail, air, clarity as the V6. This is what I was using with the dt1990 and A-pads.

TI NE5532P – V6 has a larger soundstage, and again more detail and separation. The 5532 came with the tube amp.

JRC 2068DD – I feel this two are my most similar. V6 still has more detail and is a step up, but the stage I think is about the same size and similar balance.

*update*
TL072CN – So I stayed using the burson for few weeks without swapping. Now I put in my TL072 and vocals are a little more forward but the depth is less. Maybe the analogy of sitting closer to theater screen. Everything is closer, seems bigger, and seems wider but actually the same size. The imaging is a softer around the edges, not as well defined. So everything sounds slightly softer and more intimate. Both have good dynamics and bass impact with the 5654 tubes.

TLE2072i – TBD



Conclusion:

At the time of writing this the V6 is selling for $85 on Burson’s website. Some may look at it as a lot of money for a small thing, but I look at it as a value. The improvement I got from this one change is definitely worth the cost. If you already have an audio device that uses opamps I would look into the change. Just make sure you choose the correct one, single or dual channel, and as always Enjoy the music.

BURSON AUDIO - Burson V6 Vivid Op-amp

“A beginning is a very delicate time. Know then, that it is the year 2021. The known Head-fi Universe is ruled by the Padishah Emperor Jude, Head-fi’s father. In this time, the most precious subforum in Head-fi is the headphone amplifier subforum. The op-amp extends life. The op-amp expands consciousness. The op-amp is vital to audio perfection. The Burson Audio Guild and its navigators, who the op-amp has mutated over four-thousand years, use the orange or red op-amp, which gives them the ability to finesse audio. That is, reproduce music in any part of the Universe without soldering. Oh yes, I forget to tell you. The op-amp exists on only one planet in the entire Universe. A desolate, dry planet with vast deserts. Hidden away within the audio gear of these deserts are a people known as headphone enthusiasts, who have long held a prophecy, that a man would come, an audiophile, who would lead them to improved audio. The planet is Burson. Also known as Burson Audio.” - Frank Herbert, Dune

Burson Audio has gained notoriety for producing high-end audio gear, including my favorite pieces of the headphone audio chain, headphone amplifiers. Here we find implementation of the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp which has been optimized through an evolution of 6 multiple generations, hence the V6 designation. Burson uses the V6 Vivid in their own Burson amplifiers but they can also be easily used in other amplifiers that have removable op-amps. John Burson offered to send me one of his latest iterations of these op-amps for my Little Dot headphone amplifiers in exchange for honest feedback. Which makes this point perfect for the segway to me, with my ”About Hottyson” paragraph.

About Hottyson
Hottyson has been an audio gear hoarder, er… headphone enthusiast I mean, for over two decades. He has a growing suspicion of reviewers that include the disclaimer, “Opinions expressed are solely my own and not been compensated ...bla ...bla ...bla” He does NOT have a monetized YouTube channel and hasn’t a care in the world about numbers of views or subscribers. Instead, Hottyson’s enjoyment stems from his interaction with audio gear and opportunities sharing it with others. His collection of headphones stems from $7 earbuds to $1,200 headphones. His true passion lies in collecting headphone amplifiers and constructing audio cables. Hottyson finds it odd writing paragraphs in the third person about himself. He wonders if this ”About Hottyson” paragraph is long enough and if he should end it with this sentence. He almost did.




Chapter 1 Grado flourish on tubes
The Head-fi $400 secret recipe from ten years ago:

• Little Dot I+ headphone amplifier ($140)
• LT1364 opamp ($15)
• Sylvania Gold Brand GB-408A (gold pins) tubes (±$50/pair)
• Grado SR225 headphones ($200)

Little Dot I+ has been a $140 wonder bringing tubes to the masses at entry level prices. It’s design is over a decade old but has gone through slight revisions that mostly replaced pin jumpers for switches. In its early days, with only a few inexpensive upgrades, the Little Dot I+ was THE budget amplifier for Grado headphones that shined particularly well with rock music, characteristically described in the forums as close-in-your-face headbanging. Eventually, at some point MassDrop offered the Little Dot I+ for $103, and the Grado SR225 revised to newer generations making $150 commonplace on the closeout/used market, making it possible to put together this secret recipe at a $100 savings for a pretty decent complete budget setup coming in at only $300.



I fired up the secret recipe, which is my Little Dot I+ / Sylvania Gold Brand GB-408A / LT1364 and plugged in my trusty old Grado SR225. Transported back a full decade, here was that all too familiar sound that brought sweet rock music to my ears. Once again, I was right up front row, center stage rocking out right in front of the musicians. Directly next to the secret recipe was an exact duplicate setup of the secret recipe with the same magical tubes but with one minor change. The LT1364 op-amp had been swapped out in favor of my newly acquired Burson V6 Vivid op-amp. So, here we had in front of me two setups ready to battle it out. In one corner, the reigning rock champion, our tried and true secret recipe. Versus our new challenger, a twin with only the Burson op-amp upgrade.


Not knowing what to expect, I placed the headphones on my ears and the battle commenced. Right off the bat, the Burson upgrade displayed more refined highs compared to the untamed highs of the LT1364. The harshness of the highs common with the LT1364 was also reduced by the Burson upgrade. As a soundstage lover, I proceeded to compare it next. The Burson upgrade presented a smoother, more wide open soundstage. The Burson also presented more realistic cohesion of instruments and also with voices. Going back to the LT1364, conversely, the instruments seemed disjointed. Comparing further, I found that the overall sound of the Burson was more pleasing. The Burson was full sounding, displaying more substance. More of a weighty and satisfying presentation.

Round one had ended. Burson had won by knockout. What did I learn from this battle? First of all, it brought my $140 amplifier performing closer to one of my $400 amplifiers. To verify this, I brought out one of my $400 solid state amplifiers. This headphone amplifier was a Schiit Jotunheim 2. Listening back and forth I tried to pick the better of the two with my Grado SR225. The Burson upgraded amp won again beating this $400 amplifier. What did it do better? The Grado SR225 can be harsh sounding. And I mean harsh like an Army boot camp drill sergeant yelling directly into your ear harshness. This is where tube magic comes to the rescue and magically turns our drill sergeant into a sparkly unicorn. Combining the Burson op-amp with tubes accomplished this magic. We took an old system and basically used the Burson op-amp to bring it into the realm of modern amplification. Value/performance-wise, we doubled the value of the amplifier. How could I test this? I thought, why not bring out one of my favorite headphone amplifiers, the Singxer SA-1 $500 and then compare it to the Burson upgrade setup, in terms of reproduction of detail. When comparing them side by side, the Burson upgrade setup had the benefit of the magical wet tube sound that I enjoy, but yes. Yes, the detail was there in spades with both setups and the Burson upgrade setup could almost keep up in terms of detail. So, I had reached my conclusion. The Burson upgrade setup might best a $400 amplifier with Grado SR225 but perhaps not a $500 amplifier.






That is great and wonderful hottyson, but now you are talking to yourself. What about a modern Grado? Okay, fine. Even though the Little Dot I+ came out more than a decade before the Grado Hemp, I shall provide some listening observations. Overall, the Grado Hemp is the most bang for buck modern production Grado headphone. The Grado Hemp will scale with high end amplifiers and thereby more easily benefit from improved amplification. So, I listened again with the Schiit Jotunheim 2 and the Singxer SA-1 versus Burson upgraded Little Dot I+. The Jotunheim 2 with Grado Hemp was an unbridled wild steed revealing hyper texture through instruments. The Singxer SA-1 with Grado Hemp was more polite and precise. The Little Dot I+ with Grado Hemp had harsh mids. The Burson upgraded Little Dot I+ tamed the harsh mids and produced a fuller sound. This means that I learned that the old setup did not mesh well with the new Grado Hemp like it did with the old Grado SR225. However, the new Burson op-amp was able to play well with the Grado Hemp.


Continuing with song after song, and just having lots of fun going from system to system with Grado Hemp, I was able to narrow down what the overall benefits of the Burson op-amp upgrade were in terms of tonality. Switching back and forth through these amplifiers with the Grado Hemp I heard refined highs instead of crushed highs. Mid range presented smooth vocals and intelligent cohesion in the center of the soundstage. Bass became full, warm, and enveloping. It was a more defined bass with an increase in sub bass presence. Can I provide a tier list? Yes, but this is only the tier list with the Grado Hemp as headphones react very differently when paired with different amplifiers. With Grado Hemp, this was my preference of amplification;

1. Burson upgraded Little Dot I+
2. Schiit Jotunheim 2
3. LT1364 upgraded Little Dot I+
4. Singxer SA-1

As you can see, I did not enjoy the Singxer SA-1 with Grado Hemp. While the Singxer SA-1 is one of my favorite solid state amplifiers, and #1 at most technical reproduction of music, I did not enjoy it’s pairing with the Grado Hemp. After the hours of Grado listening, my ears needed a break from the listening fatigue that Grado can build up after time. So I reached for my best headphones of my collection and some VERY warm tubes, the Western Electric 408A. That is where we shall visit in Chapter 2.

Will combining Burson V6 Vivid op-amp with warm tubes bring about the apocalypses or audio nirvana?
Will the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp upgrade play nice with my best headphone?
Does the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp upgrade make a Little Dot I+ sing with a high end planar?

Chapter 2 Hybrid Burson tube amp with my best headphone

Welcome back!

In Chapter 1, we established that the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp was able to bring my Little Dot I+ into the era of modern amplification in a big way by turning my $103 amplifier into $400 sound just by adding in a Burson V6 Vivid op-amp. It made sense that I had started this write up with Grado headphones because in the past the Little Dot I+ was notorious for successful pairing with Grados. However, with the unexpected success of the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp upgrade, it would be a logical progression to take my Little Dot I+ to the next level with some other headphones. With it’s new new life and breath via a Burson V6 Vivid op-amp, I am going to pair it with a modern planar headphone. What will happen? Let's find out!

I have a spending limit on my headphones and amplifiers. Nothing can be priced over $1,200. I have acquired about fifty headphones under this price. What I have found from my collection is that the best sounding headphone to me is a Monoprice M1570 planar headphone. Yes, it sounds even better than any of my more expensive popular planar headphones from Audeze, Focal, Hifiman and the like.

So I plug my Monoprice M1570 into the Little Dot I+ that still had the LT1364 op-amp. The first thing I noticed was that a tube change was needed. The tubes that were chosen for Grado did not mesh with the M1570 headphones. So I rolled some tubes and op-amps. I settled with Western Electric 408A tubes with an OPA2107 op-amp. What I got in return was instant warmth, mellow, dark, dull, non fatiguing sound. I could describe the sound as being reminiscent of similar characteristics to my Focal Elegia or Sennheiser Massdrop 6XX which have a laid back non fatiguing sound that many appreciate for loud or long term listening. This was sounding pretty amazing and now we were ready to get down to business.

I grabbed another Little Dot I+ amplifier to set up the side-by-side comparison. In this Little Dot I+ I placed another pair of identical Western Electric 408A tubes, but of course put in the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp. With the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp and WE408A the warmth mellow dark from the tube was there, but the dull had transformed to clarity. The clarity arrived in terms of mid vocal presentation. A very laid back non fatiguing sound. I was experiencing a very full, round tubey vocal sensation that solid state amps can never create along with the clarity that a $400 or higher amp would bring. This was a great combination.




I continued listening for a while comparing the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp vs the amp with the OPA2107. As I began to move away from rock tracks to modern electric and synthetic instrumentation like Dua Lipa and The Weeknd, I was hearing the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp setup exceeding with very accurate solid-state three dimensional reproduction in terms of sound stage and imaging. Even though I was hearing very enjoyable tubey goodness from both setups, what I was witnessing was a great combination of tube and Burson V6 Vivid op-amp that placed this combination up to par with the OPA2107. Did this combination beat the $28 OPA2107? No, it was a draw. This is a complication of explaining favorable tube sound on a forum. I might like one setup more than another, then the person right next to me might prefer the opposite. But, let it be said that both setups were wet and tubey and I enjoyed both of them. Ultimately, I am going to call this one a draw.




So, I knew I needed to bring in the big guns in order to compete with the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp setup. The Singxer SA-1 is an amazing amp that pairs extremely well with the M1570. This pairing exceeds the Schiit Jotunheim in both sound stage and imaging with a very airy and open presentation. So now I wanted to test if this was a more level playing field. Burson V6 Vivid op-amp and WE408A versus the much higher priced $540 Singxer SA-1.
Having already spent countless hours with the Monoprice M1570 headphone and Singxer SA-1 amplifier, I have developed a strong familiarity with the resulting sound. The Singxer SA-1 brought three dimensional accuracy and powerful dynamic control. I was hoping to witness some magical feat of victory from this inexpensive Burson setup to beat my Singxer champion. But perhaps this was asking too much of a $103 amplifier upgraded with an $85 Burson V6 Vivid op-amp.




I plugged the Monoprice M1570 into the amplifiers. What I was hearing from the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp and WE408A setup was a sacrifice of some three dimensional accuracy and powerful dynamic control compared to the Singxer. BUT, and that is a lot of BUT, once again I was greeted with the best of both worlds. I can speculate that what was happening was that the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp was creating the foundation of decent clarity and accuracy for the tubes to build their magic tubey goodness upon. The Western Electric 408A tubes accentuated the three dimensional portrayal that one would normally get from a solid state amp. The additional micro-reverberation from the tubes made the three dimensional experience over the top to a degree that I have never before experienced on Little Dot I+ amplifiers. For me as a personal preference, this is a good thing. The depth and width of the soundstage reverberated the horizon and the heightened stage rose up into the sky like bottle rockets. In terms of tube sound, this little cheap amplifier was punching way above its weight in terms of fun. Plugging back into the Singxer SA-1 brought me back to my room aware of the headphones and the exact placements of instruments and vocals. However, I was here for fun. The urge to go back to the tubes was too great for my willpower to fight.





What did I learn from all of this? The Burson V6 Vivid op-amp had brought a level of enjoyment and fun that surpassed my $540 Singxer SA-1. If you love wet tubey sound with over the top micro-reverberation, then the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp is a winner when paired with your favorite tubes.

Also, prior to this, the OPA2107 was one of my favorite op-amps for the Little Dot I+. I think the Burson has ruined me. I don’t know if I can ever go back to the OPA2107 when the Burson can extract so much performance out of my tubes!

Are we done? Where do we go from here? Well, I am satisfied with my findings of the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp. It is a winner with my favorite headphone, the Monoprice M1570. However, I am certain that some would want me to share my findings with a more popular expensive planar headphone. For the third and final installation of this tri-audio-thon, I shall bring in the $1,200 Audeze LCD-X headphone!

Chapter 3 Hybrid Burson tube amp begs for a higher-end planar

Why not try high end planar headphones on this amp. After all, it is a hybrid amp, which means tubey goodness of tubes and the flexibility of solid state amp circuitry able to drive pretty much all dynamic and planar headphones. This last installment will be short and sweet as we drive the Audeze LCD-X (2020) with our Burson V6 Vivid op-amp upgraded Little Dot I+.

I continue my listening by firing up some Post Malone and The Weeknd to get these Audeze moving some bass like they were built to do. Some might call the Audeze LCD-X bass heavy. I would rather state that they are capable of turning out the lowest frequencies. However, the truth of the matter is that they are easy to drive well, so even a $103 Little Dot I+ should be capable of producing the lowest lows. So this begs me to try this amplifier with the Audeze LCD-X. As expected, bass lovers rejoice! The bass is there in spades. After rolling my tubes a few times, I end up pairing the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp with a pair of Mullard 6AK5W.



This time I want to battle with a modern amplifier that is used by many. I also want the amplifier to be a hybrid amplifier. This leaves me with just one choice; the $500 Schiit Lyr 3. They are both hybrid tube amps, meaning they have solid state and tubes. However, as stated earlier, the Little Dot I+ uses op-amps. So, with the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp in place, which one sounds better? Now, you might expect me to say that this Little Dot I+ cannot compete with the $500 Schiit Lyr 3. However, with the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp upgrade it kept pace right alongside the Schiit Lyr 3. Despite the price differences, I cannot say that either one was better than the other but each did certain things better.

First of all, the sound stage because I am a lover of good sound stage. The Schiit Lyr 3 projected a large rounded smoothed out sound stage in Schiit like fashion. This is somewhat part of the Schiit house sound, and is also predominant in the Jotunheim 1 and Jotunheim 2. So the Lyr 3 combines Schiit house sound with added benefits of tubey goodness. Win win for Schiit Lyr 3 in this respect.

What does the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp bring to the Little Dot I+ better than the Lyr 3? With the Burson V6 Vivid, I was hearing an underlying refined articulate detail usually only brought out in amps like my $900 RSA HR-2 or my $540 Singxer SA-1. Clear like crystal. Guitar strings rang. Grit in vocals were textured with air and rasp in such fine detail. I was hearing ultra detail, and with tubes to boot! This was an addicting winning combination. And yet, the soundstage grew to a wide airy presentation that I did enjoy. The Burson V6 Vivid / Little Dot I+ combination made Audeze LCD-X seem like they were much higher end headphones than what I had paid for.

If you have made it to our ending, thank you for reading about my adventure with the Burson V6 Vivid op-amp! I had a blast doing this. Thank you John Burson for providing me with a Burson V6 Vivid op-amp.

Burson Audio V6 Vivid​

Specifications​

• Op-amp model: V6 Vivid
• Design: fully discrete
• Min voltage: ±3.5V/ 7 VDC
• Max voltage: ± 16.5V / 33VDC
• Current consumption: Single 7mA | Dual 14mA
• Unity gain stable: Yes
• Reverse-voltage protection: Yes

Design​

In terms of size and form, the Burson V6 Vivid is the same as the V6 Classic. That means it’s rather big (12.4mm X 14.5mm X 29mm), something you may need to keep in mind depending on where you plan to use it. For example, when I put the V6 Classic in my Topping DX7 Pro, I discovered I could no longer put the top of the chassis back on due to the opamp’s height. There are workarounds, such as Burson’s 35mm extension lead, so it’s not a big concern but something worth considering.

The Burson V6 Vivid has built-in reverse-voltage protection, so it should be protected from incorrect insertion. For added peace of mind, Burson’s V6 opamps are covered by a lifetime warranty. When handling the V6 Vivid, I once again felt confident thanks to the strength of the pins compared to other opamps.

Test Setup​

The amp getting the special treatment this time is Burson’s own Funk. Swapping out the stock Texas Instruments NE5532 opamps for the V6 Vivid was a simple task. It was quite a lot easier than doing the same operation on the Topping DX7 Pro as the Funk has more space around the opamp sockets for my chunky man fingers.

The process went smoothly and I was done within minutes. I was also relieved to find that the top of the chassis fits back on comfortably with the V6 Vivids in place; obviously, it has been designed with this specific upgrade in mind.

Sound​

Like I experienced with the V6 Classic, the Burson V6 Vivid has an immediate effect on the soundstage. But whereas the Classic has a softer airiness and rounder notes, the V6 Vivid expands the soundstage by the way of better note density and a more organized stage. It has less of a tube-type sound and more of a solid-state presentation.

However, that does not mean the Vivid isn’t musical: it’s just more transparent and uncoloured in comparison. It has an even blacker background, which enhances the spacing between instruments. So, while the Classic already has lovely imaging and layering, the V6 Vivid takes it a step further with increased pinpoint accuracy.

Speaking of accuracy, those looking for it will appreciate V6 Vivid’s uncoloured and unbiased approach. It’s truly transparent and renders a more precise timbre. Another benefit of transparency is greater detail retrieval which is another thing Vivid is especially good at. If you’re one who likes to pick out every micro-detail in a recording, this will enhance your experience. Treble notes have more definition compared to the Classic’s slightly rounded ones, making positional cues clearer.

The V6 Vivid is a better match for speakers or headphones with a fuller bass response. All of the extension is still there but the speed of decay and thus the control and definition are improved. It might not provide the same level of warmth as the Classic but it gives you a more tangible level of precision.

In the end, the Burson V6 Vivid is a stellar opamp that (at least in my opinion) is worthy of the asking price. I think it works better with warmer or more “musical” setups while the V6 Classic is a better match for more analytical or drier sounding systems. The beauty of it all is you get to choose which one works best for you and your specific gear.

Conclusion​

I was impressed by the V6 Classic and I like the Burson V6 Vivid even more. It elevates my Burson Funk amp to a new level with an expanded soundstage, more precise imaging and blacker background. The added transparency enhances micro-detail retrieval and produces accurate timbre across the spectrum. If you’re looking for an opamp to breathe new life into your system, I can easily recommend this one.

This is a review of the Burson V6 vivid used with Zishan DAP's. I only have these devices, and no other gear to roll opamps. Keep in mind the Zishan DAP's are technically limited devices, and this will probably have a big influence on the performance of high-end opamps.

First, big thanks for John from Burson for letting me try the V6 vidid dual. He asked me if I wanted to try a V5i-D with my Zishan DAP's, but I already bought two myself. And because there is no space inside the DSD for more than a standard IC opamp, he provided also extension wires.



The DAP's I have used for this review, all stock, no modifications on the circuit boards:
- Zishan Z1
- Zishan Z3 with ESS 9038q2m dac
- DSD with dual CS43198 dac
- DSD with dual ESS 9038q2m dac



About the Z1, I can keep it short. I have a V5i-D fitted inside. The V6 vivid is no improvement. The Z1 sounds mostly as itself anyway. To keep it convenient I haven't used it further for my review.

About the DSD with ESS dac, there is a Muses01 fitted inside, and that one is really stuck in the DIP socket. I tried to remove it, but I was afraid a leg would break. So I stopped trying. I have used this player for reference.

About the DSD with CS dac, I modified and extented the extension wires from Burson to get the 8 pins connected in the DIP socket between the two circuit boards. I don't know if this solution compromises the sound quality because of a longer signal path or interference. I guess this will be marginal and not audible.



About the Z3, for convenience I used the stock extension wires from Burson to try the opamps.

The DSD's have a bit better sound than the Z3, more authority and a bit more space, only recognizable when hot swapping the headphone between devices.

To get a better understanding of the performance of the V6 vivid dual, I have compared it to other opamps I have collected.



From left to right:
V6 vidid dual - V5i-D - Muses02 (genuine) - Muses 8920 (probably fake but sounds good) - NE5532P - LM4562NA - LME49720HA

Some of the music I have played for my review (flac 24 bit, 96khz capture of HQ tidal stream)
B.B. King - Live at the Regal
Buddy Guy - Stone Crazy
Roy Buchanan - Live Stock
Nirvana - Nevermind
War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
Rory Gallagher - Irish Tour
Peter Green - In the Skies
Maurizio - M-series
Scion - Arrange and Process Basic Channel Tracks
Michael Mayer - Immer

I have multiple memory cards with the same collection, so I can hot swap my headphone to test between devices, at the same volume. The headphone I mostly have used is the Sennheiser HD 560S. For preparation I have read some other reviews, like the one on audiofools and here on head-fi.

So, after this long introduction I can be really short about the conclusion. I thought I would need more time for a proper conclusion but in the context, and between the technical boundaries of the Zishan devices this is not the case.

If you pop in the V6 vivid, you instantly think that is sounds really good. And it does sound good, I assume this opamp will maximize the potential of the stock Zishan devices. But for precisely pin-pointing what is so good about the V6, I compared this opamp with my other opamps, and then the differences are actually really small. My conclusion is that the V6 vivid sounds (when used in my Zishan devices, and with my headphone) identical as Muses02, Muses 8920, V5i-D. And the DSD with CS dac + V6 sounds identical to the DSD with ESS dac + Muses01. For me it is really hard to find differences between the V6 vivid and the other higher end opamps. I listened the same songs a lot of times, there is nothing that really stands out between them.

The NE5532P and LM4562NA have little bit duller and flatter sound, if you listen carefully. Like the sound is played in a bit smaller room. The LME49720HA is problematic, with Z1 and Z3 it distorts, and with the DSD the operating system became unstable, songs stopped playing.

When the V6 is used as it is, it does sound good, vocals are close and intimate, guitars are real. Bass and drum are precise with pressure and rumble. And you can hear or feel the reverb of the recording room. Especially with the live recordings the sound stage is wide and deep. So I have given the rating 4. Hopefully I will get an other audio device in future where I can use the V6 vivid with more result, like a proper desktop DAC or a headphone amp. Until that day I will keep the V6 vivid installed in my DSD. Battery drain is not abnormal when used in the DSD, the DSD battery doesn't last long anyway.

Are the Burson V6 vivid's (or the V5i-D) worth the money and the effort when used in a Zishan device? I guess it only does if you like to thinker and experiment, and appreciate the experience, no matter the outcome. If you want to close the casing and keep the device portable, a Muses 8920, 01 or 02 would be a more logical purchase if you want to upgrade your Zishan player. And mind you, there are other Zishan players out there with more desirable dac's like the AK4495, 4497, 4499. My result is limited to the dual CS and single ESS dac. And if burning in the opamp is an important factor, results could change over time, I let the V6 play for a couple of hours before I started my critical listening sessions.

Introduction
I was approached by Burson Audio rep about a month ago to review one of Burson product of my choice, i have and love the V5i dual, so i said i'll do it with pleasure. I am in no way affiliated with Burson Audio, all results are my own findings and personal opinions.

The V6 Vivid Dual Op Amp Test Setup.
The testing setup I used was with various dac amps and headphones. I used mostly 2 amps to implement the v6
d10s, little bear b4 and i also used a modified AIYIMA DAC-A5 but it died midway for some reason.

comparison
I used on the same setting for comparison the MUSES02, v5i dual and the Douk Audio HiFi SA200 (oh, and the one that came with the amps, but really not worth mentioning).

I like to do and explain things a bit differently than most but I think that i came up with an sound explanation that makes things easier to understand.
I annalise sound with a set of categories that I think are the most important:
The way i see it there's two types of sound or Two style of sound
one is Intimate and the other is wide (soundstage)
In the two categories I focus on 3 aspects that exist in every music
1. Separation (Imaging)
2. Presence (Body)
3. Bass

after hours of listening and going back and forth my conclusion is:
in all of the Op-AMP the Imaging was very good, on the v5i the Presence is excellent, but on the SA200 and the v6 the Presence was amazing. but only the v6 gave bass that are spectacular!

Unfortunately the d10s and the little bear are more of an intimate sounding devices, so i can only guess how a bigger and better dac or amp would sound with all of this.

when the Presence and Bass aspects of the sound are strong Like with the SA200 the v6 and even the v5i, sometimes sound can be piercing and sharp. only the v6 on one hand has strong bass and strong Presence but on the other is completely soft on the edges, engaging without ear fatigue.(I think that what people means when they say musicality)
the SA200 was very unstable and suddenly stopped working so my final words will be only on the MUSES02, v5i and the v6.

conclusion
in layman terms the MUSES02 is a more transparent Op, the v5i is easy to implement and have a great overall everything, but the v6 vivid is nothing but spectacular. that said, the v5i on the little bear b4 with my phone(K20 pro) was better sounding than the v6, so it is important to double check before we associate things together, because better Op (and everything else for that matter) are not always compatible with what you have. so better is not always better

Burson playmate is a fantastic DAC/Pre amp in its own, it is one of the best sounding DAC/AMP with ESS9038 chip at the center but I still had a couple of basic complains about the imaging and stage. The mid range is like a fairytale with exceptional amount of details and clarity which is helped by the huge stage presence. There were a couple of tradeoffs too, the bass didn't had a lot of life, treble was suppressed and both were fighting for stage presence. I looked into a few possible solutions. What can I do.. I changed the input from USB to optical, going optical was good, it made the Playmate sound a bit more calmer and a bit more musical but it is not what I was expecting for. I got in touch with Bhav from Burson, who is very friendly with interactions. He took the criticism constructively and placed an order for their top of the line Op-Amps from V6 series.

Get these OP-amps from here:-

https://www.bursonaudio.com/product/supreme-sound-opamp-v6/



THINGS TO KNOW:-

The Super Sound series of OP-amps have a lot of improvements over the basic NE5532 opamp which are pre installed on the Playmate. These OP-amps from the Super Sound lineup are some of the best aftermarket discrete OP-amps one can find. They can be used in sound cards and a lot other DAC/AMPs.

In their words:-

"Discrete circuits are custom built by Burson for specific applications rather than an op-amp’s jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none specifications. The art of circuit design yields superior sound in every way in comparison to simple plug-a-chip engineering.

A system can only sound as good as its weakest link. All our products use thick, quality, temperature-stable printed circuit boards with high-purity copper traces and gold-plated soldering pads. And extra coating is applied to both sides of the PCB preventing oxidation. The boards are hand-built use high-spec metal-film resistors and other audio-grade parts using as few hand-matched components in the signal path as possible."

"The V6 Vivid and V6 Classic are the results of over 12 years of research and six generations of designs. They are the most refined we have ever created."

Burson is really proud of their OP-amps and if you have bought them, you can get a lifetime warranty on them. All you have to do is register the OP-amps here.
These OP-amps are not huge is size and fit everywhere without much struggle. One of the remarkable features of these V6 is their reverse voltage protection. If you have installed them the wrong way around these will survive without any problem where other opamps will be fried. That's a fantastic thing to be precise.

Read the build and other specifications of the Burson Playmate here.







SOUND QUALITY:-

The Playmate is a fantastic sounding DAC/AMP. You can try going optical if you feel the USB sound is slightly on the analytical, less expansive and drier side. But the level of details and clarity is there, always. The expansive stage is just overwhelming for someone who doesn't use desktop DAC/AMPs.

Everything has down sides and the playmate is not an exception, the NE5532 is not a very dynamic of open sounding op-amp. The V6 vivid on the other side has considerably better extension at both ends and the stage is bigger with more even distribution of instruments. Where the NE5532 is bright the V6 vivid is a bit damp, lot less bright and slightly darker.

For a better perspective, read review of the Playmate with NE5532 here. I will focus on the improvements in this article.



BASS:-

With the V6 vivid the bass feels more extended, there is more rumble and thump, making the sub-bass more enjoyable. The mid-bass emphasis flattens a bit, it is not as a steep as it used to be, the decay speed is more natural, having more room for air and better precipitation. Notes are juicier and fuller in short. Notes have better texture now. The lower region doesn't feel clumsy or constrained any more, notes express themselves with a lot more freedom. The V6 brings more heft without compromising on accuracy, details, resolution and clarity. The Playmate attains a more neutral status and can be paired with any type of headphone and speakers without worrying about the bass region being unnecessarily analytical or less exciting.

MID RANGE:-

Mid range used to take a huge chunk of the stage size with the NE5532, making the playmate a mid-head DAC/AMP. Now the stage is more even, it still has a big chunk of it but the overall stage expansion at both ends helps a lot. The stage is huge and the cleanliness is maintained. With the 5532 the notes were sharper with smaller base, the V6 has a bit more notes body with a slightly conical notes structure. The vocals are lusher and more natural with tonality. The upper mid range has a very good amount of energy with equally good transparency and clarity. The sharpness is gone, it is not blunt but notes are more musical and calmer. Layering and separation of instruments remains excellent. Air between instruments doesn't feel better thanks to the thicker notes. The excellent transparency is maintained but the less sharp notes finishing gives the V6 vivid a bit softer feel, it is not on the face any more.

TREBLE:-

My biggest grief with the NE5532 was about the clumsiness of the treble, which was literally fighting for air. It had very little stage presence with all the instruments cramped in a small space. The V6 vivid breathes new life in to the Playmate. The treble feels well expanded with better treble extension and vastly improved sonicality and dynamism. There is better energy and sparkle now, the suppressed feeling is gone, the projection is in line with the mid range and is equally emphasized. Layering and separation is much more improved with considerably better space between instruments.

COMPARISON:-

Last time I reviewed the Playmate I was slightly thin on options, now I have a couple more options to compare.

VS EARMEN TR-AMP ($250):-

TR amp is a very similar sounding DAC/AMP which has the DAC chip inside. There are some basic differences, the smaller DAC/AMP has Native DSD support of 128 times only where as the Playmate has 512 and the PCM support is half of Playmate at 384khz. The biggest difference is input, the TR-amp has only USB input and it has a battery life of around 10hrs.

With the V6 the Playmate is much closer to the TR-amp's sound signature, the only difference in signature is with the notes weight and dampness of the V6 vivid. The TR-amp is slightly more agile and sharper. The bass region is bigger with volume and marginally faster with decay. Mid range is much closer to the 5532 than V6, sharper and more analytical, same goes for vocals too. Instruments have more attack and sharper finish to them. Treble region is not as expanded or holographic as the Playmate. The layering and separation is not as good either. Both are very technical but the slightly sharper notes presentation of the TR-amp gives a sense of better transparency.

The stage size of the Playmate is considerably bigger than the TR-Amp, it is nearly 60-70% bigger with the V6 vivid. Where the V6 has deeper stage with very good width and height the TR amp is taller, compromising on depth.

It is tough to pick one, the Playmate is much more capable with imaging and stage size, both have similar amount of details but the notes presentation is different. The Playmate X V6 vivid is not very contrasty where the TR-amp has better contrast closer to the Playmate with NE5532.

VS CREATIVE E5($200):-

The E5 is my oldest DAC/AMP. It is not a very technical sound DAC/AMP anymore, the Playmate with V6 vivid takes it down fair and square when it comes to details and technical abilities. The sound signature is more colored. What the E5 has on its side is the musical touch, the bass is much more voluminous, there is more air and the rumble and slam are more enjoyable. Decay speed is slower. Mid bass is more prominent too. Mid range is less detailed and micro details are not in par. Vocals are slightly blunt and lush, the bite with instruments is gone too. Upper mid is lacking forwardness and energy and the clarity is not there. Treble region doesn't feel as defined or resolving either, the spark and energy is missing with higher frequencies. The stage size is nearly half in size of the Playmate.

It is a decent DAC/AMP and can be used for its scout mode in its software, a very good tool for gaming. much more refined and polishes than the Playmates microphone controls. The dynamic range, sonicality and technical abilities are good but belong to league a few notch below the Playmate. The micro details have the same case. The biggest plus for the E5 is the creative software which gives a lot of freedom with EQ and software tweaks.

CONCLUSION:-

The stock NE5532 dual channel op-amps are not bad at all but it restricts the playmate in a few aspects.. NE5532 lacks a bit of extension at both the ends, the bass sounds clumsy and less dynamic and same goes for treble. The treble region feels very limited when it comes to stage presence.

The V6 vivid is not a very analytical OP-amp but a much more neutral, musical and playful one. It unleashes a few tied ends of the Playmate. It is a very good add-on to the already fantastic sounding Playmate, upgrade the sound without breaking the bank.

Is it flawless? No, it can be better but I barely have any complains now. Maybe add a BT.. Maybe.

As a big Burson fan, I have been doing a lot of reviews and enjoying everything that I have used from the Cable + to the Play to the Fun. However, I have never gone down the upgrade path that makes Burson so much fun – both the Play and the Fun were "Basic" editions. However, after watching this guy’s awesome Burson Play upgrade review video:



I became very interested in trying his suggested V6 Vivid and Classic opamp upgrade setup. As mentioned in the video, there are three dual slots and two single slots for these upgraded opamps. His suggestion was to go vivid in the three dual slots and classic in the two single slots. He also suggested that the dual slots were significantly more important in upgrading the sound quality. Being conservative, I decided to start conservatively and only upgrade the dual slots to see if this was good enough. The results were spectacular!



However, after hearing the V6 Vivid in action, I decided to change course and go Vivid all the way. The Vivid matches my signature preferences exactly so I figure, if a little is good, more must be better - dangerous, right? In retrospect, it was the right thing to do. Everything did get bigger and better.

Burson Play Upgrade Test Plan
My goal in testing these two configurations below is to see how well the Play can scale with the better opamps. Since my advice is that upgrading the three dual slots make the most difference, this is where I will start to see how this differs from the basic configuration. The next step is to see if upgrading the 2 additional single slots make enough difference to matter or if upgrading the 3 dual slots are good enough. Of course, as mentioned above, this upgrade is all V6 Vivid opamps. On with the games.

Upgrade Plan:

1. Add: 3x Dual V6 Vivid Upgrade
2. Add: 2x Single V6 Vivid Upgrade

However, let's explore what these ops amps are before we jump into the results.

Burson Supreme Sound Opamp V6

Burson offers a range of opamps from the ones that come in my basic model that look like you would expect, then a version 5, and now the version 6 you see below. As you can see below, these are not typical opamps. Burson designed them to optimize audio performance and I can confirm that this is exactly what they do. Burson says, “V6 Vivid and V6 Classic are the results of over 12 years of research and six generations of designs. They are the most refined we have ever created.”




While I will not claim to be an expert in general-purpose IC-based opamp design, Burson lists some of the key features below. All I know is that whatever they are doing is working.



As you can see below, the three dual V6 Vivid duals cost $200 for part one of this upgrade. The additional 2X V6 Vivid singles cost an additional $70 making the complete update $270. That means a fully upgraded Play will cost you $569.



The Upgrade
The upgrade process was not that difficult. After watching the video referenced above, I felt comfortable unscrewing the 4 hex screws and removing the top lid. The top lid came off and revealed a diagram on the inside providing you with the layout map to assure that you are messing with the right components. As you can see in the picture below, there is the Vivid and original opamp sitting on the lid so you can see the difference in build. The diagram shows exactly which three original opamps needed to come out to be replaced by the Vivid. I made note of the dot on the original opamps and the direction it faced to correctly put them back just in case. As you can see in the diagram, the opamp sockets have a “U” shaped cutout facing south in this diagram. The dot on the original is facing correctly to replace it. However, the Vivid has the same “U” shaped cutout in its design and in this picture is facing backward to how it is to be inserted. Please make note of this if you do the upgrade yourself as it only is supposed to fit one direction. While the Vivid has protection built in to avoid shorting the socket and chip, the original chip does not – so don’t make that mistake.



The original build is pictured below so you can see the alignment.



To remove the original opamps, after unplugging everything, I used a small flathead screwdriver to gently pry the sides without pins a little at a time, back and forth, until I could safely remove each opamp. This picture below shows the resulting socket and exposes the “U” shaped cutout for correctly aligning the opamps.



Finally, I just carefully dropped each V6 into its slot one at a time until I felt that they were fully seated into the socket.



As you can see below, they are rather large. For whatever reason a little bit too large which did not allow me to fully add the cover back after this operation. I ended up adding the front two screws and leaving the back two screws off to provide protection….and I guess a little more ventilation. Oh well, it is minor and nobody has noticed yet. What is important is the sound.



After testing the 3 dual Vivid opamps, I added the final two single Vivids. There was no difference in adding these single versions, they were pretty much the same as adding the duals - same size/shape and similar-looking slot. The picture below shows all five Vivids installed and powered on.



Listening to 3 Dual Vivids
I originally thought that I would be able to switch back and forth to get an accurate A/B comparison and provide much more detail into the sound quality differentiation but found that the process took to long for my audio memory to be completely accurate. Option 2 was to listen for an hour in basic mode, then upgrade and listen for an hour to see if I could provide an analysis of the differences, then to downgrade back to basic configuration to see how it felt to return. Here is what I had found.

Basic Configuration
As reported in my Play review, I like the basic play very much and felt that it hits way above its pay grade. The weaknesses that I found were that in comparison to my Hugo 2, it was narrower and not quite as elegantly smooth. They both stressed details and had a rich character, but Hugo 2 was somehow better. The instruments were placed better on the Hugo 2 and the black space seemed more apparent and there was more timbre. However, the $299 Play was not very far from this $2800 Hugo 2.

V6 3x Dual Configuration
Now this may be a bit of reviewer bias as I don’t have a great A/B setup to quickly go back and forth, but there was something superior to this upgraded setup that was immediately apparent. Things seemed richer, the bass seemed to hit harder and go deeper, and most importantly, the size of the sound stage grew noticeably. The Play now seemed to be more on the Hugo 2 level without the easier to pick out differences. The sound stage width and depth were the most noticeable differences. Side by side with the Hugo 2, there was a smoother elegance still which still puts the Hugo 2 in the lead, but the little noticeable nits that I had previously were all gone. It is close enough, I can see many people saying good enough.

Back to Basic
Going back to the basic configuration again, was a disturbing process. The basic was now sounding bright and narrow in comparison. Remember, before trying this I had no problem here. The biggest problem I had was a bit narrower sound stage. But now after experiencing the upgrade, it felt claustrophobic. The richness I heard in the basic setup sounded thinner in comparison. It was disturbing enough, that I immediately reconfigured with the upgrade – done deal.

Going all-in - 5x Vivid
This is where things get interesting. While the 3x dual upgrade was stellar and did not leave me wanting at all after upgrading from the basic configuration, going back and forth from 3 to 5 vivids made it obvious that there was something missing in the 3x approach.

Going 5x Vivid Configuration
While 3x duals were stellar, to say the least, there were parts of the sound quality that seemed perhaps underpowered or undersized in context with the remaining frequency response. I was thinking that I was exposing flaws in the files given the higher resolution response I was hearing or perhaps it needed to warm up a little more to get that enveloping sound stage. However, I now believe that it is just the lessor basic opamps working in concert with the greater Vivids. I couldn't go back to the basic or the 3x configuration after hearing all 5 duals in action.

Back to 3x Configuration
Going back and rereading my V6 3x configuration from the last section, my description remains the same with the 5x configuration. However, now I have a much fuller sound across all frequencies without that "dip" I was hearing in the comparison. I also feel like I have better detail retrieval across all frequencies that may have been missing before as well as a little richer sound stage.

Back to Basic Configuration
Going back to the basic configuration one last time, I could only stand it for 15 minutes before permanently going back to the fully upgraded 5x Vivid Play configuration. Done deal!

Conclusions
My first conclusion is that a "Basic" $299 Play that can almost stand toe to toe with a $2800 Hugo 2 is a hell of a bargain. My second conclusion is that a $499 upgraded Play that can stand toe to toe with a Hugo 2 is still a hell of a bargain. My third conclusion is that once you go Vivid you will never go back….so don’t try it if you don’t want to spend the money. The basic configuration is good enough, but yes, the Vivid 3x dual upgrade is a significant upgrade.

My final conclusion is that if you go 3x Dual, you have to add the 2x single at $70 for a total $569 to get the Play to sound its best. Once you get past the $200 for the 3x dual, the $70 for the 2x single is a no brainer decision. The Play is already a hell of a bargain. What makes it great is that you can buy your way up as you can afford it. However, if you have the money......don't wait.

Better Desktop Power - Burson Play V6 Vivid OP-AMPs Update Review



Burson Play's Vivid OP-AMPs are a rather affordable way of upgrading the sound of your Burson Play, and they are supposed to change the sound quite a bit, thing which I'll be testing in today's review.




Introduction

Burson is a rather large company, known for their very powerful products, with excellent overall price / performance ratio. They are going to help you if you ever have issues with their products, and they already designed some long-lasting devices, so you can expect their creations to last a long while.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Burson, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. This review is not sponsored nor has been paid for by Burson or anyone else. I'd like to thank Burson for providing the sample for the review. The sample was provided along with Burson's request for an honest and unbiased review. This review reflects my personal experience with Burson Play V6 Vivid OP-AMPs. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in Burson Play and upgrading its OP-AMPs find their next music companion.



About me

https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/about.html



Packaging

The OP-AMPs come in small plastic cases. For a full unboxing of Burson Play, please check my full Burson Play review: https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2018/07/burson-play-desktop-power.html



Burson Play Youtube Video





What to look in when purchasing a high-end DAC/AMP

https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/what-to-lookl.html



Build Quality/Aesthetics/UI/Firmware

The OP-AMPs are basically plastic blocks. They come with extra feet installed, you need to uninstall them to be able to close the case of Burson Play after installing them.

The OP-AMPs are red in color.

There's not much to talk about, as I did the installation process in my video on Youtube. Taking the OP-AMPs out of their sockets, and installing the new ones is a very basic process.

Please pay attention to direction and also please pay attention to install the Single and the Dual in the proper sockets. Instructions can be found both in Burson Play's Manual, and on the back of the metallic case of Burson Play.



The OP-AMPs have a slight ridge at the back, which is also simulated on the socket, installing them in the right direction can be done by checking that out.

Happily, the vivid OP-AMPs have a protection against being inserted the wrong way, but keep in mind that the basic OP-AMPs don't and you will burn the basic OP-AMPs if you don't pay attention to inserting them the right way.



Since the OP-AMPs are socketed, the upgrade operation is as simple as taking them out of their sockets, and inserting the new one, like inserting RAM into its slots, or like inserting a microSD card, very simple and very hassle-free operation. I don't want to incite mistakes, but I installed them while in my bed, without wearing any kind of anti-static equipment, and they still work very well, so I think you don't have to worry about the circuit board getting fried by static electricity too much. You should also watch my Youtube video if you're curious on how it feels to open Burson Play.



Sound Quality

The sound of the vivid OP-AMPs is just like the name suggests, more vivid than the original OP-AMPs while Play was in its basic shape. The vivid OP-AMPs inject vividness and dynamics into the sound, basically making everything better separated, and giving better depth to the sound. Burson Play already had an amazing wide soundstage, but it wasn't as deep as it was wide, but now with the Vivid OP-AMPs, things are wide and deep, much better layered, and with better depth.



The bass is very deep, and very quick, yet, if I was to compare the vivid op-amps to the originals, the vivid has better depth, and a slightly more natural speed, almost as if the bass got a tad more gentle and more rounded, with more warmth to it. The bass is still very detailed and very capable, and I'm always smiling while using Burson Play because I am always pairing it with a harder to drive headphone, and I can feel the authority it has with that. Punchy is a very good word to describe the sound of Burson Play, with the Vivid OP-AMPs in general.

The midrange is very clean and clear, but also crispy, and the vivid OP-AMPs seem to have a better detail than the original basic OP-AMPs, but the thing I am noticing the most is the improved texture rendering, the improved dynamics and the more euphonic and more emotional overall tuning. The thing is, the sound is still very linear, but it seems to be able to play the background further away from the listener, while the forward instruments are still fairly forward, basically improving the whole layering and instrument separation. This also makes certain micro-details easier to notice.

The treble is also a touch more sparkly than the original OP-AMPs, but the treble is still rather soft and gentle, it keeps that beautiful character that made me like Burson Play in the first place, but now it seems to be textured a bit more watery and a bit more natural, making it even better than the original OP-AMPs.



Pairing

Burson Play has an extremely powerful power delivery, and a really large amount of power inside. It clearly favors full-sized headphones over IEMs, and besides Final Audio E5000, which paired really well with Burson Play, I'd generally recommend full-sized headphones.



Burson Play Vivid + Audeze LCD-MX4 - Audeze LCD-MX4 really enjoys the power from Burson Play, and with the vivid OP-AMPs, it also gets a wider soundstage, and better instrument separation. Their very revealing nature makes it very easy to notice how the Vivid OP-AMPs made the sound more dynamic and more punchy, and how they now reveal even more detail.

Burson Play Vivid + Beyerdynamic Amiron - Beyerdynamic Amiron is another headphone great to pair with Burson Play, because they are a high-impedance headphone, and they reveal how good the voltage is within a DAC/AMP (as most current gets filtered by their high impedance). The sound is more soft and musical, more dynamic and more punchy, when compared to Burson Play in its original Basic Configuration.

Burson Play Vivid + HIFIMAN Sundara - HIFIMAN Sundara really loves some good power, and they get very dynamic with a capable source, and happily Burson Play simply does the trick. Now that it is priced at 200 USD, Burson Play basic is one of the DAC/AMPs I can recommend the easiest for HIFIMAN Sundara, and I'm sure that after you'll hear the dynamic, extended and well layered presentation they have together, you'll agree with me. Furthermore, upgrading the OP-AMPs gives it an even better overall dynamics, even more instrument separation, and an even better detail revealing ability, making this pairing a real killer budget cobo for your desktop, one that I often use while working on reviews, or on my games.



Value and Conclusion

The cost of upgrading the original OP-AMPs is pretty varied, depending from where you get the new Vivid OP-AMPs. Burson Play is currently 200 USD new on Burson's site in its basic configuration, making it an absolutely killer deal if you're looking for a great Desktop DAC/AMP, and the upgraded version is 400 USD, still being an excellent overall value.



Purchasing the basic, and the V6 Op-AMPs separately will cost you more, but they go often on sale on Massdrop, making upgrading the Burson Play basic pretty inexpensive.

Overall, the build quality of the OP-AMPs is great, they are plastic sticks, and they even last if installed the wrong way, and the build quality of Burson Play is still pretty much excellent.

The whole DAC/AMP still gets quite warm during usage, and I wouldn't recommend installing it in a PC case, but it is very practical for usage on a desk.



At the end of this review, if you're looking for an even more dynamic, more punchy sound, with better layering and better instrument separation, from your Burson Play, and if you'd enjoy tinkering a bit with the socketed OP-AMPs, I think you should totally consider purchasing the vivid OP-AMPs and upgrade your Burson Play!



Full Playlist used for this review

While we listened to considerably more songs than those named in this playlist, those are excellent for identifying certain aspects of the sound, like PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you're searching for new most, most of them being rather catchy.



Tidal Playlist

https://tidal.com/playlist/64555551-ec3c-4279-ae44-248fdfcf6c4b



Song List

Bats - Gamma Ray Burst: Second Date
Eskimo Callboy - Frances
Incubus - Summer Romance
Electric Six - Dager! High Voltage
Kishida Cult - High School Of The Dead
Dimmu Borgir - Dimmu Borgir
Breaking Benjamin - I Will Not Bow
Thousand Foot Krutch - The Flame In All Of Us
Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
Infected Mushroom - Song Pong
Attack Attack - Kissed A Girl
Doctor P - Bulletproof
Maximum The Hormone - Rock n Roll Chainsaw
Rob Zombie - Werewolf, Baby!
Escape The Fate - Gorgeous Nightmare
SOAD - Chop Suey
Ken Ashcorp - Absolute Territory
Machinae Supremacy - Need For Steve
Ozzy Osbourne - I Don't Wanna Stop
Crow'sclaw - Loudness War
Eminem - Rap God
Stromae - Humain À L'eau
Sonata Arctica - My Selene
Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back
Metallica - Fuel
Veil Of Maya - Unbreakable
Masa Works - Golden Japang
REOL - Luvoratorrrrry
Dope - Addiction
Korn - Word Up!
Papa Roach - ... To be Loved
Fever The Ghost - Source
Fall Out Boy - Immortals
Green Day - Know The Enemy
Mindless Self Indulgence - London Bridge
A static Lullaby - Toxic
Royal Republic - Addictive
Astronautalis - The River, The Woods
We Came As Romans - My Love
Skillet - What I Believe
Man With A Mission - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Yasuda Rei - Mirror
Mojo Juju - Must Be Desire
Falling Up - Falling In Love
Manafest - Retro Love
Rodrigo Y Grabriela - Paris
Zomboy - Lights Out
Muse - Resistance
T.A.T.U & Rammstein - Mosaku
Grey Daze - Anything, Anything
Katy Perry - Who Am I Living For
Maroon 5 - Lucky Strike
Machinae Supremacy - Killer Instinct
Pendulum - Propane Nightmares
Sirenia - Lithium And A Lover
Saving Abel - Addicted
Hollywood Undead - Levitate
The Offspring - Special Delivery
Escape The Fate - Smooth
Samsara Blues Experiment - One With The Universe
Dope - Rebel Yell
Crazy Town - Butterfly
Silverstein - My Heroine
I hope my review is helpful to you!

---

Contact me!










---

The OpAmp Rolling is a practice that consists of changing the operational amplifiers of the DAC/DAP/AMP to improve or modify the sound. And when it comes to OpAmp Rolling the first brand that comes to mind is Burson Audio. It is difficult to find such a clearly enthusiastic company in this field, achieving excellent levels of practice.

The latest version of their OpAmp is the V6 and is the result of 12 years of research, concluding that they are the most refined chips they have created. The great peculiarity of these chips is that they are totally built with discrete components, to maximize the final sound quality. Burson is so sure of their quality that they offer a lifetime guarantee.




But the fact of using discrete components has a clear cost: the size. The V6, compared to any other chip of its competition, are almost gigantic. Their design is based on two vertically arranged printed circuit boards, covered with a plastic casing, the upper part of which is conveniently perforated, to ensure the best possible heat evacuation.





There are two models: Vivid and Classic. Each has been designed to offer different sound characteristics. As you can see from the graph below, the Vivid are designed to maximize transparency, detail and soundstage, while the Classic offers a more intimate sound that enhances color and texture.



Purchase Link and Specifications

https://www.bursonaudio.com/products/supreme-sound-opamp-v6/




Packaging

The chips are bought in pairs. They are boxed specifically for their size and shape: the chips are encased in a foam mould, protected by a translucent, rectangular plastic box with rounded corners. An adhesive seal is placed around the box.

OpAmps are mounted on sockets.



Installation Steps on Burson Audio Playmate

The Playmate features 4 OpAmps: two for the LP Stage & Headamp Output Stage and two for the I/V Stage. All are dual.



To install the OpAmps you must first remove the sockets on which they are mounted, so that they fit perfectly inside the Playmate. Then they must be placed in the sockets welded to the plate, two by two, as indicated in the manual.



The ideal use for the Playmate is to have two V6 Vivid and two V6 Classic, with the purpose of changing their position to obtain different sonorities and to adapt the final result to our tastes.



Measurements with the oscilloscope

I measured with a Fluke digital oscilloscope to check the frequency response of the Playmate with the OpAmp V6. The differences in low gain between the standard OpAmps and the V6 are null in terms of frequency response: Totally flat in both.

At high gain the differences are greater, the standard OpAmps are not able to provide such a high output voltage, without visible distortion. Meanwhile, the V6 reaches 6V (and above) offering great linearity without distortion.



Subjective sound analysis

As I have affirmed, based on the frequency responses, the installation of the V6 does not modify in any way the output signal with respect to the original OpAmp.

However, although the low gain voltage is not modified, the first sensation obtained after installing the V6, is an increase in power, the sound is more powerful and more energetic. This sensation is felt especially in the lower zone: The depth is multiplied, as well as its width, the texture improves, the body is large and the detail is amplified. Something similar happens with the treble, seem to extend beyond the previous limits, giving the sound greater resolution and freshness, raising the micro detail, separation and transparency to a new level.



The sound, comparatively speaking, with the standard OpAmp, expands clearly. The second sensation after the change is the greater width of the stage, as well as a substantial improvement in three-dimensionality. Instrumental positioning is more accurate and easier to position, any hint of inaccuracy is lost.

The third sensation that is observed is a clear improvement in the vivacity of the sound, with the OpAmp of standard, the sound is shown something flat, more dull, even darker. With the V6 the sound gains in excitement, becomes more colorful, dynamic and decongested.





Measurements

Next I leave graphs of realized measurements

Playmate V6 low gain, Volume 99, with all filters



Playmate V6 high gain at different volumes



Playmate V6 low gain, volume 99, CMFR filter



Playmate V6 high gain, volume 75, Brickwall filter



Playmate V6 high gain, volume 95, Brickwall filter



Conclusions

Users always have several options to improve the sound. One could be to buy a new system, and another could be to buy new OpAmps to modify the sound of their current equipment, whenever possible. Many questions will come up when buying new equipment. However, if you decide to buy new OpAmps, you will not have them: Burson Audio V6 will always be an excellent choice.



You can read this review in spanish here:

https://hiendportable.com/2019/03/10/burson-audio-v6-opamps/

I have my Burson Fun basic for few months already and I know very well how it sounds, I am pairing it with a FiiO K3 DAC which I find very good sounding as well. I friend of mine told he is rocking the newest premium op-amps from Burson and I was very curious if I could hear a change or even an improvement so I borrowed both pairs two pairs of Burson V6 Vivids and Classic Op-amps.

I’m not much into technical details, but if you are please check their specs page right here: https://www.bursonaudio.com/products/supreme-sound-opamp-v6/

I listen mostly to metal music but sometime like to experiment with other genres.

Sound signature

I am listening to my Burson Fun Basic for few months already and I love it as it is. I didn’t want the most revealing and linear sound, I wanted a dynamic and fast sound that would punch my eardrums every time I hit play and Fun is exactly like that.

I started my evaluation listening to the V6 Classics first.

V6 Classic

I am not very good at describing sound changes but I immediately felt like I am staying in a bigger room when I am listening to music. It just decompressed somehow, some people are calling it a bigger soundstage.

V6 Classics definitely sounds “bigger” in all directions like there is a bigger space between me and the music. On my gothic and symphonic metal I really liked this effect, it just felt like being at a live concert somehow.

Besides that, I also felt that guitars have a more believable texture and rumble, the strings vibrations are more life like and more melodious and natural somehow.

The notes also sound a bit clearer like I wiped the noise from that musical notes, hard to explain but V6 Classics sounds clearer, there are new very small details that I am picking from recordings I know for decades, it puts a smile of my face all the times and I wish to rediscover all my music once again.

I expected this op-amps to kick harder and faster but it was not the case, in this regard the stock op-amps are sounding the same.

Sometimes I have a feeling the drums are sounding clearer as well and have a more defining kick, sometimes I am thinking this a placebo effect, so I can be really sure about that.

V6 Vivid

Yes, this is what I am talking about! Definitely better than stock and most probably better than the V6 Classic, at least for my music and my tastes.

I hear a faster and harder kick, this is exactly what I want. Not only that! Bass notes are going deeper and have a longer rumble. My heavy metal tunes never sounded this good with any other gear.

The sound doesn’t seem as “big and wide” as it was with V6 Classic but sincerely I don’t care much about this. Guitars are now having even a harder rumble, very raw sounding somehow, I like this effect quite a lot!

The drums again sound quite similar with the stock op-amps and with V6 Classics, in this regards I found little to no difference at all between all three. The culprit could be my Sennheiser HD650 that are not particularly revealing in this area at all.

My conclusions

I was mighty impressed by the V6 Vivid and liked the V6 Classic only on particular bands/tracks. This is definitely a biased review, but for me and for my tastes V6 Vivid is better.

I see that Burson is offering a lifetime warranty on them so I will be definitely ordering a pair of V6 Vivids for my Burson Fun very soon.

Metal fans out there? Go for the Vivids, you’ll thank me later.

Burson Audio V6 Vivid & V6 Classic comparative review



When I was testing the Burson Fun I quickly realized that it’s among the best sub 500 USD headphone amp I have ever tested. I think Burson Audio really nailed everything about that one, it has power to spare, a strong control over the headphone drivers, it has very low noise with sensitive IEMs and most importantly sounds technical and musical in the same time.

To think that all of that was achieved with two NE5543 op-amps it is almost unbelievable. I say this because NE55xx are really not special at all. I heard them multiple times and spotted them in about every lower tier CD players and DACs but they never really caught my attention. Most of the time they sound dull and muddy, putting a big emphasis on warm notes but really lacking in leading edges of the musical notes.

In its stock form Burson Fun Basic sounds really good but only knowing that it can sound even better than that with a better set of op-amps can really make your nights longer and your sleep time shorter.

Enter Burson Audio own all discrete V6 set of op-amps in Single and Dual variations. It’s V6 because they are already at the 6th revision this time around supporting a wider voltage input and having overall better specs compared to its predecessors.

Burson offers two versions of V6 op-amps: V6 Vivid and V6 Classic (both in single and dual variations).



What is so special about them?

So what exactly was improved compared to older generations, do we really need a new revision?

Almost everything inside was retuned, updated and improved: a new enclosure was used with a good ventilation on top (older generations didn’t have that) to better dissipate heat (my older Matrix HPA-3B cooked op-amps faster than a frying pan!), there is also now a reversed power protection circuit, 0.5% tolerance metal film resistors are now being used and both input and output stages are now using hand matched FET transistors. Quite an upgrade isn’t it?

Burson Audio dedicated much love and passion into making them that they are offering lifetime warranty for every op-amp that leaves the factory, that’s über cool!

Of course, none of the above will matter if V6 will sound bad so let’s make some serious listening sessions and compare both to the NE5543.

Sound impressions

V6 Vivid

V6 Vivids came first, swapping them is actually easier than expected. I used the Burson Fun for the listening tests and comparisons connected to a Matrix X-Sabre PRO DAC fed by a high quality X-SPDIF 2 interface.

I swapped both NE5543 with two single V6 Vivids and started listening to almost anything that came up on the Tidal playlist.

After first few seconds I realized I am dealing with a clearer and a faster sound. I’m more of a rock listener and I always crave for a faster transient response with harder hitting notes and to a clean as possible presentation.

Funny thing is that V6 Vivid sounds exactly like that but let’s go deeper in the rabbit hole. Sennheiser HD660S that I am using right now are not among the fastest headphones and sometimes I really miss my former Audeze LCD-4 for their lightning speed and impact.

With V6 Vivids, HD660S are sounding clearly faster, the edges of the notes are also somehow clearer and sharper, guitar strings have a clearer leading edge and vibrate with more life this time around.

Bass notes not only hitting me harder but they also delve deeper into the mix. Try some Infected Mushroom or Chemical Brothers with a set of V6 Vivids and the smile on your face is guaranteed. Bass lovers will really appreciate what Vivids can deliver. The best part? Bass not only is faster and deeper but it is clearer, easier to spot in small passages and does not overshadow other notes. It’s clear, crisp, fast and deep.

Midrange performance was improved as well but not in such a big way. Overall voices are sounding clearer and more defined. In time I also observed that vibration of the voices is not as long as with NE5543. On a closer inspection I realized NE5543 is making all the voices and string instruments sound longer having a slower decay. Depends on what you like, I’m personally not impressed by longer decays of any musical note (that is one of the reasons I am not a tube guy anymore).

NE5543 most of the time sounds like tube gear that is warm, a little dull, inviting but lacks micro-details, speed and impact.

V6 Vivid is almost like a total opposite of that, think of a vintage car VS a race car.

Other thing that caught my attention at a later stage is depth. To really appreciate depth, I fired some live recordings where it’s easier to spot changes in the soundstage width and depth. To me Vivids sound deeper and an imaginary wall is being hit at a later time compared to NE5543. Soundstage width on the other hand is almost identical between the two. It’s pretty wide and well spread, nothing more, nothing less. In my opinion V6 Vivid has a great depth and a good well spread soundstage (but not the widest).

V6 Classic

Next on the test bench came the V6 Classics. To better evaluate them I listened to full albums on NE5543 first, later on V6 Vivids and latest on V6 Classics.

On the very first listen of a live recording I spotted a wider sound, there is a bigger space between the notes, between the singers and the crowd, it’s like I have an easier task to hear what’s going on and more time to evaluate every note. To me V6 Classics have the widest soundstage of the bunch it is really something special with the right music. V6 Classic has also a somewhat longer decay of notes (vs Vivids) but not too long as it is the case with NE5543.

On faster electronica notes are not sounding hysterical at all, bass notes are not as deep this time around and chest thumping bass is spotted not as often. Bass quantity and quality stays somewhere between V6 Vivid and NE5543. Its very good but not overdone, nor too thin, just the right amount.

Midrange performance is where things are more interesting in my opinion. Voices are literally reaching to your soul and offers more body to the listener, it’s a very life like presentation. There is a bigger presence in this region compared to other op-amps.

In my opinion midrange performance together with a wider stage is where the V6 classic shines and shows all its glory.

Overall V6 Classics have a warmer sound signature but in a good way, by that I mean that treble quality is not affected as is the case on the NE5543.

Speaking about the treble I can say it is mellower compared to V6 Vivid but clearer compared to NE5543. There is no sign of brightness whatsoever, in this regard V6 Classic have a more natural and easy-going presentation. It is quite difficult deciding which one I prefer but I give a slight edge to V6 Vivid just because of an overall clearer presentation and a faster transient response.

NE5543

What can I say, in some devices those can really suck, in other ones they can really shine. They do sound more than good in the Burson Fun in the Basic form, that actually shows how much time Burson invested in making that combination sounding good.

However, Burson Fun together with any of the V6 op-amps is completely in another league. Just few seconds are needed to realize that V6 improve a lot of things, not only the frequency response, much more than that.

Conclusion

If you already own a capable DAC or headphone amp that uses socketed op-amps I would definitely recommend trying out the V6 series of op-amps from Burson. It’s hard going wrong with any of them. If you want deep reaching and hard-hitting bass with an obscene levels of micro-detail and great depth, then V6 Vivid would be your best bet. Do you listen to a lot of classical music, lounge, jazz, smooth and relaxing tunes, love a wide spread soundstage and hate brightness? Then V6 Classic is what will make you smile.

I for one will stick with V6 Vivid and will soon fire another album. Cheers mates!

V6 VIVID

PROS:

• Great kick, speed and impact
• High level of transparency and airiness
• Big sense of power and control
• Deep reaching stage
• Sturdy and quality construction
• Good price for great performance

CONS:

• Treble can be overdone sometimes

V6 CLASSIC
PROS:

• Natural sound with a great flow
• A very airy presentation
• Impressively wide soundstage
• Sturdy and quality construction
• Good price for great performance

CONS:

• Slight sound coloration (Inverted-U frequency response)

Associated Equipment:

• Headphones: Sennheiser HD660S, HD600, Momentum 2, FiiO FA7
• DAC: Matrix X-Sabre PRO with X-SPDIF 2
• Headphone Amplifiers: Burson Fun, HeadAmp Gilmore Lite Mk2
• Speakers: KEF LS50 Wireless

This is a review of Burson Audio high end V6 op-amps.

After reading a lot about different op-amps, I was very curious to try and test V6 Vivids and V6 Classics by Australian company Burson Audio. The Vivids are red and the Classics orange - with white kangaroo jumping! This takes away the tech or industrial look, and make them looking like candies. You can purchase the op-amps directly through the Burson website. It is easy and very friendly experience.

As double-bass and sub-bass fan, I have chosen a wide set of music containing deepest notes of bowed and plucked bass, plus some serious organ pedal tones. That’s the area where you need perfect control to be able to follow the line down under. Being biased towards deep and rich bass region and allergic to bright and sibilant treble, after reading so many reviews about the Vivids and Classics, I had a strong prejudice that I will prefer the warm Classics over the more shiny Vivids. Would the testing confirm my expectations?

THE SOUND:

Vivids - I have started with the Vivids, in order to appreciate later more the Classics, or so I thought. Switching from the NE 5534 to the Vivids, the sound lost the hardness and got noticeable transparency. Listening with the Vivids was like using a magnifying glass, there were plenty of micro-details, with very high contrast and sharpness. It was so easy to follow deep double-bass lines, every note got some shimmering aura around it, there was clear start and stop and air around the notes. The soundstage was big, expansive and very realistic. The midrange was slightly recessed, but using mainly Sennheiser headphones that was just the right compensation. Treble had some sparkle but it was not too bright or sibilant, only slightly more present than the mids. Going back to the underground department and listening more of Gary Karr’s double-bass recordings, I got so used to this clear, precise and alive sound, that I had a feeling of real 3D double bass playing in front of me.

Classics - Switching to the Classics, the sound got warmer and more relaxed, more natural in general and the treble was not so upfront anymore. On the other hand, the articulation and resolution of the low notes lost some edge and sounded less distinctive and slightly veiled. The mids were richer, but somehow Senns being already mid-centric didn’t benefit much from this. The sound of Classics, although very relaxed and easy-going had somewhat less of their own character and was not so captivating as the Vivids. They had narrower and more intimate soundstage, making them better for vocal and chamber music, but for my music preferences I was surprised that I actually preferred the Vivids.

Comparison - I have started the review with a prejudice that Classics will suit more to my listening preferences, but have ended liking the Vivids slightly more. The Classics were pleasing, warm, cozy sounding suitable for close-your-eyes and enjoy-your-drink type of listening. The Vivids were more energetic, shiny and most of all they have some edge around the notes without sounding harsh or aggressive. This helped the deeper notes to be followed easier. However both Vivids and Classics are clear upgrades and they really lift the sound of your equipment to the higher league.

Now I am just imagining Burson continuing their development with other op-amps. We have Reds and Oranges. What’s next, Greens, Yellows, Blues or Purples? Until then staying with the Vivids, which made me rediscover my music collection.

This a review of the Burson’s V6 Vivid vs V6 Classic opamps, tested in Burson's Fun headphone amp. I have previously reviewed the Burson Fun headphone amp in the basic version, if you are interested you can read the full review here: "FUNky FUNtastic".

The Fun in the basic version uses 2 x NE5543 and can be upgraded by any compatible opamps. Burson offers their house opamps Vivid Single and Classic Single, which cost $70 for a pair. You can find the technical part and all the details on Burson website.

Because swapping opamps is not so quick and easy, I have somewhat changed the methodology of comparing these 2 different opamps, as compared to any other audio gear, in order not to damage them. Changing the opamps after every single piece of music would be an overkill, so I have decided to listen them in blocks of music. A block of classical music with several longer pieces each, a block of jazz, pop, rock, world music etc. Listening this way runs into the risk to rely more than usual on your ear memory than when you are listening song for song with two different sources, but this was for me mandatory for the safety of the opamps. I could not imagine swapping them 60 times over and over again, as I have listened to 60 different pieces of music .

Sound impressions:

First impression you get either Vivids or Classics is of the highly sophisticated sound. Once you hear the Fun with any of them, there is no back to the stock opamps. You can feel and sense the premium quality, like when sitting in new sports car. Everything is more polished, cleaner, faster and more noble. This is the word which came most of the time to my mind throughout this review – noble. These are premium quality no-nonsense products.

The V6 Vivids:
I like cars and I like audio. The first funny thought which crossed my mind while first listening to Vivids was that it reminded me of the BMW. Fast, shiny, nervous, energetic. The music sounds clean, polished and fast so that you sit at the edge of your seat. Tremendous details, big and spacious soundstage. It works particularly well with symphonic classical music and live rock concerts. Everything has a grandeur to it, you feel like being in big concert venue and feeling the atmosphere around you. The image is very sharp and the localization of instruments precise. Everything feels like you have sharpened to the max the contrast setting on your TV. Plenty of details and rich colors, the bass is tight and punchy, mids very detailed and the treble has sparkle without sounding sharp or sibilant. It sounded particularly great with old live recording of Child in Time from Deep Purple’s album "Made in Japan". You could almost touch the audience around you and sense the forward energy of the band.



The V6 Classics:

The Classic reminded of Mercedes with leather and mahogany. Smooth, relaxed, laid back. No need to drive fast, it is more about enjoyment. The soundstage is smaller and more intimate, you feel like the band is playing only for you in a smaller club. Works particularly well with the solo and chamber music, with the jazz where you can feel the intimate atmosphere of the smokey club and with the old rock. ZZ Top sounded just right with almost tube-like warmth in the guitar solos. There was slightly less details and less sparkle on the top, without sounding dull. More smooth, creamy chocolate treble. You can forget easier with Classics that you are listening to machines and get carried away with the music.

Comparison:
Vivid offers more energetic sound suitable for daytime active listening. Classics offer more relaxed, smooth sound for night time listening.
Vivid offers more details, sharper imaging and bigger soundstage. Classics offer smooth and creamy chocolate sound.
Vivids amaze you with details which pop out of the recording, but it is more the admiration for the technical excellence. The Classics put more emotion into the music, has something vinyl-like, slightly tube-like sound signature and is more forgiving to the bad recordings.



I have seen many designs which offer a choice of switchable solid state and the tube amplification in the same unit. You can just switch between SS and tube easily. If Burson would make something like this, where you could easily switch between 2 different opamps from the outside of the case, it would be the killer amp. Second solution would be to position the opamps protruding the case, like with the tube amps, where you could swap the opamps from outside the case, without opening the unit. I have opened and closed my Fun few times, and the srews already look beaten and dented. Probably after 5-6 more opening they would be not so nice. And the last, most expensive solution would be, to have 2 separate Fun units, one with the Vivid and one with the Classics preinstalled, so that you can use each one of them according to your mood.



V6 Vivids or V6 Classics? BMW or Mercedes? It is a very tough call indeed. Between Vivids and Classics it’s an equal game. No clear winner for me, both have their strengths and own uniques qualities.

If you have neutral dac and darker headphones and listen to your music active (daily listening), if you like highly detailed and analytical sound without sounding cold, like big soundstage and listen a lot of live recorded concerts - then go for the Vivids.

If you have Sabre based dac and have brighter headphones like AKGs, you listen more during nighttime, if you like smooth sound without the sharpness and glare, if you like more intimate atmosphere with musicians playing in your living room - go for the Classics.

For sure the Fun upgraded with any of V6 singles, will be a great step up. I had to decide which one will stay in my Fun for now. As I am listening during daytime mostly through loudspeakers and using headphones in the night, I have decided to stay with the Classics. But am already missing the Vivids.

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.

Charles at Burson provided me samples of the V6 Classics for my opinion in my setups.

Equipment used are:

Ibasso PB2 with 8 buffers in wide bandwidth mode. Extra Wima caps on the opamps and upgraded the stock caps. Power supply used is at 16.8V.
Ibasso DB2 Dac with Muses 8832 opamps.
Various iem's and JVC headphones.
Player is Foobar, with Bootsy VST and GEQ-7 VST.


So, I installed the pair of classics into my Ibasso PB2. They sounded way to sharp when plugged in. It toned down after a bit of use. Burn in I'm guessing....

I feel that the V4 Burson's are still my favorite in the low-end department. Love those opamps!

The V5i sounds really nice in the PB2. Nice smooth topend. Non fatiguing. Lowend is snappy when needed. And these are my daily drivers for portable use.

The V6 Classic sounds really good in the PB2. Too bad it's a portable unit. I can't close the case with these V6's installed. My fav JVC headphones sounds even more like my old home stereo setup, which consisted of B&K components, ADS and B&O speakers. I can only imagine what these opamps will do in the Parasound equipment once I get another setup. I'll update this review once I get another Parasound Zamp and Zpre setup.

So with the previous Burson opamps, I heard an improvement in the overall sound with burn in. The V6 Classic kinda behaves like my old B&K amplifier. It sounds it's best once it get warm. Kinda cool I think. So I don't think long burn in is really needed with these opamps. But rather warming it up for a bit, true use. Or never turn off your setup, like I use to do with my home setups.
The V6 Classic vocals come out more to the front. Instruments are better separated. The highs are more pronounced, but non-fatiguing. The bass is there when called for. So easy to close your eyes and just jam away with your fav tunes.
For bassheads like myself, the Classics are worth having over the V5 and V5i's. Subbass goes deep, clean.

Details.....the finger snapping in the beginning of Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson are so pronounced.
Vocals in On a Mission by Phibes are so smooth, with no sharp edges.
Blue by Marina and the Diamonds is so enjoyable.
Gravity by Maxi Priest sounds proper. Instruments are so much more detailed.
Departure by Hotei bass lines are so well blended.
The 24-36hz bass notes in Bass Airwaves are so clean. Zero distortion.
The male and female vocals in Majestic love by Gyptian and Estelle are so well defined.
J Boog male slight harsh vocals in Love me are so well produced.

Review Burson Audio Supreme sound Opamp V6 vivid

Thanks to Charles at SS-Audio for the trial units of the V6 vivid, I was sent these in return for my honest opinion.

Equipment used:

Asus essence stx

Burson V6 vivid x 3

Sennheiser hd600

Audio technica ad900

Preamble:

I'm in no way an audio professional as I am just a regular consumer who enjoys music. You could say I'm enthusiast but If you're after graphs and scientific findings this review will not be for you. I enjoy my music as we all do here and finding ways to improve that music is my and of course many of our goals.

Enters Burson Audio, I have been aware of the company for quite some time now and they have always created interesting and well-regarded products in the audio community. So, when I heard that Burson Audio released their latest op-amp I was very interested to try and see what they are all about.

I consume the majority of content on my desktop e.g. music, games etc. So easy ways to improve my audio experience that don't break the bank was always going to appeal to me as it would many a pc user.

This is where the Burson Audio V6 comes in,

Packaging: The V6 arrives in an unassuming padded envelope but it packed well and arrived without any issues.



Installation: Very simple installation with the V6 and the Asus essence stx. Remove the Emi shield of the stx unplug the op amps and insert the V6. Plugging in the V6 you will notice they lean against the capacitors ever so slightly but this has not been an issue. For reference I'm using 3 v6s




Sound: I have "burned in" the op amps for 150hours to satisfy those who believe in that and if you don't that’s fine too. I've heard that Burson Audio has recommended 100-150hours of burn in but not seen anything official on that so take that with a grain of salt. (Also, I'm coming from the stock op-amps that come with the asus essence stx)

Bass – First thing I noticed with the bass was there is more punch/presence with better control and quality. Don't expect a large bump in bass but the improvement in the bass area is noticeable its reaches lower and comes through with more authority to my ears.

Mids – Here I was greeted with fuller sounding natural vocals, slightly more forward vocals with better clarity.

Treble – There is some extra sparkle in the higher registers nothing harsh or sibilant to my ears. I did notice more details/definition in the treble region but only slight changes.

Soundstage – Probably the biggest difference I noticed was in soundstage, coming from the stock op amps there is a clear upgrade. I can hear better width and depth; the stage feels more atmospheric and lively with Improved placement of voices and instruments. I was very pleased in this department and this is where the improvements became more apparent.

Summary: So, when I comes down to the nitty gritty would I recommend the Burson Audio V6. Short answer is yes. If you have a headphone with you pleased with and looking for the extra something from your source the v6 can be great option. Pros: Easy plug and play installation strong after sales support from Burson Audio and improvement in sound quality Cons: Size, price. With the pros outweighing the cons i can recommend the The Burson Audio V6 opamp without hesitation.