Burson Audio Supreme Sound Opamp V5i

Burson Audio V5i Opamp Review

(In full disclosure. I have no affiliations with Burson Audio and I have not been compensated in any way for this evaluation.)

When I was contacted by Burson Audio to review one of their products, I agreed to do it as long as they’re OK with whatever outcome it might bring. I’m not in the reviewing “business”, so I don’t have a horse in this race. Below, are my findings and thoughts regarding Burson Audio V5i Opamp used with Topping D50s DAC and brief summarization.

First, I would like to come clean with my personal preferences and biases as far as sound presentation is concern. I have been in this hobby for well over 20 years. My taste and gear went through many changes and incarnations. From humble and inexpensive solid-state gear, electrostatic speakers, hybrid SS/tube designs, battery-powered amps/DACs to classic vacuum-tube components driving full-range-single driver designs, and everything else in between. Included, many DIY ventures. Currently, my main focus is concentrated on enjoying, collecting music (LPs for the most part) and less so on gear swapping or never ending chase for the next, great thing that audio world is raving about.

My preferences and biases are closely related to my passion for vinyl playback and vacuum tube based gear in general. There are countless debates as to what sounds best or better but I’m not going to get into that hot mess here and now. But I will just say that my bias is all about reproduction of music or sound if you will, that is engaging, dynamic, transparent, with a touch of romanticism in midrange but never boring. Those are qualities that I’m looking for in components that out to be part of my audio reproduction chain. Yes, I could use hyperbolic, descriptive adjectives to outline those qualities but that might not scale well with reality, and it could blur overall perception of what I have heard during my evaluation of this product.

Stereo speaker system that I’m
using at the moment consist of:

- Klipsch Cornwalls IV speakers
- Electra Print 300b mono-block
amplifiers and Electra Print
linestage
- DIY and Rega Planar10
turntables
- Consonance Audio Ref40
phonostage
- Consonance Audio Droplet 5.0
tube CD player
- PS Audio DirectStream DAC.

Headphone setup:

-Topping L30 amplifier
- Topping D50s DAC
- Dragon Inspire IHA-1 amplifier
in conjunction with my main rig
- Audio Technica ADX5000
headphones
- Audeze LCDX headphones
- Dan Clark Aeon 2C
headphones
- Sennheiser HD 700
headphones
- Fostex TH-X00 Massdrop
mahogany headphones.

Evaluation was conducted mostly on one of my headphone setups.

Who is Burson Audio?

Burson Audio was founded in 1996 (if I am not mistaken) over 20 years ago and it’s based in Melbourne, Australia. They are audio driven company with audiophile mentality. Concentrating their effort on discrete Opamp designs that differentiate them from their competitors.

Is V5i a discrete device? Not exactly.
According to information on Burson Audio website, “Burson V5i is a hybrid audio opamp, which is both partially IC and discrete.” It’s my speculation that this “hybrid” design is a result of compromises that had to be made due to significant increase in size that fully discrete opamps are known for. At least discrete opamps in Burson Audio line of products. Since this particular opamp was specifically designed to be comparable in size to typical DIP8 opamps, and it was meant to offer an easy, user friendly upgrade solution. Getting V5i on creative engineering diet, was a must. Due to reduced size, it is certainly an easier fit for compact solutions over other opamps from Burson Audio family.

I should also mention that Burson Audio offers 30 days of satisfaction guaranteed trial period and opamp is covered by lifetime warranty. That’s simply unheard of.


So what is an Opamp and what is it’s function? This video will cover bare minimum description of opamp function. But, in the essence, it’s a micro amplifier that can be used in, an input or output stage of various electronic components. In this case, a Digital to Analog Converter.


So what are Burson Audio sound signature claims in regards to this opamp with price starting at $39.00 USD?

In their words: “fast, dynamic, and transparent. Music shines through a pitch black background and a wide stage.”

Is it accurate description? And can something so tiny and inconspicuous as an opamp really make any meaningful difference? Hold your horses, we will get to it.

Let’s start with build and overall feel of this product in comparison to stock Texas Instruments LME49720 opamp that Topping D50s DAC comes with. Opamp comes in a plastic case, securely embedded inside what appears to be some sort of polyethylene foam with cut outs for two V5i opamps. Opamp circuitry is securely enclosed inside metal casing and gold-plated pins are the only part exposed to outside elements. Pins are solid and robust in comparison to stock LME49720 opamp or any other conventional opamps for that matter. Pins on LME49720 are prone to bending and without use of proper tool, could cause problems or worst. Inserting or removing V5i opamp from circuit board adapter is effortless in comparison to common opamps that almost lockup inside pin socket. And it take some effort to remove those opamps without damaging fragile, thin and flimsy pins. Overall, build quality appears to be of a high caliber and I have nothing really to complaint about in that regard.


Ease of use and comparability.

Swapping opamps is relatively easy procedure that doesn’t take rocket science degree but there could be some unsettling fatigue with certain components for individuals with wobbly confidence in their dexterous skills. Swapping opamp in Topping D50s DAC, might be one of those cases.

In order to replace stock opamp with Burson Audio V5i opamp, you will literally need to disassemble almost entire guts of Topping DAC. That will require, unscrewing board from aluminum case, unplugging fragile ribbon display wire and mini coaxial Bluetooth antenna connection. You have to be patient, careful and sober, as it is a bit tricky maneuvering your way around to complete those tasks. It’s not difficult but again, if you are not comfortable with taking your “toys” apart, ask someone who could lend you a hand. As easy as it may seem, there is always some room for mishap unnerving frustrations. Since not all of us are comfortable with silly DIY projects to personalize our hobby just a bit, I felt it’s important to mention this tiny detail for those who might be interested in this product. Swapping opamps in other components might be child’s play in comparison. And it could only require removing of an enclosure cover and replacing stock opamp with opamp of your choice. In very compact (including portable devices) products like D50s DAC, that might not be the case.

Before getting into my findings, I would like to clear up my approach to evaluation process and emphasize the fact that we all have our own biases, preferences and that my personal findings might not correspond with your perception of what you might hear and experience with this product. Associated gear as we all know, has tremendous impact and influence on overall outcome of this experiment and your findings might not aline exactly with my experiences with this product.

My approach to this review wasn’t all that different than other products I have had pleasure evaluating in the past. Regardless if product in question was a loaner sent for evaluation or if certain product caught my interest for personal reasons, approach is always the same. It usually consists of gradual implementation of the product in various systems. From what one would consider a less defined setup, all the way up to my personal, reference system, over extended period of time. I believe that this process is what works best for me. Giving me enough time to get familiar with the product and find its strengths and weaknesses in vastly different scenarios and systems. Comparing two products in “shoot-out” kind of approach is very challenging as our auditorial memory is extremely short when it comes to finest of details in sound characteristics. Surely, any of us can recognize voice of a person that we have known for ages since childhood or sounds that we’re very familiar with, however. Do you believe that you could remember exactly what a decay of a cello string note sounded like or how reverb of a cathedral space was portrait in parameters of soundstage that our transducers are capable of? (Especially, after period of several minutes. The time it takes to swap opamps in components such as Topping D50s DAC). Personally, I find it extremely hard and challenging as it requires perfect sound level matching and ability to rapidly switch back and forward between those two components. And even then, with components that are extremely close to each other sonically, it could be nearly impossible to clarify those minute differences with absolute certainty. And in real life, without determining those clear, audible differences, are you willing to force your subconscious to trick your brain into believing, that you actually have heard something? Something you can’t even describe or put to words. Well, when V5i opamp arrived at my doorstep, I was mentally prepared for such a perplexing predicament. And I honestly thought that this, is going to be one of those products. I will be more than happy to report that it wasn’t the case. But it doesn’t mean that this evaluation didn’t have its challenges. It did and it had everything to do with slight inconvenience, and steps it takes to actually swap opamps. That fact alone, makes task of outlining differences between those two opamps less predictable, accurate and subtle. Fortunately, differences were clear enough to come up with satisfying comparison. And guesstimate, reasoning behind my final argument and summarization.

So, finally we getting a bit closer to the actual substance of this write up.

In the essence, the ultimate questions are, “does it sound good?”, “will it benefit my system without any ill effects?”, “can I afford it?” and “is it worth it?”

I have spent some time trying to find answers to those questions and I’ll go about answering those questions next. Starting from the obvious answers and then, I’ll move to answers that are a bit more complex or at very least, subjective in nature.


Can you afford it? Yes, you can.

I don’t care how hurt your barista might be while watching you walking by his coffee shop and ignoring his concerned stare. If you can live with torture of skipping several cups of your hipster, cannabis-infused coffee, you can certainly afford this opamp. It’s that simple.


Is it worth it?

Yes, it is. And I’m not talking about sacrifices you have made by saving yourself some serious capital on few, ridiculously overpriced cups of coffee. I’m referring to value of time and effort in respect to benefits of such a device. Based on my experience with component (D50s DAC) it was used with for this evaluation, and in my system, it’s a no-brainer. Audiophiles spend substantially more money and time on DIY pretty looking cables (I’m one of them) or other “groundbreaking innovations” that yield far lesser results, if any. Elementarily, you could think of it as a tone control kind of a “tweak” that could help you fine tune your system ever so slightly. It could help someone iron out those pesky wrinkles in their system that is satisfying as a whole, but needs a little extra seasoning to get that flavor they like so much, just right. Got it? Great. Let’s move on.


Will it benefit my system without any ill effects?

Probably, but it might not be for everyone, or for every setup. But it’s a little more complicated than that. Personally, I did not find any indication, that would suggest, detrimental effect of V5i opamp in my systems. Degree of benefits it could potentially add to your music enjoyment will vary thought. I would say that return on your investment, will depend on refinement and transparency of your system. It will also depend on how much salt and pepper your system needs, to get it just a bit closer to where it needs to be. Be cause, if you are expecting this product to be an easy fix for your slightly burnt, prime rib steak, you will be quite disappointed. If that’s your case, start with fresh cut of prime rib and pay attention. Let’s be real. There is no $35 or $50 device that can fix a crappy system. And it will certainly not elevate performance of $250 Topping D50s DAC to my reference and grossly overpriced PS Audio DirectStream DAC neither. There’s no free lunch or miraculous, gold-plated “Hi-Fi” fuse, that will fix poorly assembled, flawed system, or really crappy taste in music. But V5i opamp can elevate performance of Topping D50s caliber DAC to something a lot more enjoyable. I would go as far as to say that with poor component matching or oversaturated sound signature of one of your components in your audio chain, (with certain music cuts and types) it is capable of saving your sanity (Maybe?..... after all, we are all audiophiles).You could call it a band-aid and that’s exactly the role it holds in my system. To be specific, my lesser, bedroom headphone setup. It consists of Topping L30, Topping D50s DAC, Fostex TH-X00 and Dan Clark Aeon 2 closed headphones. More on that in next chapter.

Does it sound good?

Let me start by saying that I’m not any authority when it comes to opamp rolling. I don’t claim to know it all. My findings should be taken with grain of salt since your results may vary due to your system or expectations.

So, does it sound any good? Yes, it does. But we might want to define, what “good” actually means and if that “goodness” is what you’re looking for?

After finalizing my assessment of V5i opamp, I got curious to see what other people think about this Opamp?Most of all, how they describe what they have heard with V5i in their own audio chain. And to be clear, even tho I agree to some degree with most of their descriptions, I felt that there might be a better, more straightforward explanation to what V5i does and where it’s strength come from. You will often hear comments like “wider soundstage”, “better bass definition”, “more extended heights” etc. If that language appeals to you and this common “audiophile jargon” is enough for you to understand what other person is trying to convey, then my take on it might feel a bit vague in comparison. I’ll try to paint the picture of what I think about V5i opamp in simple but hopefully, clear way, without shifting to hyperbolized world of exaggeration.

As a long time tube-gear aficionado, I would compare swapping opamps to what we tube-lovers refer to as tube-rolling. Except, this is done in solid-state domain. However, results are somewhat similar. In case of V5i opamp, it represents qualities of a fine NOS tube that brings a bit of warmth without sacrificing dynamics or clarity. With V5i, edginess that was a bit bothersome with Topping D50s DAC, took a turn for a more rounded, pleasant presentation. High frequencies above 5KHz became less shouty but remained extended without any hint of roll-off. It also added a bit more body to the midrange that resulted in richness and air to the notes. Especially, around vocals and certain instruments. Bass wasn’t my concern as it wasn’t something I was necessarily looking to remedy with this tweakery. I have noticed some changes in presentation in lower frequency region but was it enough for me to take notice? Not really. I believe that it had more to do with slight changes in tonality and timbre of midrange than anything else. Without trying to force any unnecessary spin on what it did in bass department, I will just say that it made low frequencies and midrange more in tune with each other. Injecting slight nostrum of coherency between the two.

I’m not really sure what is the rational behind these characteristics or what’s responsible for it as far as opamp design goes, but. Could it be that Burson Audio took extreme care in matching carefully sourced components and building a solid device that appears to be made with audiophiles in mind? Maybe. I don’t think there’s case you could made based on specifications, noise floor, distortion, separation or how many zeros are in THD spacts tablet. I took my time comparing two opamps and it told me absolutely nothing that would indicate what to expect from either one of those opamps. Subconsciously or not, I felt that instrument separation and darker background was more pronounced with V5i opamp. Perhaps that’s the reason for better coherency throughout the frequency spectrum? I can’t say. But at least, that’s how it felt to me.
Like a good tube amp, it tends to transform a good sounding rig into better musical experience. I keep making these tube gear references and I’m afraid that those who can’t relate or never experienced tubes in their life, could get slightly frustrated. So, let me use few other examples to shade light on V5i effect it has on sound reproduction. Effect is similar to differences between your typical recording on Tidal vs Masters MQA version of the same cut. If you’re not familiar with MQA and Masters recordings, I’m sure you’re familiar with compression variation and what it does if it’s poorly implemented or overdone. Well, that would be another way to put it. V5i just sounds like more faithful version or the original master tape if you will.

Depending on your components, headphones or speakers, that quality will be more or less apparent. Audio Technica ADX5000 headphones are brutally surgical and revealing. Something that could be annoying at times. Especially on budget-minded components such as Topping combination. V5i opamp negotiates between those shortcomings quite well. And it helps quite a bit with headphones such as ADX5000, Fostex T-HX000 or Aeon 2C.
In my main rig with Dragon Inspire IHA-1 tube amp it was slightly less apparent as tube amp in nature, adds some of that romanticism already. But it still improved overall presentation. And it would still be a must have upgrade if I decided to keep it in this particular setup. Once you hear the difference, you can not just “unhear” it and pretend that it isn’t all that bad without it. You will want it regardless. And given its cost, well, how could you dismiss opportunity to tweak your rig in positive direction for so little?
Can it compete with something of PS Audio DAC caliber? No, it can’t. And it shouldn’t as it’s meant to target different clientele, budget and needs. It’s a crafty little DAC, that’s for sure. As far as my bedroom system needs are concerned, it’s perfect. I could also add that it did compete with, if not beat altogether, my oldish Wyred4Sound DAC1. But it’s an old DAC that became obsolete quite a while ago. So I guess, this is not very surprising.

To summarize, I would just say, try it. For price of several cups of coffee, it actually adds a bit more than what you might gain from usually overpriced exotic cables or fancy rhodium RCA connectors.

It was a long and exhausting journey and believe me, I took my time evaluating this little bugger. Couple months to be exact. And I’m sure Burson Audio have grown a bit impatient but it is what it is. If you want me to review something, it will take time. Long time.
It was fun and somewhat interesting experience though. I expected far less from this product and what I got was a lot more. And that’s how I would end this excruciatingly long review of V5i opamp from Burson Audio.

Cheers.