[akqrate]

^^ your review from earlier is what put me over the edge to buy. I also have a Bifrost 2 . I’m confident fan noise won’t bother me since it’s just room noise which doesn’t bother me with my 5 noctua fans blowing at 100% in my desktop right now. If the volume button sucks, well, lame but there’s a remote at least and possible firmware updates to help the sensitivity even out. Other than that this seems like a home run so I’m stoked for it

Quite honestly even the volume control thing is a non issue, they’re very small steps so generally you’re turning the volume knob quickly in which case you’d never even notice it sometimes goes the other way in the numbers. The fan noise honestly isn’t an issue the moment the music starts playing. If you’re hearing the fan with the music playing, are you really listening to the music at the level you’d notice proper amplification? And I’m a low level listener myself.

 

[Tubewin]

Quite honestly even the volume control thing is a non issue, they’re very small steps so generally you’re turning the volume knob quickly in which case you’d never even notice it sometimes goes the other way in the numbers. The fan noise honestly isn’t an issue the moment the music starts playing. If you’re hearing the fan with the music playing, are you really listening to the music at the level you’d notice proper amplification? And I’m a low level listener myself.

The volume knob is the biggest issue for me. Even when turning it slow and deliberately, the volume jumps back and forth. Again, yours might not be as bad as mine, Krude’s doesn’t seem to be that bad either. But for me, I can’t raise or lower the volume in any practical way without the numbers going the other way. The remote is a necessity for me.

 

[akqrate]

Not that I’m going to return mine, but is Burson returning the full amount for unhappy customers? Or are they keeping 5% or whatever the fees are and returning the rest?

 

[Tubewin]

Not that I’m going to return mine, but is Burson returning the full amount for unhappy customers? Or are they keeping 5% or whatever the fees are and returning the rest?

10% restocking fee.

 

[SlothRock]

If the volume nob is such an issue on yours but not for two other people, do you think that would just indicate a fault and worthy of an RMA/repair?

 

[zima500]

I think we need to critically consider the methodology at which these measurements are taken by the various users.

Firstly, the decibel reading is going to vary depending on your listening position. I don’t believe anyone is realistically going to be listening to their headphones with their head resting on the amp.

Which brings me to the second point. It appears that some folks are measuring the noise by resting their measuring device on the amp. If this is the case, the measuring device is going to pick up any vibrations from the amp or air the fan is displacing thus rendering the measurements skewed.

Lastly, I understand if amp placement is limiting for some people and can only place the amp within close proximity (or within earshot). In that case, I can understand that the fan noise has a greater potential to affect listening enjoyment, but the impact a few db of noise has may be highly subjective.

But to round back, I think we need to start by obtaining fan noise measurements relative to listening position.

Even with measurements being taken properly, the results may be a moot point when you consider how much noise is attenuated when you actually have headphones over your ears.

With all the factors taken in consideration and assuming that the fan doesn’t add noise to the circuitry, I think the fan noise will be negligible. However, with all conditions being ideal and the fan is putting out 45db, then it becomes a problem Burson should look into.

Of course, this is all in theory. I’m excited to get my GT in anytime now and you can bet I’m gonna obtain my own measurements.

This is spot on. The sound db measurements are inaccurate here and are being done too close to the amp. Even comparing the two apps used, Sound meter and Decibel X, I had one giving me a 40db ambient and the other a 27 ambient. Cell phones are not accurate, especially factoring the many models.

I find this very simple. From the review, Lachlan has the exact description of the fan noise from the GT. It is exactly as he describes. This is not complicated. It is a quiet fan with <24db noise from the #1 fan manufacturer there is.

 

[zima500]

In my opinion, to get the most out of the amp, you're going to need a pair of hard to drive headphones. If you already have a pair of such headphones, I think you can't go wrong with the GT. The fan noise is there, but it isn't a deal breaker for me. The volume knob does bother me, so I use the remote to change the volume. If you have easy to drive headphones, I can suggest the GS-X mini.

This has not been my experience at all. As nice as the Susvara sounds on the GT, I have found my other headphones to actually have larger improvements to the degree that it has made me reevaluate every pair I was planning to let go. I bought a crapload of headphones in the past year and have yet to test them all. So far the Susvara, Arya, HD820 and TH900 pearl whites have all had nice improvements. It is not limited to "hard to drive" headphones like is being stated here. I really don't understand where this point of view is coming from.

The Volot review from Soundnews is so similar to my opinion on the GT (the reason I am really looking forward to the review).

"Volot made my music bigger, wider, airier and way deeper sounding, it really improved every single headphone from my stable, some were only marginally better, while others spread their wings and kick-started my imagination."

I have been listening to my other headphones, not my Susvara, the most by far. With the Arya and HD820 at the top because the sound stage on both increased so nicely, along with the detail. Then the Th900 pear whites, as I have noticed the increase in detail to be more apparent than the increased sound stage. It is so interesting and addicting to see what this amp can do to all headphones, regardless of being hard or easy to drive.

 

[zima500]

I am so addicted to this amp right now and it has made me so surprised by the amount of negativity there is on the GT so far. This makes no sense based on my experience with it. The fan is $20, literally $20. If there is a faulty fan, it is so cheap and easy to replace. How in the world can one say that a $20 part is the sole reason an amp is unacceptable and needs be returned and forgotten? How is the fan noise such a "mystery" when it is the same fan that massive amounts of people who build their pc's have installed for years and years. Just google the Noctua quiet fans, they are the best in the market for air cooling and noise levels. Where is this "mystery" coming from?

The volume knob isn't top tier, but is absolutely not a deal breaker. The only issue I have is with menu option selections, but I have much better experiences now after not removing my grip on the wheel when pressing down. I find the smooth wheel superior for changing volume levels as you can circle your index finder around and spin the wheel rather quickly, and the slower increments in volume is also superior to get more exact levels.

It's an awesome amp.

 

[akqrate]

Agreed, I’m never sending mine back!

It just sounds incredible doesn’t it, any headphone I’ve thrown at it I’ve heard stuff I’ve never been able to hear before. No harshness at all on any track.

By the way the volume control is studio grade, just their implementation of how the numbers go up or down in steps is inconsistent… and has been an issue of Burson’s in other amps too. It’s top notch hardware they’ve chosen though. The software isn’t bothersome enough, if I want to end up at the exact number of the volume I have in mind, it’ll get there, just might take like 2 seconds longer.

I’ve found my endgame with amps… for now.

 

[Tubewin]

Deleted this post, I enjoy the GT's more now.

 

[Tubewin]

If the volume nob is such an issue on yours but not for two other people, do you think that would just indicate a fault and worthy of an RMA/repair?

Not sure, but it's not a one off. I would rather just use the remote before sending it off. There are a lot of people in this thread that mentioned issues with the volume knob/interface. I mean, even Lachlan's Passion For Sound review on the GT mentioned that his only gripe was the volume knob. In his conclusions he says "You do need to be prepared for a slightly frustrating control experience". Passion for sound even has time stamps in his review where he explains in depth the issues with the volume control. The issue exists. It doesn't bother some people and it will bother others.

 

[Tubewin]

I am so addicted to this amp right now and it has made me so surprised by the amount of negativity there is on the GT so far. This makes no sense based on my experience with it. The fan is $20, literally $20. If there is a faulty fan, it is so cheap and easy to replace. How in the world can one say that a $20 part is the sole reason an amp is unacceptable and needs be returned and forgotten? How is the fan noise such a "mystery" when it is the same fan that massive amounts of people who build their pc's have installed for years and years. Just google the Noctua quiet fans, they are the best in the market for air cooling and noise levels. Where is this "mystery" coming from?

The volume knob isn't top tier, but is absolutely not a deal breaker. The only issue I have is with menu option selections, but I have much better experiences now after not removing my grip on the wheel when pressing down. I find the smooth wheel superior for changing volume levels as you can circle your index finder around and spin the wheel rather quickly, and the slower increments in volume is also superior to get more exact levels.

It's an awesome amp.

Zima500 the issue is that the fan noise is advertised at under 25dBA when it's actually running closer to 40dBA. It has nothing to do with whether they put a $20 fan or a $100 fan. You would rather people stay quiet with their purchases? Because it's not a big deal for you?

Edit: Fan is not audible when you are actually listening to music. Only close to 40db when you have the dB meter right on top of it.

 

[qsk78]

Did you guys notice any difference between horizontal and vertical positions of the GT in terms of noise generation?

 

[krude]

I think we need to critically consider the methodology at which these measurements are taken by the various users.

Firstly, the decibel reading is going to vary depending on your listening position. I don’t believe anyone is realistically going to be listening to their headphones with their head resting on the amp.

Which brings me to the second point. It appears that some folks are measuring the noise by resting their measuring device on the amp. If this is the case, the measuring device is going to pick up any vibrations from the amp or air the fan is displacing thus rendering the measurements skewed.

Lastly, I understand if amp placement is limiting for some people and can only place the amp within close proximity (or within earshot). In that case, I can understand that the fan noise has a greater potential to affect listening enjoyment, but the impact a few db of noise has may be highly subjective.

But to round back, I think we need to start by obtaining fan noise measurements relative to listening position.

Even with measurements being taken properly, the results may be a moot point when you consider how much noise is attenuated when you actually have headphones over your ears.

With all the factors taken in consideration and assuming that the fan doesn’t add noise to the circuitry, I think the fan noise will be negligible. However, with all conditions being ideal and the fanissuetutting out 45db, then it becomes a problem Burson should look into.

Of course, this is all in theory. I’m excited to get my GT in anytime now and you can bet I’m gonna obtain my own measurements.

If you are refering to me :
1. The phone is not resting on the amp
2. Measuring next to the fan with the same app is the only semi objective way to compare possible unit variation
3. Burson claims the noise level of the unit is 25db ... which for me means maximum you could ever measure
4. I did my laptop the same way and indeed got 25db during normal operation

Lastly people seem to report 2 completely different noise levels. Some people say it is indeed whisper quiet, like Lachlan in his review, and I have no reason to doubt him as he is really professional and open, and some other people myself included report that it's on a level of a regular PC ... which doesn't seem right for a TOTL audiophile piece of gear in my mind. That's it.

 

[krude]

Did you guys notice any difference between horizontal and vertical positions of the GT in terms of noise generation?

No, also I took the the fan out and ran it on my desk to check it out and the fan itself is indeed whisper quiet, literally silent. It is a really good fan. The problem for me starts when I close the case. That noise is generated purely by the airflow inside the case.