raoultrifan
Headphoneus Supremus
I'm also a Classic person myself too. Maybe the Vivid are now their favourite opamp due to the increase in details.
Burson V6 Vivid and V6 Classic Discrete Audio Opamps Discussion and Reviews
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Baten
Headphoneus Supremus
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Classic is more coloured than Vivid, I'm guessing it's their way of playing safe
raoultrifan
Headphoneus Supremus
Odd, I find Classic to sound more neutral. Perhaps it matters in what device we are testing these opamps.
adeadcrab
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Vivid is reference quality, classic is tilted warm. Running 2 classics in my preamp hooked to a tube amp, and it is smoooooooooooooth. no harshness at all!
Baten
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Was my opinion, too.
Audio Addict
Headphoneus Supremus
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Has anyone run into the issue the V6s pins are larger than others such trying to switch the others do not fit tightly? I pulled the Vibids and Classics out of my Playmate but neither the Sparkos Labs SS3602 not the adapter boards for a SOIC dual channel fit tightly and therefore could not be used.
Sam Spade
100+ Head-Fier
Hi all, I have some questions:
My burson conductor has 4 burson dual V6 op amps. When i spoke to alex at burson about trying the V6 classic he advised i only needed 2 for the LP stage. So Burson advised me to only change the LP stage and leave the V6 vivids in the IV stage. Lachlan at passion for sound said the same thing in one of his youtube reviews I think it was the soloist, or it may have been the Sparko opamps.
But Andrew from Sparko STRONGLY recommended changing all 4 to a customer. I emailed him about that and he said you need to work out what the opamp is doing and if say it is running the balanced XLR outputs and you don't use them, then no need to change, but if you do use XLR change it.
I had this idea from somewhere the the IV stage was the input side in the Bursons. And the LP stage was the outputs. So questions:
1) does anyone know why they recommended just changing the LP stage
2) what is an LP stage
3) what is an IV stage?
Cheers
Sam
My burson conductor has 4 burson dual V6 op amps. When i spoke to alex at burson about trying the V6 classic he advised i only needed 2 for the LP stage. So Burson advised me to only change the LP stage and leave the V6 vivids in the IV stage. Lachlan at passion for sound said the same thing in one of his youtube reviews I think it was the soloist, or it may have been the Sparko opamps.
But Andrew from Sparko STRONGLY recommended changing all 4 to a customer. I emailed him about that and he said you need to work out what the opamp is doing and if say it is running the balanced XLR outputs and you don't use them, then no need to change, but if you do use XLR change it.
I had this idea from somewhere the the IV stage was the input side in the Bursons. And the LP stage was the outputs. So questions:
1) does anyone know why they recommended just changing the LP stage
2) what is an LP stage
3) what is an IV stage?
Cheers
Sam
Sam Spade
100+ Head-Fier
So I asked Burson about trying the V6 classic in my C3X ref and they advised i only needed 2 duals for the LP stage. So they advised me to only change the LP stage and leave the V6 vivids in the IV stage. Lachlan at passion for sound said the same thing in one of his youtube reviews I think it was the soloist, or it may have been the Sparko opamps review. But Andrew from Sparko strongly recommended changing all 4 to a customer. I emailed him about that and he said you need to work out what the opamp is doing and if say it is running the balanced XLR outputs and you don't use them, then no need to change, but if you do use XLR change it.
So I asked Burson:
1) why do you recommended just changing the LP stage V6 Classic Dual
2) what is an LP stage This is the filtering stage after the I/V stage. It filters out a lot of high-frequency noise generated during the DAC conversion process. Hence the name Low Pass stage.
3) what is an IV stage? This is the very first stage where the voltage output from the DAC gets converted into the useable current form. At this stage, signal contain both audio signal and noise from the DAC process.
So I didn't get the best answer for the first question, just a recommendation. The next two were interesting. It makes me think that for DACs the benefits of changing might be different than straight amps. So if a headamp/preamp had two pairs of op amps for the headamp and two for the preamp, you would change all 4 if you used bth. But if it's just a head amp you need, just change those opamps.
So I asked Burson:
1) why do you recommended just changing the LP stage V6 Classic Dual
2) what is an LP stage This is the filtering stage after the I/V stage. It filters out a lot of high-frequency noise generated during the DAC conversion process. Hence the name Low Pass stage.
3) what is an IV stage? This is the very first stage where the voltage output from the DAC gets converted into the useable current form. At this stage, signal contain both audio signal and noise from the DAC process.
So I didn't get the best answer for the first question, just a recommendation. The next two were interesting. It makes me think that for DACs the benefits of changing might be different than straight amps. So if a headamp/preamp had two pairs of op amps for the headamp and two for the preamp, you would change all 4 if you used bth. But if it's just a head amp you need, just change those opamps.
I have been burning in my V6 Vivid samples for the last few weeks. They must have well over 100 hours of use on them by now. As promised, I will put up a review in the next couple days. The sound quality is excellent.
Alright, first off, a big thanks to Bhav at Burson Audio for sending me 4 of the V6 Vivid dual opamps in exchange for my honest review. These opamps are the best I have heard to date. Secondly, I apologize for the delay on the review. I had issues with my Nu Audio Pro 7.1 sound card. The second one I had also ended up failing, so I was unable to do the review until now.
Packaging:
The V6 Vivid Duals came in a plastic case. They are protected with foam surrounding them, and are firmly seated. There is no way of them being damaged in shipping. They are very well protected.
Build Quality:
These are very nice opamps, and the build quality is fantastic. I like the fact that Burson Audio offers a lifetime warranty as well on these. This ensures that the buyer is forever protected in case of any unlikely defects. Just taking a look at them, the buyer knows they are getting a quality product.
Equipment used:
EVGA Nu Audio Pro 7.1 sound card. This is a two sound card set, with a 2 channel main board, and a daughter board for all of the surround channels. I originally was using LME49720HA (metal cans) opamps for all of the opamps. The sound card is connected to my home audio system. The receiver is an Integra DTR-80.3, which is a very heavy, and very high end receiver. My speakers are all Paradigm Imagine series. Note that I do not use any sound card effects. This is just a straight up 32bit/384000hz device for me. I have no interest in using anything except for straight multichannel analog to the receiver.
Installation:
The main sound card, and also the daugther board use a cover. These need to both be removed to be able to install these opamps. The 4 x V6 Vivid dual opamps replaced 4 x LME49720HA (metal can) opamps. Installation went without any issues and was very straight forward as expected. One thing to note though is that in the default state that they touch a couple of the surrounding capacitors. This results in having to bend the caps to the side slightly to be able to fit the opamps in. This is not a big deal. I would just suggest to anyone interested in doing this upgrade, that you just need to be careful when installing.
Sound Quality:
I have about 300 hours use on the opamps now, so I know that they are fully burned in at this point. The V6 Vivid opamps have a very lively and dynamic sound. I am very much into audio gear which has a neutral and detailed sound. I like neutrality, but with a quick, well extended, and tight bass response. This opamp offers the exact type of sound signature that I enjoy. The V6 Vivid Dual is quite neutral sounding. However, there is a slight hint of warmth present in the mids. There is one thing worth mentioning though with these opamps. During the first hours of use, straight out of the box, the treble on the V6 Vivid Duals are a bit rolled off. These opamps definitely mature a great deal after multiple hours of usage, and the sound quality improves greatly. There was some missing energy and sparkle in the upper most frequencies upon first installing. Once the opamps have had maybe 5 or 6 hours of use on them, the treble begins to open up. The upper frequency detail continues to improve all the way until about the 200-250 hours of usage range. Once fully burned in, these opamps are probably the best sounding available on the market.
Now, lets start off with the bass. The bass is tight, defined, detailed, dynamic, extended and impactful. The extension is just excellent, and it goes right down to the sub bass region with ease. There is no bloat, boom, or any muddyness present to it at all. There is no bleeding into the mids happening. These opamps are very agile in the lower registers. In fact, this is the best sounding bass I have ever heard from any opamp I have tried. The LME49720HA metal can opamps are also good in the bass department. However, the V6 Vivid dual is just on another level entirely. When I first tried the opamp, I was rather surprised at the deep impact and extension the V6 Dual offered. Kick drums in music are so tight and defined. These opamps really bring out the best from well mastered music. It really gives music a toe tapping character, and makes you want to keep testing out more albums.
In terms of the midrange, the V6 Vivid Dual absolutely excels. Everything sounds lush with gorgeous imaging. Instruments are well presented. Vocals are up front. Voices are just in front of everything else in the mix. Vocals are one of the other highlights of the V6 Vivid. There is just such a smoothness to voices. It should be noted though that there is definitely a slightly laid back character to the 3kHz region happening with this opamp. If I had to guess, this region has probably been reduced by about -1db. This is surprising, since these opamps have such a lively and engaging sound. The slight reduction at 3kHz is contributing to the slightly warm sound signature that this opamp has. I certainly would not call this opamp warm though. It is quite neutral in signature. It is just not fatiguing at all in any of the frequencies. In terms of micro detail retrieval, there are details present in the music on the V6 Vivids that are missed on the LME49720HA metal cans. The LME49720HA is already a revealing opamp, but the V6 Vivid just presents more information in the recordings. Soundstage has excellent layering, depth, and width. Instruments are completely separated, and everything is nice and spacious. Everything sounds cohesive, focused, natural and correct. Electric guitar, piano, keyboards, and any other instruments are very accurately reproduced. There is a smoothness and amazingly realistic character to everything. There is no harshness or grain to any frequency on the V6 opamps. Just as it was with the bass, the mids, vocals, and soundstage on the V6 Vivid are also the best I have encountered. Piano sounds very impressive and true to the recording. Instruments is another area that the LME49720HA metal cans also excel in, but the V6 Vivid is once again a huge step above.
Now, regarding the treble. Wow, it is stunning to say the least. I have to say that to my ears, the V6 Vivid certainly has an articulate and clean treble response. There is no distortion, grain, harshness, or any sibilant nature to it. This opamp is all about detail retrieval. It wants to recover every possible element within the recording, but do so without creating any level of sibilance. The LME49720HA also has a clean treble response, but the V6 Vivid is just more refined and more capable of revealing the micro details. Everything has a great sense of space and clean decay. Symbols just sound correct. This is something that I always look for when I am listening to equipment. This opamp is capable of presenting a satisfying treble response even at lower volume levels. This is not easy to accomplish. If a person hears any harshness to the upper frequencies on this opamp, it will be caused by very bright sounding equipment used in the system, or the music being played is horrendously mastered.
These are awesome opamps. They have a wonderful and musical sound to them. I definitely recommend them to people looking to step up to audiophile grade opamps.
Thanks once again to Bhav at Burson Audio for the opportunity to test these out. I really appreciate it.
Packaging:
The V6 Vivid Duals came in a plastic case. They are protected with foam surrounding them, and are firmly seated. There is no way of them being damaged in shipping. They are very well protected.
Build Quality:
These are very nice opamps, and the build quality is fantastic. I like the fact that Burson Audio offers a lifetime warranty as well on these. This ensures that the buyer is forever protected in case of any unlikely defects. Just taking a look at them, the buyer knows they are getting a quality product.
Equipment used:
EVGA Nu Audio Pro 7.1 sound card. This is a two sound card set, with a 2 channel main board, and a daughter board for all of the surround channels. I originally was using LME49720HA (metal cans) opamps for all of the opamps. The sound card is connected to my home audio system. The receiver is an Integra DTR-80.3, which is a very heavy, and very high end receiver. My speakers are all Paradigm Imagine series. Note that I do not use any sound card effects. This is just a straight up 32bit/384000hz device for me. I have no interest in using anything except for straight multichannel analog to the receiver.
Installation:
The main sound card, and also the daugther board use a cover. These need to both be removed to be able to install these opamps. The 4 x V6 Vivid dual opamps replaced 4 x LME49720HA (metal can) opamps. Installation went without any issues and was very straight forward as expected. One thing to note though is that in the default state that they touch a couple of the surrounding capacitors. This results in having to bend the caps to the side slightly to be able to fit the opamps in. This is not a big deal. I would just suggest to anyone interested in doing this upgrade, that you just need to be careful when installing.
Sound Quality:
I have about 300 hours use on the opamps now, so I know that they are fully burned in at this point. The V6 Vivid opamps have a very lively and dynamic sound. I am very much into audio gear which has a neutral and detailed sound. I like neutrality, but with a quick, well extended, and tight bass response. This opamp offers the exact type of sound signature that I enjoy. The V6 Vivid Dual is quite neutral sounding. However, there is a slight hint of warmth present in the mids. There is one thing worth mentioning though with these opamps. During the first hours of use, straight out of the box, the treble on the V6 Vivid Duals are a bit rolled off. These opamps definitely mature a great deal after multiple hours of usage, and the sound quality improves greatly. There was some missing energy and sparkle in the upper most frequencies upon first installing. Once the opamps have had maybe 5 or 6 hours of use on them, the treble begins to open up. The upper frequency detail continues to improve all the way until about the 200-250 hours of usage range. Once fully burned in, these opamps are probably the best sounding available on the market.
Now, lets start off with the bass. The bass is tight, defined, detailed, dynamic, extended and impactful. The extension is just excellent, and it goes right down to the sub bass region with ease. There is no bloat, boom, or any muddyness present to it at all. There is no bleeding into the mids happening. These opamps are very agile in the lower registers. In fact, this is the best sounding bass I have ever heard from any opamp I have tried. The LME49720HA metal can opamps are also good in the bass department. However, the V6 Vivid dual is just on another level entirely. When I first tried the opamp, I was rather surprised at the deep impact and extension the V6 Dual offered. Kick drums in music are so tight and defined. These opamps really bring out the best from well mastered music. It really gives music a toe tapping character, and makes you want to keep testing out more albums.
In terms of the midrange, the V6 Vivid Dual absolutely excels. Everything sounds lush with gorgeous imaging. Instruments are well presented. Vocals are up front. Voices are just in front of everything else in the mix. Vocals are one of the other highlights of the V6 Vivid. There is just such a smoothness to voices. It should be noted though that there is definitely a slightly laid back character to the 3kHz region happening with this opamp. If I had to guess, this region has probably been reduced by about -1db. This is surprising, since these opamps have such a lively and engaging sound. The slight reduction at 3kHz is contributing to the slightly warm sound signature that this opamp has. I certainly would not call this opamp warm though. It is quite neutral in signature. It is just not fatiguing at all in any of the frequencies. In terms of micro detail retrieval, there are details present in the music on the V6 Vivids that are missed on the LME49720HA metal cans. The LME49720HA is already a revealing opamp, but the V6 Vivid just presents more information in the recordings. Soundstage has excellent layering, depth, and width. Instruments are completely separated, and everything is nice and spacious. Everything sounds cohesive, focused, natural and correct. Electric guitar, piano, keyboards, and any other instruments are very accurately reproduced. There is a smoothness and amazingly realistic character to everything. There is no harshness or grain to any frequency on the V6 opamps. Just as it was with the bass, the mids, vocals, and soundstage on the V6 Vivid are also the best I have encountered. Piano sounds very impressive and true to the recording. Instruments is another area that the LME49720HA metal cans also excel in, but the V6 Vivid is once again a huge step above.
Now, regarding the treble. Wow, it is stunning to say the least. I have to say that to my ears, the V6 Vivid certainly has an articulate and clean treble response. There is no distortion, grain, harshness, or any sibilant nature to it. This opamp is all about detail retrieval. It wants to recover every possible element within the recording, but do so without creating any level of sibilance. The LME49720HA also has a clean treble response, but the V6 Vivid is just more refined and more capable of revealing the micro details. Everything has a great sense of space and clean decay. Symbols just sound correct. This is something that I always look for when I am listening to equipment. This opamp is capable of presenting a satisfying treble response even at lower volume levels. This is not easy to accomplish. If a person hears any harshness to the upper frequencies on this opamp, it will be caused by very bright sounding equipment used in the system, or the music being played is horrendously mastered.
These are awesome opamps. They have a wonderful and musical sound to them. I definitely recommend them to people looking to step up to audiophile grade opamps.
Thanks once again to Bhav at Burson Audio for the opportunity to test these out. I really appreciate it.
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SilverNomad
New Head-Fier
I'm just curious, if there is any way to remove those plastic covers from op-amps, so I can put them on AE-9PE, like on attachment? I refuse to use those excessively long extension leads. I tried to use pliers on that bottom cap, but it seems to be not just pushed inside tightly, but completely weld or glued. I can't remove even one cover, but there are four of them.
Attachments
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dosley01
1000+ Head-Fier
If you are good with voiding any warranty, they can be removed, I had one accidentally come apart and glued it back together.
SilverNomad
New Head-Fier
Well... I don't really care about warranty. Especially, when they've been bought from foreign shop, and it should be a little bit difficult to return them... But, it looks like, that they have updated a design of the case (and the package as well). Duals have transparent plastic caps in the bottom, singles - same plastic caps without transparency. As we see on a third attachment with old design - there's no plastic cap in the bottom, but just a whole build, pushed inside the case, using some kind of an adhesive filling. Probably, that's why it was so easy to disassemble them back then.
Attachments
dosley01
1000+ Head-Fier
Mine are the design without the clear caps on the right. They separated where you can see the line in the picture. They could be opened with an X-Acto knife or razor blade. You just need to cut deep enough to break the glue.
The V6 Classic is tasty goodness. I just added my review here on H-F: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/bu...pamp-v6-vivid-and-classic.23186/review/25642/
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