Review of the V6s
Hi,
You may have seen me in my last review, of the V5i op-amp. And if you saw it then you know that it was terrific and a mind-blowing experience for me, by just changing one part, with the dimensions 2x2x2 cm, the whole experience itself can change. I thank Burson Audio for sending me their new V6
Classic to review, it's a pleasure working with you. I hope this review will give you some insights on if you're going to purchase it or not.
Packaging
They arrived in this bubble plastic padded envelope which looked safe, also recognized from before. Not much more to say.
Also, just like before, they arrived in small cases with hard and protective foam, which I really like. But they've seemed to improve the casing, don't know why though as there was nothing wrong with the last one, oh well.
They felt really good, though the metal casing on the V5is was better IMO. Firstly, op-amps become hot and in just a short period of time as well. I don't think plastic will keep up as the metal casing would, even though the plastic seems of great quality. Second, even though I honestly don't know too much of op-amps and correct me if I'm wrong please, but wouldn't interfering be an issue? If so then the metal will do a much better job than plastic would, anyone who knows about technology (no matter type) would give you the same answer as I just did.
Price
Now when I've tried them myself, they would be an easy buy, to be honest, 130$ isn't a lot for what you're getting. (130$ for two duals that are needed for the STX II, a third one for the buffer as well, but I think that's optional), even though if that money could've been better spent on new headphones, or honestly even speakers. But I would easily opt for this upgrade if I had a job (currently studying). Especially if you have an STX.
Equipment
I do not own a studio or any fancy equipment like you fancy Head-Fiers own but I do have a lovely
Asus Xonar Essence STX II (equipped with the V5i) paired with the
Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro Black Edition (250 ohms).
I do use an EQ as well, not an extreme one though.
(did you notice?
)
Also, here's a picture when the V6 is installed next to the V5i. Just a little comparison.
Sound & Comparison
I am going to quote my last review I made on the V5is because I want to continue on that, it'll be easier for the both of us.
"I've read that op-amps didn't make a huge difference and I agreed when I switched from the MUSES 8820 to the LME47920 and then to the MUSES 8920. I did like the 8820 (even though the 8920 were installed then...) the most out of them but the differences were minor. Even between the 8920 and 8820, the difference was negligible. Note I am going to compare the V5i's with the 8920.
But then I installed the V5is and holy mother of cow, the sound actually did change drastically! Do note that the sound won't change to a completely different headphone. More like give the one you already own more life, happiness.
If we start from the bottom. The low end (bass) just got more hard hitting now. How do I put this into words... It sounds a bit quieter compared to before (which I like IMO), but now I actually feel the bass and quite a lot actually. It also has more punchiness and upper bass. As we get to the mids, they sound airier more natural now. Like all of the singers bought a new microphone and made their voices clearer, crispier. Everything just got more lively, like flowers started to bloom.
And then the highs (treble). There wasn't as a big difference here as it was with the lower tones but all just sound clearer, crispier. Not harsher, just clearer. The sound stage has the same depth as the 8920 but the V5i has a wider sound stage, and when I'm gaming I feel like it sounds more accurate as well. The LME47920 wins here when it comes to depth though as it's amazing at that. Otherwise, it sounds so dead."
In a simple world, I could just tell you that they've improved the V6 from the last gens V5 & V5i. But that would satisfy no one, so here I go from the top
(comparing the V5i and my current V6 Classic):
Detail & Highs
in short, the DT990 has a V-shaped sound (my preference), so as I said about the V5is, the V6 gives birth to even more hidden beauty that the DT990 never even showed me before. If there was a big difference between the 8920 and the V5i, then oh boy will you be in for a treat when or if you try out the V6 (Classic)! The treble became harsher, yes. But not in a negative way if you ask me. But that's partly because of all of the detail it brought with it! I listen to mainstream crappy music and in 80% of the songs I listened to, there was always something new to hear, for real. That big of a deal. The V5i sounds kinda dull compared to these. That's the biggest thing I want to keep praising with these, the GODDAMN AMOUNT of detail that THESE OP-AMPS gave my headphones! It's just simply, amazing.
Mid-range
Next, we have the mid-range, and frankly, there's not a lot to note here, other than that every song just sounds "more" the way the artist intended them to sound like, natural. I like it. You could say that the op-amps sound itself is kinda V-shaped. But don't take my word for it, I can only try these with my DT990's.
Bass
I would say there's even more punch here than before and especially improved here is the mid to high bass (70-200 Hz). It's obvious that most headphones will have a hard time producing these frequencies (because of the small drivers), but now I actually feel and hear a lot more of the mentioned frequencies. It's actually really cool.
The bass is also slightly more controlled and just sounds better as well.
Sound stage
I don't know what's the most terrific. The amount of detail or the huuuge sound stage. I told you that the LME47blablabla (mentioned above) only had its sound stage going for it, right? Now I would never even think of them, because the V6 just sweeps the floor with it, in all the areas. In a lot of the songs I'm listening to now, I can precisely hear them, where she is singing (by that I mean that if I close my eyes, I could easily be fooled that she's singing in front of me. While at the same time I'll hear some drums at my right and piano and my left and just oh my it all feels so satisfying. Also when the sound is shifting from the left to the right channel it sounds extremely smooth. It's difficult to explain sophisticated stuff like this.. anyways, in gaming. Yeah, that's a whole other story. Sorry guys, have yet to try any FPS but in every nerd game I've tried, it just still sounds so amazing. I got especially impressed when playing racing games (Rocket League (latest update, engine sound), Need for Speed).
It just sounds so real, really hard to believe what an op-amp can really do.
Conclusion
As you may have noticed already, I
clearly recommend the V6
Classical op-amps. They're in another league, I don't think for a moment that any other company could produce an op-amp that can beat Burson Audio, other than Burson Audio themselves. The only negative I can think of is the size of these things, which makes it a bit hard to put back the EMF shield, but that's ok. Haven't noticed any interference yet, what so ever. Pictures below.
I hope this review was helpful, and if there's anything missing or if you have any questions, please send a PM and I will do my best to help you.
Again, thank you Burson Audio for giving me this opportunity to work with you, it's always a pleasure and I hope you keep striving after making products better than the last ones! Thanks for reading my review and have a good day.
Pictures:
This is a funny one, demonstrating my issue
.
