GUSTARD H10 High-current Discrete Class A output Stage Headphone Amplifier

[tretneo]

  Gone full Burson with my H10.
 

 
I have used Burson discrete solid state opamps before when they just came out.  They are on their 4th Gen version now.   I emailed them with some questions and they offered me 25% off for being a loyal customer.  So now my $300 H10 cost $450.
 
 

Two singles up front.
 
 

Two duals in the back.
 

My take on Burson discrete opamps is that they sound like nothing.  Like the old amplifier saying "wire with gain", that is what I think Burson opamps do for your amplifier.  They do not bring any color or character to the table like other opamps.  Not a bad thing if you are tuning the sound but I like the sound of the H10 so much from day one that I believe it should be in the spotlight.  Being neutral is great but where the Burson opamps shine is it's ability to magnify what is in the recording.  It sounds open or free of bottlenecks comes to mind.  Minute details sounds clear and focused, sometimes not a good thing.  Poor recordings are put in the spotlight becoming unbearable to listen to.  Effects and other processes in the recording is also magnified.  Most modern popular music become almost unlistenable because it sounds like the engineer was slacking or incompetent, or the music was made at home on a desktop.  I have very little high quality recordings and most are classical, instrumental with some jazz and vocals.  Being a child of the 80's I have a library of 80's recordings.  Many of which sound better than the recordings done today.  So if you are not rolling opamps in search of a certain flavor and you want to hear all that is in your music then I recommend trying these opamps.

 
Looks like Burson Audio likes what you've done here!
 
http://www.bursonaudio.com/gustard-h10-high-current-discrete-class-a-headphone-amplifier-opamp-mod/

 

[sunneebear]

   
Looks like Burson Audio likes what you've done here!
 
http://www.bursonaudio.com/gustard-h10-high-current-discrete-class-a-headphone-amplifier-opamp-mod/

 
The H10 may be one of the best made and sounding amp under $500 or even $1000 from some comments made.  I figured from the money I saved might as well get the best opamps.

 

[auvgeek]

   
The H10 may be one of the best made and sounding amp under $500 or even $1000 from some comments made.  I figured from the money I saved might as well get the best opamps.

How would you characterize the Burson sound compared to the stock op-amps? I realize you've said the Burson opamps sound like "nothing," but how would you characterize the change in sound versus stock?

 

[heliosphann]

I'm kinda a noob when it comes to replacing op-amps. What's the process of swapping them?

 

[LancerFIN]

  I'm kinda a noob when it comes to replacing op-amps. What's the process of swapping them?

Take the chip out of socket and put new one in.

 

[heliosphann]

 
Take the chip out of socket and put new one in.

Cool. I didn't know if there was soldering involved, etc...

 

[fattycheesebeef]

Does MUSES 01 or 02 considered op-amps too?

 

[sunneebear]

 
How would you characterize the Burson sound compared to the stock op-amps? I realize you've said the Burson opamps sound like "nothing," but how would you characterize the change in sound versus stock?

 
OK, just did a short A/B session with the stock chips and the Burson.  I've been using some other stuff before I got the Burson in so I needed a refresher.
 
I have to say that I am very surprised by how good the stock set sounds.  No wonder the H10 is such a hit.  Tonally, stock and Burson sound very much alike.  The Burson is slightly more mid forward but that may be because vocals sound free-er, unrestricted.  Then again that is with every sound.  Cymbals ring out more.  Strings vibrate more.  Well I don't if that is the right description but hearing more of the micro details give me that impression.  The one thing that stands out right away between the two is the sound stage.  Imagine looking down from above an orchestra and you are standing where the conductor is.  With the stock the sound is like a three leaf clover.  You hear middle, left and right.  With the Burson the sound is a full 180 degrees like half a pie.  Then there is the sense of compression and expansion.  I got a chance to work with some studio equipment before and the sound of the stock is like having a compression/limiter on and the Burson is direct or bypass.  That's about it because I only listened to three songs 

.

 

[Lohb]

   
OK, just did a short A/B session with the stock chips and the Burson.  I've been using some other stuff before I got the Burson in so I needed a refresher.
 
I have to say that I am very surprised by how good the stock set sounds.  No wonder the H10 is such a hit.  Tonally, stock and Burson sound very much alike.  The Burson is slightly more mid forward but that may be because vocals sound free-er, unrestricted.  Then again that is with every sound.  Cymbals ring out more.  Strings vibrate more.  Well I don't if that is the right description but hearing more of the micro details give me that impression.  The one thing that stands out right away between the two is the sound stage.  Imagine looking down from above an orchestra and you are standing where the conductor is.  With the stock the sound is like a three leaf clover.  You hear middle, left and right.  With the Burson the sound is a full 180 degrees like half a pie.  Then there is the sense of compression and expansion.  I got a chance to work with some studio equipment before and the sound of the stock is like having a compression/limiter on and the Burson is direct or bypass.  That's about it because I only listened to three songs 

.

I like the overview of the sound-stage analogy.

 

[DecentLevi]

Hello folks, I just read from a very reputable Head-Fi'er that the Liquid Carbon amp has a special implementation that allows both balanced and RCA inputs to deliver equally good sound into this amp - but I'm wondering if that may be depending on the DAC; some may have better SE sections and others may have better balanced sections than other. I have the Gustard X12 DAC which has both balanced and RCA outputs, so I'm wondering if anybody with experience with this one would be able to tell me if they think that the X12 delivers better sound through the balanced section than SE?
 
Also as I've never bought balanced cables I'm wondering if somebody can tell me where is a cheap/good one? THANKS!

 

[lancevance117]

  Hello folks, I just read from a very reputable Head-Fi'er that the Liquid Carbon amp has a special implementation that allows both balanced and RCA inputs to deliver equally good sound into this amp - but I'm wondering if that may be depending on the DAC; some may have better SE sections and others may have better balanced sections than other. I have the Gustard X12 DAC which has both balanced and RCA outputs, so I'm wondering if anybody with experience with this one would be able to tell me if they think that the X12 delivers better sound through the balanced section than SE?
 
Also as I've never bought balanced cables I'm wondering if somebody can tell me where is a cheap/good one? THANKS!

I do have both gustard x12 and h10, and tried both types of connections, and both of the interconnects are 6N OCC, I have been using RCA cables before my XLR cables arrive and after I switch the cables, I do feel an immediate change, soundstage expansion and frequencies extensions are better. and the most obvious change is the volume, since unbalance gives 2.5Vrms and balance gives 5Vrms, YMMV

 

[heliosphann]

My (2nd) H10 will be here on Monday. Hope this one works!
 
I was wondering, is there's any reason to get an O2 amp right now while it's so cheap? I assume it's overall more neutral than the H10? Was thinking it might be good for doing comparisons, etc...

 

[lancevance117]

  My (2nd) H10 will be here on Monday. Hope this one works!
 
I was wondering, is there's any reason to get an O2 amp right now while it's so cheap? I assume it's overall more neutral than the H10? Was thinking it might be good for doing comparisons, etc...

get one then, it wont cost you a fortune, just 70bucks at MD

 

[lancevance117]

And hey guys, My friend just bought a S.M.S.L Sanskrit Pro, it uses the same DAC chip from AK380, the AK4490, we decided to do a shootout between the X12 and Sanskrit-Pro, stay-tuned

 

 

[DecentLevi]

Thanks very much Lancevance, that's enough to convince me to try balanced.