[zilch0md]

Originally Posted by scruffy1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
[snip]
 
the bass is tight and dynamic, the vocals are authentic, and percussion is beautiful; guitars / sax / violin / tuba / harmonica / etc... all achingly beautiful
 
[snip]
 

 
Thanks very much for your well-expressed opinion!  

 

[canthearyou]

This thread is almost seven years old, yet it seems (from searching) this will be the first post mentioning the Sparkos discrete op-amps.

Here are some first impressions:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/735828/gustard-h10-high-current-discrete-class-a-output-stage-headphone-amplifier/5040

Mike

I also posted in the Matrix HPA3-B and Gustard thread over 20 days ago about the Sparkos.

 

[FritzS]

  i have now had a mere two days of using the burson v5i
 
it replaced a dual opa627 in the buffer position on my asus xonar hdav1.3, that was initially occupied by the stock supplied (LM)4562NA
 
having decided in short order that the opa627 was an improvement on the 4562na i never changed it out in half a decade because it seemed clear to me that opa627 was better at "tight" bass and general all round reproduction
 
......
 
the bass is tight and dynamic, the vocals are authentic, and percussion is beautiful; guitars / sax / violin / tuba / harmonica / etc... all achingly beautiful

 
With AKG K812 headphone, WNA MKII headphone amp, Marantz SA7001 KI CD/SACD player.
 
SACD Tracks - Allan Taylor, Leaving At Dawn, Stockfisch
 
Tracks 9, 10, 11, 12
 
Comparing OPA627 vs. V5
OPA 627, a little bit warmer
V5, a little bit more neutral, clearer.
 
In the WNA MKII headphone amp running all stages in Class A. I had compared them with Violectric HPA281 and SPL Phontor 2 without significant differences (with using OPA627). I think with V5 the differences are smaller.
http://violectric-usa.com/headphone-amplifiers/hpa-v281
https://spl.info/de/produkte/kopfhoererverstaerker/phonitor-2/uebersicht.html

 

[zilch0md]

I also posted in the Matrix HPA3-B and Gustard thread over 20 days ago about the Sparkos.

 
It's a wonder more people here on Head-Fi haven't tried it, but the price is higher than the Burson V5, so that's a showstopper for some people.  
 
Then again, I paid $150 + shipping for a pair of NJR Muses 02, ordered from mouser.com, to avoid getting counterfeits.
 
When you compare the material construction of the Sparkos SS3602 to the Muses02, it's the Muses 02 that's way overpriced (and not at all competitive in terms of sound quality). 
 

 
This IC op-amp costs $75.00 (if you want to avoid counterfeit).
 
Update:  I paid $75.00 each for this IC op-amp in February 2014, at Mouser.com, but they can currently be had for $46.25.
 
 

 
This discrete op-amp only costs $79.80.   (A much better value.)

 

[Mad Max]

So the Sparkos sounds better, you feel?

 

[Lohb]

   
in a word : better
in more words : n(much) better
 
the only negative thing i can say is that there is a bit of a squeeze to get it to occupy the buffer socket on the hdav, and ttbomk the stx shares almost identical architecture, so might also need a little encouragement to seat it by gently easing apart the surrounding components
 

I see you had fitting issues with the silver cap EMI protector on the chip.
 
I could not fit them easily in a Project Starlight I have a short while for testing. This is due to the small lip around what I guess is the EMI cap on them.
 
However, from this photo it looks like the cap is removable. I'm not sure if it would have any adverse effect as most mainstream opamps and even Sparkos Muse 02 do not have this kind of metal cap.
is it purely to protect the chips and should be removed on installation ? @Burson Audio
I'm unsure from a user perspective. I did not want to wedge it off, until mine were too tight in the hybrid tube amp. Next test is iBasso PB2.

 

[zilch0md]

  So the Sparkos sounds better, you feel?

 
Hi!
 
Some people I've read are saying the SS3602 has a rolled-off treble compared to the Burson V5 and I have to agree it's a little bit less airy, but I really think it's also a cleaner, better-defined treble - not as (annoyingly) crystalline with the HD800 as when using the Burson V5, but I wouldn't say there's any loss of detail. It's like a big fan was turned on to suck the smoke out of the air.  When the smoke is gone, you can see better.  The treble difference is impossible to detect with the LCD-2 rev.1, by the way.  I'm struggling to find the words, but let me put it this way:  The SS3602 treble isn't as rolled-off as it is simply more quiet around the real stuff, but if this has you thinking you're going to miss out on high-frequency micro-details that you can hear with the Burson V5, that's not the case. If anything, the SS3602, just cleans them up, and makes them easier to enjoy, but yes, while rolling off the treble energy, just a bit. In short, I LOVE the SS3602 treble - it sounds really natural. 
 
I spent several hours last weekend, and again today (Saturday) swapping the V5 and SS3602, playing short segments of favorite tracks. The SS3602 upper mids are a tiny bit recessed relative to the V5, but the bass is a bit stronger (it's subtle, but noticeable) - again, very nice for the HD800.  Everything is very tightly controlled - the best bass I've heard with the HD800 - with authority and speed.  And don't worry about the vocals - they sound stunningly real.
 
I also feel as if I'm sitting closer to the stage with the SS3602, where everything is a little more distant with the V5, so we could argue that the soundstage isn't as expansive, but I prefer that myself. Again... we're talking about op-amp differences here, not headphone differences, so please try to scale all of my observations appropriately. But...  I like the not so laid back sound of the SS3602 vs. the V5.  That's one thing I didn't like about the Burson Soloist - sitting several rows back from the stage seems to be a Burson "house" trait.
 
Lastly...  The SS3602 for sure has more power AND dynamics than the V5.  I had to volume match them using an SPL meter and white noise file in order to make comparisons.  
 
I'm so impressed by how the SS3602 sounds with the DT880 600 (via the iBasso PB2's TRS jack), I've sent them out to remove the stock 3-wire cable an get mini-XLR jacks installed on each side.  I can't wait to hear the DT880 600 using both sides of the SS3602 duals - more power, with balanced output.
 

 
Mike

 

[scruffy1]

  I see you had fitting issues with the silver cap EMI protector on the chip.

 
true that
 
my pics and full "build" experience is here (link)
 
 
but here is a comparison shot of the burson and the dual opa627, and even allowing for the distorted perspective you can tell it's more a square than an oblong
 
 

 
but it fits 

, although obviously with a different placement ymmv
 

 
 
 
 

Originally Posted by Lohb /img/forum/go_quote.gif

is it purely to protect the chips and should be removed on installation ? 
I'm unsure from a user perspective. I did not want to wedge it off, until mine were too tight in the hybrid tube amp. Next test is iBasso PB2.

 
throw an email to burson and ask; they seem very receptive to mail from my experience with them
 
although they are less keen to offer their thoughts on relative merit to alternative options, which is understandable
 

 
(lots of good stuff, and...)
 
Lastly...  The SS3602 for sure has more power AND dynamics than the V5.  I had to volume match them using an SPL meter and white noise file in order to make comparisons.  
 
 
Mike

 
 
too lazy for major cut 'n' paste but obliged to ponder whether i can stand discovering better than what i already have, so soon
 
the htpc / music project was meant to be a quick improvement, not another obsession
 
i am not sure i could stand any better bass, but i guess a 10" driver trumps earphones, and i have adjustment for crossover frequency and volume on the sub
 
 
 
my biggest pondering at present is whether the two liberated dual opa627 would make an improvement on the hdav in the i/v slots, or if the earlier "freed" (LM)4562NA might be an option
 
 
you people appear to have a clue... so, what ??  i would need to faff with the lounge room set up again, so it will need a bit of encouragement to make me adequately curious and dissatisfied to put in the effort
 
there's a remix mini android pc here i have been meaning to play with instead.... 

 

[zilch0md]

Hi Scruffy1,
 
A friend of mine once told me he had read an article or heard a book or whatever that left him convinced of its message:  "Too many choices leads to unhappiness". I say, "The more choices the better," but when it comes to op-amps, I'm glad I only own one piece of gear into which I can roll them.  It sounds as if you've got several pieces with which to ramp up the permutations and combinations, as multipliers of your inventory of op-amps. You almost need to create a truth matrix, so you can keep track of which combos you've tried and what you liked.  
 
Mike

 

[scruffy1]

so i guess it boils down to : "suck it and see"
 
it took me 5 years to swap out the opa627's, and i am loving the bursons, so i might be much older by the time i re-visit the sound card
 
 
 
although it only took me 3 days to shuffle the deck here to pass the benefit to the best speakers, so maybe not...

 

[Audio Addict]

   
Hi!
 
Some people I've read are saying the SS3602 has a rolled-off treble compared to the Burson V5 and I have to agree it's a little bit less airy, but I really think it's also a cleaner, better-defined treble - not as (annoyingly) crystalline with the HD800 as when using the Burson V5, but I wouldn't say there's any loss of detail. It's like a big fan was turned on to suck the smoke out of the air.  When the smoke is gone, you can see better.  The treble difference is impossible to detect with the LCD-2 rev.1, by the way.  I'm struggling to find the words, but let me put it this way:  The SS3602 treble isn't as rolled-off as it is simply more quiet around the real stuff, but if this has you thinking you're going to miss out on high-frequency micro-details that you can hear with the Burson V5, that's not the case. If anything, the SS3602, just cleans them up, and makes them easier to enjoy, but yes, while rolling off the treble energy, just a bit. In short, I LOVE the SS3602 treble - it sounds really natural. 
 
I spent several hours last weekend, and again today (Saturday) swapping the V5 and SS3602, playing short segments of favorite tracks. The SS3602 upper mids are a tiny bit recessed relative to the V5, but the bass is a bit stronger (it's subtle, but noticeable) - again, very nice for the HD800.  Everything is very tightly controlled - the best bass I've heard with the HD800 - with authority and speed.  And don't worry about the vocals - they sound stunningly real.
 
I also feel as if I'm sitting closer to the stage with the SS3602, where everything is a little more distant with the V5, so we could argue that the soundstage isn't as expansive, but I prefer that myself. Again... we're talking about op-amp differences here, not headphone differences, so please try to scale all of my observations appropriately. But...  I like the not so laid back sound of the SS3602 vs. the V5.  That's one thing I didn't like about the Burson Soloist - sitting several rows back from the stage seems to be a Burson "house" trait.
 
Lastly...  The SS3602 for sure has more power AND dynamics than the V5.  I had to volume match them using an SPL meter and white noise file in order to make comparisons.  
 
I'm so impressed by how the SS3602 sounds with the DT880 600 (via the iBasso PB2's TRS jack), I've sent them out to remove the stock 3-wire cable an get mini-XLR jacks installed on each side.  I can't wait to hear the DT880 600 using both sides of the SS3602 duals - more power, with balanced output.
 

 
Mike

 
Thanks.  I just order a pair of the single SS3601 and look forward to comparing them with the V5.

 

[WilliamLeonhart]

May I ask what Burson is it? Is this the v5 single? It looks hugely different from the dual one I've got

 

[FritzS]

I found on mouser.de
http://www.mouser.de/new/njr/NJR-MUSES-Amplifiers/ 
All prices could be vary!
 
Mouser Part No: 513-MUSES02
Manufacturer Part No: MUSES02
Manufacturer: NJR
Description: Audio Amplifiers Bipolar Input Dual Op Amp
Pricing (EUR): € 46,53
 
Mouser Part No: 513-MUSES01
Manufacturer Part No: MUSES01
Manufacturer: NJR
Description: Audio Amplifiers J-FET Input Dual Op Amp
Pricing (EUR): 46,53 €
 
Mouser Part No: 513-MUSES8920E
Manufacturer Part No: MUSES8920E
Manufacturer: NJR
Description: Audio Amplifiers J-FET Input Dual Op Amp
Pricing (EUR): 11,77 €
 
Mouser Part No: 513-MUSES8820E
Manufacturer Part No: MUSES8820E
Manufacturer: NJR
Description: Audio Amplifiers High Quality Audio Dual Op Amp
Pricing (EUR): 9,81 €
 
Mouser Part No: 513-MUSES8832E
Manufacturer Part No: MUSES8832E
Manufacturer: NJR
Description: Audio Amplifiers High Qual Audio Dual Op Amp 10MHz
Pricing (EUR): 13,18 €
 
Mouser Part No: 513-MUSES72320V-TE2
Manufacturer Part No: MUSES72320V-TE2
Manufacturer: NJR
Description: Audio Amplifiers 18V Operation 2-CH Electronic Volume
Pricing (EUR): 25,15 € 

 

[zilch0md]

   
Thanks.  I just order a pair of the single SS3601 and look forward to comparing them with the V5.

 
Yay!  I'm hoping you can justify my comments, but feel free to vilify me, instead!  LOL 
 
It's so hard to be objective with this subjective hobby.  

 

 

[Lohb]

 May I ask what Burson is it? Is this the v5 single? It looks hugely different from the dual one I've got

New V5i, not the previous tall red V5.