Good write up, Burson Dac

tonyb
tonyb Posts: 33,059
edited May 2011 in Electronics
Nice review of the Burson Dac for those looking. The reviewer liked it better than the Weiss and at alot cheaper price. 6 moons does a pretty good review of componants and doesn't seem to bend to the influence of advertising dollars that other audio mags/sites do.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/burson5/5.html

The one thing that sticks out in the review is something that we have said around here for ages, the importance of the analog output stage, that Burson has put more attention to that, than numbers on a dac chip. My own personal enjoyment in music mirrors some of the comments the reviewer makes.....tone, and weight of the music, which I find missing in alot of todays gear and why most vinyl lovers cling on to their spinners for dear life. Read it,check it out,tell me what you think.
HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds

Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

Kitchen

Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's
Post edited by tonyb on
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Comments

  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,105
    edited May 2011
    I've read that article & also like the way Burson designs their gear around the true analog sound. My very first mod was to replace my stock opamps in my Music Hall tube dac with Burson opamps & the difference was quite staggering. The integrated/dac sounds like it's a top notch piece. My eye is on it...maybe down the road a bit. But for now the MH dac with the Burson opamps & the DynamiCaps is getting the job done in spades.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited May 2011
    It sounds very similar to the W4S DACs with a little less weight and less dynamics IIRC. Still, a very nice sounding unit for the price.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • FTGV
    FTGV Posts: 3,649
    edited May 2011
    Discrete class A op amps are a rarity but in an $1100 DAC along with custom high performance voltage regulators and a sweet looking stepped attenuator to boot,Impressive.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 33,059
    edited May 2011
    Phil, did you do the mods yourself or did you send it somewhere ?
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,105
    edited May 2011
    Tony, I did the Burson mod myself...actually it was quite easy. The old one's popped out & the new one's popped right back in. I was so impressed with the difference they made that I asked Stephen from Quest for Sound about doing the cap mod. He said no problem. I wouldn't tackle that with my limited soldering skills. And boy am I glad I didn't try it. The DynamiCaps Stephen put in are "Huge" & take up a lot of real estate. He had to be very careful because they are right around the output tube & actually pressed up against the Burson opamps (which are "Huge also). He had to solder the opamps in place because of the size of them & the caps. Tricky but he got it done & the result in amazing. The combo of the Sonos & this modded dac are off the chats excellent. Some things are better off being handled by the pro's who know what they're doing.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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