Greetings,
I'm very much a newbie. I just purchased a pair of Burson Audio Dual Opamps ( V6 Classics)
There are 4 opamps in total on my Burson Audio Conductor 3X Performance.
Instructions say I can swap either the 2 - LP Stage or 2 - I/V Stage. I'm not sure which would have the most audio impact.
Thanks so much in advance.
I'm very much a newbie. I just purchased a pair of Burson Audio Dual Opamps ( V6 Classics)
There are 4 opamps in total on my Burson Audio Conductor 3X Performance.
Instructions say I can swap either the 2 - LP Stage or 2 - I/V Stage. I'm not sure which would have the most audio impact.
Thanks so much in advance.
No idea if this helps, but the I/V converter op-amps are probably the ones that have to handle switching signals and are therefore most critical regarding slewing-induced distortion.
I was curious about that device so went to the Burson Audio site.
I believe the only switchable opamp on this device are the last filter/buffer discrete op/amp, one per channel. The I/V, if it's what chosen with the ESS chip is made by non switchable sot23 3 legs discrete transistors. Or maybe it's the voltage supply, but I doubt they putt a switchable opamp for an i/v process with such fast clock dac chip. Cause sockets here suck and are not wanted with such speed.
So the 4 op/amp you see are 2 for the XLRs and two for the RCA outputs, one per channel : L&R. it is made with the discrete tower opa amp vivid V6. Home - Burson Audio you can swap them for the V6 classic and see what happen.
Be sure before you swap dual channel opamp with a dual channel opamp or if a single channel opamp with a single channel opamap (I dunno if Burson V6 are selling both, look at the user manual)
Edit : Humm i see there are two models and perhaps your is the RCA only model and indeed we can see 4 dicrete towers opamp ! Maybe I/V + filter, but also could be just filtzer + buffer, dunno ! Gives you the choice to switch 2 or 4 by rolling with the Vivid or the Classic V6, let your ears decide 🙂
Hope that helps.
I believe the only switchable opamp on this device are the last filter/buffer discrete op/amp, one per channel. The I/V, if it's what chosen with the ESS chip is made by non switchable sot23 3 legs discrete transistors. Or maybe it's the voltage supply, but I doubt they putt a switchable opamp for an i/v process with such fast clock dac chip. Cause sockets here suck and are not wanted with such speed.
So the 4 op/amp you see are 2 for the XLRs and two for the RCA outputs, one per channel : L&R. it is made with the discrete tower opa amp vivid V6. Home - Burson Audio you can swap them for the V6 classic and see what happen.
Be sure before you swap dual channel opamp with a dual channel opamp or if a single channel opamp with a single channel opamap (I dunno if Burson V6 are selling both, look at the user manual)
Edit : Humm i see there are two models and perhaps your is the RCA only model and indeed we can see 4 dicrete towers opamp ! Maybe I/V + filter, but also could be just filtzer + buffer, dunno ! Gives you the choice to switch 2 or 4 by rolling with the Vivid or the Classic V6, let your ears decide 🙂
Hope that helps.
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Hi diyiggy.
Thanks so much for your help, Mine is the Conductor 3 Performance X ( Balanced) I have RCA Out and also Balanced out. I did get the Dual opamps. I 'm going to just replace 2 opamps to the V6 Classics ("warmer") and leave the other factory V6 vivids("lively"). Just was not sure if I should swap the LP or IV side. Are the opamps Left and right channels for each of the LP/IV? Is teh LP Balanced and the IV RAC Singled-Ended?
Thanks so much for your help, Mine is the Conductor 3 Performance X ( Balanced) I have RCA Out and also Balanced out. I did get the Dual opamps. I 'm going to just replace 2 opamps to the V6 Classics ("warmer") and leave the other factory V6 vivids("lively"). Just was not sure if I should swap the LP or IV side. Are the opamps Left and right channels for each of the LP/IV? Is teh LP Balanced and the IV RAC Singled-Ended?
"I believe the only switchable opamp on this device are the last filter/buffer discrete op/amp, one per channel. The I/V, if it's what chosen with the ESS chip is made by non switchable sot23 3 legs discrete transistors."
To rephrase I beleive the I/V stage, i.e. the stage at the output of the dac chip that convert its output curent to voltage is the one where you see several transistors on the main horizontal red pcb. The discrete opamp towers are imo the next stage that have differente purposes : filter and/or buffer to frive the next load (Preamp or amp).
Two towers seem to be there for the XLR, I don't know if they make the diferential job or if it's done before in the main pcb I/V stage cause the ESS 9038 chip for the few I know have many options : several voltage and current outputs and multichannels to give room to the hifi DAC devices designers like Burson.
On yours it looks like there is one opamp tower per plug but it could be also two opamp in serie, one for the filter the other for the buffer for instance, we can not know with a picture without the shematic. You can ask to Burson as you're a customer playing here with two of their product.
Let your ears decide though, I repeat the single precaution is to swap a single channel oap by a single oap and idem with double channel oap. If Burson makes only double channel discrete V6 oaps it means they certainly are all double channel so no particular precautions.
At this stage we even don't know if it is the voltage stage or the current stage that is chosen in your device, but it is acceptable to beleive the current output from the dac chip was chosen because the voltage conversion is better made outside the chip often with bigger discrete components with different schemes and in this case again : the towers will not be I/V (ask Burson or read the owner manual if writted). If the tower are for the I/V, Marcel advice is the one to follow but you have to know which towers are for the I/V (maybe you know and it is writted on the manual but we definitly can NOT know with a simple picture 😉. And of course sometime a single tower could do both I/V and buffer but not sure at looking the pcb, but again hard to know w/o schem.)
Hope it helps you more... but really, let your ears decide, imo swap only the oaps being in front of the outplugs you use 🙂
To rephrase I beleive the I/V stage, i.e. the stage at the output of the dac chip that convert its output curent to voltage is the one where you see several transistors on the main horizontal red pcb. The discrete opamp towers are imo the next stage that have differente purposes : filter and/or buffer to frive the next load (Preamp or amp).
Two towers seem to be there for the XLR, I don't know if they make the diferential job or if it's done before in the main pcb I/V stage cause the ESS 9038 chip for the few I know have many options : several voltage and current outputs and multichannels to give room to the hifi DAC devices designers like Burson.
On yours it looks like there is one opamp tower per plug but it could be also two opamp in serie, one for the filter the other for the buffer for instance, we can not know with a picture without the shematic. You can ask to Burson as you're a customer playing here with two of their product.
Let your ears decide though, I repeat the single precaution is to swap a single channel oap by a single oap and idem with double channel oap. If Burson makes only double channel discrete V6 oaps it means they certainly are all double channel so no particular precautions.
At this stage we even don't know if it is the voltage stage or the current stage that is chosen in your device, but it is acceptable to beleive the current output from the dac chip was chosen because the voltage conversion is better made outside the chip often with bigger discrete components with different schemes and in this case again : the towers will not be I/V (ask Burson or read the owner manual if writted). If the tower are for the I/V, Marcel advice is the one to follow but you have to know which towers are for the I/V (maybe you know and it is writted on the manual but we definitly can NOT know with a simple picture 😉. And of course sometime a single tower could do both I/V and buffer but not sure at looking the pcb, but again hard to know w/o schem.)
Hope it helps you more... but really, let your ears decide, imo swap only the oaps being in front of the outplugs you use 🙂
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Beautiful explanation. Thanks so much. Not sure if this helps, but here is a attached photo of the actual board....
Attachments
So if this is a genuine Burson extract, you have your answer, so not a tower per plug but indeed two tover for I/V and the two others for Filter/buffer : follow Marcel IVG advice.
With two oaps reference you can have 4 swapping solutions (if you have 4 opamp of each ref) or three (if you have only two V6 classic on hands) : let your ears decide ! Try to burn in a little the new opamp by a dozen hours playback while you make something else... vacum cleaner is the best to do in the same time if you have buzy weeks 🙂
Odd choice to me they, at Burson, chose a switchable oap for the I/V on a dip 8 socket : cause these high speed clock dac chips don't like that. I will not loose more money on oaps swap with such a design that appears to be a little marketing owner sized. YMMV.
Well at least tell us the swap having your preference !
With two oaps reference you can have 4 swapping solutions (if you have 4 opamp of each ref) or three (if you have only two V6 classic on hands) : let your ears decide ! Try to burn in a little the new opamp by a dozen hours playback while you make something else... vacum cleaner is the best to do in the same time if you have buzy weeks 🙂
Odd choice to me they, at Burson, chose a switchable oap for the I/V on a dip 8 socket : cause these high speed clock dac chips don't like that. I will not loose more money on oaps swap with such a design that appears to be a little marketing owner sized. YMMV.
Well at least tell us the swap having your preference !
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