Burson Evaluation
I'd recently been given the opportunity to listen to the Burson V6 Classic and the V6 Vivid in my Whammy. Prior to that, I went through many monolithic opamps before settling on the OPA1612AID. My Whammy was built with the LED referenced power supply. My supply rails were running +16.7 VDC and -16.8 VDC, a bit hot for the Bursons. I thought, well, they can probably handle it for some listening tests, so, off we go.
The V6 Classic came out the clear winner, besting the OPA1612 in detail without sacrificing either the tonal balance or transient smoothness that I find so listenable in that TI opamp. The V6 Vivid came in third, with a character that I found even clearer and more open that the Classic but not quite as smooth. There was also something about the tonal balance of the Vivid that I could not quite put my finger on. It just did not sound right in some subtle way.
Now, all three of these are excellent sounding opamps, the differences are subtle and it's mostly preference. I listened using Masters & Dynamic MH40 closed back dynamics, Sennheiser HD650 open back dynamics and HiFiMan HE400i open back planar magnetics. Interestingly, the V6 Classic provided the HD650s with the most balanced, smooth and listenable sound I have ever heard with those headphones.
I didn't want to run the Burson forever at a supply higher than rated, so I first tried jumpering the open R9 and R13 positions for +/-15 VDC. Upon listening again, I could swear the sound had lost a little something. Just a wee bit more laid back, a hair less dynamic. Maybe it was the rest of the Whammy circuit running at those lower voltages. So I did a bit of trial and error with the opamp removed, leaving the LEDs in place and putting in the originally specified 330 ohm resistors for R9 and R13. This gave me +16.19VDC and -16.33VDC with the plus LED still extinguished and the minus LED just starting to glow. A bit more trial and error on the minus side and I ended up with 200 ohms in the R13 position to get -16.19VDC, a perfect match for the positive rail, and the minus LED not lighting up.
So, the circuit gained back most of that little loss of dynamics, the Burson V6 Classic is running within safe limits at +/-16.19VDC and I have a Whammy that has me listening to my favorite artists again and finding something new in each recording.
I'd recently been given the opportunity to listen to the Burson V6 Classic and the V6 Vivid in my Whammy. Prior to that, I went through many monolithic opamps before settling on the OPA1612AID. My Whammy was built with the LED referenced power supply. My supply rails were running +16.7 VDC and -16.8 VDC, a bit hot for the Bursons. I thought, well, they can probably handle it for some listening tests, so, off we go.
The V6 Classic came out the clear winner, besting the OPA1612 in detail without sacrificing either the tonal balance or transient smoothness that I find so listenable in that TI opamp. The V6 Vivid came in third, with a character that I found even clearer and more open that the Classic but not quite as smooth. There was also something about the tonal balance of the Vivid that I could not quite put my finger on. It just did not sound right in some subtle way.
Now, all three of these are excellent sounding opamps, the differences are subtle and it's mostly preference. I listened using Masters & Dynamic MH40 closed back dynamics, Sennheiser HD650 open back dynamics and HiFiMan HE400i open back planar magnetics. Interestingly, the V6 Classic provided the HD650s with the most balanced, smooth and listenable sound I have ever heard with those headphones.
I didn't want to run the Burson forever at a supply higher than rated, so I first tried jumpering the open R9 and R13 positions for +/-15 VDC. Upon listening again, I could swear the sound had lost a little something. Just a wee bit more laid back, a hair less dynamic. Maybe it was the rest of the Whammy circuit running at those lower voltages. So I did a bit of trial and error with the opamp removed, leaving the LEDs in place and putting in the originally specified 330 ohm resistors for R9 and R13. This gave me +16.19VDC and -16.33VDC with the plus LED still extinguished and the minus LED just starting to glow. A bit more trial and error on the minus side and I ended up with 200 ohms in the R13 position to get -16.19VDC, a perfect match for the positive rail, and the minus LED not lighting up.
So, the circuit gained back most of that little loss of dynamics, the Burson V6 Classic is running within safe limits at +/-16.19VDC and I have a Whammy that has me listening to my favorite artists again and finding something new in each recording.
The OPamp do not see the full rail voltage. There is resistors inline with the rails for the OPamp that eats up a few volts. just set it back to the original specs. And maybe replace those rail resistors (R35,R36 if i remember correctly) with som higher ohms if the burson runs hot.
Last edited:
Knocking the rail voltage down a half a volt per rail did not make enough of a difference to me. Although I could hear it when it was down 1.7 volts per rail. Gives me peace of mind to run an opamp slightly below its maximum rating and if the draw drops it a little bit more, so be it. I also like matching the rails closer without having to select matching LEDs although the 0.1V they were off with the LEDs was probably not audible.
Interestingly, out of 10 different opamps, the V6 Vivid included, the V6 Classic is the only one that does not create a pop in my headphones when powering up the Whammy. It is a very well behaved circuit!
Interestingly, out of 10 different opamps, the V6 Vivid included, the V6 Classic is the only one that does not create a pop in my headphones when powering up the Whammy. It is a very well behaved circuit!
I cut back to the no LED configuration. Don't feel I lost anything in slightly lowering the voltage, I always thought WHAMMY sounded great. Both Burson V-6s made it sound noticeably better. I personally prefer the Vivid because I think it has a more you are there, real performance kind of sound.
I'm using a Tidal on a ROON Nuc to an RP4 with HiFiBerry Digi+ Pro to a Schiit Bifrost II MB feeding an ACA which powers Zu Audio Omen DWs. Not a very expensive system but a lot better (subjective = more listenable) than systems for which I am embarrassed to say how many times more I paid.....
I'm using a Tidal on a ROON Nuc to an RP4 with HiFiBerry Digi+ Pro to a Schiit Bifrost II MB feeding an ACA which powers Zu Audio Omen DWs. Not a very expensive system but a lot better (subjective = more listenable) than systems for which I am embarrassed to say how many times more I paid.....
I don't think across the +/- pins, but I could be quite wrong.
It's like the recommended 'run-in' time of 100 hours - to some systems/people it makes a difference but to others, just a distraction.
I'm getting rather impatient with this lock-down/martial law' crap and the unspecified numbers game they're playing and the media pushing the same barrow. It doesn't seem that anyone at all questions these especially in the daily 'media performance'
It's like the recommended 'run-in' time of 100 hours - to some systems/people it makes a difference but to others, just a distraction.
I'm getting rather impatient with this lock-down/martial law' crap and the unspecified numbers game they're playing and the media pushing the same barrow. It doesn't seem that anyone at all questions these especially in the daily 'media performance'
I'm wondering if there's some hidden agenda to the long string of 'disasters' - they just don't seem to stop - it requires considerable effort to be this stupid, and I don't think he's capable of it - I wonder if someone else is writing his scripts.
We're not called the 'nanny-state' for nothing but maybe I'm just being cynical!
If we just concentrated our efforts on the vulnerable and allowed the hospital system to regain some semblance of normality, the 'collateral health damage' would be minimized - and maybe we could save whatever is left of the failing economy .
I noticed a new government add on the tv amongst all the official health promotions and the Covid daily barrage - something about applying for compensation for industrial hearing damage - maybe I could quote those AC/DC concerts, eh?
We're not called the 'nanny-state' for nothing but maybe I'm just being cynical!
If we just concentrated our efforts on the vulnerable and allowed the hospital system to regain some semblance of normality, the 'collateral health damage' would be minimized - and maybe we could save whatever is left of the failing economy .
I noticed a new government add on the tv amongst all the official health promotions and the Covid daily barrage - something about applying for compensation for industrial hearing damage - maybe I could quote those AC/DC concerts, eh?
I'll see if I can get the "add a photo" thing to work here - it's a single channel board, so need 2 pcbs, hence uses the single Burson IC, or a 627 each, if you want - you need 2 of them - be good to use as a 'hack up' and have some fun
Not sure if I still have some spare matched output fets too somewhere, some from Nicmac and some from Singapore matched for 120mA higher bias.
Finished re-grouting the shower and now back to replacing the head gasket on the "ol' pug" (1987 Peugeot 505) - not hifi at all!
Next thing I'll be offering to walk the neighbor's dog!
Not sure if I still have some spare matched output fets too somewhere, some from Nicmac and some from Singapore matched for 120mA higher bias.
Finished re-grouting the shower and now back to replacing the head gasket on the "ol' pug" (1987 Peugeot 505) - not hifi at all!
Next thing I'll be offering to walk the neighbor's dog!