Burson Audio Blog

Naim CD5x upgrade with Burson HD opamp feedback by Mark L.

2012-02-01T12:56:00.001+11:00

..."Now with your HD OP-Amp it’s like a dream! Never heard such natural voices and instruments bevor! Also with not optimal power supply they’re playing with absolut no hardness, good dynamics und better resolution. Soundstage is much more defined"...

Thank you Burson guys for such a nice product!

Mark L.

Burson HA-160Ds & Sennheiser HD800 feedback by Christian E.

2012-01-28T05:38:00.000+11:00

Enclosed a photo from an HA-160DS that made it all the way to Germany.

Looks like a perfect fit to me. Unbelievable, how much sound you can extract from a 256 kbit-mp3 file (paired with an HD 800).

I also like the small footprint and portability that comes with that, so I can easily schlep it over to the stereo for the full-blown CD-sound (Rotel RCD-1072).

Christian E.

Burson HA-160D & Audeze LCD-2 feedback by Karim M.

2012-01-24T05:47:00.002+11:00

I want to thank you for creating such marvelous Headphone amp/DAC. I am amazed by the sound quality this little unit produces.

The sound is crystal clear and well balanced. It makes my LCD-2s sing.

Everything is as described on your web site.

Highly recomanded !

Karim.

Theta basic II transport upgrade with Burson Low jitter clock by Dc Components

2012-01-20T13:19:00.000+11:00

With the clock, the transport becomes a deeper soundstage, better resolution, and a great bass.

Dc-components.

Minimax Dac upgrade with Burson HD opamp feedback by Steven T.

2012-01-17T04:14:00.000+11:00

The Burson Op Amps are still breaking in (10th hour) but I can hear more details-not the "in your face" kind but delicate, micro details that allow you to hear more into the performance and draw you in emotionally.

These are a great product/upgrade!!
Keep up the goodwork.

Steven

Burson DA-160 feedback by Victor M.

2012-01-13T05:24:00.001+11:00

I've recently purchased a DA-160. Love it! Brilliant piece of kit.

As you can see from the photo, it looks gorgeous, and sounds gorgeous too!

Victor M.

Music Hall Dac25.3 upgrade with Burson HD opamps By John S.

2012-01-07T05:34:00.000+11:00

I'm delighted with your opamps which I installed today in my Music Hall Dac25.3

John.

Oppo BDP-95 upgrade with Burson HD opamp feedback by Umberto

2012-01-04T05:01:00.001+11:00

..."So now I have my "new" Oppo BDP-95, and even if it has a few hours of burn in, just now it is wonderfull, a big step forward from the original version"...

Thanks,

Umberto

Update: After 50 hours of burn-in I can say that now Oppo sound very very good, everything is improved, transparency, details, but most of all soundstage, now is more big and deep.

I think that now I can compared Oppo with the top dedicated cd player. Next days I will make a test compared Oppo with top range players.

Burson HA-160D with Grado SR80 feedback by Andrea L.

2011-12-30T05:50:00.001+11:00

..."I can say that this is the best headphone amplifier that I have listened.
The sound is detailed and balanced listening every type of music, I really have a new taste in listening music using the headphone"...

Andrea L.

Burson DA-160 with Manley Stingray feedback by Joel K.

2011-12-28T04:21:00.002+11:00

I am imputing the digital signal into the DA-160 through USB, then through a Manley Stingray.
Esthetically the DA-160 feels as such equipment should beautiful, elegant and luxurious but not ostentatious- it can be a fine line- but Burson does esthetics with equanimity.

All around it is a beautiful tool. Easy – totally easy- to use, no effort or issues.

The sound: the DA-160 – I can’t compare this to other DACs but I can say that from the CD player (mid range) that I was using – the DA-160 has opened a world of sound- shocked and impressed- so much depth- to much at times- I find myself listening at lower volumes because the sound stage is so much sharper and deeper.
Even my 5 year old can’t stop listening!

My Appreciation for your excellent product,

Joel.

Burson HA-160 with Ultrasone Edition 8 feedback by George T.

2011-12-22T04:44:00.001+11:00

My main source with this amp is the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi HD PCI-E, but I've also tried my Pico USB DAC with it.

At first, I thought it was a bit light on the bass, but then I realized that it's my X-Fi HD that's light on the bass compared to my Pico DAC.So far my Burson has around 200 hours on it. It's perfectly burned in and sounds completely unbelievable.

It has a thick, powerful sound with great detail, amazing dynamics, and a massive sound stage you can only find in a high-end class-A amplifier.

I was considering buying open headphones to get better sound stage than my Ultrasone Edition 8 offered, but this amp improved them so much that I decided that I don't need new headphones at all.

Now I'm looking to upgrade my DAC instead.

Thank you for creating such an amazing product!

George T.

Marantz CD94 Moded with Burson HD opamp By DC-components

2011-12-21T11:36:00.002+11:00

Dc-components has experienced with all Burson DIY products and qualified to perform upgrades on any audio gears.

For more info please visit: www.dc-components.eu

Burson HA-160D with AKG K701 feedback by Russell S.

2011-12-13T04:47:00.000+11:00

I have been using it now for about 8 months, mostly as a headphone amp and also using the pre-out as a dac for a rega amp. Very full body with plenty of detail for the AKG 701 headphones.

Russell.

Burson DA-160 with Macbook, Virtue Two integrated amp & Omega Aperiodic 8 speakers feedback by Brian N.

2011-12-10T11:22:00.001+11:00

My system consists of a MacBook server and Cullen modified Sonos ZP90 transport to the Burson DA-160 by way of a Supernova 6 glass toslink, a Virtue Two.2 integrated amp with the 30v power supply, Omega Aperiodic 8 speakers upgraded to Hempcone drivers and a Glow subwoofer. Interconnects are all Verastarr, speaker cables are MIT EXp1.

A PS Humbuster III and various power cables from Valabs, Wireworld and Zu supply the juice. I am currently using a Keces headphone amp and Senn HD 600 phones for quiet listening.The DA-160 has been an absolute joy to have in my system replacing a Spitfire DAC which was actually a pretty decent little product.

The Burson however, has really improved the soundstage in all dimensions, has a very smooth midrange, tight bass, a glare free treble and really lets the Omegas produce holographic audio images. I suppose it is the "tube" sound many people refer to.
Since the addition of the DAC-160 this set up has in some ways bested my main rig- I seem to find myself listening to this stereo more often. I appreciate the two sets of outputs as I do some headphone listening.

I do note that it has definitely improved with about 100hr of burn in so far and seems to continue to improve. Initially I would hear a few strange ghost hisses which moved from channel to channel for several seconds before dissipating- strange, but the hours have exorcised these demons...

The DA-160 is of outstanding build quality and the sound quality has really had a great synergy with my components. I am really glad I tried a Burson product and am now thinking about the HA-160....

Brian N

Burson HA-160 with AKG Q701 & Sennheiser HD580 feedback by Andre F.

2011-12-08T04:16:00.001+11:00

I just purchased your HA-160 headphone amplifier and am greatly enjoying it. I use it with two headphones, an AKG Q701 and a Sennheiser HD580. Both are great headphones but not easy to drive properly.

With the HA-160 I have had no difficulty getting more than enough volume. It has power to spare. Also the tone and detail make all my equipment sound much better.

I am very impressed with the quality construction of your headphone amplifier. It is built like a tank! I did some reviewing of the various heaphone amplifiers on the market and came to the conclusion that yours was the best value for the money and had excellent engineering and construction with quality parts behind it.

Congratulations on a job well done!

Andre

Burson HA-160D with Beyerdynamic Dt770 pro (250 ohm) feedback by Rendhy

2011-12-06T04:31:00.001+11:00

I just received the HA-160D in excellent condition,And i want to comment a few words about the HA-160D.

Burson HA-160D is truly REMARKABLE!!I was amazed by how well they sounded right out of the box...

I can't imagine how well they sounds after burn in 100 hours...WOW!!HA-160D is really a work of art..!!!

HA-160d actually produces sound I had been looking for this..!!

Thank you so much!

Rendhy

Burson HA-160DS with Denon AH-D1001 and D5000

2011-12-02T15:29:00.002+11:00

..."The only thing i can says is altough the Amp/Dac is brand new its like i upgraded to a more expensive pair of headphone everything is cleaner and bass is under control compared to my essence stx soundcard its great thanks for this wonderful piece of technology . Took quite a bit of researh before i decided to buy a Burson and you know what, i made and excellent choice. Thanks a lot"...

Michel

Burson HA-160D with HD650 feedback by Mike P.

2011-11-29T04:03:00.001+11:00

..."I am enjoying the HA-160D a lot. The unit has a transparent, involving sound that so far has avoided harshness and maintained great dynamics with no sense of strain".

Mike.

Burson DA-160 feedback by Erik with Mac mini, Leben CS600 & AudioNote-E/Lx HE

2011-11-26T06:58:00.001+11:00

My DAC has been breaking in quite well and I am pleased with it indeed.

It forms a solid match with my MacMini running PureAudio software. Sound characteristics are natural and pleasingly warm. Not as harsh and 'digital' as I have become to expect from my earlier experiments with streaming audio.

Finally a setup I can live with. Thanks a lot!

Erik

Dpa Bigger bit Dac upgrade with Burson HD opamps by Eran S.

2011-11-24T15:30:00.001+11:00

Wow! wow! wow! I can not express in words how significant is the sonic improvement.My Dpa Bigger bit dac never sounded so open, clear, detailed and vivid.

The thing that strike me first was the Articulation of the singer -It just like they had another lunge opening...Abbey Lincoln , Hugh masakella and Terry callier are present in the room, spreading there magic lyrics and sound like never before.
The micro and macro dynamics are far better then what it used to be, the bass has more focus.

Saying it in short, this is the best ( cost no object) upgrade my ears & Lowther /Bottlehead / Esoteric set up have witnessed.

Eran S.

Burson HA-160 with AKG K702, Grado SR-125 & ATH-M50 feedback by Brian

2011-11-23T04:49:00.001+11:00

I have been enjoying the HA-160 with my AKG K702s, Grado SR-125s, Audio-Technica ATH-M50 headphones and PS Audio DLIII DAC.

I must say that the HA-160 is a very impressive headphone amplifier! The HA-160 is presents music on a neutral canvas with just a hint of warmth. There is no background noise, tons of musical detail, plenty of power, and a good soundstage.

This amp can be enjoyed for hours without becoming overly harsh or fatiguing.

Brian.

Burson HA-160D & Grado HF2 feedback by Komkrit

2011-11-22T11:54:00.001+11:00

Setup:PC > Burson HA-160D > Grado HF2

..."Im very happy with the Burson HA-160D. It give a sweet sound for me"...

Komkrit

Burson HA-160D with Audeze LCD-2 feedback by Otto L.

2011-11-20T14:57:00.001+11:00

I really enjoy the sound from it with my LCD-2 once it's warmed up. I find just find it full, detailed and natural sounding yet fun.
I run it from my squeezebox with SPDIF, music from my laptop and now also from my Synology NAS.

Cheers from Otto in Stockholm.

Asus Xonar HDAV 1.3 Deluxe upgrade with Burson HD opamps by Brenden H.

2011-11-18T12:06:00.001+11:00

The installation process itself wasn't difficult, but it was quite fiddly.
My soldering skills are not all that good, especially for this sort of work, so instead of removing the existing sockets from the card and resoldering the opamps directly to the board, I just plugged each lead into the corresponding position in the socket.
The Xonar HDAV is actually 2 cards - the main card supplying output for the front 2 channels and a daughter card supplying the remaining 6 channels of a 7.1 setup.

All connections are standard RCA. The cards are connected via a ribbon cable and only the main card requires an actual PCIe slot on the motherboard. There's not a lot of room to spare on the Xonar and the designers built it with the idea in mind that others would be upgrading to different IC opamps, and not the much larger opamps produced by Burson. I made a bit of an error in judgement with the first round of opamps - I got all three with 8-pin DIP headers and of course, there wasn't room on the main card to fit them straight into the opamp sockets.

Long story short - I bought some more with bare flying leads and with a bit of careful routing, the opamps were installed and stage 1 of the upgrade was complete. I've since purchased a few more and upgraded the front (buffer) section opamps (of which there are 3) on the daughter card as well as the I/V section for the centre channel. Note to newcomers - for some reason, the I/V section opamps for the centre channel and subwoofer channel are reversed, so the I/V centre channel is actually the fourth opamp down from the top of the card. I found that out through trial, error and much frustration! In terms of the difference it made to the sound, I'll start with my impressions of the card as it sounded out of the box.
I originally bought the Asus for 2 main reasons - it was widely considered an "audiophile" card and many reviews were giving it very high marks. Also because it had swappable opamps. Prior to installing the Burson opamps, I let the existing opamps burn in (approximately 50 hours of burn-in time) and then did some listening. I had the analogue outputs going from the card to the 7.1 analogue inputs on my Marantz SR5600 receiver, and my Paradigm Titan speakers connected from that.

Since the inputs on the receiver were only expecting a line-level signal, I had to adjust the input from the PC so that the signal wasn't being clipped (the Asus supplies a 2V RMS full scale output, line-level is approximately 0.3V). I started with a couple of my favourite CDs for testing out new equipment - Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms" and Eric Clapton's "Unplugged". I like a lot of guitar-oriented music and these recordings both display really nice tone and space. I have to say that I was a little bit disappointed with the "stock" card.

The sound was much more open than what was produced with my Marantz with more extension in the bass, but the guitars had lost all their "crunch" and tone. Vocals were also similarly flat and lifeless - it seemed as though the whole mid-range around the 1KHz to 4KHz mark was just "dead". With a little bit of tweaking of the equalisers, I was able to squeeze an almost satisfactory sound from the mid-range, but for music listening, it wasn't what I set out to achieve. For movies, however, and without a centre channel that was too revealing, I was actually pretty happy with the sound, so even though I was a little disappointed with the card for 2 channel music, movies were much better than what I had with just the Marantz. I still don't know if I'd call it an "audiophile" card (unless "audiophiles" have lowered their standards of late), but I don't think there is a better sound card out there for this purpose.

After installing the Burson opamps, however, absolutely everything changed, and quite remarkably so! Everything opened up and I started noticing other areas where the original opamps were lacking. The soundstage went from being flat to having much more depth (perhaps a little shaky on the precise positioning of instruments, but I attribute that more to my other equipment than to the opamps). Guitars regained their "crunch" and tone (listening to the intro of Dire Straits' "Your Latest Trick" is something pretty special with the new Bursons!), vocals are much sweeter and details are revealed that weren't even remotely discernable previously. The control in the bass was also much tighter, the original opamps seemed to be adding artefacts in the mid-bass range that weren't in the original recording; these had completely disappeared with the Bursons.
After installing the opamps on the daughter card and watching some movies (Toy Story 3 on BluRay, Tron Legacy on BluRay and The Incredibles on DVD among others) I was equally impressed. Especially since during the process of upgrading the remaining opamps, I had also acquired a nice new Anthem PVA7 power amplifier and a Paradigm Reference Studio CC-490 centre channel speaker. One thing I noticed with all movies was the level of detail the audio engineers had gone into. For example, immediately after the starting sequence of Toy Story 3, the toys are having their meeting in Andy's room which is mostly empty and has hardwood floors. I could actually hear the reverberation of the voices off the hardwood floors with the mostly empty room - this was something I'd never heard before. The game sequence in Tron Legacy is nothing short of awesome and The Incredibles is great throughout.

So, all in all, the Burson's have been worth every cent and I am very happy that I stumbled across them in my search for the ultimate opamp. I'm convinced that you won't find any better opamp out there.

Cheers,

Brenden H.

EE Minimax Dac with Burson HD opamps upgrade by Johny W.

2011-11-15T05:58:00.001+11:00

..."I recently purchased a matched pair of dual discrete op amps.
I am extremely happy with my purchase"...

Johnny W.

Burson HA-160 with Sennheiser HD650 feedback by Aaron H.

2011-11-12T05:09:00.001+11:00

"I'm writing to report that I LOVE the HA-160 that I purchased.
This amp is a beast and a thing of beauty. :-) It makes my Senn HD-650's sing like never before"...

Aaron H

Burson HA-160D feedback by George M. with Sennheiser HD800

2011-11-09T10:54:00.001+11:00

..."I've found HA-160D on the internet.It is a very good amplifier"...

George

Burson HA-160 feedback by Ryan K. with Audeze LCD-2 planar magnetic headphones

2011-11-08T03:18:00.000+11:00

I'm amazed by the difference the Burson Audio HA-160 has made. At first I didn't even consider buying an amplifier because I couldn't see how it would make a difference.

Now that I have had time to listen to my headphones properly amplified I can't go back.

Ryan.

Burson HA-160 review by Digital audio review (Au)

2011-11-03T07:17:00.002+11:00

"For many can-fans, the Australian-made Burson HA-160 could be the only headphone amplifier they'll ever need.
Exceptionally well-made, it drives tougher (AKG) loads with strength and grace"...

Full review: http://www.digitalaudioreview.net.au/index.php/audio-reviews/desktop-audio-reviews/item/293-burson-ha-160-headphone-amplifier#

Burson DA-160 feedback by Howard K. with Auraliti file player, ARC sp-8 preamp & ARC VT 100 mk.II.

2011-10-31T15:38:00.002+11:00

..."I've been astonished at the realism of the music when played through your DAC.

Thanks for making such a splendid product.

Howard

Burson DA-160 Dac review by Rons Audio blog (NL)

2011-10-27T03:51:00.000+11:00

"The sound is full, well controlled and very natural sounding voices, as they actually are. The Bass section is Punchy..with fast rock and electronic music the Burson is sublime"...

Original review (Dutch)
http://www.ronsaudioblog.nl/de-roundup-reviews-testen-besprekingen/review-de-kwaliteits-dac-da-160-van-burson/

Eastern Electric Minimax Dac upgrade with Burson HD opamps by Philippe G.

2011-10-25T05:19:00.000+11:00

To be quite honest the results are simply awesome, the Burson HD op amp transformed the Minimax in a whole new machine :

Bursons HD opamp seems to work beautifully with the ESS9018, it adds tons of detail, as well as a fair amount of airiness. All in all music gains 'Gestalt', a more haptic, tangible experience alltogether, very holographic. Timbre of instruments is also more natural and I'd say ... credible.

Extensions are enhanced : better, tighter and more detailled bass, amazing slam, amazing control. The highs gain airiness and sheer extension, cymbals fade out nicely and detailled.

Prior to the upgrade there was some digital dryness and harshness to the sound of the Minimax, the DAC detailled well (due to the ESS9018 resolving power) but there was that lack of 'moistness' to the timbre of the instruments, this is now all gone and the sound is presented with a nice lushness and liquidity.

Voila, all for now.

Philippe.

Burson HA-160 feedback by Joe with HD600 & Sony MDR-EX1000

2011-10-22T11:21:00.000+11:00

My HD600 was previously missing some bass, though I had recabled them with TWcu. With HA-160, the bass have now extended lower and hit harder.
Mids sounds wonderfully coloured. Treble is a little soft but well extended.
With HA-160, I'm also able to use my Sony EX-1000 without any fears of the driver going burst. Though magnificently detailed, clear and transparent without any grain, EX-1000 is sorely lacking in bass.

Listening to EX-1000 has now provided the slam in bass and also introduced some warmth without sacrificing any details and clarity. It now sounds so sick in the most complimentary way.

I have to say that HA-160 is one of the best purchase I have made in 2011 withouut much regret.
It's a reference amplifier at a mid range price-tag.

Joe.

Burson HA-160D review by Home theater (Israel) with Audeze LCD-2, Sony XB700 & HD555

2011-10-18T03:53:00.001+11:00

The company's headphone amplifier, the HA-160 caught the attention in the headphone enthusiast world, therefore it was not that surprising when the company came out with the HA-160D which is basically the same amp with a DAC converter and preamp.

I read about the model and saw the pictures, but it's not the same as take him out of the box ... Relatively large chassis (and heavy) Brushed aluminum (also used simultaneously for heat dissipation) on the one hand cries out for attention on the other hand was elegant. Switch the power demands and gets attention of its own - it's about offering a 24 steps which, according to Burson is intended to preserve the quality of the signal as much as possible without adding distortion (up to 7% switch power used according to the company) and as expected, any movement of the switch with a piece of "click" - something that adds a sense of this model's tank.

Front can be seen in addition to two inputs for headphones - not to connect a pair at a time but to be more suitable for headphones with low impedance / high (for close listening). Middle course is the great power switch and front right selection button (Bright selected entry). On the rear panel on the right there is a power outlet (cable "kettle") with a power switch, digital inputs: one coaxial type that allows up to 192khz sample playback and a USB type that allows up to 96kHz sample playback.

Case you are wondering by the way, the USB input does not receive special attention to product detail Unlike most of the products style lately which probably indicates the company's intention to focus more on the analog side (in terms of advertising anyway). There are no fewer than three analog inputs and one analog output of course.

A look inside reveals beautifully arranged in combat, two transformers, handsome power switch, and USB port that is in its own aluminum (I wonder what's hiding there ...).

Predictably enough warming device during work, but not at the level of frying an egg. People wonder about the murder - the company has made about a week lecturing to a delivery device for inspection. On the day they recommend to the device to work half an hour before listening.

Listening tests

Listening to the HA-160D was made with the-Audez 'e LCD-2 (large headphones, open, nominal impedance of 50ohm, and sensitivity of 91dB), but now and then I put the Sony XB700 and-Sennheiser HD555 for comparison.The HA-160D tested with the USB (after trial entry Hkoaskielit sounded the same) and in parallel to produce Benchmark DAC1.

Amy Winehouse - Frank: her first album (and most successful in my opinion) of the late singer. The album is characterized by a more sound in my opinion "part" and less compression (ie, more subtle use compressors), the second album (and best known works). In the first part of the second section sent me flying You Amy's voice combined with the piano sounds clear, clean, and is separated from the piano. Even when he entered the butcher focus is not lost. In October song properly slapped bass and Help Yourself separation of the channels was excellent.

Tron Legacy soundtrack: This is the soundtrack to "electro-orchestral" or in other words an integrated electronic orchestra. Daft punk did Cool soundtrack work and very largely aerial beauty with elements that integrate with each other.
Armory section of bass did not sound muffled and made tools to be swallowed in the background. Solar Sailer also section (my favorite album) bass were not buying them the quiet background music. Sea of Simulation in separate dishes remained good.

Dee Dee Bridgewater - Live At Yoshi's: a live performance from 1998 recorded Yoshi's jazz club (after their move to Oakland). Deedee's singing style and her connection with the audience give a feeling of listening to a musical stand-up show (and an audience completely satisfied). The first section of the Scat Song Undecided came clean and you could "feel" the size of the club. Section Slow boat to china tambourine sounds sharp but without any metallic texture. Sex machine section of the mix sounds good but does not mix with the background music on the one hand and covered it on the other.

Enigma - MCMXCaD: an album that's best remembered for the combination of electronic music and Gregorian chant.
The album also included various samples from different sources (including some that ended the lawsuit and compensation) or "rearrangement" of familiar melodies such as for example the film Encounters of the Third Kind. In the first (and best selling) of the second section Principles Of Lust There are lots of tools but each received the box and immediately his bass was clear and not muffled. In the second part of the gulls sounded hollow section (hideouts if you will) as the poet meant and mid bass remains clear as it was. In the first and last bit quiet of the album Back To The Rivers Of Belief recording tools were saved significant echo effect clear and clean even when the choir came in the background.

Phil Collins - Face Value: The first album by Phil Collins (who apparently left the music business this year) was "inspired" from the breakdown of his first marriage, but that does not stop him from being one of his most successful albums. Main characteristics are signs of drums and trumpets of course catch any nice chunk of his album (but with time they died down a little). The successful passage (and best selling) album, In the air tonight there is a slow build up to a peak where there is an explosion of drums, it sounded excellent, clean, and rhythmic. The same can be said for the instrumental part at Hand in Hand tools have been added as a dull little piano and trumpets strong.

With the XB700 more sensitive (but with a lower impedance) the Burson not stuttered for a second, bass too much emphasis on this model were higher in control and there were no "metallic". The HD555 sounded more Laid back with the bass a little less bold and weaker high (relative to the LCD-2) what among other things sound more forgiving with the Recorded clarity. In this case the HA-160D is a kind of overkill these earphones, and naturally I expect more interest from models such as the-LCD-2, HD800, Hifiman all types, T1, etc..
Compared to DAC1 my I must point out that there were differences between the two units, both in terms of boxes all in one and the aspect of amplification when the DAC1 was set-top box (if there are differences there is a chance that they stand out more with headphones brightness relative to LCD-2 or with headphones more difficult for propulsion). Personally I'm not surprised because all that is good on both units is very similar to price area. Headphone enthusiast community with the DAC1 way less estimated net amplifier (usually describe it converts about 90% and 10% male), I however do not agree with that statement.

Summary
Play it and Burson-HA-160D looks, feels, and sounds like the product because we're in a relatively saturated market in recent years. Of course there are many competitors in style, but these usually cost area and lower construction quality (all products in more than one usually aimed low) and the first product springs to mind who competes directly with HA-160D is the benchmark for the PRE version (without the sign ) which is more expensive than what Burson and is (on paper anyway) Value as good value for money with analog input only once and build quality as impressive aspect of the visual.

On the other hand he clearly preferred for those in need headphones or package more compact. Unlike what-Burson The DAC1 is there a cheaper version only set-top box (something that Burson going to soon offer) but yes there is a cheaper version without the Pre. In addition to Burson, of course, offer the headphone amp as a separate unit for those who want to use the DAC election.
Although I have not used the device as a Pre but For me it's fine treat, just pay attention because there is (and is not going to be) a remote control model "restricted" or only for desktop use or audience old school that is not afraid to get up off the couch every time when you want to play with the volume or change the source.
Eventually as All in one box of the Burson provides good value for money. With fantastic build quality, desirable features, and excellent sound impossible not to recommend.
Original review:http://www.hometheater.co.il/article02860

Burson HA-160D feedback by Denny C. with Logitech Squeezebox & HD650 headphones

2011-10-16T15:07:00.000+11:00

I connect it up with my Squeezebox player & Computer. The sound has never been better. It's warmer, create more upstaging, and tight bass.

When I listen to Bach's harpsichord playing, closed my eyes, the harpsichord felt in front of me.
I never quite listen to harpsichord music because it sounds fake.
But after I connect my HA-160D, the sound becomes real. Bach's harpsichord is never quite the same anymore.
Cheers,

Denny C

Music Hall 25.3 DAC upgrade with Burson Dual opamps by Rich O.

2011-10-13T07:58:00.000+11:00

I am up and running and the Burson HD op amps are a very worthwhile addition. Wow! The tube side of the Music Hall 25.3 DAC isn’t so soggy anymore.

The big benefit was to the balanced SS output, which bypasses the tube and output caps. The bass was kind of soft before, sounded thin.
Now I have bass, nuance and weight to the music. It tuned this $600 retail DAC into something special.

Rich O

Burson HA-160D feedback by Dan C. with Sennheiser HD650

2011-10-09T11:20:00.002+11:00

Thank you for the great product! The difference between the Burson HA-160D & other headphone amps (Rudister RPX-33, Grace 901, etc) I've owned are miles ahead.
Makes a great preamp too.

Dan C.

Burson Audio HA-160 feedback by Albert L. with AKG701Q, Meridian506 & Siltech cables

2011-10-01T10:39:00.000+10:00

My HA160 after 50 hours burn in exceeded all the hypes. I especially like its warm side of neutral tones and its reference class dynamics and speed.
A great match for the 701Q.

Albert.

Burson HA-160D feedback by Nico H. with ATH AD1000PRM & Woodied Alessandro

2011-09-27T02:21:00.001+10:00

..."I found Burson is a really great "one box solution". Burson has really good synergy to ATH"...
Thank you.
Nico H.

Full review: http://www.head-fi.org/products/burson-ha-160d/reviews/5758

HA-160D review by Joe Elliott (WHAS radio host)

2011-09-26T12:20:00.000+10:00

Several things strike me about the 160D. The build is first rate. It's obvious that a lot of attention was paid to choosing the right components for the product. The power supply and the dacs analog section are particularly impressive to me.
Things are built to a price point, so it must be tempting for manufacturers to contain costs in these areas, but Sonics suffer. My ears easily confirmed that the Burson team made the right choices when building the 160D.

The 160 headphone amp is impressive, so I was curious to see if the 160D would be as good. Surprisingly, it's a bit better to my ears. I found it slightly richer, but it's very close to the HA-160. The stand alone headphone amp has received lots of deserved praise, but I'm confident in saying that the headphone section of the 160D is as good or better.

The dac section shines most for me. There are other dacs with more slam, or an exaggerated sparkling top end, or an artificially warm midrange, etc. But the 160D souds very natural--closer to real music. There is lots of information with plenty of macro and micro dynamics, and instruments have their own space.

My favorite $1000 dac does a great job extracting tons of information off the cd, but somehow in the process, the music gets lost. Many after market companies have tried to modify this dac to make it more involving. It does lots of things right, but with all of it's strengths, it's too sterile, and the soul of the music is gone.

I smiled when I read the 6Moons review of the 160D calling it a new "benchmark" in this component and price class. I agree.

I use the dac with an inexpensive Oppo DV-980 universal player as a transport with good results. It will be fun to try other transports and use the USB feature sometime in the future, but I'm in no hurry.

Congrats to the Burson team for another great product. There are lots of dac choices at this price point, but the 160D offers great added value with a first class headphone amp and multiple inputs in addition to a top of the line dac.

The 160D is dynamic and transparent. The pre-amp section sounds good and is a great convenience, and the headphone amp is outstanding. But most of all, the 160D has a natural sound that connects me to the music on an emotional level.

Joe Elliott

More about Joe ElliottJoe works for a news/talk AM station in Louisville Kentucky.www.whas.com

There he hosted the evening talk program for about 15 years. He now hosts the Sunday Morning talk program for the station and fill in for other vacationing hosts.He has recently launched a podcast with features and interviews, hoping to attract some local sponsors for his station.

Burson HA-160D feedback by Holger B. with Beyerdynamic DT 880 PRO

2011-09-22T00:09:00.000+10:00

When listening high definition audio in good master studio quality, then the hearing impression is, as the musicians would play live in my room, thats very impressive!!
Because of the clarity and transparency of the sound, also the "mistakes" of not so good mastered sound is "unfortunately" good to hear :-)

Anyway, the HA-160D is my birthday present to myself.

Thanks for the engineering of this piece.

Burson HA-160 feedback by Truc A. with Beyerdynamic headphones

2011-09-20T05:47:00.000+10:00

I'm a french user of the HA-160. Thanks for your excellent work, this little marvel sounds astonishingly good!

Truc A.

Burson HA-160D review by Soundnews (romania) with Audeze LCD-2

2011-09-13T00:09:00.000+10:00

..."Personally I preferred more the headphone out from a Burson HA-160D, the sound gained control, refinement and speed, on headphones by this caliber, of course I recommend buying a dedicated headphone amplifier. LCD-2 have an excellent synergy with Burson"...

Full review: http://soundnews.ro/2011/09/05/audez%E2%80%99e-lcd-2-review-english-version/

Burson HA-160D feedback by Jack M. with Audeze LCD-2 & HD650

2011-09-07T04:26:00.000+10:00

I love this amp. Built like a tank and sounds amazing with both my Audeze LCD-2 and Sennheiser HD650. Dac and Amp in one with a USB connection makes this and incredibly easy and simple way to get fantastic sound out of a computer.
Thanks a lot!

Jack M.

Burson HA-160 feedback by Randy G. with Hifi Man HE-6

2011-08-30T01:56:00.005+10:00

I have owned three headphone amps prior to purchasing the Burson HA 160, i.e. Creek ,Musical Fidelity and HiFi Man in that order .
Although each amp has had its own character, each successive amp was an upgrade and the Burson is no exception. The Burson seems to offer more of the ingredients which make a good headphone amp which are identified in reviews and thus do not need to be repeated here.

On a personal level I find that with the Burson I now spend the majority of my time listening to headphones versus my system with floor standing speakers. Thus the Burson has resulted in a significant gravitational pull towards a richer musical experience .It is like appreciating good food and wine . Now when I order up my musical banquet choice of CD) I can experience greater range and complexity.

Thanks and Congrats on a fine product.

Randy G.

Burson Audio in Facebook

2011-08-26T11:26:00.004+10:00

Are you on facebook? Burson Audio have launched his facebook official page! keep in touch with us, find info, news, updates, deals and much more.

Burson Audio at the August Hong Kong High End Audio Show

2011-08-21T08:23:00.004+10:00

Burson HA-160D feedback by James C. with Sennheiser HD650

2011-08-17T10:08:00.003+10:00

..."My Burson produces beautiful, rich warm sounds, and can handle the lows and highs of the music with ease. It’s a beauty – nice and solid – and I would recommend a HA-160D to anyone!"

James C.

Burson HA-160D feedback by Jacques M. with iPod classic, Cambridge audio id100 dock & AKG701 headphones

2011-08-04T02:12:00.003+10:00

..."Love the sound of the Burson (it replaced my Music hall)"...

Jacques M

Burson HA-160D feedback by Loevhagen

2011-08-03T05:51:00.014+10:00

..."Burson HA-160D. The finish of Burson is one of the best I've ever seen. Sober, solid and trustworthy"...

Source: http://loevhagen.blogspot.com/2011/05/burson-ha-160d.html

Burson HA-160D feedback by Carey P. with Marantz sacd player, Grado RS1 & Monster beats pro

2011-07-21T04:15:00.005+10:00

..."The real big improvement in sound quality comes while listening to itunes or disc playback thru my HP CPU thru the Burson and the ipod clasic directly thru the Burson. The sound is silky smooth. I find that buy setting the volume control on the burson at about 2 notches past top center and reducing the volume of the HP CPU by two thirds my music is much fuller and robust and I am able to hear twice as much detail at roughly half the volume thereby saving my ears from damaging extreme volume. The Burson was a very nice addition to my limited listening space"...

Carey P

Burson HA-160 feedback by Giny G. with Sony ES 707, NAD M5, Aude'ze LCD-2 & Denon 5000

2011-07-12T00:51:00.003+10:00

"The Burson HA-160 fits perfectly in this gear.
It is of an impressive solidity (and weight).
The sound is crisp and clean from the very highs to the very lows and there is absolutely no audible hiss (I hate hiss when listening).

The volume knob is great, it delivers a firm grip and the right listening level is easily found.
I use VandenHul cables as the interconnects between the cd player-pre-amp-Burson HA-160"...

Giny G.
The Netherlands

Burson HA-160D feedback by Martin with AKG-K701, Magnepan SMGA & Squeezebox

2011-07-05T12:12:00.003+10:00

The reason for purchasing the HA-160D were:
1) audio quality
The audio quality is really excellent. Worth mentioning is the complete independence of the supplied power. With the Burson I have always good quality of sound. In my previous setup with a DacMagic I have opposite experiences. My compliments!
2) a DAC, pre processor in one device
What to say? A nice small box with sufficient resistance when connecting the headphone.
3) A better headphone amplifier
I used my NAD-3500 PE integrated amplifier as headphone amp before. Honestly speaking the difference with the Burson is not as striking as playing over my speakers.

Overall a very satisfied customer!

Best regards,
Martien + Poekie (cat on the picture) from the Netherlands

Burson HA-160D feedback by Felix H. with Audeze LCD-2

2011-07-03T04:52:00.003+10:00

..." In my opinion it is a perfect match with the Audeze. The bass section of the Amp perfectly pairs with the LCD-2's bass, it is deep, controlled and fast. Some people say that they find the Audeze being too dark. I think the Burson pulls out the very best out of the heights and mids of the headphone without being sharp or anything like that. The speed of the Burson paired with a planar magnetic headphone is just a good combination.

The design, the overall sound and the functionality (24/96 over USB, that is great!) makes the HA-160D the headamp / DAC that I always wanted to own"...

Felix

Burson HA-160D review by Front end audio

2011-06-29T00:48:00.005+10:00

Burson HA-160D feedback by Kevin Z. with Sennheiser HD650

2011-06-25T04:16:00.004+10:00

So far, I've listening to it for a week now, it's just what I expected and more. Excellent dynamics, clear mids, great bass and sound stage just gotten a whole lot better.

Awesome work on the amp, guys!!!!

Kevin

Firestone Cute Beyond upgrade with Burson Dual opamps by R. Carstens

2011-06-22T11:14:00.012+10:00

..."A notable difference and improvement over other IC operational amplifiers tried, including the old time favorite OPA627. Busy going through my music collection of great diversity in genre and thus far it just seems to do everything right. It has brought to this little bedside rig of mine a certain synergy quite pleasing to the ear and silenced that little voice in my head responsible for compulsive upgrade disorder, as well as putting an end to my recent opamp rolling spree"...

R. Carstens

Burson HA-160D feedback by Mike B. with Burson PP160 Amp, Tube Box phono Preamp & Technics 1210 turntable

2011-06-10T03:04:00.003+10:00

..."Our HA 160D arrived just fine, is now hooked up to the Burson PP160 Amp, and Pro-Ject Tube Box phono Preamp, and we are listening to great music from our Technics 1210 turntable.

Many thanks to you for building such great audio gear"...

Mike

Onix XCD88 upgrade with Burson Low jitter clock & Dual Opamps by James L.

2011-06-07T08:00:00.006+10:00

I tied the clock power source into the 15V (LM7815) regulator. This worked well, for power, as well as the clock seems to regulate down to 15v so I suspect that why it's built in regulator is barely warm vs hot.

The opamps installed well onto the board vertically, *just* enough room to clear the cover (about 3mm of space). They seem to run rather warm though, not sure if this is normal. I had opa627's dogged in a socket before, and I had to remove the socket to clear the cover. I believe the rail voltage is supplied by the lm7(8/9)15, so likely a 15-0-15 volt supply, so 30 volts between the rails.

Due to the clock and added heat by the opamps, I suspect the 15v regulators are warmer now than before, and the 7815 is warmer than the 7915, likely due to the addition of the clock load on it. To ensure longevity, I affixed a heat sink to it just to be sure (likely visible in the photos, rather ugly affair but it should help).

Now for audio. As you can probably see from the pics, this CD was modified before, namely with the help of Glen Dolick (of Sonic Frontiers) which made an immense improvement in the first place. Secondly, I built a massive (2500va) toroid transformer providing balanced power (60-0-60) strait from the circuit panel, in itself makes bad equipment sound surprisingly good. (I had to build this and test it myself before I believed the impact of power on audio)

Last week I modified my outboard DAC (CA dacmagic azur) which brought it up to a point where it was nearly impossible to tell the difference between it and the un-Bursoned CD, Prior to the DACs upgrade , the sound stage on the DAC was small and not as resolving as the CD. So knowing this, I now have a point of reference.

The CD post upgrade trounces the DAC (once again). The opamps brought out more detail and resolution, the clock seemed to fix inner detail resolution (the DAC always seemed to outdo the CD player here, in heavy transients the CD would loose) and made the sound much more organic, timing feels much better. The instruments now layered and have much more air, imaging is excellent. The final test is when I pack it up and compare it to a friends set up, but I consider upgrades a huge success when I find myself listening to my music collection all over again.

Folks, congratulations on a fine product!

Sincerely,

James

Burson HA-160 Headamp review by Jaeming - Head-fi.org

2011-05-31T04:55:00.005+10:00

..."My initial impressions of the HA-160 are really favorable. Actually I'm blown away. The sound stage is so wide now I felt like there was a stereo expander in this thing. I've only burned it in for about 20 hours so far but it's already the biggest step-up to sound quality I've ever heard through headphones. It powers my K701's at very low volume while still sounding huge"...

Full review: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/553241/i-ve-got-a-1000-to-blow-tell-me-what-to-buy/30#post_7500355

Burson HA-160D feedback by Joey W. with Sennheiser HD800

2011-05-30T05:35:00.009+10:00

..."I got an HA-160D and after 80 hours of break in I love the sound (paired with Sennheiser HD800)

bravo on the machine"...

Joey W.

Burson HA-160D feedback by Claudio M. with Squeezebox Touch, xindak tube amplifier & JohnBlue JB8 speakers

2011-05-24T03:56:00.004+10:00

..."What should I say, it sounds wonderful with all kinds (low, higher or "highest" resolution, FLAC or not) of liquid music.

I'm not going to repeat here what has been observed by many others: bass performance (try Gulda's "Mozart tapes") and control, speedy and superbly articulated, soundstage with so much place for voices, full tonal colors and transparency, dizzily high grade of low-level sonic information - undoubtedly, the 160D is an impressive thing to hear.

But what makes the use of this machine truly rewarding is, at least if your priority for enjoying music is beauty of timbre, the awesome fun factor and the always relaxed character it introduces in music reproduction"...

Claudio M.

Burson HA-160D feedback by Tim M. with Audiolab 8000PX power amp

2011-05-21T01:42:00.004+10:00

..."I've just connected the burson to my audiolab power amp and WOW. It sounds so much better then my previous audiolab preamp and dac.
Warm, musical, and lively. This is a great bonus and thanks very much for making such a great amp"...

Tim.

Burson HA-160 feedback by Ray R with Sennheiser HD650 & Ultrasone edition 8

2011-05-19T04:15:00.004+10:00

..."The HA-160 amp is simply AWESOME!!! It blew me away! I am using it with Sennheiser HD-650's & Ultrasone Edition 8's"...

Burson HA-160 feedback by Mitchell C. with Grado PS1000

2011-05-17T02:30:00.005+10:00

..."I've had the headphone amp for a few days but the HA-160 is proving to be an excellent mate to my Grado PS1000 headphones. The amp is able to show what the Grados are capable of and vice versa. This is the first combination of headphone and amp that matches my audio system composed of Magnepan 20.1 speakers, Pass Labs 600.5 mono amps and Aesthetix Janus preamp.

The HA-160 and Grado headphones are capable of competing with an audio system in the tens of thousands of dollars and losing nothing to them which says a ton about this little relatively inexpensive headphone amp.

In any case I would highly recommend this amp to anyone looking for a world class headphone amp for personal listening"...

Mitchell

Burson Audio HA-160D with Audez Audio Research Labs LCD-2 feedback by Shaun

2011-05-14T15:38:00.000+10:00

Excellent dynamics, bringing out the best in the LCD2 with deep, controlled bass, clear mids and crisp sparkly highs. Never fails to immerse me in the music, each listen every listen

My search for an amp/DAC for the LCD2 stops here.

Shaun
VIC, AUS

Marantz SR8500 upgrade with Burson Dual opamps by Edwin W.

2011-05-14T08:36:00.005+10:00

..."I have successfully upgraded my old Marantz SR8500. One burson module for the L-R channels the other for the Centre and Sub. I use the Marantz only as a preamp into my RMB-1095.
For now I'm using cheap 7*15 regs but look forward to buy some low noise regs from you in the future.
The sound of my HT has increased beyond anything that I have lately tried so the old Marantz is staying a bit longer yet.

I've even rediscovered my CD collection with my Rotel RCD-965 with Burson plus clock.

Keep up the good work"...

Edwin

Krell KAV-400xi integrated amplifier & North Star Model 192 DAC with Burson HD Opamp Mod

2011-05-10T10:16:00.000+10:00

Burson HA-160D feedback by Glenn H with Hifiman HE-6 (Update)

2011-05-07T10:18:00.007+10:00

..."The Burson HA-160D headphone DAC/Amplifier is a solid built piece of equipment that brings the best out of my HifiMan HE-6 headphones. For a power amp, pre amp and DAC all housed in one box, the price/performance is an absolute steal"...

2 Thumbs up :)

Glenn H.

Burson HA-160D feedback by Ray T. with Martin Logan CLS loudspeakers

2011-05-05T15:02:00.005+10:00

..."I am playing it now for 2 days and although it might need some more burning in, already I am a very happy camper: the best improvement to my system until now.
Especially the lows improved, the end of an attack is much more steep, adding to better spaciousness and transparency.

The audiostage is far more "relaxed" and effortless.. My Martin Logans CLS's simply like your equipment.

Thank you for making such beautiful stuff"...

Ray T.

Burson HA-160D feedback by Tim A. with Audeze LCD-2

2011-05-05T02:21:00.003+10:00

..."I have been thoroughly enjoying my 160D, even more so now that I've paired it with a set of Audez'e LCD-2's. What a match made in heaven.

Thanks for the wonderful product, as well as excellent service"...

Tim.

Burson HA-160D feedback by Ken J. with Sennheiser HD-650, Cambridge Audio azur 540a integrated amp & Paradigm Studio 10.5 bookshelf speakers

2011-05-04T06:40:00.010+10:00

..."From the moment I first hooked up the Burson and fired it up, I already knew this was going to be good. I noticed an immediate difference right away. (Even before it warmed up!) I was really quite shocked! I never expected digital to sound this good! Full bodied sound that's non-fatiguing, like analog, perhaps. Now I WANT to listen to music!

I live in a apartment, so I mostly use headphones. (Sennheiser HD-650)
Other equipment includes: Cambridge Audio azur 540a intergrated amp, Paradigm Studio 10.5 bookshelf speakers and a Grant Fidelity B283 MK 2 tube buffer.

So, after 2 months, I'm very pleased with the HA-160D! Digital has never sounded better!

Thanks for a Great Product"...

Ken J.

Burson HA-160D feedback by Withman S. with Yamaha M-40, McCormack DNA-1 & Sennheiser HD650

2011-04-05T01:31:00.005+10:00

..."The HA160D replaced a Rogue Audio 66 preamp and a musical fidelity v-dac.
In comparison the Rogue Audio 66 the HA160D running either amp reveled just how rolled off the treble of Rogue 66 is. The HA160D gives a strong bass (which the McCormack / Platinums have in spades) to a rich midrange (not as warm as the tube amp) and to an open and air top end that the tube pre-amp never produced.

Through the HD650s I hear what my modest speaker/amps are not able to convey with both digital and vinyl sources. The biggest compliment I can give the DAC section is that my attention is some times more captured by digital play then vinyl. It will take some significant investment on my analog equipment before I get to the level of interest produced by the HA160D DAC."...

Withman S.

Burson HA-160D feedback by Glenn H with Sennhiesor HD800 & Hifiman HE-6

2011-03-17T14:42:00.000+11:00

..."I'm currently listening to the Burson via USB connection to my Dell Inspiron desktop computer. The sound is absolutely fabulous! I never knew my PC coupled with the HA-160D could produce sound like this. Great work!"...

Glenn H

Burson HA-160D feedback by Pierre R. with Quad 22L2, Atoll 200 CD player and Grado SR325

2011-03-09T03:08:00.006+11:00

..."Wow what an amazing result, this is the best move I did over the past 10 years. I am loving your HA-160D Head amp/DAC. I have been listening it with my Grado headphones as well with my Quad 22L2 main speakers and this system produce more quality than I was expecting , enough to use it to upgrade my Atoll 200 CD player.. I've been using both the coax input with a CD player and the USB input with my PC and both sound perfect with FLAC files or CD"...

Shangling CD-80 Burson HD opamp upgrade by Antonio T.

2011-03-05T12:30:00.004+11:00

..."Burson audio has a great product. My audio terms are not good but I do have old ears. I know good sound when I hear it"...

Antonio T.

Oppo 83 DVD upgrade with Burson HD Opamp by Michel W.

2011-03-05T04:46:00.004+11:00

1) With some help, i remove all the components interresting by the tweak on my DVD Oppo 83.

2) i plug your two dual OP (before op CMS ,it's very small for my old eyes!).

3) I make myself a power supply with old toroidal transformer 250VA !! 220v-15/15v (salvage in my factory), régulateurs Burson (78xx et 79xx), capacitors (salvage) etc..

4) Last opération , solder the wires between power supply and audio cart and push the button on . Aie ! Aie ! i'm a little afraid but it's OK ! the Leds shine.

Now in front of a glass of white vine ;délicious; the first notes. One time again Incredible the résults and i'm not alone ! My wife says that more you can see all the nivel in depht and all the sounds are clear naturel.

One time again congratulations , everywhère you plug Burson parts apend a miracle!

I hope it will be not so long for the DAC.

Michel.

Burson AB160 feedback by Andrew S. with Marantz SA7001 KI and Cambridge Audio DacMagic

2011-03-04T02:32:00.008+11:00

..."Just to let you know I am all connected and I am very happy with my new silver toy. The Burson power buffer has improved the depth and clarity of both my SACD and DacMagic. Who'd of thought that wireless MP4's could sound so good."...

Andrew.

HA-160D Customer Feedback by Lance C with Denon D7000 & Squeezebox Touch

2011-03-02T15:17:00.001+11:00

..."I am loving your HA-160D amp/dac. I've been listening to it for about a week now with my Denon D7000 headphones and for the money this system is the best performance per dollar of any audio purchase I've made over the past 15 years. I've been using both the coax input with a Squeezebox Touch and the USB input with my laptop and both sound wonderful with FLAC and ALAC files."...

Lance C (WindyCityCy on Headfi)

Sony SACD upgrade with Burson Low jitter clock by Dmitry V.

2011-03-02T07:46:00.009+11:00

..."Today i plug the clock into my player. Result is good - sound more clear, bright, spatial, reverberant. Im happy! :)

PS
Im thinkin' about Burson Headphone Amp. I have one with walves (russian NOS 60's) , and mean that Burson is very good variant to complete my collection with my Senn 580 and AKG K240DF headphones"...

WBR, Dmitry.

Burson HA-160D feedback by Jay D.

2011-03-01T08:18:00.003+11:00

..."The Burson HA-160D replaced a Benchmark DAC1 USB. It sits between a Windows 7/ASIO/Foobar 2000 PC and a 60wpc tube amplifier that was built from a kit. The speakers are highly modified Cornwalls. My music library consists exclusively of FLAC files.I listen to mostly rock and a little R&B(no rap). The system is used exclusively for music. The TV is just the display for the computer and what the kids watch when I not listening to music.

The sound quality of the Burson is great. It definitely takes music to the next level. Not at all harsh and much closer to analog than the Benchmark could ever manage"...

Burson HA-160D review by David C. with HD600 & Headroom Micro Stack, Ultra Micro DAC

2011-02-26T13:37:00.025+11:00

System:
Mac Pro (ALAC) --> Cardas Clear USB --> Burson HA-160D (High Impedance Output) --> HD600 w/ Cardas

Powered by a Brickwall Audio filter/surge suppressor.

Tracks [Song - Artist - Album - Genre]:
1) So Nice - Diana Krall - Quiet Nights - Jazz
2) All I Ask of You - Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Phantom of the Opera - Operatic
3) Think of Me - Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Phantom of the Opera - Operatic
4) Salsa Celtica - El Sol De La Noche - Salsa Around the World - Latin
5) El Sabroson - Poncho Sanchez - Latin Jazz - Latin
6) Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams - Folk/Acoustic
7) Rodeo Clowns - Jack Johnson - On and On - Folk/Acoustic
8) Feelin' You In Stereo - R. Kelly and Jay-Z - Unfinished Business - Rap/RnB

Systems For Comparison:
Headroom Micro Stack --> HD600 w/ Cardas
Headroom Ultra Micro DAC --> SA Millett Max (Blackgates/VitQs) --> HD600 w/ Cardas

Song Specific Impressions:
1) This is one of the first songs I turned on as it's one of my favorites from Krall. At 19 seconds my ears perked up as I heard the most natural sounding percussion I have experienced to date. The piano has wonderful clarity and the strings behind have great warmth and impact without inundation. At 2:39 I couldn't help but smile, such wonderful clarity.

2) I will admit I was unfamiliar with this material prior to the Burson. The sound coming from my HD600s inspired me to get some operatic tunes. Voices sound wonderful, specifically the female opera singers. The clarity and seemingly endless "float" of the high notes. Strings in the back retain all of their clarity and add to the soundstage in a pleasing way without any clouding or "bloom". When the orchestra plays 3:18 it conveys deep emotional feeling.

3) The 160D HD600 combo sounds wonderful with this song. If you are unfamiliar with the material there is female opera solos with grand orchestral schemes throughout. The clarity and the upper register reproduction is bar none to anything I have heard.

4) Latin music is fast and textural; it should force your body to move. The Burson is no let down in this department. All of the speed, texture, and body moving emotion is conveyed while retaining clarity and impact. Woodwinds in the background are not drowned out by the percussion yet the percussion retains its impact and "mass".

5) This is a bit of a slower, melodic sampling of Latin Jazz. It sounds just that: melodic and hypnotizing. Around 1:30 the woodwinds take center stage and come through with texture, clarity, and focus. The background continues with impact and melody while this is taking place. The highs do not get "over-aggressive" and remain quite listenable and clear.

6) I must say first I never actually noticed that there is rain in the background during parts of this song. I think that pays tribute to the silent noise floor of the Burson. The guitar has impact and texture, a bit warm but definitely what I would describe as neutral for an acoustic. This is a definite foot-tapper with this setup.

7) The decay in the intro sounds wonderful. This song has a lot going on in the soundstage yet everything retains its clarity and "smoothness" - I hope this word makes sense to anyone who has heard Jack Johnson. I can easily focus on any part of the sound and analyze it yet without focusing on any one "piece" I am truly content with the blend of impact and smooth/warm presentation.

8) Just to round out the sample tracks I had to add a track with a computer created beat and this is one of the few rap songs I consider well recorded. The bass has body and presence but does not detract from any of the clarity of the singing; an issue I had with my Millett Max. R. Kelly's voice has great range and it is presented well whether in the lower-middle range or the higher registers.

Initial Overall Impressions:
Comparatively I would call the Burson 160D HD600 combination neutral with a slight tendency towards warmth and midrange smoothness. It carries impact and body in the lower registers, reproduces percussion "organically", and has amazing clarity in the upper ranges especially with female voices. I have never heard the HD600s sing like this; it is an awe inspiring combination. The Burson performs with excellence across a wide range of music and I would truly recommend this to anyone looking for an amp/dac to bring their HD600s to the next level.

Happy Listening,
David

Arcam CD-62 low jitter clock upgrade and service manual

2011-02-25T11:16:00.002+11:00

Arcam CD-62 Service Manual (PDF)

Marantz cd-67 mk2 SE mod with Burson Low Jitter Clock by Nigel B

2011-02-25T10:50:00.002+11:00

Just finished installation of the low jitter clock, needless to say it is breathtaking!

I never thought that I would be able to own or afford a really nice sounding Hi=Fi system. After installing the Burson OPamps, regulators and clock, I am very happy. Not only did it cost a minimal amount, by comparison of some systems costing $10K plus, I was able to learn to DIY. Skills that I can continue to develop!

Thanks for supplying brilliant products and helping me learn more! This is THE BEST money I have spent on Hi-Fi.

Cheers, Nigel B

Jungson Ja-2 preamp upgrade with Burson Hd opamp by Peter

2011-02-23T12:27:00.010+11:00

Attached is a few shots of both the dual and single opamps in my Jungson Ja-2 preamp.
The change in sound wasn’t subtle. This was a relatively straight forward exercise.
They are slotted nicely in some sockets installed for opamp rolling purposes.
An excellent upgrade from the BB2604 and NE5534’s.
They match nicely with the Siemens ECC801s tubes.

Kind regards
Peter

Burson HA-160D feedback by Christopher M.D with Denon D7000s & LCD-2

2011-02-23T10:05:00.000+11:00

..."I just received the 160D from ALO Audio in the US, along with the Audeze LCD-2's. The combo sounds great.

For comfortable but reasonably loud volume I keep the volume pot around 11:30 to 12:00 (using the hi-gain output). For normal listening levels 10:00 is perfectly adequate. Above 1:00 the ears would likely explode.

For the Denon D7000's I usually reduce the volume by 2 clicks (from LCD2) for similar loudness levels."...

Chris MD

HA-160 feedback by Nicolas P. with Sennheiser HD800

2011-02-19T03:23:00.006+11:00

..."I've just purchased a burson HA 160 that i'm listening to on a pair of Senn HD 800 and i must say i'm very impressed to feel them driven the way they should be.

After proper burn-in time i'm sure the experience will improve , i'm on a fairly straight-forward set-up , a LINN Ds hooked to the HA via a pair of NORDOST red Dawn cables and that's it..."

Regards ,

Nicolas

Burson HA160D feedback by Lance P with AKG 702 & PC FooBar 2000 setup

2011-02-18T10:05:00.002+11:00

..."I wanted to thank Burson for making such a well built, beautiful sounding, multi talented reasonably priced product that seems to do everything it is attempting to do and do it well. Most importantly for me it sounds great and it plays any Hi Rez file I send to it including 192k (assuming it is downsampling to 96K) and 24 bit files from my PC using FooBar 2000.

I like this unit so much that the other day I was bragging to a friend about it prowess and I caught myself speaking with an Ausy accent. Keep up the great work."...

Lance P
Sunnyvale CA USA

HA-160 feedback by Gary A with Sennheiser HD800 & Grado SR125

2011-02-18T06:45:00.005+11:00

..."Love the look and feel of the unit - it's built like a tank (which, considering how far it travelled to get here, is a great thing). I was looking for a really good solid state headphone amplifier and your design approach made a lot of sense to me.
It will live in my upstairs listening room, along with some Simaudio, Ayre, Dynaudio and SME equipment. The headphones will be a pair of Sennheiser HD800's.

After letting the unit warm up for about an hour, it sounds really good! I've hooked up a pair of Grado SR125's for the time being - the HD800's are due later this week...."

Gary A

CS8416 + PCM1798 Dac Upgrade with Burson HD opamp by Julien B

2011-02-16T11:49:00.002+11:00

Dear Burson team,
I send you some pictures of my dac and of my system.
...In visible and infra-red (fluke thermal camera from my job)

Description of the Upgrade:

I have a little dac based on CS8416 + PCM1798
Then, 2 NE5532 for the I/V section , and 2 NE5534 in output

(1) I first removed the 5534 for the dip 8 sockets, and just plugged the silver pins of the bursons in the sockets.
Fisrt Hear : I remebrer precisely, it's sounds like an other system(more better!)
The sound is very dynamic but not agressive like with de 5534
Voices are clear spelled, piano sounds like piano, horns,sax .... seems so real

(2)Dont'want to wait more, unplugged the dac, play a LP and do the IV section
Second Hear: whooo it's seems stronger, the dynamic is better again, ecah instrument takes his natural place in the sound stage
drums became impressive in accuracy.
(3) "final" Installation
I have soldier the silver pins of burson's directly in the dip 8 sockets,
because the diameter of the holes in 2 layer PCB is inferior of the busons silver pins
Work pretty well

As you can see on the pics the LMxx 12v AND -12v regulators are at about 80°C but they work well(Voltage is ok on the pins)
Maybe should i purchase you regulators ^^
Or simply bypass them ???
(4) Some view of my system
* The DAC is plugged to a tube preamp (SE class A)
The driver tube are MULLARD CV4010
The power tubes are 6N30Pi-DR for russian army

sounds good without micro-phonic effect

* the preamp drives 2 power modules based on TDA7293 (class AB integrated amplifier)
The next step is to remove this for a MOS-FET / J-FET class A power AMP...

Thank you Again and again
Now new people who came at home says sound is very clear, we hear all, sounds like in live ....It's amazing

Julien

Burson Audio HA160D,Schiit Valhalla and Meier Audio Concerto with HifiMan HE-6 by Srajan Ebaen 6 Moons Audio

2011-02-14T12:00:00.000+11:00

Using a docked iPod as a 1V-max source you probably relate to, I could and mostly did crank the Burson Audio HA160D, Schiit Valhalla and Meier Audio Concerto to the max. This gave me perfectly satisfactory SPLs on most music but on some I was still left wanting. For context, any of these amps fully open would clip my ears with the competing Audez'e ortho. That can actually run straight off the iPod and get nearly loud enough. Sonically and on the HE-6, the Burson led this parade followed closely by the Schiit. Both sounded very good. The Burson was ballsier and denser and would be my first choice but the leaner and softer Schiit wasn't far behind. The Meier however was a distant third. In this context it was clearly outclassed...

Full Article: http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/hifiman2/3.html

Burson HA1-160 Review by Bert De B with HD-595, Squeezebox, Marantz ST-48 and CD-63Ki

2011-02-13T19:42:00.002+11:00

1. HA-160 with Sennheiser HD-595

2. Logitech Squeezebox, Marantz CD-63 KI, Marantz ST-48

3. Power supply squeezebox and DAC squeezebox/CD-player

1. First Impressions
I didn't knew Burson Audio before my search of a new headphone amp. As a die-hard do-it-yourself person, I made amplifiers myself, mostly with tubes. Buying amplifiers was not-done! But things change, and I was able to buy a demo product of the HA-160 in mint condition, which had served a couple of hours. I knew that was the signal...
As for now, I use a Sennheiser HD-595 headphone, but within a few months, I will upgrade to the HD-650. A chain is as strong as its weakest link, and in this case, it became the headphone!

When I received the HA-160 from Burson Audio, I was stunned how the device looks and feels like.
I've honestly never seen a device that was built on such a robust way. That is something I never expected when I saw the pictures on the internet. You feel that you have invested in quality, and that is a good thing! They know an audiophile also cares about the looks of their equipment.

Something very important to me is the contact with the company itself. It is often a good indication how professional a company is. I had an excellent contact with John and Jack. They helped me out like it should, and that is a point where other company's can learn from ! Yes, good job guys !

Certain things of this amplifier betray that it is made by audiophiles, for audiophiles. They took care about elements that other company's seem to forget, like:

- stepper volume control. Very rare, and no annoying clicks when turning
- double output. High and low impedance headphones are separated
- Stylish, simple and very heavy housing

So, first impression: Impressive!

2. Scalpel

Sooner or later: new device meets screwdriver. It's an aberration that I already have since my birth.. Compare it with a surgeon and his scalpel, who is curious on the inside of a human being. I'm always interested how something is made, how it looks on the inside (I'm an electronic engineer, call it professional deformation.. ). The company's website and the reviews gave me already a small impression, but I had to see it myself...

2.1 Transformer: R-Core-power!
The power supply uses an R-core transformer. I was surprised to see that. I expected a toroidal transformer on this place. After some research, this is a good choice from Burson Audio, cause these types of transformers have some advantages on toroidal ones regarding bandwidth and the passing of noise. Also, the EMI emission of R-core and toroidal is far less than a normal EI-core.

2.2 Rectification
Burson used ultrafast rectifier diodes from ON SEMI, type MUR460, specified at 600V/4A. Heavy diodes, which is a good job! Each diode has a small capacitor parallel with it to suppress the switching peaks. The big caps they use in the power supply are 8200µF, rated 56V electrolytic caps. Elna is very known for its caps used in audio circuits. Rated temperature of 85°C. Better would be 105°C, but nor the heatsinks close to these caps, nor the inner temperature would ever rise above 45°C. More than enough tolerance.

2.3 Power Stabilizing
Two complementary transistors from Toshiba are used as power stabilizers. Types 2SC5171 and 2SA1930. They are able to handle collector currents up to 2A. Precision trimmers are used to fine-tune the power supply.

2.4 Input Stage
Each input stage (left and right channel) is set up separately on the pcb, using Burson Audio's special discrete opamps. Two components drew my attention. They used Dale resistors on critical places (which are high quality resistors) and Silver-Mica caps in the signal way. These caps belong among the best for use with small signals (like audio). Again, precision trimmers are used here! A nice extra on the input stage is the stepped volume switch with 24 steps. You can actually see on the pcb the footprint for an ALPS volume pot, but probably they stepped away(!) from that idea and used a way better option. It gives the amp a luxury feeling! At the input terminals, small ferrite beads are placed to keep EMI outside. Burson did a lot of effort at their design!

2.5 Output Stage
The Same transistors as used in the power supply are used at the end stage of the amp. That is quite a logical decision, as the transistors are actually meant for audio purposes. Each transistor has it's own heatsink.

3. Dream Machine

I like all kinds of music, so I expect an all-round amplifier. Not one that is better in classic or jazz or one that makes compromises. After two weeks listening (I give each new amp about 2 weeks to burn in), I decided on a rainy Sunday to evaluate the HA-160.
I started with Laurent Garnier's Man with the red face. The sound made me a little dreamy. Very good balance between the low, mid and high tones. Damn, why is this song only 9 minutes ?

After this impressive start. Let's go on to some Massive attack. Lot's of detail and a nice vibe!

Time for some harder work. The Dire Straits may give the best of themselves.
The guitar work makes me forget the bad weather outside, and gives me a warm feeling inside. The voices are superb! It's the special live version and it's almost like you're on the concert. That's the way you do it!

Lounge music has always be one of my favorites. It has a nice relaxing sound, a good vibe, easy vocals. I grabbed a cup of coffee and gave the honor to a Belgium group, called Kraak & Smaak. I heard their music once in a loungebar in Ghent, and since then I'm a big fan! This amp has a lot of punch here, something I missed on every other headphone amp I heard. Also a warm sound.. close your eyes and think you're on a sunny beach, this amp actually makes you believe it! This little wonder will become my new dream machine!

I saw a concert of deadmau5 this summer, and I went back home with a very positive feeling, stunned with the beautiful music that guy makes. It's a mix between lounge and dance. If I only had an amp that could give me the same feeling as this concert... well, I have now. Whatever mood you have, or whatever kind of music you want to play.. Plug your headphone in the HA-160 and enjoy!
4. Conclusion

It's hard to describe this amp without using superlatives.
Burson Audio proves, that, when done the correct way, transistor amplification does things better than tube amplification. Very detailed, very rich sound, nu hum or noise, and a superb vibe.

This thing is the Aston Martin under the headphone amplifiers. Made with detail, powerful and it definitely makes you enjoy the ride!

HA-160 feedback by Ivan K.

2011-02-13T15:04:00.006+11:00

..."I've received my HA-160 today morning! Wow! It is definitly HIGH FIDELITY product. I believe that's my ticket for Hi-End sound experience.

I am very happy =).
So, all my new equipment (cables, HA-160, AKG K702) will burn-in during 4 week period. I think 2x5h per day at interval for one 1h will be adequate."

My best wishes to your team from Belgium!
Ivan K.

Burson AB160 feedback by Ned W.

2011-02-10T07:06:00.006+11:00

With over 300 hours on my 160 Buffer, I must tell you what a magnificent addition this is to my CD-based 2-channel stereo system. It has integrated superbly with my Placette passive preamp by preserving utter clarity and sound stage yet providing added punch to the entire sound spectrum. Also,the added gain is perfect for those few low output CD labels.

Thank you Burson for this fine component.

Ned W

Marantz SR-8500 & Rotel RCD-965BX with Burson HD Audio Opamp Mod by Edwin W

2011-01-23T12:20:00.003+11:00

Here are some pics of my system.

Marantz SR-8500 with dual Bursons.Only used as pre amp.Rotel RCD-965BX with single Bursons and clock. Plus loads of mods to power supply. Awesome machine. Rotel RMB-1095 didn't find the need to mod it best amp I've ever had and loads of detail for HT or two channel. REL Stratos 5 down to measured 15Hz with Velodyne SMS1 :)

Mediagate from ACRyan. Several hard drives for concerts and movies. Old modded Kenwood to power the extra side AAD which get the same signal as the Surround rear. Only for small added effect while watching Concerts and Movies. The two AAD on the rear wall are leaving as they never get used. Speakers from Paradigm Centre C3 Signature. Studio S60 V.5 fronts. Monitor 3 rear.Technics 110CD player for back ground noise and a cheap Sony DVD for the kids. Saving for Blu Ray possible Cambridge as I need inbuild decoders.

Sound of system is warm yet still detailed so much so that I'm hearing headphone detail through the speakers since the Bursons went into the Marantz. Midrange is smooth and detailed I have tested it with several opamps LA4562 OPA2143 5532 etc none came close to the Bursons. Would love to build or buy some nice regs for the bursons but takes a while to get hifi fund high enough :( Bass is fast and very detailed best I've ever had it since putting Bursons into my system. Also have Rotel RCD855 and 865 the 855 has single crown TDA1541 nice but not as nice as the 965.

The 865 is pretty much the same as the 965 so use it to make comparisons after each mod just to make sure I'm not going backwards.

I have been looking for new HT amp but nothing comes close to the now old 8500 everything is getting cheaper and cheaper but not in $ terms. Real shame as there used to be some good equipment out there that was build to last. Noise out of the 8500 is so low compared to a lot of new stuff that it would possibly take a miracle for me to find some thing else that will do two channel as well as HT with good performance.

Follow up Review:
Just had a friend over with the same SR-8500 to see how much of a diff the Bursons made.
And he wants the same now J

The sound was more open better defined and clearer.

We used same cables, Cd Player was RCD-855 from rotel standard version rather than using my 965 with bursons. It was great to hear the actual diff rather than the before and after the MOD.

Edwin W NZ

McIntosh MX-136 with Burson HD Opamp Mod by Neil H

2011-01-19T21:39:00.004+11:00

Finally the MX-136 is up and running again. Fitted the OP amps but unfortunately ran into a problem where one channel stopped working… Eventually tracked it down to a signal ground having an intermittent connection.

I have just finished watching a movie and the sound difference is amazing. The sound seems considerably more dynamic, and significantly more detail is now realised, overall a fantastic upgrade.

Neil H

Burson HA160 Review by Chuong Nguyen

2011-01-09T09:34:00.001+11:00

After spending 3 months with his HA160 Chuong has written up a in depth review with a wide range of musical source and compare the HA160 to a number of well known machines.

When talk about build quality Chuong concluded

..."Overall I think burson did an amazing job with the construction of the amp albeit the let down with the feet (Just nitpicking), making most of the competitors in the same price bracket (and many in higher price brackets) look and feel like toys."

He concluded the overall sonic performance of the HA160

..." Overall this is a great amplifier. A real audio bargain to put it that way- It doesn't sound speakerlike but rather lifelike with the appropriate source and 'phones.
Its Solid state done right !"

Full review: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/532467/review-burson-audio-ha-160-with-listening-impressions#post_7180161

Review setup:
ipod 5G video/ iphone 3g/ iphone 4/PC
Onkyo ND-S1 transport dock
audio-gd DAC19DSP1
Burson HA-160
HD800

Sony DVP-NS305
audio-gd DAC19DSP1
Burson HA-160
HD800

Ayon Audio CD-5s with Burson HD Opamp upgrade by Neil H

2011-01-08T18:11:00.003+11:00

I recently purchased some new HiFi equipment from high end Austrian manufacturer Ayon Audio, a cd player (in fact 2 models of their CD players) and a pair of tube monobloc amplifiers.. All pieces of Ayon equipment produce absolutely incredible sound

The more expensive of the two CD players, the model CD-5s retails in Australia for approx $15k, and is a solid state/tube hybrid player which includes a pre-amplifier, is an absolutely superb unit, in fact one of the best CD players and pre-amplifiers I have heard.

After reading the description on your website regarding your discrete op amp replacement modules, I wondered would these improve the sound.

After checking inside my player I discovered 4 x OPA627AP op amps. I replaced these with 4 units of your single op amp replacements.

The sound difference to my ears is wonderfully pleasing. It seems to me like a veil has been lifted from my speakers. The soundstage is larger and seems more detailed and defined. The highs are smooth but incredibly detailed. I am noticing elements within the music I have not been able to define previously. For some reason the sound seems more "musically realistic", perhaps it may be some enhancement to the dynamics or something. The bass seems deeper and more articulate. With instruments like piano, sax, woodwind and voice more "timbre" seems to be present (to my ears) ……

Anyway, congratulations on a wonderful product at an incredibly reasonable price.

Neil H, QLD

Greg J system photo shearing with Burson HA-160

2011-01-07T10:40:00.000+11:00

Proceed PCD3 with Burson HD Opamp Upgrade by Murray P

2011-01-07T10:11:00.003+11:00

All 6 op amps now installed and burning in. Initial impressions very favourable. Better clarity and less background noise. And clarity was pretty darn good before so I’m impressed. Fitted 1uF film caps for decoupling while I was at it. Most probably over kill for the Proceed but I had em so why not.

Had first “5 min” listen at 11.45 last night and didn’t silence it for over an hour. Glorious.

Murray P NZ