Burson Audio Supreme Op Amps (4th gen) + HT Omega Claro Halo project

[luiscon14]

Hello everybody

 

I would like to share with you my experience with the Burson Audio Supreme Op Amps I just installed on my HT Omega Claro Halo sound card. This card is installed on a fan-less htpc enclosure (no fans = not even the tiniest noise from a cpu or psu fan) for a completely silent computer, it makes the same noise as a digital calculator.

 

My speaker setup is a pair of Martin Logan Purity electrostatic speakes and a pair of Martin Logan Abyss subwoofer. Each speaker has it's built in 200W High Resolution power amplifier and the subs have a 300W High Resolution power amplifier. The crossover frequency is set to play only the lower freqs that the main speakers can't do. The result is a very smooth transition from deep bass to crips high notes all the way over the spectrum.

 

Believe me, this speakers can reveal anything there is in the signal. You can distinguish between lossy, lossless and studio master lossless files. Also you can notice difference if you use different cables and the same occurs when you swap the opamps in the audio signal source.

 

It took me almost a year since I decided I wanted this opamp but Burson was redesigning it from 3rd to 4th generation. The wait was definitely worthwile.

 

After buying the card I upgraded the four stoch IC op amps (JRC4580) with four "faster" ones and with more gain but still IC. I noticed a difference and I was happy with it but always wanted to explore the discrete op amps and specially the ones from Burson Audio.

 

Finally the 4th gen was released and I bought two pair of dual supreme sound op amps. The very first song I played which was a perfectly recorded piece of music from Marta Gomez in 96khz 24 bit Studio Master, i found it to be more detailed in the voice which is her most precious instrument.

 

I only hear high resolution studio master flac files and after that I played many more songs from classical to rock and latin. Every bit is reproduced to perfection. I can tell you this is the best I have heard my music and is only after installing this op amps.

 

I can pinpoint better the position of each instruments in the stereo image in front if me, that means channel separation is superb.

 

Over all the opams make a more nautral and realistic sound which appear to have the artist right by your side in the room. The timbres on every instrument are more detailed.

 

When it comes to the best in the world, then the price is not a question anymore. If it solves a problem that couldnt be solved in any other way, then the price is right for the ones who can pay it.

 

Thank you Burson Audio for making this possible.

 

These are two pics of my project.

 

[solidstate]

Op, do you have any update? I been looking at the Discrete opamps from Burson and they seem interesting. I assume they have more than enough burn in

[luiscon14]

Op, do you have any update? I been looking at the Discrete opamps from Burson and they seem interesting. I assume they have more than enough burn in

 

 

Not really, the opamps are burned-in in the factory to do the dual ones and to sell them in pairs. It's not the same to buy one opamp and buy another one later, they will not match. You have to order a Pair of single or dual opamps, that way you are sure they are a perfect match. In this case I needed four so I have to install a pair on socket 1 and 3, and another pair on sockets 2 and 4, and make sure they never mix.

 

I'm happy with them, I think it's worth a try.

[odelay]

I have the original Burson Conductor. I'd guess they use their 3rd gen op amps. I've had it for a couple years now and extremely happy with the sound it gives me.

 

Their op amps seem very well regarded by the DIY community.

[davide256]

they are worth while. I've used them in a DAC upgrade and a headphone amp upgrade. Much better detail resolution than chip OP amps and very stable

[gldgate]

I've used Burson, Dexa and Sparkos discrete Opamps and they all have different "house sounds". I've found Burson to have the weightier, more dense sound, Dexa to have the greatest clarity and Sparkos (my current favorite) to be essentially the best of both. Nearly as much clarity as Dexa but with more tonal body.

 

I can see folks with Solid State Systems liking the Bursons while folks with tube based systems liking the Dexas and Sparkos.

 

In either case, I've found that well made Discrete Opamps a step up from IC Op amps and worth the effort. In fact, one of the major reasons I purchased my DAC (Eastern Electric DAC Supreme) is the ability to easily swap out Op amps. I like the ability to further tailor the DAC sound to my taste.

[Deaf Cat]

Just started looking in to op amps again, and understand there is a V5 Burson available, anyone tried it?

 

V4 should just about fit, V5 would fit no problems, but a little more pricey...

[sandyk]

BTW, Audio Gd who designed the original opamps for Burson are no longer making them,(GD-Audio "Sun, Moon & Earth" discrete op amps) but there are a pile of copy cat inferior types made in China, that are now available on ebay, as well as a range from HiFi Collective.

 

audiofeelccdt | eBay

 

Op-Amps | Hifi Collective

[Deaf Cat]

Interesting to know, about GD-Audio.

 

Yes I have heard of people getting the cheap alternatives from ebay, and copy cat dac chips too, and yes inferior would sum the products up nicely from what I understand, but, of course they are very reasonably priced which is the attraction.

 

From what I can see the V5 Burson is made from surface mount products. in my very limited experience, with a particular pre/dac, the early models have vishay through hole resistors, and the latter models have surface mount resistors (to cut costs so I understand), but don't quite have the sound quality of the early models. This is why I hesitate a little when thinking V4 or V5. V5 is supposed to sound better than V4 - giving Bursons reputation I would think the V5's should be better than the V4's but I can't seem to find any reviews anywhere regarding the V5's, guess they are quite new?

[pooger]

Interesting to know, about GD-Audio.

 

From what I can see the V5 Burson is made from surface mount products. in my very limited experience, with a particular pre/dac, the early models have vishay through hole resistors, and the latter models have surface mount resistors (to cut costs so I understand), but don't quite have the sound quality of the early models. This is why I hesitate a little when thinking V4 or V5. V5 is supposed to sound better than V4 - giving Bursons reputation I would think the V5's should be better than the V4's but I can't seem to find any reviews anywhere regarding the V5's, guess they are quite new?

 

The past year I began building with surface mount parts. I had always thought through hole parts better, but (other than larger capacitors) think that surface mount is truly superior. I can use 0.01 % matched foil resistors, etc., with no leads. Parts density is greatly increased, traces are hugely shorter. S/n ratios are improved. This is all referring to solid state, of course. I still have much fondness for point to point and thimble construction with tubes.

[Deaf Cat]

Much appreciate your point of view, makes sense :-)

Cheers