Hey Thomas, thank you for this long awaited and detailed review of the Burson Composer DAC. From your sound demo, it seems like I preferred the one with Burson connected directly to the amp. Now I have much lesser worries ordering this DAC working as a pre-amp in my setup. Keep up with the good work as you always have been doing!

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks and you do have a 30 day trial with a restocking fee.

Endgame is really hearing aids and a walker

@rockfella27

3 жыл бұрын

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😀😀😀

@The_Story_Channel

3 жыл бұрын

I am almost there so I guess I should be happy.

@sidvicious3129

3 жыл бұрын

Or the true end game, the coffin!!!

@larryeckerdt9750

3 жыл бұрын

sid vicious With bluetooth!

@samlee2562

3 жыл бұрын

Buried wearing headphones hooked up to the national grid.... Just in case...

Wow you've really stepped up your content in practically no time at all. I'm glad to see more great reviews that'll soon make me broke

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Haha, watching Thomas and Stereo can be dangerous to your wallet.

This DAC is from Australia. I forgot to mention that when I turn off the unit when connected directly to an amp, I hear a 'pop' sound. (Edit, I have confirmed this is normal. It is the caps in the DAC discharging and the pop amplified by the amp. The DAC was designed to be really minimalistic) I guess as simple as possible? So what you need to do is power off the poweramp first. Also, I will not review the Gustard X26 DAC since I have been making too many videos on the best best best best giant killer end game DACS.😂😂😂 They also have a 30 day trial period, read up on it as there are some conditions. Adorama now carries it. Non affiliated link. www.adorama.com/brm80xv6us.html Update Nov 23, 2020 : Burson just sent me this info for Christmas 2020 (Non-affiliated) * Take advantage of our 2020 pre-Christmas promotion: Type Coupon Code 20OFF at check out from our web-shop www.bursonaudio.com/shop/ * Those purchasing our Reference, Performance and/or Pre-order the Playmate 2, email us with subject TS-STAND and the Order Number. * Burson will then throw in the Cool Stand for free. * This offer ends with this promotion.

@krutonton

3 жыл бұрын

:( mind at least giving us some comparison between the Gustard and the topping D90 at least. I was under the impression that Gustard has a much better output stage/preamp section than topping DAC. Was curious how well the Gustard would perform working as a DAC/Pre vs Topping.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

The Gustard has a more solid soundstage. Even at high volume, the soundstage feels more anchored. It has more layering in the soundstage that you find more in higher end DACs. Slightly more low end extension too. Well it is $450+ more though.

@IsaacChew

3 жыл бұрын

Thomas just review the x26. Every dac is different. Btw, I have been wondering why would you and your friends be so forgiving to dacs. I have a guess. There is one commonality between you and your friends - all of you have high end analog amp and speakers. That excellent post-dac analog foundation makes light work of the analog stage in all the dacs you review. Since all modern dac chips are all good, it is the analog implementation of dacs that make them sound different. You high end amp and speaker did all the anslog heavy lifting for the dacs. As such, all dacs then sound similar and all are very good. No dac will fail. For me, my post dac analog stage is just...my active speaker. Thus, I need to rely on the analog stage in each dac I use. I have the Chord TT. I also used D90, matrix xsp, mytek brooklyn plus mqa etc for weeks connected to my active speaker directly. And all the dacs sound very different. There is no “every sub 1k dac is a best dac” scenario.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

@@IsaacChew Well in our systems, we have tried many sub $1k DACs that never made it into a review. We used to only play with sub $1k DACs and we then move to only $4k+ DACs. In our system, most sub $1k DACs are "just ok". It is only these 4 DACs that we were like, wow things have changed. Of course, this is in our system and things can be different if you are using them with an active speaker. I wish you can hear what we hear and who knows,maybe most sub $1k DACs today out there are so good that these 4 DACs are just normal. I need to try more DACs to know. I have 15 things pending for review and those have a deadline. The Gustard belongs to me so there is no rush for me, as a result, I will delay it until one day I am free...maybe the year 2045..

@mag290

3 жыл бұрын

I would prefer to buy a DAC/Streamer (Wi-Fi) vs Dac/BT. Some (sub $1000) on my radar are the SHD Studio (Mini DSP, Dirac), the Volumio Primo and the Bluesound Node 2i. Thomas, are there any others that I should check out? Or some Dac + Streamer combos... Are you hoping to review any other competitors to these, if so, which ones? Please, please review the SHD Studio by MiniDSP !

Great review! You are right when the midrange is clean and neutral it let's you hear the other instruments in the recording it's called detail.Many new speakers are midrange forward which masks detail. Thanks Thomas.

Beautiful video. Now I’m going to “roll” some V6 Classics on my BA Conductor 3 XP👍

I had the chance to test the topping D90, Denafrips Ares 2 and Burson composer 3x DAC. I feel like in this price range, every time you find the perfect DAC that delivers what you are looking for, there is always a compromise somewhere. For example, the Ares 2 is a good DAC that will for sure enlarge the soundstage of your system and you will go wowwwwww !!!! That’s the one, everything is big and when you close your eyes, you will feel that you have twice the size of your speakers, relatively speaking and depending on the room size for sure. I have put many hours listening to the Ares 2 and it for sure delivered outstanding soundstage performance that no other DAC does in this price range. However, it is not perfect, the Ares 2 makes me feel like every instrument was in the mid-range. The high frequencies can feel aggressive and a bit too bright. I was always changing filters depending on the music playing. The NOS mode does help calm the highs but at the expense of details and attack. The Topping D90 on the other end sounds more neutral but with a bit of warmth, clean and easy to listen to. I found that I much preferred the D90 over the Ares 2. But again I found that there was a price to pay for this warmth and softness. With the D90 I really enjoyed the music but I still had the amazing sound stage of the Ares 2 in my head so it doesn’t feel 100% complete . Then I plugged in the Burson composer 3x ... BOOM there it is .. no compromise. The soundstage is there, detail, high frequencies perfectly controlled, the bass is perfect versus the D90 which I found has a bit less bass definition. I felt like I was having the perfect balance between soundstage and instrument separation. This Burson DAC is a little more expensive than the Ares and the D90 but oh trust me, it is worth every penny. You have there the whole package with no compromise. For sure it’s probably not comparable to an 8k DAC but damn! GUYS THE BURSON IS KILLING IT and it’s gonna make your system sound at his absolute best!

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Philippe, glad I was able to help so you were able to try this Burson DAC before the rest of the world 😁

@paulennemoser3657

3 жыл бұрын

What OPAMPs did you like most? :)

@philippest-hilaire4059

3 жыл бұрын

Paul Ennemoser pairs of classics + vivid

@TorToroPorco

3 жыл бұрын

Interesting comparison, thanks for posting it. I have read on the Denafrips forums on Head-Fi.org that they require some burn-in to remove the harshness. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 150-200 hours.

@nate_8403

3 жыл бұрын

I own the Aries 2 and feel the highs are as smooth and natural as the rest of the stage. And I'm using the dac with b&w speakers! If anything I feel the resolution is lagging slightly. I did just order the new soloist so I'll see how that works out as a preamp

This year's end game dac... Lovely to see how the game moves on, making the hobby ever more affordable and the result truly engaging.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Or this month end game DAC 🤣🤣🤣 No more DACs review in this price range for a while.

@Coneman3

3 жыл бұрын

What is the price?

Great review as usual Thomas. Your comments are spot on with my listening experience. I'm the one who compared it with my Chordette Qute HD dac. If I was to buy a new dac today, this would be the one I'd choose. Sound wise, I could not hear any difference with the Chord but construction and features wise, it is night and day: filters, opamps option, preamp, remote, power supply, we are in another league here with this Burson dac. Tried it with my Magnepan speakers and MC240 tube amp. Highly recommended. 👍

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks JP for commenting! Glad you got a chance to try it in your system and thanks for helping out to evaluate this DAC.

@jamesdwright

3 жыл бұрын

Interesting thoughts. I have the Chord 2qute DAC as well and I'm surprised by your findings. I find the build quality to be exceptional and don't forget the 2qute is now over 5 years old. A fairer comparison would be to pitch the new Qutest against to these budget DACs although it's a bit more expensive at 1.5k€. it also has several filters to choose from. I agree these new DACs have alot more features but i prefer my equipment to excel in one area.

@jean-pierrethibaudeau7201

3 жыл бұрын

James Wright The Chordette dac is made of metal and has a solid body but both me and my friend, who has the same dac, had problem with the RCA connections that went loose, we had to repair it. As for the power supply, the Chordette's looks like a power supply from a Fischer Price toy of the seventies. The Chordette has no filters option and no pre-amp. But don't get me wrong, the Chordette is a very good dac, even 7 years after it's release, it still can hold it's own against the latest releases for sound qualities.

Thanks for your many helpful reviews! I really appreciate them and allways take something from them. Please allow me one specific question. How do you think the Burson would position itself against it's competitors, when using it for direct driving the amp is an requirement? You (not alone) mention the preamp of the smsl m400 as to be inferior- even if the dac is more or less equally good (if not better) compared with the Burson. I drive my ML#27 directly with a smsl m400. Would you advise to switch to the Burson? Thanks a lot!

Thanks for another great review.

Excellent review! Thanks for posting.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

The Jay’s Audio DAC 2 signature is superb, especially with a Jay’s Audio transport 😉

Hi Thomas it is nice to look back at this review after growing in my journey and better understanding and recognizing the points you make on matching components, cables, etc. I hope you can get to review the little Merason Frerot dac from Switserland/Europe as well. It is kind of special around the 1k price mark :)! You need a good front-end/streamer with that one though, because it does not have a very good reclocker. I use the Matrix SPDIF 2 with it , which works great. Also it benefits greatly from adding a LPSU, which puts it on a different price level.

Yeh I like the option with a socket to try different op-amps. And I have just tested one descret op-amp but it made my unit (RIAA-amplifier) so much better than a high end muses 01 IC op-amp. So I am a believer.. yeah I totally agree that the output stage is far more important than what DAC chip the unit has. As long it do what you wanting it to do like supporting the formats and resolution you want/need.

affordable has taken on a new meaning in recent times.

@kohnfutner9637

3 жыл бұрын

Affordable to CEOs.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Or instant noodles lover.

@doublecrossedswine112

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo Uhh, dude... I don't even know anyone that could afford a 1000$ for something like this. Lots of blue collar people out here in the USA. I can buy a car that runs for that money. Just sayin.

@kohnfutner9637

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo you'd be dead if you ate instant noodles all your life lol

@YannickKhong

3 жыл бұрын

I believe the target audience isn't of the affordable kind and there's a mind twist there to help people of the old world used to multi thousand "hi-fi" equipment consider whatever this is to be "affordable" in perspective.

It would be so epic if you did a Mr. Vintage reveal and let him talk about his gear and shortly after an episode with Mr. Kanta...

@jonbe8304

3 жыл бұрын

Would be cool if it turned out like the Empire stikes back. "Thomas you are my son"

Similar to planes ,trains and automobiles there may be a few refinements about the edges but the technology is at a point where there are no longer any game changing DACs simply the one that sounds the best to you and creates synergy in your system is best.

Thanks for these DAC reviews. All great picks for most people looking for high value DACs. No thanks for giving us a three/four way (?) tie. Middle finger!

You can adjust the output voltage on a dac I think all dacs there's usually three settings 1 2 and 3 volts default is 2V, tube amplifiers should have 3v solid-state might need 1v. Should be something in your manual about this usually turning the machine off holding a button or two switching on will blink through the setting like one blink for 1 volt 2 blinks for 2v 3 blinks for 3v ppv You could try having a coaxial cable that 30 or 50 ohms if you having issues connecting your dac to active speakers this will lower the output by 5 to 3 DB to the input

The Burson Composer 3X Performance DAC normally $1,144 is on sale until August 31st for $915. The website does not say which XMOS USB chip is used.

Hi Thomas, I m waiting for the review of the Wyred 4 sound Int you have laying over there for quite a while, (also would be great if you could review the W4S STP - SE2 2 stage upgrades PRE) - Regarding the review of the Pcm vs sopra 2 you are killing me ! :) ... Thank you for your reviews I do enjoy every video you do post .. keep them coming please :)

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

I will not review the Wyred4sound because the ST250 is no longer forsale. The ST500 and ST1000 Mr Vintage and Mr Kanta has is pretty good. I did reached out to Wyred4sound last year asking them to send me something to review but they told me maybe later.

Another great video. It’s too bad I already ordered my Topping D90 Mqa after your review. Question. Does this dac you just review support Mqa? Keep up the great videos. Thank you for your insight and time. I know these videos are not done in 3 minutes. Thank you again. 5 stars

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

D90 is great too and this one does not support MQA. Yeah, just the amount of traveling I do is insane.

About a year ago I picked up a Topping D70, figuring I'd swap for the D90 once it was actually available. Sadly, the performance of that DAC is so good, I've never had the slightest desire to upgrade. The build of the Burson 3 is stunning though, and the new 3X looks mighty tempting because of all the features. They're spoiling us you know.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, if you don't have the desire to upgrade, don't! Enjoy it and I am sure the Topping D70 is amazing.

Hi Thomas, Thanks for this review. Could you please let me know what streamer are you using ? Bluesound 2i ? Does the streamer quality is less important than the DAC ? Why can't we find directly a streamer with an integrated DAC of high end sound quality ? Thanks. Mathieu.

@mzikmund1

3 жыл бұрын

Good question.

Just a note : sound of instruments less influenced by location or room, you know what it is whether it's a Steinway, Bosendorf and where it's made more so than speakers that sounds differently. So the absolute sound in essence a more objective reference than sound systems. That's great as instruments are cheaper than high end studios, for non vintage anyway....Which means high end has a ways to go compared to the real in amplified sound of voice or instruments.

That's quite the DAC Buffet there. It's nice that we can sit back and choose what we like. Who makes your wall mounts for speakers on the side? They look like something I could use for my rear and side surrounds.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B004DCAOHK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Nice review my friend !!! so true what u said about personnal preference

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, you should let me try your new Schiit Yggdrasil!

@godssoldier597

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo One day for sure

My end game dac for now 😃 one of the best purchases i have made sounds so analog ! Or should I say Chocolatey ! Lol Thanks Thomas build quality and sound quality is outstanding !!!!!!! Appricate the video ! My reference dac be loving the doge ! If you wanna try out the Sparkos ss3602 op amps out let me know i got 4 of them !

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Cool. Let's talk about it by email.

Thanks for this review, Thomas. It is particularly pertinent to me, because i have a Burson DA-160, and am thinking of upgrading to this Composer 3x Performance dac. Are you at all familiar with the 160, and would you consider this a smart upgrade?

@ThomasAndStereo

2 жыл бұрын

I have not heard the other one so I don't know.

I see you have some good vibration damping tech. Essential in a high end system in my experience.

Hey Thomas, love your content. What if... you plot a heat map from cold to warm and some other performance variable so you can locate the product you are reviewing and compare it with past reviews. Regards.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, that is a good idea and I have an idea of how to do one if I did. It would be detailed if I did one and that is why I have not done one. I just don't have enough time.

My end game DAC is definitely the Topping D90 MQA. From there it's all about selecting your preamp/amp/speaker combo to tune the sound because the DAC has pretty much "done its job".

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, for me the Topping D90 is good enough to be an endgame DAC for many people.

@tupuhumuhumunukunukuapuaa3093

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo Have you listened to the Topping DX7-Pro? My ears are in love, so I'm enjoying music playback IMMENSLY. But I'm definitely interested in your opinion.

@jingsonlua1307

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo I like how the Burson dac allows you to interchange op amps like a "hobby" dac. But if MQA is a must then it boils down to D90 vs M400

@TorToroPorco

3 жыл бұрын

The nice thing about having all these quality choices is that it allows us to enjoy our music immensely and remain within a budget. I’d love to pour all my spare cash into higher end components but as I have other expensive hobbies, interests and priorities that’s simply not realistic. The money one saves can be used for other components as well if one chooses. My greatest fear with spending more money is moving more laterally than forward in terms of improvement.

@jingsonlua1307

3 жыл бұрын

@@TorToroPorco The law of diminishing return also applies to this hobby which makes the decision a bit more difficult. How much are we willing to spend for the remaining 1-10%? I guess most people would be happy with reaching 80%-90% and having to only pay a fraction of the cost. Then there's the question of how much difference can our hearing discern :) A very subjective world indeed.

This Ausie company is starting to make waves with their products. I'm with you when it comes to hifi gear Thomas. It's not about the cost but it is all about the sound and what I like. I would probably slap someone if they said " you need to hear my twenty grand DAC" after listening to my wee £1000 DAC 😂

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I am always happy for companies when they make something really good. Yeah, agree about the slapping. 🤣

Thank you for doing this series of these great sub $1,000 DACs. It's a great lineup of high performance gear that the masses can afford. For me I'm saving a bit longer for a Holo Audio Spring 2 KTE or the Holo May Dac... I think the R2R NOS will suit my tastes and assume that will be my "end game".

Sounds very good even as a preamp!! Very neutral too. (Good neutral :) Big like👍

Thank you Thomas. I´ve always thought that the best thing is to have no OP amps at all the full discrete always sounded better for me. Is this different?

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

I don't know but opamps are used in a lot of DACs. To say something else is better might be over generalizing. At the end, it is how it sounds that matters.

@ThomasAndStereo thanks for nice review! I have Hegel H399, can you please recommend me DAC/preamp for an improvement for a budget under 2-5k, thanks.

We are looking forward to a review of Aune X8 magic dac, thanks for your best reviews

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

That one will be really soon. The next video will be either the AUNE X8 or Yamaha AS2200.

Hi Thomas, you mentioned you used to coax input into the DAC. Did you use the Bluesound Node 2i as a streamer for this review? Thanks

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

No I did not, I had my computer plugged to it directly.

Hi, I've a SMSL DP3 DAC/Player. I use it only as a DAC. Do you think that these three DACs you presented lately are (far) better than the DP3? Thank you. Paolo

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

They are better than the Dp3 but it really depends on your system too. As I mentioned in the SMSL M400 video, the more resolving your system it, the more differnece you will hear.

Thinking I'll get the Composer and a Purifi amp as my end game and be done with it. I've had a Burson Audio headphone amplifier for the last ten years and it's been a solid performer, but my setup is pretty ghetto; using the headphone out to an integrated Arcam circa 2000 vintage amp. Time to sell everything and sort it out, my LS50s deserve better!

Thomas , because of your Great honest review I bought from HifiGo the the X8 but it didn’t say Magic. Does X8 mean Magib

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Maybe a newer model? Mine is written Ause X8 Magic Dac in the front. X8 should the right one. Maybe they drop the magic word? I did see a photo of one without the magic word and it looks exactly like mine. Email them to confirm.

Hey Thomas I would love to know the 2 different line gain volt output low/high thanks for the video output impendence 10-ohm dac / 25-ohm pre got that one 😃

Thanks for review Thomas ! Looks like great build quality ! Those op-amps are big !!! So sorry for my rant about a totally different dac I posted, that had nothing to do with your review sorry Thomas

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

On the contrary, thanks for letting me know! I just told them to take back their DAC.

@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo ohh my, I got another phone call from that HFG distributor And everything is taken care of . Thanks man theirs alot to it to much to write but please do that review, I do love that dac we talked about Sorry Thomas i have felt bad all day man !

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

@@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120 I see, I did email them about it and they responded. I will proceed with the review then.

@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo Yes they told me you did ! I can't thank you enough Thomas your 1out of a million and they really took care of me ! honestly I love the dac were talking about, it paired so nicely with my reference front end and speakers just so creamy smooth 😆 And i been wanting to get your tale of the take of that dac also . Alot of things happened that normally doesn't happen alot to text so I will leave it at that , Thank you means alot to me 😃

WOW! Frequency response: ± 1 dB (0 - 58Khz)

Question: Assuming the opamps add the magic to this Dac (as well as they do on the Aune X8 which is ironically called magic dac), is it correct to assume that when you already have something like a D90, adding the Burson Soloist (preamp and headphone amp only) to the D90, will get you the same magic? 🤓 The soloist also uses these opamps...

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

No, it is not adding magic but rather improvement on the basic thing such as detail, soundstage and bla bla bla. The D90 already is pretty good with that so that is why the X8+Super good opamps does not beat the D90. Now it would be interesting if we can change the opamp in the D90.

I fall into the 40% category who, even if I ate nothing at all, could still not afford any of the products reviewed here. But I enjoy all the reviews, even so. Even with my £120 "system" I thought the second demo version sounded better than the first.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, that is the thing about taste, even though the 2nd sound demo had an expensive preamp added into the system, it is not necessary better for everyone. Btw, my friend was testing the $130 SMSL SA300 integrated amp with a builtin DAC and bluetooth, he told me it is surprisingly good for the money if you like neutral sounding gear. So today, we have excellent performance in all price category.

@iangibson6015

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo Yes, you're right, I should have said I preferred the second one. I will check out the SA300 as a future possibility. Just now I have a Lusya Fever USB dac connected to my laptop and Moondrop Starfield IEM's.

For my Horn speakers Casta B’s guitar flute trumpet and drums sound so marvellous so, that is analyzed as detailed DAC great ! I get that but I need warm also Also, for me fast clean attack is also importantly great. Can you review a Teac UD 503 DAC ?

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Only if Teac reach out to me. Right now, I have a few DAC in for review and after that, I will stop talking about DACs.

Thomas, Gus from Boston here. I've heard you mentioned briefly somewhere that there are DACS that make your Focals smoother. I have two pairs of entry level Focals. Is there a DAC you have in mind ( budget) that would potentially be a good fit to my Focals? I have the SMSL m8a which is the entry level of the SMSL brand. I enjoy it but thinking of upgrading. Enjoying your videos more and more. Really like how you evolved in your skills of filming and editing.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Gus, the SMSL M400 is slightly rolled off on the top end if you use RCA outputs. Some people love that while others prefer the more extended top end presentation that the Topping D90 offers. (Like Mr Kanta) Depends what you want and thanks!

@Beyondabsence

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo Thank you very much! Rolled off is perhaps desirable to me!! I'm a jazz pianist but love the smooth, more veiled sound. I have a Schimmel upright and it has clarity and enough warmth. And unusually warm upper octaves. I love the clarity of the Focals but I use tone controls to tame the upper end. But I've always done that, regardless of the speakers.

@e.p.2218

3 жыл бұрын

I used before Triangle Comete EZ horn speakers with Nuprime IDA8 amplifier. After break in period the sound was wonderfull. There was warmth and presence, a lot of detailes, very pleasant vocals, "golden" treble. There is available separate Nuprime DAC 9 and new Nuprime DAC 9se. But now I'm using Dayens amplifier , thats why I'm interested in Burson DACs (they are selled by the same distributor and sometimes paired together).

Hi Mr.Thomas. Will you plan to experiment with all the filters in the D90?. Cheers :).

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

No, not enough time and the D90 is gone.

Hey Thomas, What do you use for feeding the DACs? PC, other streamer? If PC, can you please tell us what software do you use and other details? Thank you!

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

I use Jriver and I have my pc connected to my DAC. I am having a Matrix streamer coming in for review.

Useful review, thank you. What about the preamp section? is it the same than the conductor 3?

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

No, the conductor 3 has analog input but not this one.

@Raoh1st

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo thank you very much

Excellent review, thank you. I still choose what to buy. Unfortunately Burson Composer has no I2S input. This Important for me to play SACD. This makes my choice a bit easier :)

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Ah, so your choices have been narrow down if I2S is required.

My UD 501 died coax dead now should I look at SLSM, or the Other Dacs

could you do a video, computer to dac to amp? ie, what cpu, usb cable, which software player etc that would be great for newbies for example, you mentioned USB cable is so important from computer to DAC BUT this set comes with a micro USB to USB???

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

In an upcoming video.

Have you noticed any audible qualitative difference between balanced and single-ended output?

Compared to the Ares II?

Pretty crowded field.What we need is the Ares,,Bifrost,SMSL,D90 etc at the price of the Musical Paradise i.e $500.If I am going to spend this money I would probably want analogue inputs,Another good choice but I think the R2R of the Ares appeals to me more.On other hand op amps are cool.Tough choices but you give us the info then we give it a shot

Thanks for the review, I've just ordered one with a pair of the V6 Classic Opamps. My current DAC is an Mk1 Chord Hugo, so it will be interesting to see how it compares.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Peter, the Chord Hugo was more expensive than this DAC, I would guess this is more of a lateral move. My suggestion always when upgrading is to jump 2 levels. Unless you are having issues with your Chord and just want a replacement.

@TontNZ

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereoThe Hugo is in as new condition and works perfectly, never been outside the house! iI don't have the money to drop US$3,500 on a DAC. But I've also purchased a Chord Qutest. I'll keep the one I like most and sell the other two. All the best with your channel - Peter

@marywarner2280

3 жыл бұрын

@@TontNZ Let know your prefference between the Burston Composer and Chord Qutest. trying on one of these.

@ranelime

3 жыл бұрын

How did the Burson dac compare to the Chord Hugo and Qutest? Would love to hear your thoughts, thanks!

@TontNZ

3 жыл бұрын

@@ranelime In the end I cancelled my order for the Burson Composer, but did buy a Burson Soloist 3x (as my desktop amp). However, I did buy a second DAC, I ended up buying a Denafrips Venus partnered with a Denafrips Gaia.

I'm guessing that two thirds of the op-amps are dedicated to the XLR outputs and it only takes one op-amp per channel to handle the RCA outputs so if your not using the XLR outputs you can save some money and much confusion by only upgrading the necessary op-amps being used. But I can't say for sure, but this is why you shouldn't just start changing parts without fully understanding what your messing with. If all the op-amps are used for the unbalanced RCA outputs, then the designer could have done better.

Your friend ran the Magnepan LRS with a tube pre-amp? How did it sound? Was there enough power?

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

He ran it with a full tube integrated amp, check out my cayin cs55a review

So whats the difference between the high and low gain setting on this DAC?

你好 Thomas 请问你一个问题， 电源适配器电压是指定 220v 转 24v 吗 ？ 还是 110v-220v 转 24v ？ thank you

Thomas, is there a significant difference between the Conductor 3 and the Composer when pairing it with the XTZ Edge? And if so, how would you describe the difference? Since your sound preference is the same as mine, and I have the XTZ Edge laying around, I am interested in a pre amp dac that matches. Other suggestions for the XTZ are also welcome.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

I can't really compare because both used different op amps. So there was a difference in sound with the edge given to Composer. Either one should be fine.

@larsv6144

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo Thank you Thomas.

Of all the reasonably priced DACs you've reviewed lately, which would you say offers the most dimensional soundstage?

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

If you are looking for a spacious soundstage, the Musical Paradise and Ares II are decent. If you are looking for a solid precise sound stage, the Gustard and Burson. Having said that, the rest are fine too, depends how the rest of your system is. If you have tubes in your preamp, the MP and ARES II advantage will be less.

@homerjones3291

3 жыл бұрын

Thomas & Stereo I have the Ares II and the Schiit Freya Plus and I didn’t really gain any wider of a soundstage nor depth than what I had.

The problem is I don't know if my DAC is relative an endgame DAC or not since I haven't try others. Sometimes I am afraid that even I get the chance to swap them I am not sure if I can really tell the difference. Also I know they will sound different, sure, because they are built differently. However how do you know which is more true to the source, or simply just have to go with what your heart tells you?

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

For me I don't care if it is true to the source but rather which one is more pleasing to my ears. If you find your current system really enjoyable and you have no desire to upgrade, then don't. Just enjoy the music and that is what is most important. There is always something 'better'.

Would love to know what you think of the new version of Schiit's Bifrost DAC.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Never heard those so no idea. Sorry.

sorry, off topic, im looking for a center channel to go with spendor d7s... any experience with spendor? any thoughts on a decent center, budget is under U.S. $5k if possible... thanks.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

I am picky when it comes to center channel. It has to be the matching pair and that is for timber reasons. If they don't have one, I usually will email them and ask them for suggestions.

I wonder how the sound compares to RME-ADI2. (Mind the RME sound is highly adjustable.) What really missing here IMO is a USB-B input.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

I am sure both are good so either one is a good choice. Never heard the RME though.

@Berkanann

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo Well, try to get your hands on it then. :) Chord Qutest was my go to DAC under 2K but the RME might have just won me over with its features and lower price. I would love to see how this new Burson stands up to those two current legends.

@Sunshine_Superman

3 жыл бұрын

I was thinking the same thing about the RME-ADI2 too. I switch between between mine and my Qutest depending on the music I'm listening to. They both have their own qualities. I'd say the qutest just shades it for me purely as a DAC and not based on functionality - that's just a personal preference, to my ears the Qutest is more wall of sound and gives more of an equal weight to all instruments. RME-ADI2 FS wins on functionality and configuration and gives instruments more of a sense of dimension. It's an awesome DAC for the money. I too would like to hear Thomas's thoughts on a comparison of all 3.

Hi thomas great video! You make it so hard To choose a DAC Because you always find something newer... I'm not sure if I've mentioned this already to you on another video Can you please do a leader board for DACs ! Based on temperature money and sound.. brightness ... That way we can pair it with our speakers and AVR To make it balanced

@ThomasAndStereo

2 жыл бұрын

I no longer have most of my DAC so it would not be possible.

@Ryan-yi6su

2 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo Since you are the stereo jedi I know you will have a logical answer to this question. Let's say we have a AVR or even a 2 channel stereo with a price range of 500-1500$ Would a stand alone D/A In the range of 300$to 1000$ Be worth it? Significant sound difference? I'm thinking denafrips ares 2 RME Burson Topping e50s Matrix Much appreciated 🙏

@ThomasAndStereo

2 жыл бұрын

@@Ryan-yi6su Really depends on the DAC that came with the stereo amp. If I had $1000 to spend on a system that cost $2000 including speakers, I doubt I will put it at the DAC. If you add a DAC that is more nuance in the bass area but your amp does not have the juice to drive your speakers in the first place, you will not see the benefit of the DAC. So your question is not black and white. Sure it will improve some what but are you getting 20% of the potential of the Ares2 (for example) or 80% of its potential? All depends on the rest of the system.

Yes I agree dac chips are only part of the total equation , the circuritry and power supply have just as much to do with the end sound !

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Yup, that is why some old DAC still sound superb!

@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo back in my day Thomas dacs where so exspensive !!! So I chased after good cd players Philps/Marantzs TDK 1541/1543 😆 1541 was a lil better imho but i'm finishing part 2 of Triangle bro3 !! I referred your bro3 video also at the end of review 😆 And a snap shot what came in the mail today lol lol

Hi Thomas - Knowing how busy you are, I’m not sure you’ll read this, if I’m lucky I need your help. I’ve been an audiophile for 45 years in the hobby yet with no luck. I’ve had most everything for under $55,000 in my set up. I loved so much reading your opinion on the Canton Vento Ref 3.2 that I pulled the trigger 4 days ago. Now with almost 40 hours break in I don’t really enjoy them. I find them bright, with difficulty to handle complex material. Question: Do they need more ‘break in time’, exchange my Double Shotgun speaker Silver cables, Change the tubes in my BHK PS Audio preamp or return the speakers. Please advise. Best Regards

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Can you email me at turbotan@gmail.com? Also let me know what gear you are pairing it with and I will try to get back to you tomorrow. I would say return the speakers if you can.

@locmanw1583

3 жыл бұрын

You have wrong speakers 😁

@MrMwalker43

3 жыл бұрын

Very Well Wong, what do you suggest smarty pants? , but remember I will still consider Thomas suggestions over yours.

@locmanw1583

3 жыл бұрын

@@MrMwalker43 Your choice! Just listen to Thomas since you only believe in him. Hope you won't continually change out equipment. Good luck!😁

Hi Thomas can you tell me about Dali speakers opticon 1s or 2s and Rubicon 2s and also the Oberon 3s which is better sounding n value for money

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Sorry, never heard of them.

Please get Mr. Kef’s Bryston BDA-3 DAC in for review. I know it’s an older model, but I’d love to know how it holds up newer DACs.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

He has a BDA3, he likes it but looking to replace it.

@williekenk

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo I'd be curious what replaces it as well. I'm always curious to see how these slightly higher end units hold up to the crowd after a few years.

One of the hot dacs of the moment is the RME Audio ADI-2. Making a suggestion you test it.these Chinese dacs have a problem: you have to buy direct. They don’t have dealers or a trial period.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

This is an Australian DAC and yeah I should try the RME one day.

@meshplates

3 жыл бұрын

Thomas & Stereo I stand duly corrected. Just want to ask though: actually made in Australia?

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

@@meshplates I doubt it, most likely made in China but I have to double-check. I just saw designed in Melbourne written on it. They do have a 30 day trial period and given Burson has been around for 20 years, I guess there should be no problem in terms of after-sales support?

@smcpac

3 жыл бұрын

Hey guys! I second the motion for a RME ADI-2 fs review and “giant killer” comparison! Before “Black Friday “ please!!! Thank you Thomas!

nice design

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, the whole chassis is a big heatsink.

Just to be clear the Burson Conductor 3 Reference that you reviewed in July is a level above this DAC in terms of performance. I’m also interested in the Bryston BDA-3 so I’d like to know how Mr. KEF would compare the Conductor 3 Reference to the Bryston.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

I don't know until I can really AB test both with the same opamps. With the configuration I had, this DAC edges out a bit.. The conductor 3 is a preamp + DAC + headphone amp. The design of this DAC is a bit different. For example, this DAC uses four dual opamps while conductor 3 uses two dual and two single opamps. For us, this one sounded better and I answer in a comment the difference between the 2.

@TorToroPorco

3 жыл бұрын

@Thomas & Stereo Hmmm interesting about the difference in opamp layout. Was there a preference for the vivid or classic opamps?

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Have not got a chance to try that yet.

@Cestmoi50

Жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo do you mean the burson conductor 3x reference sounded better or the 3x composer dac?

It appears that MQA is getting ground. Will be interesting to hear your take on it.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

It is ok. Most of my music are FLAC ripped from CDs.

Can you please make a review for Yamaha a-s2100 ... Thanks !

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

I will with the Yamaha AS2200.

Thomas, would love to hear you review some more high end dac and high end gear in general like you used to do. Your earlier videos inspired me to explore high end, and dime a dozen $1000 dacs are definitely not inspiring.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Soon, I will also be getting accuphase gear in for review.

@divertiti

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo Sweet, looking forward to it

Please tell the truth Thomas, Mr. Vintage and Mr. Kanta are your alter egos, right! They can’t be real people. I myself think this is pure genius on your part👍

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Lol. They are my evil twins or triplets...

Hi there. I am in the market for a new DAC. Musicality and analog sounding are super high on my list. As are transparency and timbre. Budget is around $1200. Is the Burson Composer a good choice? Thanks for entertaining my question.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, it is a good choice. Also take a look at my SMSL m400 and topping D90 review.

@geoffreyalter5016

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo thanks Thomas. I have seen them all. I am only a headphone system, no speakers currently. But, I don't really need an all in one.

Find really high end DAC sounds like vinyl, so DACs could really head towards this sound. As lower end DAC still sounds digital, there is a significant leeway for improvement. DCS really good enough unless your into tape and more expensive vinyl.

Is this Burson Model likely to be a noticeable improvement over the Oppo 205 DAC if you are familiar with that one?

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

I have the Oppo 203 but never heard the 205. I probably would spend my money elsewhere if I want to improve my system. The 205 should be no joke.

@zzzerlv

3 жыл бұрын

​@@ThomasAndStereo However, if one has the Oppo 95, then would the Burson ( or the SMSL400or Topping D90, etc. ), be a significant step up? I'm assuming yes. The Oppo feeds a AR LS2>AR VT100>Infinity Prelude Composition PF-Rs ( older, Class A ( according to S'phile ).

probably a stupid question but im getting mixed results online. im interest in getting audio quest cables for my pre amp but my preamp only has 1 set of xlrs and i want to pre amp out to 2 amps do i get a xlr switch box or manually switch the cables whenever i want to use another amp? Something i thought was that the parts in the xlr switch box arent as premium as the audiowuest cables. any suggestions ??

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

What are your options? A switch or what? Adding anything into the chain should affect fidelity, just a question of how much. Sometimes it might not be perceivable and only testing it you will really know.

@marcusloo767

3 жыл бұрын

Thomas & Stereo I appreciate your quick response and pardon if whatever I say comes off a stupid but I want to use a freya plus to pre out to my Ragnarok 2 and mjolnir 2 I’m aware of the small drop in fidelity by doing this and I’m ok with it I’ve tested it and it’s not noticeable to me at least. The options I was looking at were a nobsound 1 in 3 out xlr audio switch or a (cursed ) xlr y cable which I saw a video from psaudio saying that it’s “not that bad”. But if I’m going with audioquest cables I figured I’d have to match the same in build as them so I’m struggling

I connected the Burson composer 3x dac directly to my 2019 macbook pro via USB C and paired the dac with a Topping A90 headphone amplifier. On the MacBook the dac shows up in the output options but no sound. The MacBook says: "The selected device has no output controls". The MacBook has the latest OS update and the headphone amp works fine on its own without the dac. I have tried several things found in the Apple user forums but nothing happens.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Does it work with bluetooth? I guess you have to start troubleshooting. I remember we had to change a setting on the DAC itself to get sound. We did have a problem where there was no sound.

@talkingfish7901

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo After trying different things I took the dac back to the store where the sales person check it on my macbook. He concluded that the dac would not work on the latest mac operating system. I guess a driver update is needed.

Denafrips Aries II is not mentioned in your video anymore, so it sounds that is it below the giant killers you recently listed. Sounds like I need an upgrade...

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Nah, just enjoy the Ares II, unless you feel like you need more bass impact.

@shawnwu3170

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo Thanks man, really appreciated. I can add more bass by upgrading to a better subwoofer, which I just did recently, lol.

@hushpuppykl

3 жыл бұрын

Shawn Wu ... I plugged the Denafrips Pontus into a Line Magnetic LM805ia (tube amp), it was a superb match. With the right pairing, the Denafrips is no slouch at all.

The Composer 3x absolutely kills the D90 I sent back. I preordered the Gustard X26 which leads me to the Matrix Audio Element X. Please review the Element X as it tests very well for $3k. The X26 and Composer 3x(V6 dual classic opamps) were both under $1400. Also...I'm very interested in the 10yo AMR DP 777 SE for ~$4300ish. Bit perfect? Come on Thomas! ❤

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

I did review the Composer 3x. X26, nah since I don't have time but I will review the AUNE S8.

@thomaswipf7986

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo I'll look forward to the S8 review, but I'm trying to spark your interest in Matrix Audio Element X & AMR DP777SE. 😀

Thomas! Won't you review the smsl m500 dac?

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Nah, too many DAC reviews.

@philhimmelmann

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo i also would appreciate it...

Hi Thomas, curious if you prefer the Burson or the Denafrips Aeries II

@ThomasAndStereo

2 жыл бұрын

Burson.

@ohnonate

2 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo Thanks Thomas! Have a great night.

Thomas how does it compare to the musical paradise dac you own?

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Well these are solid state dacs, bass will be tighter, faster and overall better control. You will have a shaper and more analytical sound with this DACs relatively speaking.

where do you get your prices from this stack is $1140 on sale US And I know you keep mentioning you live in Canada so that's like 1500 canadian

@ThomasAndStereo

2 жыл бұрын

At the time of the video, it was launching price so it was different then.

Did you have a chance to compare it to Ares II? I’m on the fence between getting the Composer or Ares II

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

For us, we prefer the Composer by a lot more but it is more expensive.

@normie610

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Thomas

DAC’s are the new modern day snake oil that we associate with cables. While cables are important to a certain point, DACs also are the same. Difference in sound doesn’t necessarily mean better quality. I have auditioned via headphones, IEMs, and 2 channels systems over 3-4 dozen DACs over the last decade ranging from $50 to $20,000 and nothing has really jumped out or epic. When I research a DAC, I’m actually more interested in the analog/pre-amp/line-out circuitry. To me that’s where the difference is... When it comes to the sum of components and features including true differential balanced xlr outputs, the Schiit Bifrost is probably the king of best buck.

@stopthefomo

3 жыл бұрын

Which DAC did you end up settling on? I mostly agree and my biggest criteria is now "ease of use", because easily connecting to the assortment of streaming digital options can be made much easier by some all-in-one DACs more than others, unless you're running off of Roon or something similar.

@kevincheong1516

3 жыл бұрын

I totally agree with you. A good DAC should be ruler flat. I am on the camp that speakers, sometimes amps and most of all, room acoustics coloured the sound. That's why I can never understand how these reviewers are able to to say DAC A is better than DAC B by pure listening test. I think most will fail miserably in a true blind tests.

@epi2045

3 жыл бұрын

Stop the FOMO I’m using 4 different DACs... Chord Mojo, Schiit Bifrost, BlueMe Auris, and RME ADI-2. Interestingly I use the BlueMe Auris DAC ($150) via Bluetooth with my iPhone Music 80% of the time. It’s extremely convenient and does a great job. I use the RME ADI-2 ($1,200) DAC for reference studio/video production.

@epi2045

3 жыл бұрын

Kevin Cheong We both share the same philosophy. I do studio reference work using the RME ADI-2 dac which is accurate and “flat” / “neutral”. I have three other dacs which range from $150-700. The RME is $1200. I really can’t tell the difference unless I’m using IEMs / headphones and closely A/B’ing them. Room acoustics and speakers in my opinion are way more critical. Instead of spending $20K on a DAC... put the money into room acoustics and speakers.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

@@kevincheong1516 If you are listening to both dacs in the same room and system, you should be able to tell the difference. If Dac A has more bass and when we come to the same conclusion in 3 different rooms , 3 different setups, the probability that dac A has more bass will be very high in your room.

What does 2 gain levels mean? Anyone can help?

Hi Thomas Love your reviews!! In your opinion, which of the 4 sub $1000 dacs you recently reviewed would have the best synergy with my system: Kef R3 speakers Marantz p.8006 int. amp Android phone streaming tidal Thank you

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

I personally find R3 on the darker side so I would go for Burson, Topping and Gustard. Unless you want a smooth sound, then SMSL m400.

@chrisroselli2190

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo Do you feel there is a noticeable audio quality difference between streaming with Bluetooth vs USB cable? Thanks for your help Thomas

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

@@chrisroselli2190 I did not test Bluetooth. Mr Kanta mention to me Bluetooth is ok

Hey Thomas, how would you compare the sound of composer to the conductor?

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

The Composor is more neutral and instrument seperation (more air between instruments) is a little better than the Conductor. This little better maybe a mere 2-3%. But is noticable for many experiences listener. For someone who does not need a headphone amp should pick the Composer. Having said that, it is not an apple to apple comparison because the Conductor had 4 vivid Opamps and the Composer had 2 vivid and 2 classic opamps. Btw, the Composer uses 4 dual opamps while the Conductor uses 2 dual and 2 single.

@HungryEatNow

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo so simple and yet confusing

Hi Thomas: I'd love an evaluation of all the dacs with regard to which one would make the best preamp.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

They are all good but the Burson might have the advantage with its low output impedance. It is not a black and white answer because it also depends on the input impedance of your amp. If it is really high, then in theory it makes no difference which one you choose. Now all this is on paper, the problem with synergy is you never know until you plug it in.

Once again Thomas i thank you for all the Dac reviews you posted. For me it will be the smsl M400, because of the roll off, I also listen to vinyl through Conrad Johnson tube preamp feeding a Mcintosh solid state amp, so the SMSL m400 will be more of a relaxed sound for my ears.

@ThomasAndStereo

3 жыл бұрын

Good choice!

@bluejeanblues3789

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo I think so Thanks Thomas!