Thank you for this incredibly kind review! And we appreciate the long hours you have put into it. If your passion for audio is any less, the review would not be what it is! With your encouragement, we are motivated to work harder for all the audio buddies out there
I really don't understand how come this channel only has 62k subscribers. Other channels with +200k don't offer the same level of comparison / system matching insight and some even seem to be in a bad mood (especially when referring to its subscribers). That's why I'm a Patreon here.
Thanks for your Patreon support, I guess people who follow me are more a specific group within the audiophile circles since I am very specific in my videos.
Agreed, but I also think he won’t be 60k for long, he will be over 100k easily by the end of this year. Plus Thomas just keeps getting better, the subs will follow!
Thanks for the enormous effort you put into your review content, swapping and comparing amps, heavy speakers, driving around, getting and summarizing feedback from your audio buddies. All this amounts to very good and useful reviews. I did buy many pieces of my rigs based on youtube reviewers and yours match my real life listening experience. 👍🏻 I love the Burson products, I have a Composer DAC, I thought I would let it go after buying a Denafrips Pontus II but nope I have to keep both. It’s too good to let it go. So I can only imagine these two mono blocks, it’s a different approach but would certainly be ready to give them a try when my current PS monoblocks kick the bucket 😁
Thomas ... You are now one of the best reviewers of audio equipment on TH-cam or Written media ... Congrats and thanks for the informative videos and articles ... Kind Regards Brother ... 😎
It is amazing how much work you put in this plus the work your friends add. I go with integrated amplifiers as i do not have enough space for any more boxes but this amp looks like a real alternative to traditional designs.
An excellent review, sir. Liked and subbed. I have Magnepan 3.7is on Mye Engineering stands. Circumstances obliged me to sell my Bel Canto stack a while back. The 3.7is never sounded better with the Bel Canto gear. So now I am looking to revive my system, and the Burson GT amps with their preamp sounds like just the ticket. The Magnepans are a stable, current hungry 4 ohm load and it sounds like a good match for the Bursons.
I really like that they used a Noctua fan for cooling. Also, those power supplies look like custom gallium nitride units. I think that's how they're getting so much output from those relatively small power supplies
🤗 WE LOVE ❤️ YOUR ENTHUSIASM ….AND YOUR HARD WORK 😅 TO GIVE THE BEST DESCRIPTION FOR HELPING ALLTO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION 🧐 AND REMINDING US OF THE IMPORTANCE OF SYNERGY 🤗😍😍😍
Wonderful review Thomas. Sage review advice for manufacturers as well as audio folk of all backgrounds and budgets. The comment on wishing for a power supply to weigh as much as a pack of noodles was priceless.
Just bought the Timekeepers 3X GT on the back of a discount due to the launch of Voyager series. Ordered the V7 Pro Vivid opamps and SP02 modules. Can’t wait to set them up with my Conductor 3X GT
Thomas, Another great review. Insightful, full of depth and presented in a relaxing tone without the jarring annoyance where every sentence is crudely edited in. I appreciate your style. As to the Burson mono blocks, I was concerned seeing fans due to potential noise issues, both electrical and via moving air. Then I noted the use of Noctua fans. If they must use active cooling, then at least they chose wisely. 😉
Thomas, for me you are now the most balanced reviewer of hifi gear on TH-cam, may your channel continue to grow - and enrich you in CASH as well as subscriber accolades somehow!
As often said, thanks for fun and very informative review. Seems like this is the future. Bodes well for the industry. High performance but not a lot of COGS. But I'm happy with old school. I like old fashioned linear power supplies, triodes and point to point wiring. I enjoy that the lights dim momentarily when I throw the switch :) It smells like... victory.
Huh, interesting if eccentric design. Now that power supply - I'm not sold on the concept of external, switching power supplies for higher-end gear, so for me that's a bit of a disqualifier, and yes - I'm aware of the pro's, however there are also lots of con's. These monoblocks are beautifully built, just like anything else from Burson Audio. I love the design, particularly the exchangeable opamps.
What stuck out to me in your review was the mention of your own tube integrated. Maybe a candidate to replace my Nimis. Oh boy sign me up!! Love your work!
Burson gets it. Their statement is why so many of us love Thomas' channel. Its not an "everything is amazing!" channel like so many others. I get the sense that Thomas is being his authentic self, that hanging with him in person would be very similar to how he is in his videos, and the product reviews are passion for the hobby, not unfounded hype. I have exactly zero hyped up "flavor of the month" components in my system. So the "rah-rah" reviewers are pretty low on my youtube viewing list, whereas i watch a majority of the stuff on this channel.
Greetings !!!EXCELLENT!!! your work the one you are doing, I have an Onkyo Digital A88-00 with an M504 amplifier, with an EQ540 equalizer and another EQ201 and a TA2550 deck and a CP1500F platter and Ortofon 40 turntable needle and DX708 CD, and the T4500 radio, Everything the INTEGRA models, which are the best of Onkyo's, are NOT mass-produced if they are not selected from Onkyo. And the cables connected to the equipment are from the KabelDirekt Pro Series RCA brand and 4 DAS R-212 speakers. IN THE END A CLASSIC OF THE 80S AND 90S of sound equipment of that time, over the years I have never broken any module, that is already seen from how they worked before and the manufacturing materials, I hope to have it duarte, many years for the quality of a good musical team, greetings and very good videos that you have a great like for your great videos, great sound models like these devices are no longer manufactured, it is a pity, that today everything is talk, greetings from Barcelona - You could do one of Onkyo Interga also of Review
Hi Thomas, thank you for another great video. It was interesting to learn about these amplifiers. I don’t know a lot about this company but I’m going to do some deeper research because I do like the compact size. Even from your two sample songs it’s clear that associated equipment makes quite a bit of difference. These seem more like impulse engines. If you absolutely need full warp drive, you might need to go to a pair of McIntosh MC-2KWs.
The secret is probably a super-capacitor. These small capacitors can store an enormous amount of charge compared to conventional capacitors. One super-capacitor can store as much charge as banks of electrolytics. Current is a rate of charge flow. One ampere equals one coulomb per second. How much can it do? There's a device on the market for a little over $100 that takes power from almost dead batteries, even a USB port, inverts it to AC, transforms it to a much higher voltage, rectifies it to DC, and charges a super-capacitor. When it reaches 12 volts a green light goes on. Now it will start an automobile engine which can draw hundreds if amps. It will also show you if your car's alternator is working with a built on volt meter that will read 14 volts if it is. Combined with a switching mode power supply it can deliver a lot of power in a small efficient package. BTW in your amplifier design connect a small value capacitor in parallel with the power supply filter capacitor. This will shunt out high frequency noise. You're getting this from an electrical engineer, not some tinkering audiophile who thinks he's an engineer but wouldn't know an engineering textbook if it came flying through the air and hit him in the head. He couldn't get through the first chapter because he doesn't have the advanced mathematical skills real engineers have.
I enjoyed both Op Amp sounds. Felt the First had more clarity in the Highs, Second had a bit better Bass punch. Wonder what others heard for a first Impression. Love that it can be swamped to adjust for Synergy as one wishes. Awesome review as always Thomas.
Interesting... you might want to always list the components in your setup below your video. Are you going to be able to test the complete setup with the Soloist Preamp + Burson 3x GT Monoblocks? I would guess the Burson Preamp should match the amps pretty well. But it would be good to see how that combo compares to other setups....
Usually I put it in the description in the video. They did mention they will send me the the Soloist preamp and I can decide to review or not, no strings attached.
Nie that is something unexpeted. Wish that You had the Soloist 3X GT to test the monoblocks as the whole setup. Great video with an engaging story and perspective 🙂
The Audio Research Ref 6 is not a neutral preamp. I had it in my system for two weeks. Compared to my other solid state preamps, it had a warm caramel coloration, loose bass, and dark high freq that are what tube preamps are known for, albeit less than for example a CJ preamp.
Really I guess I need to test it in my own system which I am more familiar with. In that system, it sounded flat but keep in mind he changed the tubes inside and paired it with the REF75.
@@ThomasAndStereo I have 6 different amps, 4 different pairs of speakers, 5 different line level preamps, multiple digital and analogue sources. It sounded consistently more warm and less transparent than any of my preamps in my system. I was quite disappointed because I was thinking the Ref 6 was going to be my reference preamp. But Audio Research is probably one of the most “neutral” tube preamps out there today.
Wish I could be there to see Alexander Malofeev live March 9, 10 and 13 - 🇨🇦Canada. Montreal - with Orchestre symphonique de Montreal and Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas #alexandermalofeev #malofeev
Hi Thomas, I have a hunch why you preferred the Vivid op amp vs the Classic. The sound sample with the Classic sounds as if there are phase issues across the entire frequency range, and the timing and coherence is falling apart. This also results in perceiving the highs with less energy. However, with the Vivid op amp this phase instability is entirely gone, timing and coherence is perhaps the best I heard from a class D amplifier so far. Very nice, thank you for the review! Cheers, Janos
Thanks! It is not class D but class A then it switches to class AB after 30w. Hmm, maybe I should check if there were any issues when I swap the opamps.
@@ThomasAndStereo I don't know why I was thinking class D.... possibly the super compact size factor.. even though you clearly mentioned class A & AB multiple times!! I need a cup of tea :)
Another great video Thomas thanks much. I wonder how about the pre that is in for example Soloist 3x from Burson, it's got just dedicated pre mode. Great job that you again.
Thomas, I remember long time ago, maybe 15+ years, I found on the Web a guitar tube amp that had a switching power supply and a similar technology instead of output transformers (not the usual OTL design). They had developed the technology themselves, so it's doable, can't remember the brand though...
I currently own the Burson Timekeeper 3i and am wanting to upgrade to separates. For the amp I have narrowed down the choices to the Timekeeper 3x gt and the benchmark AHB2. My concern is that the AHB2 has better SINAD and SNR measurements, would you say that the Timekeeper 3x gt is just as resolving when it comes to detail retrieval when compared to the benchmark AHB2?
I was very impressed with the Burson Opamp though. It improved my DAC quite a lot, but there is a limit of what it could do. The Opamp cannot turn my $600 DAC into a $2000 DAC, but there is an improvement. I suspect it is the same case with their amps.
As always interesting. wall power supplies so far not a fan. To me on the surface it says cheap. I would need a better understanding why that's okay along with running that through lamp cord. Reminds me of a home coreless phone or something. Light weight, funny I remember guys used to give amps or receivers the heft test as it needed to have some weight to qualify. That said it still comes down to sound.
Thomas, did u try using the Timekeeper Integrated as the pre-amp with the GT’s? I’m interested to know the performance improvement from such a pairing over the timekeeper integrated alone.
@@ThomasAndStereo I bet the Doge 8 sounded excellent with them! I was kind of hoping you would use it in your finishing demo. I would've REALLY loved to hear that!
I'm a little late to the party but, Thomas, considering how important system matching is with these monoblocks, have you determined if they are a good match to the Freya +. ???
Hi Thomas, what do you think the GT Monblocks would be like with the Elysian 4's? @92db sensitivity with a Lyngdorf tdai 1120 as a pre to manage the lower notes in the room.
I've told you you need to use a class D or smps for your valve amplifier power supply running at 120 kHz or more. there is staff of the shelf you can buy that's not expensive give it a go you're be impressed 🇺🇦
@@ThomasAndStereo well you need to look around you might like to look at Manley labs they make a switch mode power supply for their valve amplifiers, might be able get their advice! but there's lots of modules about, you're need a back converter if you can't take it off the power supply for filament voltage and a voltage booster for plate current should be able to get to 500 volts very easily, design this in microcap cad it's free now. can do valve and solid-state. a decent smps should have a digital schematic you can put directly into microcap send Manley labs an email be able to help you out
You mention the bass being not as strong as 200watt McIntosh. I’m using a McIntosh 200 watt integrated now. I recently purchased a C2300 preamp. Do you think pairing it with these Bursons would be an upgrade or more a lateral move? Would I be better off with a used McIntosh mc402?
If you like the Mcintosh sound, then moving to an MC402 would make more sense. The bass on these is not as heavy as the Mcintosh amp and it does not have that meaty feeling. what you might get with these is speed and nuance instead. Either way, it would be more of a lateral move. After all, to truly upgrade, I always say you need to jump 2 levels up. Just look at the price difference to give you some guidance.
Hej Thomas! It is probably a power brick with and using GaN. They're giving hug output power in a small package. So you know what you need to hunt down. Best regards. 🥰🎼🎵🎶
These amps look interesting. I have a few questions. If you have time to respond to any, I would appreciate it. 1.I have a Burson DAC already with V6 Vivid op amps. Would this be too much of a good thing, or do you think they would work together seamlessly? 2. I've never owned or heard a Class A amp. Do you feel that these power amps at 180 W into 4 ohms would be able to drive a pair of Magnepan LRS? 3. I'm not sure if you mentioned it but how hot do these amps run? I would assume stacking is unadvisable, but how much room do they need?
1) The will work seamlessly. I had it plug to the Burson conductor and it sounded good together, just not as airy as the Doge 8 but was smooth. 2)I did not test it on the LRS BUT I will when I get the final version from them and I will test it on the Magnapan 0.7. I assume it will be fine given it can drive the Quad but wait for my Magnapan 0.7 video. 3)They don't run hot because of the fan but you cannot stack them.
What are you thoughts of this AMP for long run/reliability? i mean really long 20+ Yrs. As its quite expensive and in my case this will like one time investment.
Yeah, I really don't know. If reliability is what you are going after, only certain brands have a long history and have been known to be reliable like Mcintosh.
Im still confused where do they fit vs a classic high a bias overkill AB why am i getting or not getting these ?? what is there SNR numbers and current delivery capability im looking for 30 to 100w of class A right now 7 to 15 k range running dac direct from a sonnet Pasithea , i feel from this review it fits everywhere and no where , im not a complaining but im not sure what to take from the review? is it a value alternative to class d or a poor mans big boy ab replacement
Well, if you are looking for 100w in class A, you can eliminate this from your list. It is not a replacement for class D because it does not have the same sound.
Hi Thomas, I really like you review. I don't leave for from you and and I have 2 integrated amp that if you like to review I could lend them to you. One is a Krell kav400xi and the other is a Krell s-550i. Let me know if you're interested. Thanks and keep up the great work.
@@ThomasAndStereo Hi Thomas, I'm from Brossard, QC I bought there audio research VS110 from you so there is no problem giving you one of the Krell's to review. Just let me know.
I do like my Burson Composer 3x which I bought off the back of your review. I'd like them to make a stereo power amp that's great and good value, but I know their stuff is pretty pricy compared to competitors. Monoblocks are too excessive for my blood!
@@ThomasAndStereo Stereo-Pak - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereo-Pak ... even though the format lost to 8 track they were vastly superior and used in RADIO for recording ads in-between programing into the 2000s. .... I had several players beginning with a Manuel track switch. ..... it was as close as you could get to recorded Reel-to-Reels. Akai's and other Reel to Reels would have alternate tracks you could play and if you wanted to you could take the Tape from a 4-Track and put them on REELS. Actually, that is a good idea. I bet there are millions of 4-Tracks that could be put on 5 inch Reels and sold as though they were manufactured. .... they'd be just as good as if they were! Now there is a reason they did disappear in the consumer market, but you'll surprised to find out that the Better Cartridges and Decks LOST to 8-Tracks.
I went to check the combo for the Burson 3X Grand Tourer Monoblocks + (Preamp+Headamp integrated) is USD $5500. It's really quite a princely sum. Based on Thomas review, it should sound great and punch easily at it's price range. However I think it's looks don't quite match cost of the set. As I am assuming the 2 monoblocks generates a fair amount of heat, the 3 units might overheat is u stack them together. 2 monoblocks on a vertical stands and another pre-amp takes up too much space, and the aesthetics are poor and lazy this way imho. For the money, it is not acceptable. I really like what they are doing and interested in purchasing, but it should be with better aesthetics and cheaper price unless they have a sick looking setup.
Thomas, nice job calling out class A sound. It is definitely not the same as AB, and I think more people prefer AB than care to admit, but there’s this belief that class A must be superior.
@@ThomasAndStereo And even then... driving 803d3's with a PrimaLuna with less than 40Watts. It will push the speakers to levels which are uncomfortable... For normal listening power is over rated in my opinion. BTW I love your channel and approach to audio gear😀
Thank you for this incredibly kind review! And we appreciate the long hours you have put into it. If your passion for audio is any less, the review would not be what it is!
With your encouragement, we are motivated to work harder for all the audio buddies out there
Thank you Burson for letting me to be the first to try it and hopefully many people will get to discover them with the help of this video.
You rock Burson Audio !! And Thomas N Stereo
@@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120 Tee-Jay, we need you to make more videos!
@@ThomasAndStereo thank you Thomas work has been very demanding , But Your videos are truely insperation for me
Hey Burson - is their a pre amp coming out to complement these monoblocks?
What manufacturer wouldn’t be thrilled by this review? Diverse, serious, comparative and revealing. Thoroughly good job Thomas.
I really don't understand how come this channel only has 62k subscribers. Other channels with +200k don't offer the same level of comparison / system matching insight and some even seem to be in a bad mood (especially when referring to its subscribers). That's why I'm a Patreon here.
Thanks for your Patreon support, I guess people who follow me are more a specific group within the audiophile circles since I am very specific in my videos.
Agreed, but I also think he won’t be 60k for long, he will be over 100k easily by the end of this year. Plus Thomas just keeps getting better, the subs will follow!
Remember to Like & Share 😁
@@JordanPhegley I 100% agree! 😁😁😁
Because people like drama and hype. Generally.
Great review! Well done Thomas. I really like the fact that you have your audiophile buddies also give their opinions of the gear being reviewed.
Thanks! 👍
Thanks for the enormous effort you put into your review content, swapping and comparing amps, heavy speakers, driving around, getting and summarizing feedback from your audio buddies. All this amounts to very good and useful reviews. I did buy many pieces of my rigs based on youtube reviewers and yours match my real life listening experience. 👍🏻
I love the Burson products, I have a Composer DAC, I thought I would let it go after buying a Denafrips Pontus II but nope I have to keep both. It’s too good to let it go. So I can only imagine these two mono blocks, it’s a different approach but would certainly be ready to give them a try when my current PS monoblocks kick the bucket 😁
Thomas ... You are now one of the best reviewers of audio equipment on TH-cam or Written media ... Congrats and thanks for the informative videos and articles ... Kind Regards Brother ... 😎
Wow, thanks!
Huge Burson fan, they make great products!
Dilithium Crystal 😃 LOVED all the Star Trek references! Sounds like a nice pair of amps, thank you Mr. Thomas!
Yeah big Star Trek fan.
@@ThomasAndStereo I can tell... SCOTTY! 😁
It is amazing how much work you put in this plus the work your friends add. I go with integrated amplifiers as i do not have enough space for any more boxes but this amp looks like a real alternative to traditional designs.
Yeah integrated amps are just as impressive today.
Speechless, thanks for the review!
I just got a Burson Funk (with Vivid op-amps) for my desktop system and it is UNREAL. Class A/B desktop amp and a 3w Class A headphone amp. Awesome.
An excellent review, sir. Liked and subbed. I have Magnepan 3.7is on Mye Engineering stands. Circumstances obliged me to sell my Bel Canto stack a while back. The 3.7is never sounded better with the Bel Canto gear. So now I am looking to revive my system, and the Burson GT amps with their preamp sounds like just the ticket. The Magnepans are a stable, current hungry 4 ohm load and it sounds like a good match for the Bursons.
I agree. I just got my Timekeepers hooked up to my Magnepan LRS+, paired with dual SVS SB3000 subwoofers, and man … they sound SOOOO GOOD!!!
Brilliant I have been waiting for burson to do a bigger amp, these guys are fantastic engineers, I look forward to watching.
Thanks Thomas
Now we just need the 200w @ 8ohm version.
Thanks for another excellent episode while on your audio discovery ride.
Glad you enjoy it!
Best audio review channel, bar none. Thomas & Stereo sets the bar.
burson truly is a great company making exciting new products.
I really like that they used a Noctua fan for cooling. Also, those power supplies look like custom gallium nitride units. I think that's how they're getting so much output from those relatively small power supplies
🤗 WE LOVE ❤️ YOUR ENTHUSIASM ….AND YOUR HARD WORK 😅 TO GIVE THE BEST DESCRIPTION FOR HELPING ALLTO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION 🧐 AND REMINDING US OF THE IMPORTANCE OF SYNERGY 🤗😍😍😍
Thanks!
@@ThomasAndStereo NOT A PROBLEM 🤗😍😍😍
I really enjoyed this review Thomas! Kudos to @Burson Audio.
Wonderful review Thomas.
Sage review advice for manufacturers as well as audio folk of all backgrounds and budgets.
The comment on wishing for a power supply to weigh as much as a pack of noodles was priceless.
Much appreciated!
Just bought the Timekeepers 3X GT on the back of a discount due to the launch of Voyager series. Ordered the V7 Pro Vivid opamps and SP02 modules. Can’t wait to set them up with my Conductor 3X GT
Thomas, Another great review. Insightful, full of depth and presented in a relaxing tone without the jarring annoyance where every sentence is crudely edited in. I appreciate your style. As to the Burson mono blocks, I was concerned seeing fans due to potential noise issues, both electrical and via moving air. Then I noted the use of Noctua fans. If they must use active cooling, then at least they chose wisely. 😉
Yes I think they are one of the most quiet fans out there.
Thomas, for me you are now the most balanced reviewer of hifi gear on TH-cam, may your channel continue to grow - and enrich you in CASH as well as subscriber accolades somehow!
Wow, thanks!
As often said, thanks for fun and very informative review.
Seems like this is the future. Bodes well for the industry. High performance but
not a lot of COGS.
But I'm happy with old school. I like old fashioned linear power supplies, triodes and point to point wiring. I enjoy that the lights dim momentarily when I throw the switch :)
It smells like... victory.
Well said!
"It smells like... victory" 😃 👍
Great video Thomas yes it really is amazing what is happening with technology these days.🙂🎧👍
It really is!
They are awesome 👌 great review thank you
Nice review, as usual.. But bring on the 'Thomas Stereo Tube Amp'! Can't wait.
Coming soon!
Huh, interesting if eccentric design. Now that power supply - I'm not sold on the concept of external, switching power supplies for higher-end gear, so for me that's a bit of a disqualifier, and yes - I'm aware of the pro's, however there are also lots of con's. These monoblocks are beautifully built, just like anything else from Burson Audio. I love the design, particularly the exchangeable opamps.
Fair enough!
Great video Thomas, keep it up! Can't wait until your tube amp comes out.
In about 4 to 5 months!
@@ThomasAndStereo Can't wait 🤤
I always enjoy your videos Thomas! Thank You!
My pleasure!
What stuck out to me in your review was the mention of your own tube integrated. Maybe a candidate to replace my Nimis. Oh boy sign me up!! Love your work!
Burson gets it. Their statement is why so many of us love Thomas' channel. Its not an "everything is amazing!" channel like so many others. I get the sense that Thomas is being his authentic self, that hanging with him in person would be very similar to how he is in his videos, and the product reviews are passion for the hobby, not unfounded hype. I have exactly zero hyped up "flavor of the month" components in my system. So the "rah-rah" reviewers are pretty low on my youtube viewing list, whereas i watch a majority of the stuff on this channel.
Thanks, appreciate it.
Greetings !!!EXCELLENT!!! your work the one you are doing, I have an Onkyo Digital A88-00 with an M504 amplifier, with an EQ540 equalizer and another EQ201 and a TA2550 deck and a CP1500F platter and Ortofon 40 turntable needle and DX708 CD, and the T4500 radio, Everything the INTEGRA models, which are the best of Onkyo's, are NOT mass-produced if they are not selected from Onkyo. And the cables connected to the equipment are from the KabelDirekt Pro Series RCA brand and 4 DAS R-212 speakers. IN THE END A CLASSIC OF THE 80S AND 90S of sound equipment of that time, over the years I have never broken any module, that is already seen from how they worked before and the manufacturing materials, I hope to have it duarte, many years for the quality of a good musical team, greetings and very good videos that you have a great like for your great videos, great sound models like these devices are no longer manufactured, it is a pity, that today everything is talk, greetings from Barcelona - You could do one of Onkyo Interga also of Review
Hi Thomas, thank you for another great video. It was interesting to learn about these amplifiers. I don’t know a lot about this company but I’m going to do some deeper research because I do like the compact size. Even from your two sample songs it’s clear that associated equipment makes quite a bit of difference. These seem more like impulse engines. If you absolutely need full warp drive, you might need to go to a pair of McIntosh MC-2KWs.
Great job as always. I own the soloist 3x headphone amp for my focal clear mg’s and love it!
Very nice!
Super saiyan power supply 🙌🏼 nice! Thank you for the info.
The secret is probably a super-capacitor. These small capacitors can store an enormous amount of charge compared to conventional capacitors. One super-capacitor can store as much charge as banks of electrolytics. Current is a rate of charge flow. One ampere equals one coulomb per second. How much can it do? There's a device on the market for a little over $100 that takes power from almost dead batteries, even a USB port, inverts it to AC, transforms it to a much higher voltage, rectifies it to DC, and charges a super-capacitor. When it reaches 12 volts a green light goes on. Now it will start an automobile engine which can draw hundreds if amps. It will also show you if your car's alternator is working with a built on volt meter that will read 14 volts if it is. Combined with a switching mode power supply it can deliver a lot of power in a small efficient package. BTW in your amplifier design connect a small value capacitor in parallel with the power supply filter capacitor. This will shunt out high frequency noise. You're getting this from an electrical engineer, not some tinkering audiophile who thinks he's an engineer but wouldn't know an engineering textbook if it came flying through the air and hit him in the head. He couldn't get through the first chapter because he doesn't have the advanced mathematical skills real engineers have.
I enjoyed both Op Amp sounds. Felt the First had more clarity in the Highs, Second had a bit better Bass punch. Wonder what others heard for a first Impression. Love that it can be swamped to adjust for Synergy as one wishes. Awesome review as always Thomas.
Can you please do a review comparing this to the SMSL and Schiit Aegir?
When our Grand Master Audiophile talks we must listen! Beautiful review!
“Must be from all the Toronto Dim Sum they’ve been eating” hhahahahah
Indeed!
Interesting... you might want to always list the components in your setup below your video.
Are you going to be able to test the complete setup with the Soloist Preamp + Burson 3x GT Monoblocks? I would guess the Burson Preamp should match the amps pretty well. But it would be good to see how that combo compares to other setups....
Usually I put it in the description in the video. They did mention they will send me the the Soloist preamp and I can decide to review or not, no strings attached.
Nie that is something unexpeted. Wish that You had the Soloist 3X GT to test the monoblocks as the whole setup. Great video with an engaging story and perspective 🙂
Thanks, they will send me one.
The Audio Research Ref 6 is not a neutral preamp. I had it in my system for two weeks. Compared to my other solid state preamps, it had a warm caramel coloration, loose bass, and dark high freq that are what tube preamps are known for, albeit less than for example a CJ preamp.
Really I guess I need to test it in my own system which I am more familiar with. In that system, it sounded flat but keep in mind he changed the tubes inside and paired it with the REF75.
@@ThomasAndStereo I have 6 different amps, 4 different pairs of speakers, 5 different line level preamps, multiple digital and analogue sources. It sounded consistently more warm and less transparent than any of my preamps in my system. I was quite disappointed because I was thinking the Ref 6 was going to be my reference preamp. But Audio Research is probably one of the most “neutral” tube preamps out there today.
Wish I could be there to see Alexander Malofeev live March 9, 10 and 13 - 🇨🇦Canada. Montreal - with Orchestre symphonique de Montreal and Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas
#alexandermalofeev #malofeev
I can tell you now. The Bursons sound spectacular with the Pass XP-20.
Hi Thomas, I have a hunch why you preferred the Vivid op amp vs the Classic. The sound sample with the Classic sounds as if there are phase issues across the entire frequency range, and the timing and coherence is falling apart. This also results in perceiving the highs with less energy. However, with the Vivid op amp this phase instability is entirely gone, timing and coherence is perhaps the best I heard from a class D amplifier so far. Very nice, thank you for the review! Cheers, Janos
Thanks! It is not class D but class A then it switches to class AB after 30w. Hmm, maybe I should check if there were any issues when I swap the opamps.
@@ThomasAndStereo I don't know why I was thinking class D.... possibly the super compact size factor.. even though you clearly mentioned class A & AB multiple times!! I need a cup of tea :)
Another great video Thomas thanks much. I wonder how about the pre that is in for example Soloist 3x from Burson, it's got just dedicated pre mode. Great job that you again.
When I used the Burson timekeeper as a pre, it was on the smoother side.
Look at the love fest...! OMG it's all roses in here.
what if bass strength is just extra THD in the low frequencies?
Thomas, I remember long time ago, maybe 15+ years, I found on the Web a guitar tube amp that had a switching power supply and a similar technology instead of output transformers (not the usual OTL design). They had developed the technology themselves, so it's doable, can't remember the brand though...
Wait you have the Doge preamp?! Will you do a video about it?.
Probably one day.
I currently own the Burson Timekeeper 3i and am wanting to upgrade to separates. For the amp I have narrowed down the choices to the Timekeeper 3x gt and the benchmark AHB2. My concern is that the AHB2 has better SINAD and SNR measurements, would you say that the Timekeeper 3x gt is just as resolving when it comes to detail retrieval when compared to the benchmark AHB2?
Thomas I love your vids! does the source have anything to do with how the Burson will sound meaning a Digital vs. Analog source?
Yup
Vivid op amp option is so much better on that test track 👍
I was very impressed with the Burson Opamp though. It improved my DAC quite a lot, but there is a limit of what it could do. The Opamp cannot turn my $600 DAC into a $2000 DAC, but there is an improvement. I suspect it is the same case with their amps.
would these monoblock be fine with a headphone set up? also would using a third party LPS be better than the supplied power supply
Is that an old qantas logo variation I see on the opamp
It is an Australian company.
@@ThomasAndStereo yeah I know that’s why I thought it was funny
I am from Australia as well
Fantastic review Thomas! It will be interesting to see how it will improve at final production. Any chance you tried this with the Freya pre amp?
My Freya died on me.
@@ThomasAndStereo Ah! I’m sorry to hear that :(
As always interesting. wall power supplies so far not a fan. To me on the surface it says cheap. I would need a better understanding why that's okay along with running that through lamp cord. Reminds me of a home coreless phone or something. Light weight, funny I remember guys used to give amps or receivers the heft test as it needed to have some weight to qualify. That said it still comes down to sound.
Thomas, did u try using the Timekeeper Integrated as the pre-amp with the GT’s? I’m interested to know the performance improvement from such a pairing over the timekeeper integrated alone.
Yes, forsure you will get a lot more dynamics and it was quite smooth the combo. Just not as airy when compared using a tube preamp.
@@ThomasAndStereo I bet the Doge 8 sounded excellent with them! I was kind of hoping you would use it in your finishing demo. I would've REALLY loved to hear that!
The Burson gear is gorgeous. The fans are a deal breaker for me though.
I wonder whether the power supply is a GaN one, since their high switching frequency allows for a really small form factor.
I'm a little late to the party but, Thomas, considering how important system matching is with these monoblocks, have you determined if they are a good match to the Freya +. ???
My Freya died on me so I don't know.
Hi Thomas, what do you think the GT Monblocks would be like with the Elysian 4's? @92db sensitivity with a Lyngdorf tdai 1120 as a pre to manage the lower notes in the room.
I've told you you need to use a class D or smps for your valve amplifier power supply running at 120 kHz or more. there is staff of the shelf you can buy that's not expensive give it a go you're be impressed 🇺🇦
Any links?
@@ThomasAndStereo well you need to look around you might like to look at Manley labs they make a switch mode power supply for their valve amplifiers, might be able get their advice!
but there's lots of modules about, you're need a back converter if you can't take it off the power supply for filament voltage
and a voltage booster for plate current should be able to get to 500 volts very easily, design this in microcap cad it's free now. can do valve and solid-state.
a decent smps should have a digital schematic you can put directly into microcap
send Manley labs an email be able to help you out
you need to call Steve over at Decware and see if you could review their mono blocks and do a comparison review for us.
Hi Thomas, I am curious what are your views on pairing a tube pre-amp with solid state monoblocks? Cheers!
Fantastic, that is how I would do it.
You mention the bass being not as strong as 200watt McIntosh. I’m using a McIntosh 200 watt integrated now. I recently purchased a C2300 preamp. Do you think pairing it with these Bursons would be an upgrade or more a lateral move? Would I be better off with a used McIntosh mc402?
If you like the Mcintosh sound, then moving to an MC402 would make more sense. The bass on these is not as heavy as the Mcintosh amp and it does not have that meaty feeling. what you might get with these is speed and nuance instead. Either way, it would be more of a lateral move. After all, to truly upgrade, I always say you need to jump 2 levels up. Just look at the price difference to give you some guidance.
Thank you sir for the quick response. Keep up the good work.👍🏻
Hej Thomas!
It is probably a power brick with and using GaN. They're giving hug output power in a small package.
So you know what you need to hunt down. Best regards. 🥰🎼🎵🎶
Yeah Toronto Audiophiles!
I never heard op amp switching or rolling , what is it and how does it work
Burson website has a lot of info on it. Please go check it out.
Do they have dealer in Australia? I want to Listen this is in the show room and not decided if it is good enough buy them.
Email them, probably they do?
Addicted to audio
These amps look interesting. I have a few questions. If you have time to respond to any, I would appreciate it.
1.I have a Burson DAC already with V6 Vivid op amps. Would this be too much of a good thing, or do you think they would work together seamlessly?
2. I've never owned or heard a Class A amp. Do you feel that these power amps at 180 W into 4 ohms would be able to drive a pair of Magnepan LRS?
3. I'm not sure if you mentioned it but how hot do these amps run? I would assume stacking is unadvisable, but how much room do they need?
1) The will work seamlessly. I had it plug to the Burson conductor and it sounded good together, just not as airy as the Doge 8 but was smooth.
2)I did not test it on the LRS BUT I will when I get the final version from them and I will test it on the Magnapan 0.7. I assume it will be fine given it can drive the Quad but wait for my Magnapan 0.7 video.
3)They don't run hot because of the fan but you cannot stack them.
Thank you so much for replying! I really appreciate it!
How does this compare to the SMSL Class A amp in terms of sound?
A lot more dynamic
can anyone tell the difference between listening to mono blocks and an integrated amp ?
These remind me of Meitner monos
Gallium Nitride power bricks?
If you can get hold of one Thomas, try the EAR Yoshino 912 Tube Pre, it's sectacular
wow, I like older preamps, more musical.
@@ThomasAndStereo still in production Thomas still one the very best out there. Loving your work as always bud
What are you thoughts of this AMP for long run/reliability? i mean really long 20+ Yrs. As its quite expensive and in my case this will like one time investment.
Yeah, I really don't know. If reliability is what you are going after, only certain brands have a long history and have been known to be reliable like Mcintosh.
can I swap those noctua fans with chromax variation?
The fans might be quiet enough for you already.
Im still confused where do they fit vs a classic high a bias overkill AB why am i getting or not getting these ?? what is there SNR numbers and current delivery capability im looking for 30 to 100w of class A right now 7 to 15 k range running dac direct from a sonnet Pasithea , i feel from this review it fits everywhere and no where , im not a complaining but im not sure what to take from the review? is it a value alternative to class d or a poor mans big boy ab replacement
Well, if you are looking for 100w in class A, you can eliminate this from your list. It is not a replacement for class D because it does not have the same sound.
@@ThomasAndStereoha ha
Thomas, how do you think this would sound with a Pass Labs XP-20?
Hi Thomas, I really like you review. I don't leave for from you and and I have 2 integrated amp that if you like to review I could lend them to you. One is a Krell kav400xi and the other is a Krell s-550i. Let me know if you're interested. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Thanks but sadly I live in Canada and shipping with customs is crazy expensive.
@@ThomasAndStereo Hi Thomas, I'm from Brossard, QC I bought there audio research VS110 from you so there is no problem giving you one of the Krell's to review. Just let me know.
What happened to those chi-fi speakers you got in about 4 or 5 months ago? They weren't very good so you decided not to review them?
I gave a break down on my Patreon account as to why I decided not to review it.
I do like my Burson Composer 3x which I bought off the back of your review. I'd like them to make a stereo power amp that's great and good value, but I know their stuff is pretty pricy compared to competitors. Monoblocks are too excessive for my blood!
I used to fix 4-track tapes in the 1960s for my car deck
.... I wonder if you know what they are?
Nope!
@@ThomasAndStereo
Stereo-Pak - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereo-Pak
... even though the format lost to 8 track they were vastly superior and used in RADIO for recording ads in-between programing into the 2000s.
.... I had several players beginning with a Manuel track switch.
..... it was as close as you could get to recorded Reel-to-Reels. Akai's and other Reel to Reels would have alternate tracks you could play and if you wanted to you could take the Tape from a 4-Track and put them on REELS.
Actually, that is a good idea. I bet there are millions of 4-Tracks that could be put on 5 inch Reels and sold as though they were manufactured.
.... they'd be just as good as if they were!
Now there is a reason they did disappear in the consumer market, but you'll surprised to find out that the Better Cartridges and Decks LOST to 8-Tracks.
Are they gan?
Isn't GAN class D? These are class A and AB.
Oh I must have missed it when I scrubbed through too far sorry!
Comment for the algorithm
These vs Schiit Tyr
Noctua fan?!
yes
@@ThomasAndStereo That shows you how much the company cares about quality parts.
@@elongatuspiranha Good or bad?
@@ThomasAndStereo Excellent! Those are the best fans in the business. Those are the only fans I use for my PC builds.
" For an old man like me "
oh Thomas ,the worst is yet to come . 😂
I went to check the combo for the Burson 3X Grand Tourer Monoblocks + (Preamp+Headamp integrated) is USD $5500. It's really quite a princely sum. Based on Thomas review, it should sound great and punch easily at it's price range.
However I think it's looks don't quite match cost of the set. As I am assuming the 2 monoblocks generates a fair amount of heat, the 3 units might overheat is u stack them together.
2 monoblocks on a vertical stands and another pre-amp takes up too much space, and the aesthetics are poor and lazy this way imho. For the money, it is not acceptable. I really like what they are doing and interested in purchasing, but it should be with better aesthetics and cheaper price unless they have a sick looking setup.
And some audiophiles are buying power cables as tick as a cable to secure a cruise ship to the shore… who is right?
i had to look up , this is made in Australia. and NO you are not old
This is an Australian company and yeah, my body is telling me I am getting old :)
Cheap price!??...
About $3.5k for a pair of class A monoblocks is pretty ok.
Thomas, nice job calling out class A sound. It is definitely not the same as AB, and I think more people prefer AB than care to admit, but there’s this belief that class A must be superior.
I have the same exact opinion as you that most people prefer class AB sound.
And when audiophiles who like class A don’t mention lack of power and when they speak about A/B amps the sky is the limit in wanted power….
The struggle with class A is always power :(
@@ThomasAndStereo And even then... driving 803d3's with a PrimaLuna with less than 40Watts. It will push the speakers to levels which are uncomfortable... For normal listening power is over rated in my opinion. BTW I love your channel and approach to audio gear😀
really lol, I love class A. Maybe it's just my amp is loaded down with current, it to me sounds like a lot of meat on the bones
Well for me what you described is how I call it having body in the mids which I said in the video but having fat is different.
@@ThomasAndStereo Young Grass Hopper has much to learn
The din of stereo fans doesn't appeal to me!
To me the Vivid sounded better.
Agreed!
Is your refrigerator a class A or B? hahha
😁😁😁