Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
TetraEngine
32
Feb 5, 2017
I've heard people upgrading the Op Amp to something like the V5i. Sorry for asking a stupid question bcs I'm new to this audio thing, but what does an op amp do and what will I gain by upgrading it?
Imroykun
12
Feb 21, 2017
TetraEngineThe opamps are essentially the headphone amplifier.
TetraEngine
32
Feb 26, 2017
ImroykunDoes upgrading it improves the sound or makes it able to drive higher impedance headphones?
Imroykun
12
Feb 27, 2017
TetraEngineYes, the idea is to change/improve the sound. I don't know much more, sorry.
indi_guy
163
Mar 10, 2017
TetraEngineDon't bother V5i will cost you half of the cost of this DAC, in other words it's stupid.
K.T.N
1264
Mar 17, 2017
indi_guyWhat do you mean by stupid?
I upgraded to the V5i, and it was one of the smartest moves I made based the enjoyment and satisfaction I'm getting from it.
I'm trying to understand what you mean by stupid. It doesn't sound like you're basing it on performance per dollar, or amount of enjoyment per dollar.
I'm sincerely curious to hear your reasoning.
I think that at the $230 or so that adding the Burson V5i will bring it to, it is well worth it. Wasn't stupid for me, anyway.
TetraEngine
32
Mar 19, 2017
K.T.NWow, glad to hear that you're enjoying your XD05 and V5i combo! I heard that the V5i is warmer sounding, and has a wider soundstage than the stock amp. Other than that, is there anything else to make it more worthy the upgrade? Any idea how it compares to the MUSES01 and 02 opamps?
K.T.N
1264
Mar 20, 2017
TetraEngineThanks. I'm enjoying the Burson V5i in this amp a lot.
Well, it's a little more complex than saying the V5i is warmer sounding or has a wider sound stage than stock. There's a lot more going on.
First off, I actually did not listen to the stock op-amp long enough to recall if it tended more towards warm or neutral. It definitely was not cold sounding, and it definitely was not overly warm and syrupy. So the stock op-amp is somewhere in the middle.
If anything, the difference in warmth was such that it didn't stick in my mind as to which one was warmer sounding.
But here is the great thing about the Burson, and why I believe the upgrade is worthwhile: compared to the stock op-amp, the Burson V5i brings to the table a very satisfying sense of "easy power."
What does that mean?
The Burson V5i imbues the sound with a sense of solidity and weight. Bass sounds firmer and more grounded. Everything sounds sure and unconfused.
For example, tympany strikes sound tauter, firmer, with more initial impact and dynamics. It sounds closer to the energy of a real tympany strike.
Dynamics are increased. There's more contrast between loud and soft, not just on a macro scale, but on a micro scale as well. So there's the potential for more dramatic expression in the music.
But interestingly, along with this power comes a sense of ease. The music doesn't sound like it's struggling to get out. It doesn't sound impeded or held back. Nor veiled.
It has an easy, powerful flow to it. In that way, it sounds more compelling, and more realistic. More natural, too, since sounds in real life don't seem artificially impeded, or held back.
Another word for it might be unrestrained. Music through the Burson V5i sounds unrestrained. Powerful, sure, grounded, yet easy and unrestrained.
I think that is the greatest thing the Burson V5i brings to the music. And IMO, it's very worth the cost of the upgrade.
As for sound stage width, again I don't recall which one was wider sounding. But I can say this: with the Burson 5Vi, there's more of a sense of open space between instruments and voices. So I while I wouldn't necessarily say the Burson sounds wider (it might), it does sound notably more open and spacious.
Regarding the MUSES02, yes, it is a great op-amp and one of my all time favorites.
But when I tried it in the XD-05, the results were surprisingly "meh." Nothing terribly special about it, and maybe a tad boring.
Now the MUSES02 is a very rich, organic sounding op-amp. It really brings out the tones and textures of sounds, and excels in communicating the music with great emotion.
In the XD-05, it didn't really pull this off that well. While it did sound warm and emotive, there was something veiled and, well, restrained sounding about it.
I think the culprit here is the combination of the MUSES02 and the built-in BUF634 buffers. These buffers, themselves, err on the side of sounding a bit warm and opaque, just slightly thick. So combining the two pushes it too far into the warm and wooley camp, IMO.
I found this out by playing with the FiiO E12DIY a few years back. This amp allows one to change out both the op-amps AND the buffers, so a user can experiment with a ton of different combinations.
Here, I found that the MUSES02 work much better with a leaner sounding buffer. And in fact, the buffer that sounded best to me was the LME49600, which is a leaner, slightly wiry sounding buffer.
If fact, this very combination, the MUSES02 op-amp and LME49600 buffer, found its way into the FiiO E12A amplifier, which is a very nice sounding amp, IMO.
So I don't personally think the MUSES02 sounds the best in this amp since you are stuck with the BUF634 buffers.
As for the MUSES01, after trying the MUSES02 and not liking it here, I didn't even think about trying the MUSES01. I also believe the MUSES01 has some voltage or current requirements that don't necessarily make them a direct drop in replacement, not sure.
I have tried the MUSES01 in a JDS Labs CMoyBB amp, and it sounds glorious. But that amp had two 9v batteries in it in order to support the difference in voltage or current.
You should try rolling all sorts of op-amps to see what you like. For me the endgame op-amp in the XD-05 turns out to be the Burson V5i.
I hope this helps!
P.S. - I'm finding that this sense of "easy power" may be the hallmark sound of the Burson op-amps. For example, I have a full compliment of the full-size single and dual V5 op-amps in my Gustard H10 amp, and the change was pretty much exactly in line with what I described above.
Dbuchina899
37
Mar 22, 2017
TetraEngineChanging the OP AMP will not increase power or punch of the amp itself. It will change the sound "signature" or the flavor of the sound and how warm or neutral the sound is. This also factors in with how much separation there is as well with the two channels. The V5i is an excellent OP AMP upgrade and I highly recommend it. It makes the amp sound wider and more open. The sound is warmer and more present than the default OP AMP used in the XD-05, at least to my ears. It all depends on personal preference. If you like a wide sound stage with extra warmth, get the V5i. If you prefer a more neutral sounding signature with a more narrow sound stage (of if you just don't care about those things in the sound) then leave it alone.
sirkuttin
145
Mar 23, 2017
Dbuchina899Looking to buy the V5i. on the website is it the "V5i dual x 1" for 39.99?
TetraEngine
32
Mar 23, 2017
sirkuttinYup, get the dual version of the V5i for $39.99 for your XD-05
sirkuttin
145
Mar 23, 2017
Motorrad
2898
Mar 25, 2017
K.T.NI too am enjoying the Burson in the 05. Once the thing burned in, it was pretty swell. Have you also found that it overloads on the 05's high gain setting? or goes into "protection"...
Motorrad
2898
Mar 25, 2017
indi_guyCalling it stupid is not making you sound smart...
Dbuchina899
37
Mar 27, 2017
sirkuttin
145
Jul 1, 2017
Motorradyes, i can no longer use the high gain setting with the burson v5i
agusmireles73
0
Sep 27, 2017
K.T.NI found this amp for only 39 dollars, is that correct? and thank you for your awesome review
Shary
1
Feb 2, 2019
MotorradI know its been two years, but yes I have this issue when I switch to high gain while on bass boost mode. Have you found any solution for this?
Syed1337
0
Oct 23, 2019
K.T.Nhi..does bass boost work on mdium gain with v5i
sirkuttin
145
Oct 31, 2019
Syed1337yes. bass boost does work
Syed1337
0
Nov 7, 2019
sirkuttinput the burson in, and wow..what an improvement. paired with dt770 250 ohm mids are rnhanced nice and liquid highs are more minty and controlled lows have more body. great improvement in sound stage and imaging. bass boost works for me in high gainz although i hv more than enough power to drive my dt770 250 ohm in medium gain.
(Edited)
Vincent2
2
Mar 2, 2020
K.T.NHey K.T.N. thanks for sharing your wisdom with us saved me alot of trial and error understanding opamps! I'm thinking about modding the legs of the sparkos labs ss3602 to fit into the case.. wondering if you know how well this might work with the built-in BUF634 buffers on the xd 05 plus. Everyone says it beats the burson..
NightFoxXIII
20
Feb 9, 2021
Vincent2I tried cutting the legs of the SS3602 bit had limited success. I actually even ficked it up and now it's unusable. About half length was good before I shortened it even more. However, I'd relocate/re-sauter that nearby capacitor since that's the biggest thing from putting it in. If they made the case slightly bigger and moved that capacitor,this would be an instant recommendation. That Ss3602 is so much better than the V5i
(Edited)
PRODUCTS YOU MAY LIKE
Trending Posts in Audiophile