Bigman80
12-10-2018, 15:55
Burson Bang - https://www.bursonaudio.com/products/bang/
A few weeks back, Charles @ Burson asked if I'd be interested in trialing one of his new products, the Burson Bang. I knew i was just about to embark on an amplifier buying frenzy and felt this was something well worth the listening time, after all, when i had the Burson V5 Opamps from him, i was instantly a fan.
First things first. I get online have have a look at the website. Before i get in to any technical aspects, this caught my eye:
"Given its small form factor, you may mistake Bang for a Class D amplifier. In Burson, we openly dislike Class-D amps. Class D amplification introduces unnecessary processing to your audio signal resulting in terrible audio performance. Bang is a Class AB purist. It sounds organic, transparent and very musical. Bang is like a cage fighter that loves poetry and bonsai. You will never get bored of Bang and it will knock out any challenger under $2000"
I am putting this here so you can try and be in the same mindset i was when i got it.
Technical bits:
This is the smallest dual mono Class AB Power amp in the world. It measures barely more than a standard Jewel case. Its a Symmetrical, Dual Mono design with external power supply. The version i have here has 1X NE5532 Opamp and costs $499 (£378 according to google 26/09/18)
Listening:
Obviously, after reading that the amp would beat anything under $2000, i was very excited to plug this in. I gave it around 70 hours of break in time whilst i played with the other five amplifiers i had here. I recently bought the Half Speed Remaster of "Queen - Greatest Hits" and have been very surprised at the sound quality. I decided to try a few tracks with the Burson.
"Another one bites the dust"
The bass line of this track is pretty much known all over the western world and recently i have been treated to some incredible renditions of this via my Krell KSA100 and the Luxman Avance Z504. The Burson doesn't quite manage to recreate the entire detail or sheer force of the bass guitar but its not all that far away. The depth of bass is excellent and i am getting very good levels of power and impact, if not quite up to the standard set by the Krell. Every so often in the track there is a shimmering noise which starts low at the back of the sound stage and gradually gets closer and louder until it reaches the crescendo. I didn't feel the depth of the sound stage was as far back as I've heard and it certainly didn't have the scale BUT it does recreate the anticipation of the crescendo, which is very tricky to get right. It's also very clear and thus i can only surmise that resolution is excellent. Mercury's vocals are clear and natural and dead centre of the speakers. The track moves along with urgency and its all very clean without being clinical.
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
I don't care what equipment you own, this track is a test for the best stuff. Having the quality to unravel one of the most overdubbed, multitracked songs of all time is a tough workout. The track starts off with harmonies and multi-layered vocals which i am pleased to say, the Burson handled really well. Clean and defined with excellent separation between the multiple layers of tracks. Channel separation really starts to come into effect and the panning of the the tracks is pretty much where they should be minus a tiny bit of width. The song is a little more central between the speakers and doesn't creep far outside of the outer boundaries but i am being very picky here. Its up against some very stiff opposition.
Mamma Mia!
As the song bursts into life and i mimic the scene from Wayne's world (head banging minus the hair), I am impressed by the weight and drive of the Burson. The guitars are playing their riffs in the different octaves and its got the grit and crunch of Mays guitar pretty much spot on. What impressed me was the channel separation again and the clean reproduction. No mush or haze at the tracks most busy section. This track has a lot of atmospheric effects on vocals and guitar. The Burson picked them up clearly and managed to handle everything with aplomb. Decay is well defined and the lingerings of Mercury's solo vocals last in my mind well after the track has ended. I like how it handles vocals. Very natural sounding.
I move on to "Albert King - Born Under a Bad sign"
I love this album. Really love it, and this is where any piece of kit can fall down. I don't love it because its got the best SQ (It is excellent) or because they are the best versions of the tracks (they aren't) I love it because i connect to it. I feel it. The whole album goes along really well with the Burson and it's been a great listen, really enjoyable. One thing that comes to my attention is the bass notes are slightly fuller than usual and whilst it works well, I'd prefer a bit more detail from the bass. It makes me think it's missing some grip. Again, the Krell KSA100 is the reference point and in comparison the bass does lose a bit of its tautness. Not problematic, but not something that went unnoticed. This is personal taste though and not necessarily a criticism.
One track in particular gets me every time. "The very thought of you" and as the needle crosses into the track, i am left a bit cold. I don't quite feel it. The emotion that i get with the Krell isn't there. As i listen on it's all there, really well balanced and clean but that last inch of connection is missing. I can't explain why either because its really sounding good, but that's how i felt.
Summary:
Right at the top of the review, i quoted the website and it's claims for beating anything under $2000. There's some very tasty new pieces available at that level and whilst i believe the Burson would compete with amps in its price range ($499) and probably fare very well, i am not convinced it would be a clear winner with amps around the $1500 mark. There's some really solid work gone into this and the design is really well thought out. Its definitely a good amplifier, it has all the right attributes and sounds very well balanced. Separation is excellent and the resolution is just as impressive. There is no hint that this is a Solid State amplifier, no glare, no grain, no splashy or thin sounding cymbals. Its got tone and is very musical. Feet tap, chairs rock and on more than one occasion, i got the acoustic guitar out and played along. It's got everything i would have wanted, before i spoiled myself with some remarkable amplifiers.
I don't think this amp would beat everything up to $2000 but for $499 (New), I am confident this diminutive amplifier would take a fair few scalps on the way. Charles is a great guy to deal with too. His after sales service is excellent and his opamps are probably the best out there. I really believe the V6 Opamp in this unit would propel its performance into a closer orbit of the Krell KSA 100 but would need to hear that before i made that a fact rather than opinion.
Thanks to Charles for the opportunity to review his work. Very enjoyable, as always!
Disclaimer: I have received no financial or goods related incentive or motivation to write this review and have done so entirely at the request of the manufacturer, Burson Audio. All opinions are my own and as such should be viewed as opinion and not fact.
A few weeks back, Charles @ Burson asked if I'd be interested in trialing one of his new products, the Burson Bang. I knew i was just about to embark on an amplifier buying frenzy and felt this was something well worth the listening time, after all, when i had the Burson V5 Opamps from him, i was instantly a fan.
First things first. I get online have have a look at the website. Before i get in to any technical aspects, this caught my eye:
"Given its small form factor, you may mistake Bang for a Class D amplifier. In Burson, we openly dislike Class-D amps. Class D amplification introduces unnecessary processing to your audio signal resulting in terrible audio performance. Bang is a Class AB purist. It sounds organic, transparent and very musical. Bang is like a cage fighter that loves poetry and bonsai. You will never get bored of Bang and it will knock out any challenger under $2000"
I am putting this here so you can try and be in the same mindset i was when i got it.
Technical bits:
This is the smallest dual mono Class AB Power amp in the world. It measures barely more than a standard Jewel case. Its a Symmetrical, Dual Mono design with external power supply. The version i have here has 1X NE5532 Opamp and costs $499 (£378 according to google 26/09/18)
Listening:
Obviously, after reading that the amp would beat anything under $2000, i was very excited to plug this in. I gave it around 70 hours of break in time whilst i played with the other five amplifiers i had here. I recently bought the Half Speed Remaster of "Queen - Greatest Hits" and have been very surprised at the sound quality. I decided to try a few tracks with the Burson.
"Another one bites the dust"
The bass line of this track is pretty much known all over the western world and recently i have been treated to some incredible renditions of this via my Krell KSA100 and the Luxman Avance Z504. The Burson doesn't quite manage to recreate the entire detail or sheer force of the bass guitar but its not all that far away. The depth of bass is excellent and i am getting very good levels of power and impact, if not quite up to the standard set by the Krell. Every so often in the track there is a shimmering noise which starts low at the back of the sound stage and gradually gets closer and louder until it reaches the crescendo. I didn't feel the depth of the sound stage was as far back as I've heard and it certainly didn't have the scale BUT it does recreate the anticipation of the crescendo, which is very tricky to get right. It's also very clear and thus i can only surmise that resolution is excellent. Mercury's vocals are clear and natural and dead centre of the speakers. The track moves along with urgency and its all very clean without being clinical.
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
I don't care what equipment you own, this track is a test for the best stuff. Having the quality to unravel one of the most overdubbed, multitracked songs of all time is a tough workout. The track starts off with harmonies and multi-layered vocals which i am pleased to say, the Burson handled really well. Clean and defined with excellent separation between the multiple layers of tracks. Channel separation really starts to come into effect and the panning of the the tracks is pretty much where they should be minus a tiny bit of width. The song is a little more central between the speakers and doesn't creep far outside of the outer boundaries but i am being very picky here. Its up against some very stiff opposition.
Mamma Mia!
As the song bursts into life and i mimic the scene from Wayne's world (head banging minus the hair), I am impressed by the weight and drive of the Burson. The guitars are playing their riffs in the different octaves and its got the grit and crunch of Mays guitar pretty much spot on. What impressed me was the channel separation again and the clean reproduction. No mush or haze at the tracks most busy section. This track has a lot of atmospheric effects on vocals and guitar. The Burson picked them up clearly and managed to handle everything with aplomb. Decay is well defined and the lingerings of Mercury's solo vocals last in my mind well after the track has ended. I like how it handles vocals. Very natural sounding.
I move on to "Albert King - Born Under a Bad sign"
I love this album. Really love it, and this is where any piece of kit can fall down. I don't love it because its got the best SQ (It is excellent) or because they are the best versions of the tracks (they aren't) I love it because i connect to it. I feel it. The whole album goes along really well with the Burson and it's been a great listen, really enjoyable. One thing that comes to my attention is the bass notes are slightly fuller than usual and whilst it works well, I'd prefer a bit more detail from the bass. It makes me think it's missing some grip. Again, the Krell KSA100 is the reference point and in comparison the bass does lose a bit of its tautness. Not problematic, but not something that went unnoticed. This is personal taste though and not necessarily a criticism.
One track in particular gets me every time. "The very thought of you" and as the needle crosses into the track, i am left a bit cold. I don't quite feel it. The emotion that i get with the Krell isn't there. As i listen on it's all there, really well balanced and clean but that last inch of connection is missing. I can't explain why either because its really sounding good, but that's how i felt.
Summary:
Right at the top of the review, i quoted the website and it's claims for beating anything under $2000. There's some very tasty new pieces available at that level and whilst i believe the Burson would compete with amps in its price range ($499) and probably fare very well, i am not convinced it would be a clear winner with amps around the $1500 mark. There's some really solid work gone into this and the design is really well thought out. Its definitely a good amplifier, it has all the right attributes and sounds very well balanced. Separation is excellent and the resolution is just as impressive. There is no hint that this is a Solid State amplifier, no glare, no grain, no splashy or thin sounding cymbals. Its got tone and is very musical. Feet tap, chairs rock and on more than one occasion, i got the acoustic guitar out and played along. It's got everything i would have wanted, before i spoiled myself with some remarkable amplifiers.
I don't think this amp would beat everything up to $2000 but for $499 (New), I am confident this diminutive amplifier would take a fair few scalps on the way. Charles is a great guy to deal with too. His after sales service is excellent and his opamps are probably the best out there. I really believe the V6 Opamp in this unit would propel its performance into a closer orbit of the Krell KSA 100 but would need to hear that before i made that a fact rather than opinion.
Thanks to Charles for the opportunity to review his work. Very enjoyable, as always!
Disclaimer: I have received no financial or goods related incentive or motivation to write this review and have done so entirely at the request of the manufacturer, Burson Audio. All opinions are my own and as such should be viewed as opinion and not fact.