Beresford Bushmaster DAC Reviews

[magiccarpetride]

Uhm, ok see if I remember some of them...

Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges - Side By Side: Track = Stompy Jones
Beth Rowley - Little Dreamer: Track = Beautiful Tommorow
Richard Thomson - Rumour and Sigh: Track = Mystery Wind
Eric Bibb - Just LIke Love: Track = Wrapped up in her Arms
Lambchop - Is a Woman: Track = The New Cobweb Summer

there were a few more but these were the main ones.


What are you thinking Alex?

Great, thanks Gaz. I was thinking running the same programme through my Bushmaster and Caiman, to see if I could replicate your impressions. However, as of yesterday, my Bushmaster started morphing into something I once again don't particularly like. This seems to be the result of a constant diet of burn-in I'm feeding it (the bloody thing keeps changing its overall makeup as it burns-in). At this point, I once again prefer the Caiman; I'll wait some more to see if the additional burn-in will get the Bushmaster back to where it was a few days ago (i.e. very assertive, authoritative, with a lot of slam, torque and kick; right now it sounds once again wimpy, mellow, polite to a fault, and almost timid).

If that assertiveness and lack of manners return, I'll try to replicate your side-by-side comparisons, as I was quite intrigued by your findings

[Ali Tait]

We used those tracks, but we also listened to as wide range of other stuff, both 24/96 and16/44.1.

[Gazjam]

Great, thanks Gaz. I was thinking running the same programme through my Bushmaster and Caiman, to see if I could replicate your impressions. However, as of yesterday, my Bushmaster started morphing into something I once again don't particularly like. This seems to be the result of a constant diet of burn-in I'm feeding it (the bloody thing keeps changing its overall makeup as it burns-in). At this point, I once again prefer the Caiman; I'll wait some more to see if the additional burn-in will get the Bushmaster back to where it was a few days ago (i.e. very assertive, authoritative, with a lot of slam, torque and kick; right now it sounds once again wimpy, mellow, polite to a fault, and almost timid).

If that assertiveness and lack of manners return, I'll try to replicate your side-by-side comparisons, as I was quite intrigued by your findings

No bother Alex.

As Ali said we listened to a wide range of stuff, those are the ones I remember!
Not sure if EXACTLY the same songs is needed though?
Maybe best to keep your listening consistent through the next couple of days - whatever you listen to - so you can best compare any changes?

Someone reported great sound after 20 hours or so so not sure about burn in..but you never know.

good luck!

[Alp]

If the active Caiman was overdriving the pre input of the Kairn then the BM will do the same, the outputs are standard line level 2v. If the Kairn can be overdriven by a standard 2v line level input then its not up to much or could be faulty.

Thanks for the comment. This is my third StanDAC. The 7510 was fine and so was the stock Caiman. It was only Gator which overdrove it - Stan kindly accepted a return. I don't think it is the problem with the BM.

I am still pursuing the burn-in trail but after 30+ hours it seems to be going backwards rather than forwards - mushy like you and others have reported on the burn-in thread. I don't think the auto-select is a great success.

[NRG]

Still doesn't make sense, should still be line level output or very close to it....anyhow, mine does not sound mushy, never has...quite the opposite in fact...

[DaveK]

Bernie,
I ordered a battery pack for the BM, you remotely interested in taking it off my hands when it arrives.
Tony

Tony,
I think I posted earlier in response to Neil (NRG) that I would like first refusal on his battery and charger if he wanted to move it on. The same applies to yours if you get rid, but I only want one .
Cheers,
Dave.

[nat8808]

CAn any 12V battery be used?

Am just wondering what the powering a 'virtual battery PSU' with a real battery is all about, why it should sound better.

Is it about power delivery or is the virtual battery bit not as virtual battery as hoped so is still letting noise in?

I'd imagine that many SLA could deliver more instant current than a lot of switchmode PSUs..

(or could it be a case of people thinking that battery supplies are always best no matter what, ignoring the realities of chemical reaction noise etc etc?)

[MartinT]

Batteries are still quieter than PSUs (especially switched mode ones) and offer lower output impedance.

[NRG]

Edit : Hold that thought I may have been a bit too hasty! @DaveK,Yes its yours, but if another comes up go for it, I need to do some more listening......

[DSJR]

I don't mean to thread cr@p here, but if you're getting such vast differences in sonics, it could well be your ears changing from day to day (they do you know ) and possibly humidity and temperature differences in the room affecting the speaker cone surrounds (10 degrees of difference makes a heck of a lot of difference to bass damping) and also humidity affects transmission of the sound itself to a degree. These things in themselves are much larger, you may find, to any change on the DAC..

As I said, sorry to cr@p on the thread, but I feel I should make these comments above before you all disappear into hyperspace on this..