Burl B2 Bomber DAC Review: Holy Sh**, This is Good

So every time you stream a file that has a different sample rate - let's say some album from TIDAL is only available to stream in 24/44.1 while another is available at Max quality so it goes up to 192 - you're turning the sample rate knob manually to match it?

 

Re-reading this thread, I'm glad for how distoriton surface makes understanding stuff like this much more intuitive by adding frquency scale. Don't suppose revisiting some old favourites from across the years might be on the itinerary?

 

AFAIK, Marv doesn’t own a B2 anymore.

I’m selling mine. If @purr1n can do this very quickly, I can ship mine to him with the BOPA1 and BOPA8 opamps.

 

I need one also just not being impulsive, yikes

 

There's one on gearslutz for $1.8k right now (I have no affiliation with the seller)... https://gearspace.com/board/gearspa...sifieds/1420264-burl-audio-b2-bomber-dac.html

 

Hi everyone, I need a little advice and it seems you are very competent. My sistem is composed by a wiim ultra, the Burl b2 dac, a pair of Classé ca-m400 and a pair of b&w 802 d2.
- Could the Burl b2 be connected directly to the power amps? (Enough current?)
- As far as I understand controlling the volume from the wiim ultra (used as a pure streamer since the Burl is connected as the external dac) will results in sound quality loss, right? Any way to avoid it?
- would a preamp after the dac mitigate the sound quality loss? So the best way would be to select the source from the wiim ultra but to change volume from the preamp?

 

1) In general, you never need to worry about current output on a dac barring some really really odd circumstances.

2) Typically this isn't something to worry about unless you're attenuating very low

3) A preamp will attenuate the analog signal, so in theory that will be better BUT then you have all the added shenanigans of putting another component into the signal path, active vs passive, etc which may or may not degrade the "quality" of the signal. Pick your poison.

Bonus 4) Personally, I'd use the built-in attenuator of the Burl to bring it down to your highest listening level (while the streamer is at max). This will give you the "optimal" digital attenuation range.

 

Thanks! really appreciated your help. I will try in this way in September. So (if I understood correctly) I can use the wiim volume control to set the volume and no need for a preamp. I need to take the volume at low level since I live in an apartment.

 

Yes. General starting procedure would be:
- start with both wiim and burl turned down
- play the loudest recording/song/movie you have
- bring the wiim up to full, it should still be silent but make sure there's no pops and static or whatever
- bring the burl slowly until up you hit the loudest that you can comfortably listen, this is now the max setpoint of your system
- use the wiim to control volume after that

 

^Or, step-down 1:4 Jensen ISO-MAX transformer model PC-2XR ?

 

It seems still in 2024 there is no “passive volume control with xlr input/output and remote control” that doesn’t colour the sound or transparent enough. The Chinese models I found it gives me the idea that is better loss some bit using the wiim volume control than adding a crap component in the chain. What do you think about it? Wiim ultra - Burl b2 - Classé ca-m400. I think to mitigate the risk I will start with the maximum attenuation on the B2, and adding a volume limit on the Wiim ultra if necessary.

 

And then there was Khozmo...

 

Or the Luminous Audio AXIOM II Walker Mod… I’m studying both two. Interesting the luminous can have some custom parameter on order.