This is the second Burson product that I get to enjoy and review. I enjoy their V6 Classic and Vivid op amps, and I have high hopes on this one when Carlos from Burson Audio contacted me about reviewing their latest DAC/Pre Amp/Headphone Amp. I appreciate the opportunity to receive a unit in exchange of my honest review. I feel humbled anytime anyone made such offer to me, so big thanks to the Burson Audio team.

The product has multiple functions which we will discuss further below, but for this review, let’s limit our discussion to its function as DAC and preamp. I will focus on the optical input with the stock op amps, that way I have a common ground with my trusty TDA1543-based DAC that uses optical input. I will then update the review using its USB input and various op amp upgrade options.

Not knowing what exactly to expect, they dispatched the unit via FedEx International to my office in Jakarta. It took 5 days from Hong Kong for the unit to reach Jakarta, and another 5 days to sort out the import tax, duties and related fees, a sizeable amount which I paid out of my own pocket. So yes, you can expect an honest review, not one glossy-over-polished paid review.

The unit is safely nestled in a press-fit foam, on either sides were the power supply unit, RCA cables, hex key, and mounting hardware should you decide to mount it in your PC case. Definitely gives an impression of a high quality and well-thought-out product.

Upon opening, the top side of the box gives you some information about the product’s functions and features. My unit is the Basic version, where the color is limited to Black, a remote control is optional, and it is shipped with JRC NE5532 op amps. I believe the higher models were shipped from the factory with your choice of V6 Classic or Vivid op amps, and there is the option of silver aluminum finish called the ‘Everest’. Pretty cool.

This is the specification:

Measurement		Package Content
Input impedance:	38 KOhms	Burson Playmate Unit	PC Connection Cable Set
Frequency response:	± 1 dB 0 – 35Khz	Remote Control (optional)	2.5mm hex key
THD:	<0.002%	RCA Cable	100-240V AC
Output impedance (Head Amp):	<2 Ohm	Power Supply
Output impedance (Pre Out):	15 Ohm
General
Inputs:	USB, Toslink	Weight:	app. 2Kg
Outputs:	RCA Pre-Amp / Headphone Jack	Dimensions:	210mm x 145mm x 45mm
Impedance (Headphone Jack)	Power	Signal to Noise Ratio	Separation
16 Ohm	1.8W	96db	99%
32 Ohm	2W	97db	99%
100 Ohm	0.5W	98db	99%
150 Ohm	0.3W	96db	99%
300 Ohm	0.1W	95db	99.5%
DAC Spec		XMOS USB Spec
Channel Separation:	132 dB @ 1KHz, 121 dB @ 20KHz	Desktop OS:	Win XP, 7, 8, 10 Mac OSX
THD+N:	0.0018% @ 1KHz, 0dBFS	Mobile OS:	iOS* & Android (OTG support)
		PCM & DXD Support:	PCM ? 768kHz up to 32bits
		Native DSD:	Native DSD 64 / 128 / 256 / 512
		DSD over PCM:	DoP64 / DoP128 / DoP256
		Asynchronous Isochronous

Their official page does a good job providing the information you need, further supplemented by the Download and Support page in their website.
https://www.bursonaudio.com/products/playmate/

The Playmate is built handsomely, it has brushed aluminum front and back panels, and powder-coated metal around. The RCA socket comes covered by rubber covers indicating their respective colors, the USB port and DC socket, are well made, and the on-off switch has a positive feel to it.

I will address the two most outstanding feature of the Playmate: Its sound, and Burson’s Max Current Power Supply.

First: The sound.
Oh the sound. Clean, fast, perfect timing. It’s like chatting with the a knowledgeable, articulate, and well-mannered person on a subject you really like. You spend a lot of time with that person, you are still excited even though the macchiato you ordered is long gone, and you are in no rush to part ways.

I have not made any single change in my system ever since I got the Playmate. Usually I’ll take a component out of the system, plug it direct from the source, replace an op amp pre with a tube pre, put my DIY ones in, change a cable here, etc. None of these since I got the Playmate. Just enjoyable music listening. Ask my wife, she will testify on that, and she’s the more trustworthy one between us. *cheers*

We know some components are ‘voiced’ to be a certain way, if you remember the ‘house sound’ of the big names in sound system – you got Marantz, Yamaha, JBL, East Coast or West Coast sound. I noticed some reviewers noted some differences in character in the Playmate compared to the older brother Play. Does that mean Burson does not have a ‘house sound’ and just pursue ultimate accuracy?

For the longest time I have used the Muse Audio Mini TDA1543 DAC (pictured below). All you frequenters of DIY forums must have heard about this little guy. I prize it for its Non-Oversampling (NOS) which I believe lead to a non-fatiguing sound. I get ear fatigue easily, therefore additional artefacts or unnecessary upsampling (if not done correctly) bothers me. The Playmate must face this tough boy to win.

I listen, I let it play in the background, and listen some more. I read all 64 pages of the ESS9038 datasheet and tried to glean what I could. I listen, invited some friends over, and even involved my wife in a blind testing. The third method is probably the most interesting. She is a music lover, but she couldn’t care less about audio gear. I gave her a piece of paper and a pen, I asked her to take notes of her impression when the music was player through the Muse and the Playmate, nicknamed ‘Number 1’ and ‘Number 2’. I told her we cannot rely on our memory hence the importance of note-taking, and I didn’t tell her which one is which. I also allowed her to pick a song she’s familiar with to do the comparison. I dimmed the light and randomized the order of which I play Number 1 and Number 2.

My and our impressions:
The Muse has an edge on wider stage presentation and more attack. Music has presence without being fatiguing, which I really like.

The Playmate gives the sound more presence. Vocals gets fuller and takes center stage. Percussion sounds tighter, oh so good. It feels like a well-rehearsed performance, maybe this is what many would describe a ‘cold’ presentation, much like a pair of studio monitor.

On mellow, vocal-heavy music, the vocal is big and full. I wouldn’t describe it as warm though. Piano sounds natural and accurate, however, I am used to more ‘texture’ or detail in the piano sound on some tracks. Percussion and drums are presented nicely, from deep kick bass, groovy rim shots on the snare, all the way to subtle Latin percussions, very very enjoyable. A big part of my music is guitar-heavy, and I must say I find myself wanting for the crunch and bite that I know is there. That crunch and that texture would be great to have, but is it too much to ask to have them along with the easy-listening and accurate nature of the Playmate? As I said in the beginning, the Playmate will just play and play and you would just have music, you would listen and enjoy the music, although as you listen critically with the intention to review it you will notice a thing or two you’re missing.

Keep in mind, though, this is with OPTICAL input, with JRC NE5532. I cannot wait to listen extensively with the USB input, and do some op amp rolling.

For reference, after studying the datasheet, I used the following settings:
– INPUT: OPT
– OUTPUT: PRE OUT
– HP OUTPUT: HIGH (Not applicable in this review)
– FIR FILTER: MP FAST
– DPLL (DSD): HI
– DPLL (PCM): HI
– EMPHASIS: OFF

Next, we will talk about Burson’s Max Current Power Supply (MCPS)
I’ll just cut to the chase: Burson has succeeded in developing a noiseless power supply with the MCPS. At full volume, ear against the speaker cone, there is barely any discernible hiss. Any hiss there is, is a system hiss, my cables, the Playmate, and the power amp each contribute to it. I am very satisfied that I have reached this level of noise-free listening on a modest budget.

They have a writeup on their page https://www.bursonaudio.com/about-us/max-current-power-supply/ that explains this, but allow me to share my take on this:

While I agree that they have eliminated a traditional step down transformer, they still employ another form of somewhat ‘traditional’ (albeit more modern than a transformer) power supply, that is the switch-mode power supply which comes supplied with the Playmate. The schematic above suggests that the SMPS is a part of the MCPS technology. However, if I may be so bold, allow me to present the following to my dear readers:

The process above, from the AC voltage entering the bridge rectifier, all the way to where 12VDC is produced, happens inside the SMPS, similar to what gives power to your laptop computer.

This process is that happens inside the Playmate, essentially a filtering process. There is a filter capacitor, a coil (see wiggly worm in center top side), in parallel with a transistor (box with MCPS 170kHz), a zener diode, resistor (possibly bleeder resistor) then another filter capacitor. See traditional filters may employ a number of capacitors in parallel to filter noise. Some use resistor and capacitors. Some use coil or inductor and capacitors. The MCPS seems to use coil, transistor, and capacitors. The filtered power is then regulated by the zener diode, making it a perfect 18VDC.

I have no formal degree in electronics, and you should take what I say with a grain of salt. But let me tell you this: the MCPS gives you noiseless performance in a small package, with the practicality of an SMPS. No switching noise, no hiss or hum whatsoever. Okay there is the slightest faint hiss at full volume, but let me repeat, that is a system noise, and a very low one at that.

Overall, the Playmate proves to be a very exciting product. It is designed handsomely, build quality is exemplary, it sounds accurate and neutral, it allows users to tweak and add their touch with op amp rolling, and it offers great functionality to suit different needs. Congratulations Burson Audio on this fine product!