Burson's Cable+ Review

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Feb 22, 2016
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This is just a start to the review. I will continue to add more as more testing is done with this product.

My set up:

Asus Essence STX

Schiit Asgard

Schiit Modi 2 Uber

Burson Cable+

HiFiMan HE400I

Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250ohm

Sennheiser HD555



I had the opportunity to test Burson's Cable+ in my current set up. While I am using mid to high end HiFi audio equipment, it was a pleasure getting to use the Cable+ in this set up. I first tested the cable with my Essence STX connected to my Asgard. This little cable made quite the impression on me. Compared to running a plane RCA cable from my sound card to my amplifier, it definately shows the cables strengths. I tested this with not just music, but games as well. I will cover both separately.



In music settings I tested using a wide set of genres. I chose the artists based off bands and people I have listened to for years.Some of the artists chosen were: Tech N9ne, Metallica, System of A Down, Andre Bocelli, Garth Brooks, Nighwish, Van Halen, and much more. I listened to songs with just and RCA cable first, then switched to the Cable+ to get an immediate comparison. When first testing the cable I wasn't to sure it would make to much of a difference, but was I wrong. From rap to classical, from opera to hard rock, and from country to techno I saw a clear defined difference just by swapping to the Cable+. The mids and highs came in much clearer, the lows became more defined and not just mixed together, and the sound stage itself increased. At time while sitting here I closed my eyes and could envision myself at a concert.



In games the cable made great improvement upon directional sound. I play CSGO and COD Black Ops III. Both of these games rely heavily on directional sound to be able to get a precise location of and enemy coming up on you in game and also to tell where shots were coming from. While my HE400i's and my HD555's are very directional to begin with, I noticed a great difference between an RCA cable and the Cable+. With just an RCA cable the sound stage was a little bit congested and muddled together. Locations were generally accurate, but not as precise and I would like. When I switched over to the cable plus in my set up it became very precise and clear as to what direction an enemy was headed from. The sounds of jumping, running, falling, shots, grenades, guns dropping to the ground, and objects hitting other object became very precise and clear. Not only did the Cable+ help in defining directional sounds, it improved clarity and the overall sound in game.



While only having the cable to be able to test in just one set up I was thoroughly impressed with it. I would easily recommend this cable to the average user all the way up to HiFi users. The price on the cable is reasonable considering the positive gains you will get from switching from a generic RCA cable. I look forward to being able to test this in other applications as well.
 
Ironic you heard a difference since you used it in a way it wasn't designed. It's made to be hooked to weaker portable / low voltage devices to provide clarity when amplified. An STX shouldn't really show any difference between quality RCA cables. I would actually prefer sticking with RCA since you aren't bottlenecking it by using the 3.5mm output.
 
The cable comes in three formats. 3.5mm to 3.5mm, RCA to 3.5mm, and RCA to RCA. The uses for it range from low end, low quality sources up to Hifi setups. There was no bottle neckin when using the cable. The cable performed as described, and was used in one of its many intended purposes.
 
If you say so. I'll stick to my STX -> Mediabridge Subwoofer Ultra RCA cables -> HK 3490. I would however use the 3.5mm variant of this Burson cable to hook my phone into an amp or receiver, it looks like it performs well when hooking into low voltage sources.
 
I'm waiting on the new cable to get to me for just that purpose. Also I'm going to be pairing with the Burson V5's to see how that sounds as well as this is just an initial look into the cable.
 
To me that's what I got out of the cable. I understand everybody's ears are different. My roommate likes a different sound signature then I do. he think something he has sounds perfect while I always tend to find it just a little off for me.
 
It's a small line level amp for weak sources. You might be hearing more than is actually there. Then there's the any source tampering is bad tampering...
 
The Asus STX should be able to drive the low impedance entry level headphones you are using to ear-splitting levels. It outputs 1200mW into 32 ohms which is comparable to a large desktop amplifier. The reason you are hearing a difference is probably due to differences in level matching, or some sort of equalization going on.
 
The Asus STX should be able to drive the low impedance entry level headphones you are using to ear-splitting levels. It outputs 1200mW into 32 ohms which is comparable to a large desktop amplifier. The reason you are hearing a difference is probably due to differences in level matching, or some sort of equalization going on.

Noclevername just mentioned that the cable has some sort of an internal amplifier. So it will naturally sound much louder compared to a regular cable. In empirical tests, louder is always perceived as better which is why audio testers should take great care to match source levels for any compared components.

Also it means that the cable is in fact adding a second amplifier stage behind the original headphone amp. Which technically means it's not a cable at all but an amp with a long wire :)

I smiled a bit when I saw this:

'Adding our amplifier chip makes any portable audio source a high end player' with an orgastic girl lying on bed lol.

Adding an amp to the cable is actually very clever from the manufacturer. It allows them to add effects, gain and alter the sound as much as they desire to finally prove that cables do make a difference!

This product may well come in handy though. In some cases the output levels of mobile devices are too low for some amplifiers and in such a case Bursons is just what is needed. Even the possible added effects don't matter much if they're well made since nobody uses mobile phones for serious listening anyway.
 
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The Asus STX should be able to drive the low impedance entry level headphones you are using to ear-splitting levels. It outputs 1200mW into 32 ohms which is comparable to a large desktop amplifier. The reason you are hearing a difference is probably due to differences in level matching, or some sort of equalization going on.

I was unaware that the HE400I was a entry headphone. Those drive relatively easy, my DT990 pro on the other hand not as easy to drive.
 
This product may well come in handy though. In some cases the output levels of mobile devices are too low for some amplifiers and in such a case Bursons is just what is needed. Even the possible added effects don't matter much if they're well made since nobody uses mobile phones for serious listening anyway.

This among many other uses is what the cable helps out with. while I did test on my Essence stx, the cable will help with devices that have low output levels like most phones.
 
This looked interesting until I saw that video. Just increasing the voltage is going to unlock some magic capabilities in my phone to process audio better? LOL!
 
This looked interesting until I saw that video. Just increasing the voltage is going to unlock some magic capabilities in my phone to process audio better? LOL!

Yep the advertisement is horrible. It's aimed to people who know nothing about audio. OTOH there are people who really believe that if you chain an amp with a very high quality amp, it will make the sound better. In reality the source defines the maximum quality and anything extra in the chain is only going to detriment the sound from that point on. How much, depends on the quality of the component.

In 99% of cases of hi-fi systems the speakers are the component that does the most harm to the sound. That's why it's important to invest to speaker quality.
 
I was unaware that the HE400I was a entry headphone. Those drive relatively easy, my DT990 pro on the other hand not as easy to drive.

Its not meant as a slight, but in terms of the product stack for hi-fi products they at the lower rung. I mean just talking about Hifiman, the majority of their product lineup is above the 400i, so its not a mischaracterization. Perhaps it would be more digestible if I amended it to "entry level hifi"?
 
Its not meant as a slight, but in terms of the product stack for hi-fi products they at the lower rung. I mean just talking about Hifiman, the majority of their product lineup is above the 400i, so its not a mischaracterization. Perhaps it would be more digestible if I amended it to "entry level hifi"?

It's not about being digestible, that's just wrong. That's like saying that, supposing we had a brand whose product offers started at 3k for their lowest rung, their lowest rung is now automatically "entry level". The 400i is still a ~330-430$ headphone (generally on the higher end of that range), which when compared to other brands is easily around mid-range (generally the budget audiophile price). The mid-high is probably around 500-600$, and 1000$ and up is approaching high end. Entry level would be ~0-100-150 (maybe 200)$.
 
I get you have a different opinion, but all you did was reorient it toward your own preconceptions by naming your preferred arbitrary price points. Some people consider entry-level to be $20-40 and $100 or higher high end. Or if you go computer audiophile or headfi people might consider HEV1060/SR009 to be high end. It doesnt make your ratings less valid since it's all based on your own priorities. See right or wrong, at least I tried to defend my position based on an objective metric (position within a product stack), whereas you simply listed some arbitrary numbers and declared them "the right definition of a vague relative term."
 
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I get you have a different opinion, but all you did was reorient it toward your own preconceptions by naming your preferred arbitrary price points. Some people consider entry-level to be $20-40 and $100 or higher high end. Or if you go computer audiophile or headfi people might consider HEV1060/SR009 to be high end. It doesnt make your ratings less valid since it's all based on your own priorities. See right or wrong, at least I tried to defend my position based on an objective metric (position within a product stack), whereas you simply listed some arbitrary numbers and declared them "the right definition of a vague relative term."

Except you're wrong again. I did not even "reorient it to my own preconceptions". I used your exact metric, but just bringing in different brands. As in, look at what 430$ will buy you at any other manufacturer that has lines at each price point. Just because it's the lowest offering of an relatively expensive brand doesn't mean it's an "entry level headphone". You're trying to defend, as entertaining as it is, a sinking ship. Like, it's hit 10 icebergs and is still trying to float on. It's a silly point. It's indefensible. Like at some point Audeze's cheapest headphones were...what? Over 1k? LOL IT'S ENTRY LEVEL THOUGH.

Like look at your first point in this topic:
The Asus STX should be able to drive the low impedance entry level headphones you are using to ear-splitting levels. It outputs 1200mW into 32 ohms which is comparable to a large desktop amplifier. The reason you are hearing a difference is probably due to differences in level matching, or some sort of equalization going on.
https://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-880-Premium-600-Headphones/dp/B0024NK35S
Okay, so if he bought these 600 Ohm headphones (ie. the same as my Beyerdynamic T1's), which are by the way about HALF the price of the Hifiman... they wouldn't be low impedance entry level headphones anymore? I mean according to you they can't be entry level anymore, Beyer has lower lines than the 600 ohm 880's.

Whatever my arbitrary metrics are for entry level to high end (speaking of which, I did include 0-150 as my range for entry level, so that includes your examples), they make a hell of a lot more sense than your "objective" metrics.
 
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I just went to the office to do a 15 minute job but ended up spending 5 hours listening to music there. 25000 dollar pair of electrostatic speakers can do that to you...
 
I just went to the office to do a 15 minute job but ended up spending 5 hours listening to music there. 25000 dollar pair of electrostatic speakers can do that to you...

Can you explain to me what electrostatic speakers are? never even heard of it.
 
Whatever my arbitrary metrics are for entry level to high end (speaking of which, I did include 0-150 as my range for entry level, so that includes your examples), they make a hell of a lot more sense than your "objective" metrics.

lmao you seem like someone who gets into random arguments with people on the street over irrelevant things. Getting mad about someone's definition of a relative term--by definition not an objective term--is probably among the dumbest things I've ever seen.
 
lmao you seem like someone who gets into random arguments with people on the street over irrelevant things. Getting mad about someone's definition of a relative term--by definition not an objective term--is probably among the dumbest things I've ever seen.

"Instead of trying to defend point, I'm going to resort to attacking your character and claiming that you are a sad, angry little man when I am not. Witness how clearly superior I am to you by giving up this online argument while attacking your character. I am definitely better than you. Stop being so angry."

Mhm. Okay. No you're right though, there is something to be angry about... at myself: why haven't I put you on my ignore list until now? Your opinions are worthless. I suppose it took a few more skirmishes to truly prove that.

Here's one explanation, too long a subject to start writing it myself now... http://www.martinlogan.com/learn/electrostatic-speakers.php

There aren't too many good sources on these things. I don't know why you linked the site of someone that's selling these, though. That's going to be really biased. I guess it's because there's not much else available.

Here's a bit less of a biased look at them:
And the Wikipedia link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostatic_loudspeaker

Hey look, I bet lowest level ESL are well over 1k. Time for pippen to come in and tell us it's entry level trash.


Side note, what does this have to do with the cable...
 
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Lol that writer was full of BS. Best not to even read that link, way too many mistakes in it. He's writing based on his very limited knowledge and experience. The first pair of electrostats I built 25 years ago are still at full functionality. :D If that's not durable enough, best not to even mention it.
 
Lol that writer was full of BS. Best not to even read that link, way too many mistakes in it. He's writing based on his very limited knowledge and experience. The first pair of electrostats I built 25 years ago are still at full functionality. :D If that's not durable enough, best not to even mention it.

Well, how much money did it cost to build yours, and how much has it cost for upkeep?
 
Well, how much money did it cost to build yours, and how much has it cost for upkeep?
The metal stators were about a hundred bucks cut to size, triple powder coating about 80 bucks, frames 150 bucks, audio transformers, voltage source, insulators etc. 300 bucks. At that time I didn't use the really expensive stuff as it was my first attempt at a build.

Then we needed to build a membrane stretching device, that cost about 50 bucks and a few bucks to electronics to create an active shelving eq / crossover for the panel. Nowadays you can just buy a ready digital crossover, back in the old days you had to solder a low level crossover with op-amps yourself.

My first panels were 1 1/3rd foot wide and 6 feet tall. They produced quite nice and clean bass. Then I had also a Peerless XLS-12 sub + a simex subwoofer plate amp.

I sold that setup to my uncle for about the price I paid for it, the next pair I already sold at a good 300% profit margin.
 
"Instead of trying to defend point, I'm going to resort to attacking your character and claiming that you are a sad, angry little man when I am not. Witness how clearly superior I am to you by giving up this online argument while attacking your character. I am definitely better than you. Stop being so angry."

Mhm. Okay. No you're right though, there is something to be angry about... at myself: why haven't I put you on my ignore list until now? Your opinions are worthless. I suppose it took a few more skirmishes to truly prove that.

Hey look, I bet lowest level ESL are well over 1k. Time for pippen to come in and tell us it's entry level trash.

And here we are back to the crux of you lashing out at the first time. You feel offended somebody didnt categorize your purchase "high end." I really feel bad that you have these violent emotions over perceived slights because somebody didnt praise you or your choices enough--I'm really serious about that too. It's a sign of some serious emotional trauma and I hope things get better for you.

Now if the OP, whose equipment was talked about, had gotten upset about my characterization of his equipment I would definitely have apologized right away since learning together is far more important than pointless forum squabbles. But you seem to be a random lurker whose first contribution to the thread was to interject in an ongoing convo that you were triggered by some words not even directed at you and you got upset? You definitely should take a step back and relax. These forums are about learning together and not an outlet for random social media outrage like twitter.
 
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