Petros Laskis of Ichos Reviews replaced the four NE5534 op amps in a Violectric V380² DAC/amp with Burson V7 Classic op amps, listening with headphones including the HIFIMAN Susvara and HE1000 Stealth.
Swapping the stock op amps “didn’t negatively affect the technical performance” of the V380². The sound stayed transparent and clean. He compares the change to “changing seasoning to your favorite meal”: the same great taste with a slightly different aftertaste.
The bass became more elastic and visceral, yet still tight and controlled, gaining weight and sounding fuller, with a touch less dynamic impact. The treble behaved more politely without giving up extension and clarity. The midrange stayed precise but became more colourful and harmonically varied, and the V380² became “even more analog and organic”.
He found the V7 Classic very effective at keeping digital glare from the internal DAC under control, and says the swap is “almost like adding a tube buffer” before the power amps, with gains in holography and depth layering. He stresses that the change is a gentle sound shaping, not a night-and-day difference.
Compared with the V7 Vivid, the Classic gives up a little transparency and precision in favour of extra timbre flavour. Both, he says, sound better than the stock IC op amps.
For anyone looking to enhance harmonic variety without compromising technical performance, he calls the V7 Classic the best option: “Don’t be hesitant, give them a try.”
Discover the full features and specifications on the Burson Supreme Sound Opamp V7 Pro product page.
