Kunal’s Burson Playmate 2 with Focal Clear MG

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Post Info

It’s been fine so far.

The System

Listening with

Focal Clear MG · Headphones: open-back, dynamic (40 mm Mg M-dome), circumaural
  • Impedance: 55 Ω
  • Sensitivity: 104 dB SPL / 1 mW @ 1 kHz ≈ 116.6 dB/V (calc.)
  • Frequency response: 5 Hz – 28 kHz
  • Plugs / cables supplied: 3.5 mm cable (1.2 m) with 6.35 mm adapter; 4-pin XLR cable (3 m); cup sockets 3.5 mm

Matching notes: At 55 Ω and 104 dB/mW, the Focal Clear MG is a low-impedance load, and an efficient one: about 0.47 V (4 mW, 8.5 mA) for 110 dB SPL (calc.). Burson does not publish a 55 Ω rating for the Playmate 2. Its 32 Ω and 100 Ω ratings (2.5 W SE; 0.6 W SE) fall either side of it. The Playmate 2’s under 2 Ω headphone output impedance is less than 1/28 of the load. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Burson

Burson Playmate 2 · DAC / headphone amplifier / preamp · discontinued
  • Output power (headphone): 16 Ω 3.5 W · 32 Ω 2.5 W · 100 Ω 0.6 W · 150 Ω 0.4 W · 300 Ω 0.15 W
  • Output impedance: <2 Ω (headphone); 15 Ω (pre out)
  • Output voltage: RCA not published
  • Gain: High / Low; dB not published
  • Inputs: USB (XMOS; PCM to 768 kHz/32-bit, native DSD512); Toslink
  • Input impedance: 38 kΩ
  • Outputs: RCA pre out; headphone jack (SE)
  • DAC / chipset: ESS SABRE32 ES9038Q2M
  • Other: Model P171; SE only; THD <0.002%; FR ±1 dB 0-35 kHz; DAC THD+N 0.0018%

[3] [4]

Specs from manufacturer data unless a source below says otherwise. “calc.” values are worked out from those figures (V = √(P × R); 110 dB SPL used as a loud reference level). Gear listed without specs is not in our spec library yet.

  1. Focal Clear MG: focal.com
  2. Focal Clear MG: PDF (dam.focal-naim.com)
  3. Burson Playmate 2 product page
  4. Burson Playmate 2 User Manual V1.6 (Burson downloads)