HiFi Zone put Burson’s newest discrete op amp, the V7 Vivid Air, on the test bench and compared it with the flagship V7 Vivid Pro.
The reviewer explains that the V7 Vivid Air draws much less current than the V7 Vivid Pro and runs cool, even in tight, closed chassis. He tested pairs of both in a file player and DAC that uses four op amps, so their sound traits are multiplied and easier to hear.
He found the V7 Vivid Air delivers “a highly controlled, incredibly fast” bass response that strips away the bloated, muddy mid-bass of standard IC op amps such as the NE5532. It does not quite match the macro slam of the V7 Vivid Pro, but it trades that weight for linearity and texture.
He calls the midrange a “crystal clear window into your source file”, transparent rather than artificially warm, with vocals slightly forward and complex layers untangled: “zero veil” and zero muddiness. Treble is crisp, open and well illuminated, giving cymbals a realistic bite without metallic glare. It leans slightly more analytical than the V7 Vivid Pro but never introduces listening fatigue.
Compared with standard chips, he calls it a massive leap in resolution, with micro details pushed to the forefront. The soundstage gets wider and deeper, with pinpoint imaging. The V7 Vivid Pro builds a slightly more holographic 3D stage, but the Air “completely unclutters the center stage”.
He found the Air “very close” to the full-size V7 Vivid Pro in sound quality, and calls it “the ultimate no compromise solution” where the Pro would be too hot or too demanding. He also says it sounds better than the V5i, which previously held the title of essential upgrade for tight spaces.
“Both of them are getting my highest recommendation.” He adds that for amplifiers fitted with NE5532 op amps, the Air is a no-brainer.
Discover the full features and specifications on the Burson Supreme Sound Opamp V7 Vivid Air product page.
Discover the full features and specifications on the Burson Supreme Sound Opamp V7 Pro product page.
