Burson Bang Review
Disclaimer
Burson Audio reached out to me about their Fun & Bang review tour. You can find my review of the Fun here. My review partner mentioned that he would probably want to keep the Fun, and so I went into this review with the expectation of keeping the Bang. Nevertheless, this did not influence my opinion of the Bang.
Summary
The Burson Bang in its stock configuration for $499 sounds quite nice and is definitely a big improvement over my cheap AV receiver. Swapping the stock opamp for a Sparkos SS3602 yields excellent imaging, but does not elevate the Bang in all areas. The Schiit Vidar is not that much more expensive, but sounds better than the stock Bang in every way. The Bang I received had some embarrassing build quality issues and caused some concern when being turned on repeatedly.
Externals
The Burson Bang is a power amplifier for speakers with one stereo pair of RCA inputs, and two pairs of speaker binding posts to connect a pair of speakers to. It has a pretty big external power supply, but can also be powered by a 4-pin Molex connector. That's because its form factor allows mounting it inside a PC case. While I can see someone do that with the Burson Play (a DAC with headphone amplifier) or the Burson Fun (a headphone amplifier), it seems a bit far fetched for a speaker amplifier given the need to route four speaker wires to somewhere outside of the case. But if you want to, you can. The form factor is definitely convenient if you want to use a Play or Fun as a preamp for the Bang.
The power switch is located in the back, and a blue LED on the front indicates whether the unit is powered on. That LED is in the center of the unit instead of lining up with the Fun's, appears to have a slightly different shade of blue, and is much brighter from a wider variety of angles.
The Bang's power supply puts out 12 V and up to 10 amps in contrast to the Fun's 12 V and up to 6 amps, so the Bang's power supply can be used with the Fun, but not vice versa. The power supplies are otherwise completely different: The Bang's DC plug is angled, the Fun's is straight, the Bang's power supply has a pretty bright blue light, the Fun's a dimmer green light, and for some reason, the two-prong plug of the Bang's power supply cable does not have the usual holes, unlike the Fun's. In terms of cable lengths, they are roughly the same, though.
Internals
Just like with the Fun, the case's top has a sticker on the back that points out the location of the opamp. It also describes two configurations of two DIP switches on the PCB, labeled Low Input and High Input. My review unit came set to High Input. The only explanation I could find is on Burson's web site for the Bang. An image mentions a "selectable gain buffer stage". The text above it says "Bang has a built-in buffer stage with selectable impedance levels. From high-end DAC and preamps to portable players and smartphones, Bang matches perfectly with any source components, giving you the perfect performance and volume control every time." There's also a link to https://www.bursonaudio.com/impedance-matching-in-cable/, but that just redirects to Burson's home page, like apparently any other page that does not exist.
I'm assuming low input is meant for non-standard sources like a phone, and high input is meant for a proper preamp. Unfortunately, the Bang did not come with a manual, nor can one be downloaded.
The Bang's power supply consumes 0.8 W by itself (Fun: 0.4 W) and draws 0.02 A (Fun: < 0.01 A). When the Bang is on, but idling, it consumes about 10 W (Fun: 10 W, Vidar: 48 W) and draws about 0.15 A (Fun: 0.14 A, Vidar: 0.55 A). In use with the satellite speakers of the Yamaha NS-SP1800BL 5.1 set with the volume set pretty high, it consumed about 15 W (Fun with MrSpeakers Ether Flow: 10 W, Vidar with ELAC BS 403: 54 W) and drew about 0.25 A (Fun: 0.14 A, Vidar: 0.61 A). All figures were measured with a P4460 Kill A Watt.
Accessories
The package includes a pair of 2 ft long mono RCA cables, a replacement fuse and an allen wrench. That is because Burson encourages you to replace the opamp in order to change the sound to your liking - the solid state equivalent to tube rolling.
Dislikes
I have two big issues with the Bang. One is the build quality: not only does this amp wobble quite a bit (see videos below), it's also the only audio product I have ever used that came apart when unplugging something. During initial testing of the amp I used my cheap Yamaha satellite speakers and encountered some distortion that I thought might be the result of the satellites not being able to handle a full range signal. So I inserted a pair of Harrison Lab's FMOD crossovers into the RCA jacks of the Bang in order to attenuate the bass. I then realized the distortion was the result of other devices connected to the Yggdrasil, shorting their inputs when turned off, which the Yggy does not like. Having sorted that out, I wanted to resume testing without the crossovers, but when I unplugged one of them, the ground ring of one of the Bang's RCA jacks got ripped out. I was able to remove it from the crossover with pliers, and push it back in, after which it stayed put when unplugging regular RCA cables. The crossover plugs appear to have a rather strong grip, but this still should not have happened.
In addition, one of the binding posts was not properly secured on the inside, which meant that loosening the binding post cap also turned the actual binding post, which is soldered to a wire on the inside. Turning the cap meant putting tension on the solder joint and twisting the wire. Not a good feeling. It's relatively easy to fix after opening up the amp, but not everyone will feel comfortable doing so. Even after fixing that issue, the holes in the binding posts aren't lining up straight. That probably would have caused issues for me, but "luckily" the holes are too small to accept my 12 AWG speaker cables (let alone the 10 AWG ones I normally use), so I had to use banana plugs anyway.
The second big issue is that the amp is not properly muting its outputs when turning on - at least when being turned again shortly after having gotten turned off. Without speakers attached, the unit itself produces a relatively loud, nasty screech. With speakers attached, a disturbingly loud popping sound from the speakers joins the cacophony. I don't like worrying about destroying my speakers every time I turn on the amplifier.
As far as I am concerned, this unit should not have made it past QC.
I suppose it's nice that the amp has a variable gain stage, and the need for two switches is probably due to the Bang's dual mono design. However, locating them on the inside of the unit is extremely inconvenient. The Singxer SU-1 DDC also has DIP switches, but they are positioned on the bottom of the PCB, along with a cutout in the bottom part of the chassis. While still inconvenient, at least you wouldn't have to remove four screws to reach those switches. Luckily, most people won't really need this feature, and some of those who do won't need to reconfigure it on a regular basis.
The LED is too bright, depending on the viewing angle. Burson is not alone with this issue, it's a well known phenomenon with Schiit's products as well. Apparently dispersing light evenly is hard. Always good to have some LightDims handy!
Some criticisms remain the same as with the Fun: I much prefer devices with integrated power supplies that accept regular power cords with C13 connectors. The power switch in the back feels good, but this type of switch is usually illuminated when turned on - not so here, which I find irritating. The provided allen wrench is tiny, and you have to remove two screws in the front and two in the back before you can remove the top to replace the opamp. Maybe thumb screws would have been more inviting and durable.
Likes
The Bang sounds quite good for its size, even with the stock opamp. It's nice to be able to improve or customize the sound by swapping the opamp. The chassis is relatively compact and stacks well with the Fun or the Play, which makes for a neat bedroom setup.
Test Setup
Music
1) Yamaha RX-V377 (AV receiver)
Set to 8 ohms, fronts set to large, other channels disabled, calibrated with YPAO microphone, EQ disabled, "straight mode" enabled.
Schiit Saga in active mode.
Schiit Saga in active mode.
Like 2), but with the Sparkos SS3602 opamp instead of the stock NJR NJM5532D in the Bang.
Test Results
Word of caution: I normally hear these speakers with the Rythmik Audio F12G subwoofer to fill in the low end, but for this comparison I did not want to add the hassle and uncertainty of tuning the subwoofer to match each amp's gain and phase. The ELAC BS 403 are rated at 41 Hz according to IEC 268-5, which appears to be more lenient than the usual +/- 3 dB deviation allowed. I definitely recommend a subwoofer with these speakers, but they are usable without one. Still, being used to hearing them with a subwoofer means the setups will all sound lacking to some degree, compared to what I'm used to.
Setup 1: Yamaha RX-V377 ($300)
This is actually the first time that I have used my ELAC BS 403s with this amp. When I first got the Schiit Vidar, it performed so much better with even my cheap satellite speakers that I never bothered to go back to the RX-V377 when auditioning speakers. I also didn't have the power conditioner, speaker stands, etc. at the time, nor the mighty Yggdrasil DAC, so I was curious to find out what all this extra tinkering might do to the sound.
The RX-V377 pushes 2x 70 W into 8 ohms, and has an 8 ohms and a 6 ohms setting. As far as I know, the latter merely limits the amp in order to protect itself from overheating, which is unlikely to have a positive effect on the sound as long as you don't crank up the volume all the way, so I eventually set it to 8 ohms even when I was using it with satellite speakers rated at 6 ohms. The ELAC BS 403s however are rated at a nominal 4 ohms, down to 3.2 ohms at 260 Hz - not the easiest load to drive. So I was definitely worried that the RX-V377 would struggle with getting the BS 403s to a proper loudness level. Luckily, it only got pretty warm, but not exactly hot, and never shut off during testing.
Note: I did not want to bother disconnecting and later reconnecting all the various other sources connected to it, which resulted in a noticeable ground loop in this arrangement. It might be possible to get better results from this amp.
I was positively surprised to hear decent imaging and a well defined sound stage from a $300 5.1 AV Receiver. I have definitely heard better, though, especially apparent with Nils Lofgren's Keith Don't Go. Overall, I did not hear anything terribly offensive. On the other hand, the experience also wasn't engaging - no involuntary foot tapping, head bobbing or grinning occurred. There was some harshness or glare to the treble, some graininess to the upper mids, and a sluggishness to the bass that I did not appreciate. Yggy's ability to make instruments sound natural and real did not come to light with this amp. Clapping didn't sound right, pianos were unpleasant to listen to, female vocals were not as silky and visceral as I'm used to. I can't help but wonder whether the RX-V377's DSP is ever truly bypassed. I found myself eager to move on to the next amp after a while - this setup is a bit fatiguing.
Setup 2: Schiit Saga with LISST ($389) + Burson Bang with NJR NJM5532D ($499)
Burson describes this little power amp as a "40W PC Stereo Power Amp". PC might mean "personal computer", because if you really wanted to mount this power amp into your computer's case, and power it from your computer's power supply, you could. Or it could mean "per channel". Either way, the stated 2x 40 W refer to a 4 ohm load where other manufacturers usually use an 8 ohm load as the standard for an amp's power rating. Into 8 ohms, the Bang is rated at 2x 29 W. Luckily my speakers are rated at 4 ohms, and the Bang's 2x 40 W are right on the low end of what ELAC recommends for them.
In this setup, there was no ground loop to be heard. That may or may not be the biggest reason for the Bang's ability to reveal a lot more detail in the ambience of Amber Rubarth's Novocaine - we're off to a good start. With the stock NJM5532D opamp, the Burson Bang costs $499 - 2/3 more than the RX-V377, while also requiring a separate preamp to control the volume. AV receivers are very versatile, but Burson had the entire budget available for the comparatively simple task of amplifying a stereo pair of RCA inputs into two sets of speaker taps - nothing else.
And it shows - the Bang is in a different league compared to the underfunded AV receiver tested prior. It sounds much cleaner, fuller, more pleasant. The glare is gone, the low end is on point, Yggy's realism is preserved, the imaging is more concise, cymbals shimmer appropriately and head bobbing ensues. This is nice! Not spectacular, but quite pleasant indeed. It's plenty loud with the Saga at 1pm, the Bang barely warm. Plenty of headroom left!
Well done! Small as it is, this sounds like a grown-up amp. Right now, I'm not convinced I could tell it apart from the Schiit Vidar, but I also haven't heard it in two weeks while I was comparing other gear. Let's check...
Setup 3: Schiit Saga with LISST ($389) + Schiit Vidar ($699)
Bang vs Vidar is a case of David vs Goliath. The Vidar has over 5x the physical volume of the Bang (not taking into account the Bang's external power brick), weighs 4x as much and delivers 2x 100 W vs. the Bang's 2x 29 W - into 8 ohms. Into 4 ohms, the power rating doubles to 2x 200 W vs. the Bang's 2x 40 W. Both are single ended stereo power amps with a class A/B design, though with its additional single balanced input the Vidar can also be used as a monoblock to put even more power into just one channel. And its power supply is integrated. 4x the weight, 5x the size, 5x the power (into 4 ohms) - but at only 1.4x the cost (not taking into account tax and shipping).
Is it worth it? In short: yes. Everything the Bang does well, the Vidar does noticeably better. Sharper transients, silkier voices, more focused imaging, a sound stage with depth, a livelier sound and more bass slam - all while sounding positively effortless. The Bang sounds pretty, the Vidar beautiful - definitely similar, but significantly more refined, more mature.
The Vidar gets quite a bit warmer. And surprisingly, I need to push the Saga's volume a bit further to reach the same volume level as with the Bang.
I still can't believe how good it sounds since I have had the Vidar for over a year now, and got the speakers not long after. But the power conditioner, speakers stands, isolation devices, the DAC in this location, the preamp - all of these are quite recent additions. And they had a profound impact that I am still getting used to.
So I feel reminded of my Burson Fun review. After hearing it with just its stock opamps, I would have recommended going with the Schiit Jotunheim instead, for just a little more. Similarly, I'd go with the Schiit Vidar over the Burson Bang with the stock opamp, assuming you have the room. But after I heard the Fun with Sparkos SS3601s opamps, everything changed. Now, while I did not like the Fun with stock opamps, I do like the Bang with its stock opamp. But who knows - will a Sparkos SS3602 tilt the balance in favor of Burson's baby yet again? Well, I have two of them in my Gustard H20. So let's do a little surgery and find out.
Setup 4: Schiit Saga with LISST ($389) + Burson Bang ($499) with Sparkos SS3602 ($80)
Well! I have mixed feelings about this one. The SS3602 is a drastic improvement over the stock opamp, especially in terms of imaging. It also casts an impressively wide and tall sound stage, and seemes to provide a bit tighter bass. On the other hand the sound stage still lacks depth compared to the Vidar, and transients are still not as crisp as I would like.
Here's my dilemma: with the stock opamp, the Burson Bang offers a decent, balanced presentation. With the Sparkos SS3602 it excels in some areas, while remaining a bit mediocre in other areas. Like a slightly burnt pizza with super fresh ingredients, there's some disappointment because it's obvious how good it could have been, as opposed to what the average next door pizza place provides: just solid pizza, neither bad nor amazing.
Mind you, this is based on listening to the Bang right after enjoying the Schiit Vidar, so the memory of what could have been is still fresh. I could imagine that over time, in regular use, the experience settles to one that is simply somewhere in between the Bang with stock opamp and the Vidar. But then we're already so close to the Vidar in terms of price that I would still recommend to just go with that one if you can.
Conclusion
The Bang is a capable amplifier that I'll happily pair with a Burson Fun in my bedroom setup. If you happen to have a good dual opamp lying around that is currently unemployed, and you catch the Bang on sale (like the 20% off Burson had during Black Friday, or the 33% off at Partsconnexion), it might be wise to go get one. Or if you're short on space. Or if you care a lot about looks and want a speaker amp to go with your existing Burson Fun, or Play, or Playmate, or Swing (can I have a Fun with a remote? Shall we call it Joy?).
Outside of these constraints, however, the Bang's regular base price of $499 is already so close to the Schiit Vidar at $699 that I would heartily recommend spending a bit extra by getting the Vidar instead. Even compared to a Bang with the Sparkos SS3602 opamp, the Vidar is a significant upgrade well worth the cost. That's a US-centric perspective not taking into account shipping and sales tax, so definitely do the math yourself.
Either way, I raise an eyebrow at this bold claim on Burson's website: "Bang is like a cage fighter that loves poetry and bonsai. You will never get bored of Bang and it will knock out any challenger under $2000."
Disclaimer
Burson Audio reached out to me about their Fun & Bang review tour. You can find my review of the Fun here. My review partner mentioned that he would probably want to keep the Fun, and so I went into this review with the expectation of keeping the Bang. Nevertheless, this did not influence my opinion of the Bang.
Summary
The Burson Bang in its stock configuration for $499 sounds quite nice and is definitely a big improvement over my cheap AV receiver. Swapping the stock opamp for a Sparkos SS3602 yields excellent imaging, but does not elevate the Bang in all areas. The Schiit Vidar is not that much more expensive, but sounds better than the stock Bang in every way. The Bang I received had some embarrassing build quality issues and caused some concern when being turned on repeatedly.
Externals
The Burson Bang is a power amplifier for speakers with one stereo pair of RCA inputs, and two pairs of speaker binding posts to connect a pair of speakers to. It has a pretty big external power supply, but can also be powered by a 4-pin Molex connector. That's because its form factor allows mounting it inside a PC case. While I can see someone do that with the Burson Play (a DAC with headphone amplifier) or the Burson Fun (a headphone amplifier), it seems a bit far fetched for a speaker amplifier given the need to route four speaker wires to somewhere outside of the case. But if you want to, you can. The form factor is definitely convenient if you want to use a Play or Fun as a preamp for the Bang.
The power switch is located in the back, and a blue LED on the front indicates whether the unit is powered on. That LED is in the center of the unit instead of lining up with the Fun's, appears to have a slightly different shade of blue, and is much brighter from a wider variety of angles.
The Bang's power supply puts out 12 V and up to 10 amps in contrast to the Fun's 12 V and up to 6 amps, so the Bang's power supply can be used with the Fun, but not vice versa. The power supplies are otherwise completely different: The Bang's DC plug is angled, the Fun's is straight, the Bang's power supply has a pretty bright blue light, the Fun's a dimmer green light, and for some reason, the two-prong plug of the Bang's power supply cable does not have the usual holes, unlike the Fun's. In terms of cable lengths, they are roughly the same, though.
Internals
Just like with the Fun, the case's top has a sticker on the back that points out the location of the opamp. It also describes two configurations of two DIP switches on the PCB, labeled Low Input and High Input. My review unit came set to High Input. The only explanation I could find is on Burson's web site for the Bang. An image mentions a "selectable gain buffer stage". The text above it says "Bang has a built-in buffer stage with selectable impedance levels. From high-end DAC and preamps to portable players and smartphones, Bang matches perfectly with any source components, giving you the perfect performance and volume control every time." There's also a link to https://www.bursonaudio.com/impedance-matching-in-cable/, but that just redirects to Burson's home page, like apparently any other page that does not exist.
I'm assuming low input is meant for non-standard sources like a phone, and high input is meant for a proper preamp. Unfortunately, the Bang did not come with a manual, nor can one be downloaded.
The Bang's power supply consumes 0.8 W by itself (Fun: 0.4 W) and draws 0.02 A (Fun: < 0.01 A). When the Bang is on, but idling, it consumes about 10 W (Fun: 10 W, Vidar: 48 W) and draws about 0.15 A (Fun: 0.14 A, Vidar: 0.55 A). In use with the satellite speakers of the Yamaha NS-SP1800BL 5.1 set with the volume set pretty high, it consumed about 15 W (Fun with MrSpeakers Ether Flow: 10 W, Vidar with ELAC BS 403: 54 W) and drew about 0.25 A (Fun: 0.14 A, Vidar: 0.61 A). All figures were measured with a P4460 Kill A Watt.
Accessories
The package includes a pair of 2 ft long mono RCA cables, a replacement fuse and an allen wrench. That is because Burson encourages you to replace the opamp in order to change the sound to your liking - the solid state equivalent to tube rolling.
Dislikes
I have two big issues with the Bang. One is the build quality: not only does this amp wobble quite a bit (see videos below), it's also the only audio product I have ever used that came apart when unplugging something. During initial testing of the amp I used my cheap Yamaha satellite speakers and encountered some distortion that I thought might be the result of the satellites not being able to handle a full range signal. So I inserted a pair of Harrison Lab's FMOD crossovers into the RCA jacks of the Bang in order to attenuate the bass. I then realized the distortion was the result of other devices connected to the Yggdrasil, shorting their inputs when turned off, which the Yggy does not like. Having sorted that out, I wanted to resume testing without the crossovers, but when I unplugged one of them, the ground ring of one of the Bang's RCA jacks got ripped out. I was able to remove it from the crossover with pliers, and push it back in, after which it stayed put when unplugging regular RCA cables. The crossover plugs appear to have a rather strong grip, but this still should not have happened.
In addition, one of the binding posts was not properly secured on the inside, which meant that loosening the binding post cap also turned the actual binding post, which is soldered to a wire on the inside. Turning the cap meant putting tension on the solder joint and twisting the wire. Not a good feeling. It's relatively easy to fix after opening up the amp, but not everyone will feel comfortable doing so. Even after fixing that issue, the holes in the binding posts aren't lining up straight. That probably would have caused issues for me, but "luckily" the holes are too small to accept my 12 AWG speaker cables (let alone the 10 AWG ones I normally use), so I had to use banana plugs anyway.
The second big issue is that the amp is not properly muting its outputs when turning on - at least when being turned again shortly after having gotten turned off. Without speakers attached, the unit itself produces a relatively loud, nasty screech. With speakers attached, a disturbingly loud popping sound from the speakers joins the cacophony. I don't like worrying about destroying my speakers every time I turn on the amplifier.
As far as I am concerned, this unit should not have made it past QC.
I suppose it's nice that the amp has a variable gain stage, and the need for two switches is probably due to the Bang's dual mono design. However, locating them on the inside of the unit is extremely inconvenient. The Singxer SU-1 DDC also has DIP switches, but they are positioned on the bottom of the PCB, along with a cutout in the bottom part of the chassis. While still inconvenient, at least you wouldn't have to remove four screws to reach those switches. Luckily, most people won't really need this feature, and some of those who do won't need to reconfigure it on a regular basis.
The LED is too bright, depending on the viewing angle. Burson is not alone with this issue, it's a well known phenomenon with Schiit's products as well. Apparently dispersing light evenly is hard. Always good to have some LightDims handy!
Some criticisms remain the same as with the Fun: I much prefer devices with integrated power supplies that accept regular power cords with C13 connectors. The power switch in the back feels good, but this type of switch is usually illuminated when turned on - not so here, which I find irritating. The provided allen wrench is tiny, and you have to remove two screws in the front and two in the back before you can remove the top to replace the opamp. Maybe thumb screws would have been more inviting and durable.
Likes
The Bang sounds quite good for its size, even with the stock opamp. It's nice to be able to improve or customize the sound by swapping the opamp. The chassis is relatively compact and stacks well with the Fun or the Play, which makes for a neat bedroom setup.
Test Setup
Music
- Amber Rubarth - Novocaine (FLAC 24/192)
- Alexis Cole - Whippoorwill (FLAC 24/192)
- Black String - Seven Beats (FLAC 24/96)
- Cécile McLorin Salvant - If A Girl Isn’t Pretty (FLAC 24/96)
- Sarah Jarosz - Green Lights (FLAC 24/96)
- Marian Hill - Talk To Me (FLAC 24/96)
- Nils Lofgren - Keith Don't Go (FLAC 16/44)
- Beck - The Golden Age (FLAC 24/192)
- Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys - Smooth & Groovy (FLAC 16/44)
- Sia - Breathe Me (MP3 from Amazon.com)
- Deftones - Prince (FLAC 24/96)
- Muddy Waters - My Home Is In The Delta (FLAC 24/192)
- Microsoft Surface Pro 4 > Foobar 2000 > WASAPI (event) > USB > Sabrent HB-UMP3 USB-Hub > iFi iDefender > AmazonBasics USB 2.0 cable, 6 ft > Schiit Yggdrasil
- (Amplifier - see Configurations below) > Mediabridge SPC-BP2-12 Banana Plugs > Speaker cable, 12 AWG, ~15 ft > ELAC BS 403
- Isoacoustics GAIA III > Dynaudio Stand 20 filled with ~10 lbs of sand > Isoacoustics Aperta > ELAC BS 403
- Audioquest NRG Edison (15 amps) > Pangea AC 9SE MKII (1 m) > Audioquest Niagara 1000
- Audioquest Niagara 1000, bank 1 > Volex 17605 Shielded Power Cord, 14 AWG, 3 m > Schiit Yggdrasil
- Audioquest Niagara 1000, bank 2 > Tripp-Lite PS240810 > iFi AC iPurifier + iFi iPower > iFi iDefender
1) Yamaha RX-V377 (AV receiver)
Set to 8 ohms, fronts set to large, other channels disabled, calibrated with YPAO microphone, EQ disabled, "straight mode" enabled.
- Niagara 1000 High Current Outlet > Tripp-Lite Extension Cord, 14 AWG, 6 ft > Yamaha RX-V377
- Schiit Yggdrasil > Kabeldirekt Stereo RCA, 6 ft > Yamaha RX-V377 Audio input
Schiit Saga in active mode.
- Niagara 1000 High Current Outlet > Tripp-Lite Extension Cord, 14 AWG, 6 ft > Burson Bang
- Niagara 1000 bank 2 > Volex 17605 Shielded Power Cord, 14 AWG, 3 m > Schiit Saga
- Schiit Yggdrasil > Kabeldirekt Stereo RCA, 3 ft > Schiit Saga > Kabeldirekt Stereo RCA, 3 ft > Burson Bang
Schiit Saga in active mode.
- Niagara 1000 High Current Outlet > Tripp-Lite Power Cord, 14 AWG, 10 ft or 10 ft > Schiit Vidar
- Niagara 1000 bank 2 > Volex 17605 Shielded Power Cord, 14 AWG, 3 m > Schiit Saga
- Schiit Yggdrasil > Kabeldirekt Stereo RCA, 3 ft > Schiit Saga > Kabeldirekt Stereo RCA, 3 ft > Schiit Vidar
Like 2), but with the Sparkos SS3602 opamp instead of the stock NJR NJM5532D in the Bang.
Test Results
Word of caution: I normally hear these speakers with the Rythmik Audio F12G subwoofer to fill in the low end, but for this comparison I did not want to add the hassle and uncertainty of tuning the subwoofer to match each amp's gain and phase. The ELAC BS 403 are rated at 41 Hz according to IEC 268-5, which appears to be more lenient than the usual +/- 3 dB deviation allowed. I definitely recommend a subwoofer with these speakers, but they are usable without one. Still, being used to hearing them with a subwoofer means the setups will all sound lacking to some degree, compared to what I'm used to.
Setup 1: Yamaha RX-V377 ($300)
This is actually the first time that I have used my ELAC BS 403s with this amp. When I first got the Schiit Vidar, it performed so much better with even my cheap satellite speakers that I never bothered to go back to the RX-V377 when auditioning speakers. I also didn't have the power conditioner, speaker stands, etc. at the time, nor the mighty Yggdrasil DAC, so I was curious to find out what all this extra tinkering might do to the sound.
The RX-V377 pushes 2x 70 W into 8 ohms, and has an 8 ohms and a 6 ohms setting. As far as I know, the latter merely limits the amp in order to protect itself from overheating, which is unlikely to have a positive effect on the sound as long as you don't crank up the volume all the way, so I eventually set it to 8 ohms even when I was using it with satellite speakers rated at 6 ohms. The ELAC BS 403s however are rated at a nominal 4 ohms, down to 3.2 ohms at 260 Hz - not the easiest load to drive. So I was definitely worried that the RX-V377 would struggle with getting the BS 403s to a proper loudness level. Luckily, it only got pretty warm, but not exactly hot, and never shut off during testing.
Note: I did not want to bother disconnecting and later reconnecting all the various other sources connected to it, which resulted in a noticeable ground loop in this arrangement. It might be possible to get better results from this amp.
I was positively surprised to hear decent imaging and a well defined sound stage from a $300 5.1 AV Receiver. I have definitely heard better, though, especially apparent with Nils Lofgren's Keith Don't Go. Overall, I did not hear anything terribly offensive. On the other hand, the experience also wasn't engaging - no involuntary foot tapping, head bobbing or grinning occurred. There was some harshness or glare to the treble, some graininess to the upper mids, and a sluggishness to the bass that I did not appreciate. Yggy's ability to make instruments sound natural and real did not come to light with this amp. Clapping didn't sound right, pianos were unpleasant to listen to, female vocals were not as silky and visceral as I'm used to. I can't help but wonder whether the RX-V377's DSP is ever truly bypassed. I found myself eager to move on to the next amp after a while - this setup is a bit fatiguing.
Setup 2: Schiit Saga with LISST ($389) + Burson Bang with NJR NJM5532D ($499)
Burson describes this little power amp as a "40W PC Stereo Power Amp". PC might mean "personal computer", because if you really wanted to mount this power amp into your computer's case, and power it from your computer's power supply, you could. Or it could mean "per channel". Either way, the stated 2x 40 W refer to a 4 ohm load where other manufacturers usually use an 8 ohm load as the standard for an amp's power rating. Into 8 ohms, the Bang is rated at 2x 29 W. Luckily my speakers are rated at 4 ohms, and the Bang's 2x 40 W are right on the low end of what ELAC recommends for them.
In this setup, there was no ground loop to be heard. That may or may not be the biggest reason for the Bang's ability to reveal a lot more detail in the ambience of Amber Rubarth's Novocaine - we're off to a good start. With the stock NJM5532D opamp, the Burson Bang costs $499 - 2/3 more than the RX-V377, while also requiring a separate preamp to control the volume. AV receivers are very versatile, but Burson had the entire budget available for the comparatively simple task of amplifying a stereo pair of RCA inputs into two sets of speaker taps - nothing else.
And it shows - the Bang is in a different league compared to the underfunded AV receiver tested prior. It sounds much cleaner, fuller, more pleasant. The glare is gone, the low end is on point, Yggy's realism is preserved, the imaging is more concise, cymbals shimmer appropriately and head bobbing ensues. This is nice! Not spectacular, but quite pleasant indeed. It's plenty loud with the Saga at 1pm, the Bang barely warm. Plenty of headroom left!
Well done! Small as it is, this sounds like a grown-up amp. Right now, I'm not convinced I could tell it apart from the Schiit Vidar, but I also haven't heard it in two weeks while I was comparing other gear. Let's check...
Setup 3: Schiit Saga with LISST ($389) + Schiit Vidar ($699)
Bang vs Vidar is a case of David vs Goliath. The Vidar has over 5x the physical volume of the Bang (not taking into account the Bang's external power brick), weighs 4x as much and delivers 2x 100 W vs. the Bang's 2x 29 W - into 8 ohms. Into 4 ohms, the power rating doubles to 2x 200 W vs. the Bang's 2x 40 W. Both are single ended stereo power amps with a class A/B design, though with its additional single balanced input the Vidar can also be used as a monoblock to put even more power into just one channel. And its power supply is integrated. 4x the weight, 5x the size, 5x the power (into 4 ohms) - but at only 1.4x the cost (not taking into account tax and shipping).
Is it worth it? In short: yes. Everything the Bang does well, the Vidar does noticeably better. Sharper transients, silkier voices, more focused imaging, a sound stage with depth, a livelier sound and more bass slam - all while sounding positively effortless. The Bang sounds pretty, the Vidar beautiful - definitely similar, but significantly more refined, more mature.
The Vidar gets quite a bit warmer. And surprisingly, I need to push the Saga's volume a bit further to reach the same volume level as with the Bang.
I still can't believe how good it sounds since I have had the Vidar for over a year now, and got the speakers not long after. But the power conditioner, speakers stands, isolation devices, the DAC in this location, the preamp - all of these are quite recent additions. And they had a profound impact that I am still getting used to.
So I feel reminded of my Burson Fun review. After hearing it with just its stock opamps, I would have recommended going with the Schiit Jotunheim instead, for just a little more. Similarly, I'd go with the Schiit Vidar over the Burson Bang with the stock opamp, assuming you have the room. But after I heard the Fun with Sparkos SS3601s opamps, everything changed. Now, while I did not like the Fun with stock opamps, I do like the Bang with its stock opamp. But who knows - will a Sparkos SS3602 tilt the balance in favor of Burson's baby yet again? Well, I have two of them in my Gustard H20. So let's do a little surgery and find out.
Setup 4: Schiit Saga with LISST ($389) + Burson Bang ($499) with Sparkos SS3602 ($80)
Well! I have mixed feelings about this one. The SS3602 is a drastic improvement over the stock opamp, especially in terms of imaging. It also casts an impressively wide and tall sound stage, and seemes to provide a bit tighter bass. On the other hand the sound stage still lacks depth compared to the Vidar, and transients are still not as crisp as I would like.
Here's my dilemma: with the stock opamp, the Burson Bang offers a decent, balanced presentation. With the Sparkos SS3602 it excels in some areas, while remaining a bit mediocre in other areas. Like a slightly burnt pizza with super fresh ingredients, there's some disappointment because it's obvious how good it could have been, as opposed to what the average next door pizza place provides: just solid pizza, neither bad nor amazing.
Mind you, this is based on listening to the Bang right after enjoying the Schiit Vidar, so the memory of what could have been is still fresh. I could imagine that over time, in regular use, the experience settles to one that is simply somewhere in between the Bang with stock opamp and the Vidar. But then we're already so close to the Vidar in terms of price that I would still recommend to just go with that one if you can.
Conclusion
The Bang is a capable amplifier that I'll happily pair with a Burson Fun in my bedroom setup. If you happen to have a good dual opamp lying around that is currently unemployed, and you catch the Bang on sale (like the 20% off Burson had during Black Friday, or the 33% off at Partsconnexion), it might be wise to go get one. Or if you're short on space. Or if you care a lot about looks and want a speaker amp to go with your existing Burson Fun, or Play, or Playmate, or Swing (can I have a Fun with a remote? Shall we call it Joy?).
Outside of these constraints, however, the Bang's regular base price of $499 is already so close to the Schiit Vidar at $699 that I would heartily recommend spending a bit extra by getting the Vidar instead. Even compared to a Bang with the Sparkos SS3602 opamp, the Vidar is a significant upgrade well worth the cost. That's a US-centric perspective not taking into account shipping and sales tax, so definitely do the math yourself.
Either way, I raise an eyebrow at this bold claim on Burson's website: "Bang is like a cage fighter that loves poetry and bonsai. You will never get bored of Bang and it will knock out any challenger under $2000."
