Beresford 7520 DAC

[chebby]

Don Guess:It does on Beresford DACs. Ask Stan..

The point is moot.

I don't remember such effects because I was not listening for them, and if there really is a 'running-in' period then it is a bit late to worry about it now

 

[Anonymous]

RE: Burn-In for the BDac's

I've owned three of Stans Dac's and I can confirm that there is indeed a marked change over time in the sound of his Dacs. LOADS of people on various forii (is that a word?) have commented on it.
I've personally experienced it.
The Dac can soundsomewhat "ill" straight out the box, but give it time and i will change. For the Mk6/4 I had previously I felt there was improvements 6 weeks after plugging it in - seriously.

Re: the Maplin PSU:

I STILL say go for it. I personally found it has made an appreciable difference to my Dac, (I am though, using the PSU with a mighty thick Krystal kables Titan power lead, which may or may not be helping the PSU out) but even without it - as long as its set to 12V - its an improvment on the supplied wall-wart. Stan Beresford has repeatedly said for many of his models this PSU made a good improvement.
*Not so much with the Mk6/3 though - as that had the "virtual DC" power circuitry, which kind of made the Maplin PSU benefits moot. On the 6/4 and especially the 7520 I have found it to make a worthwhile upgrade.
Your milage may differ though - I'd wait till Maplins are doing one on sale again and get one.*

Re: LM4562NA Op Amps:

hey are _______ing amazng things!
Just so much more realism, more "thwack" to drums, more weight to cymbals. Not in a "hifi" way, just a greater impression of real musicians playing real instruments. Very revealing, wide open, realistic and dynamic sound.

Just.....better.

 

[Anonymous]

I was going to order the 7510 Beresford but what improvments sonically does the the 7520 offer? I will not be needing the usb input, is that the only diffrence?

 

[chebby]

I never owned the TC-7510 so I only have the TC-7520 to go on, but Stanley has said a number of times that this model is an upgrade and a new design - not a replacement. (Both will continue to be sold.)

On other forums (can't name them here) I have seen many, many TC-7510 owners write about how much better the TC-7520 is.

I think there some other people on this forum who have experience of both though.

 

[PJPro]

Are you sure that ebay is the best source for opamps? During my very brief foray into DIY hifi I came across numerous postings advising against ebay....with the claim that counterfeiting is rife.

Personaly I would go for someone like Mouser, who just happen to have opened an office in the UK. Would you believe they rang me up to tell me so?

 

[chebby]

PJPro:Are you sure that ebay is the best source for opamps? During my very brief foray into DIY hifi I came across numerous postings advising against ebay....with the claim that counterfeiting is rife.

Personaly I would go for someone like Mouser, who just happen to have opened an office in the UK. Would you believe they rang me up to tell me so?

Neither mouser nor RS list the LM4562NA (that I can tell from searches on their sites)

Apppreciate it if you can help PJ.

Thanks.

I agree that it is better to buy from a reliable source.

How about this fellow?...

http://markgrantcables.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=111

 

[PJPro]

It appears that Digikey do them.....but please check they are the right ones.

Clicky

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers Chebby.

I'd be intresting in hearing from anyone that has heard both as to what the diffrences really are. Which one has better bass for example?

 

[Don Guess]

I've got the 7520 which recently replaced a 7510 Mk6 Ver 4 (the current model of 7510).

My experience is that the 7520 is significantly better than the 7510. The Bass on the 7520 is fuller and more tuneful, resolving bass notes more clearly so that you hear the note not just feeling the bass.

It's better all round. The soundstage is bigger and it seems to get the best out of poor recordings, somehow.

As you can see I'm not too good at reviews but If I had to buy a new Beresford I would definitely get the 7520. It is well worth the extra money and comes with USB for added flexibility.

Also, as noted in this thread, the 7520 allows for opamp rolling as it has the opamps socketed. This allows for further improvements to be had for just a few extra quid.

 

[PJPro]

How are you using the DAC e.g the improvements are due to the DAC or the amplifier?

 

[Don Guess]

I'm using the 7520 as a DAC only. I use the fixed line level outs into my integrated amp. I don't use headphones so can't comment on that bit of it. I used the 7510 in the same way.

The other difference between them that comes to mind is that "dynamics" are better on the new model. It's more exciting to listen to.

 

[chebby]

I fitted the two LM4562NA op-amps this morning. Very easy job thanks to the DIP sockets.

Been playing Pearl Django's 'Avalon' and 'Sinatra at the sands' and Bucky Pizzarelli's 'Nirvana' so far. (I listened to tracks from all three last night so they are fresh in my mind.)

So far, so (very) good!

The bass is immediately - and very obviously - better and detail has improved. (Sounds a bit louder but that could be me.)

Soundstage was already pretty good but the better detail has focussed it a little more.

I will report back in time if I notice any 'running in' improvement over the next few days but I doubt it will be significant given that everything else in the 'box' has been playing for many hours every day for almost 2 months now.

 

[Anonymous]

Chebby,
prepare to be very surprised.

I've had the 4562's in my Dac for a couple of weeks now, and I found the sound, paricularly in the level of detail, and width (and height) of soundstage to improve markedly over time - even over a couple of weeks.And this was afer running the Stock Dac for about ten days or so.

The soundstage just keeps geting wider and wider, and the sound becomes less about hifi and more about the performance of musicians.

I've a squeezebox setup running into the Dac, so its very easy to access long forgotten tracks you havent heard in a long time.
I'm constantly surprised by just how DIFFERENT the recordings sound to my memory of them. Much more realistic, more involving (bloody distracting more like!) and just.....better.

Little things like fret notes on acoustic guitars are strongly etched and hang in space, independant of everything else going on. Theres a strong sense of the acoustic of the recording studio in a lot of tracks I hadnt noticed before.

Stuff like that.

Reminds me actually of the immediate, REAL sounding "hairs on the back of the neck" sound I heard from a Densen Beat 100 Amp/ Marantz 63KI Sig CDP combo I heard at a demo a while ago. I was blown away then, Im blown away now.

I've even started calling my hifi a "Music Centre" to a mate, not done that since before I got into the technicalities of Hifi upgraditus and niggly doubts about my system sounding rubbish.

Back to basics, back to the music.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd really like to see WHF review this and compare it directly to the TC 7510

 

[Johnno2]

And also the dacmagic

 

[Anonymous]

Yep that to!

 

[Anonymous]

I may have to join the 7520 bandwagon. I need a DAC and a headphone amp for bedroom listening and have been impressed by the early comments on the headphone amp performance of the 7520 that I've seen on head-fi. Op amp rolling also seems appealing - looks like an excellent product.

 

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately as good as the new Beresford might be, it's not practical as I need two digital inputs. I need one of them for connecting to the ps3 and one to connect to the v plus box. Its a pity as I have read that this is much better than the 6/3, c'est la vie.

 

[Anonymous]

The 7520 has THREE digital inputs plus USB.

Two RCA phono type inputs and an optical.

If you need two optical inputs, you can get cheap converters to make your Toslink connection (from your PS3 say) into a SPDIF which the 7520 can take.

Adapters like this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Converter-S-PDIF-TOS-Toslink-to-SPDIF-Coax-Adaptor-New_W0QQitemZ250399294515QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL?hash=item250399294515&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

See, sorted!

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry Gaz, yes that's what I meant, only one optical input, thanks i will take a look

 

[chebby]

Coax - optical...

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=29291&doy=2m4&C=SO&U=strat15

Or optical - coax...

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=29293&doy=2m4&C=SO&U=strat15

Or if you need to have two in one box...(2 way & 2 inputs/outputs)...

http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/1163-m-audio-co2.html

(operates in either direction)

With the Beresford I think the last one would be best. Good pro company, looks like it has decent build and both of the two coax inputs on the TC-7520 could be plugged in to give a total of three optical inputs. (Including the one the Beresford already has.)

 

[Mr Steve]

I ended up importing the 7520, after some advice from forum users (about a month ago; thanks guys - your input is appreciated) which I requested as no prior listening was possible here in South Africa. With just limited burn-in, I am very impressed with the sound and overall importing it directly cost less than half of the local DacMagic retail price. No regrets here.

I am considering the opamp upgrade - just for the hell of it, seems simple and inexpensive. Now I am just seeing if i can source the chips locally - waiting for some supplier responses.

 

[Anonymous]

Just a question regarding the opamp, i assume it's superfluous if you aren't going to utilise the headphone section of the amp?

 

[chebby]

I am about 12 hours playing time into these new LM4562NA op-amps (in the TC-7520) now and they are great.

I listen to a lot of jazz lately and their effect is uncanny. The Beresford's already excellent imaging qualities are in 'overdrive'.

First the Beresford, and now these little op-amps may have just saved me from a speaker upgrade! (Yes that good.)

I don't do BIG volumes in my lounge but I do like an 'out of the box' 3D soundstage and was 'champing at the bit' for quite a while researching new speaker ideas to fit the brief. (Stirling Broadcast LS3/5A V2, Spendor S3/5R, Leema Xero etc.)

The trouble is that I would have had to wave goodbye to my excellent Rega R3's and their superb character (and wave goodbye to a whole chunk of bass too). Any of those little BBC style/BBC evolved/inspired designs would have meant a different amp too due to low sensitivity. (Anything from an Audiolab 8000S to a Leema Pulse were whirring around as possibilities.)

The budget - for any of those combinations - ranged from just over £1100 to £1800 (minus the proceeds of selling the Solo-Mini and the the R3s.)

But £185 on the TC-7520 back in February alleviated the need for drastic action and £8.99 for the LM4562NA upgrade this week was the icing on the cake, that little tiny twist of the focus ring that made everything 'pop'.

I am sitting here with a big grin like I have just bought a whole new system. Not just jazz and acoustic (or live) stuff but virtually everything in my iTunes 'Jukebox' playlist is sounding better.

(Not just me either. I noticed my 17 year-old jigging her shoulders - whilst she was sat at the computer - without realising she was doing it. The song? 'Luck be a Lady' by Frank Sinatra!)

 

[chebby]

hi fi newbie:Just a question regarding the opamp, i assume it's superfluous if you aren't going to utilise the headphone section of the amp?

There are two sockets with an opamp in each one. One is for the variable output (including headphone amp) and the other is for the fixed level output. Given that they are under a tenner for a pair, and very easy to fit , you may as well do both.

The variable level output is not just for headphones. If you only had digital sources, the TC-7520 could also be used as a pre-amp.