Burmester 061 Cd Player Review

[Kristin Banyas]

Overrecent years an increasing number of manufacturers at all price levels have taken to include digital inputs onto their new CD players. This makes perfect sense given that every CD player already has built-in digital-to-analogue converter circuitry.

There are four digital inputs on our MMI equipped review sample: 24-bit/192kHz USB, optical and coax alongside Bluetooth. A balanced XLR analogue input makes the 089 more versatile in a system context, particularly if the player is configured as a preamp too. There are both balanced and single-ended analogue outputs alongside a single-ended record out.

We used the 089 both with and without an external preamp. There are certainly (slight) gains in outright transparency and resolution when used directly into our Gamut power amplifier, but also losses in terms of drive and authority. We decided to keep our reference D3i preamp in the system for the bulk of the test sessions.

The MMI module also adds USB capability. There are two settings here: the Class 1 option is limited to 24-bit/96kHz input signals but should work with a wider range of sources; Class 2 takes that upper resolution limit to 24-bit/192kHz, but will require specific software drivers for non-Apple computers.

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.\n\nRead more about how we test"}), " -0-10/js/authorBio.js"); } else console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); What Hi-Fi?Social Links NavigationWhat Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

Each unit measures 482 x 112 x 340mm (w/h/d) and weighs 10kg. Typical of many German products, the 061 is sturdily built, with clean lines and no fancy curves. Almost like a Krell of yore, but in a different colour and with more refined looks.

Performance: The initial listening sessions were conducted via the resident amplification, all single-ended. Against my Ayon player, I thought the 061 sounded more laid-back, and less forceful, especially when it came to dynamics.

Sujesh Pavithran is an ardent fan of Magnepan and Apogee speakers, loves vinyl AND supports digital formats as he believes they will keep improving, has a yen for tubes and is a gadget-head (shamelessly encouraging consumerism in this sector). He has been reviewing hi-fi equipment and music since the mid-1980s, but occasionally wonders if he should have made a detour into motoring or photography instead.

The optionally selectable level control allows direct connection to a power amp and therefore enables users to use the unit without an extra preamp. The MC151 Music Center can be operated by front panel controls on the device itself, via a Web browser, and also by means of the custom-designed Burmester app via an iPad. Key functions are also controllable via the Burmester remote control. The music data on the server are also available to other UPnP players within the local network.

What are the limits to sampling rate and frequency for high-resolution storage and playback? Quite frankly, going above 96/24 seems problematic to me, but higher rates are being sold.

The maximum sampling rate for the MC151 (111) is 192kHz and 24 bits.

Can the unit store and play SACD downloads?

Currently the MC151 does not support SACD, but we have already started an internal discussion as to whether this is a requirement for one of the next firmware updates. If we decide to change any feature set of the MC151 (e.g. SACD), we can do it very easily.

Is it possible to back up the stored collection on a separate hard drive? The question applies to future equipment upgrades and to having a unit with a large music collection that is damaged or stolen.

Yes, of course. Just connect an external USB hard drive to the Music Center, and you can back up or completely restore your music data.

Is there any way to use a system like JRiver to play back the digital music I store on my Mac, or to play directly from an external hard drive, as well as from a USB stick?

You can use JRiver to play back the stored music on your Music Center; just search for the Burmester DLNA/UPnP server in your network. Currently you cannot push any music directly to your Music Center; this function is more intended for our network player. But we are also thinking about offering this feature in one of the next firmware updates for the Music Center. We do not distinguish between a USB stick or an external USB hard drive; you can play back your audio files from either one.

24-bit, 192k, or Bust

First, there is a steadily increasing debate among audiophiles and within the industry about the merits of ever-higher sampling rates. DACs and players that can store and play back at 32 bits and 352kHz or 384kHz are coming to market. There are some DACs and players available that can also store and play back both of the SACD standards normally used for home audio.

I have heard enough controlled tests on really good high-end systems to believe that making new recordings at 24-bit and rates of 88, 96, or 192kHz with top-quality components at every other link from the microphone to the final product can make a difference. So far I have heard the difference best on simple stereo recordings made solely for test purposes wherein there was an absolute minimum of editing, and a direct comparison could be made of 16-bit/48kHz against a higher sampling rate such as 24-bit and 88, 96, or 192kHz.

I often prefer the musical realism of simply miked recordings of great performances made in the 1960s to the complex, over-produced recordings with too much upper-octave content that are all too common today. I can accept higher distortion and less dynamic range as trade-offs for more natural timbre and a more realistic soundstage. I also prefer the humanity and life of a performance with minimal editing over assembled perfection (and, in the case of popular music, the tendency to compress dynamic range during the production phase to give the recording more punch when played back over radio and in portable players).

That said, I believe 2TB will be more than enough for most (saner) audiophiles, and that Burmester is correct to focus on having two identical hard drives to provide a built-in backup system. As previously noted, you can also add a USB stick or external hard drive to increase storage capacity.

And, incidentally, I have never found anyone who bothers on any album to show how it was originally recorded, with details about what equipment was used, how it was remastered or produced, and whether the claim that it is PC-hi-res or all-SACD is justified.

Finally, virtually everyone ends up making playlists. The Burmester has its own approach, and you should see it demonstrated. I found it to be fine for jazz and popular, but a bit more difficult than the Sooloos for classical. Once again, ergonomics and user preferences are personal, so you may find just the opposite to be true.

The Burmester did a good job of finding the Oppo, PS Audio Bridge, JRiver, and the other server options I use, but ease of operation with large collections was mixed. I do wish you could easily sort by level of digital resolution.

The fact that the Burmester MC151 has a remote volume control does, as noted, allow it to be used directly with a power amp, and eliminating the preamp can slightly improve detail and transparency. I find, however, that many digital recordings require a slight tweaking of the balance control to present the soundstage at its best. Try this before you bypass a preamp. Dave Wilson once remarked that the balance control should be called a soundstage control, and he was right.

Sound Quality

However, the crowning aspect of the Burmester MC151 is not its technology or features, but its sound quality. I recently had a competing server in that costs some $50,000. It has not yet made it to market, but sonically it fell distinctly short of the Burmester MC151, in spite of the fact that it costs twice as much.

It did an excellent job with the better high-resolution recordings that I referred to earlier. It brought out their exceptional upper-octave life and air, and still kept all the warmth of the midrange. Bass was equally excellent, as was soundstage width, depth, and detail. I kept trying to fault its performance, but the unit kept dragging me back into the music. In the end, the only fault I could find was that it is not suited for background music. Its sound is too compelling and involving.

Listening to the Competition: Oppo BPD-105D

The sound of the Oppo BPD-105, which costs all of $1199, was a more significant improvement over the Oppo BPD-93 than I expected. The Burmester MC151 was still consistently better in all the same ways, but the Oppo BPD-105D was able to get better sound out of any decent recording than the Oppo BPD-93. It provided cleaner and more musical and natural upper-midrange and soundstage detail.

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