Based in Melbourne, Australia, BursonAudio is an audio company composed of audiophiles and DIY enthusiasts in the Australian community. Their latest professional headphone amplifier series is the HA-160. Priced at $699 including postage to North America, the HA-160 is not the cheapest head amps you can find, but it’s definitely not the most expensive ones out there either. Let’s see if the amp is worth its price tag.




Specifications

Input impedance: 47 KOhms
Frequency response: 5Hz (-0.3dB) to 35 kHz (-1dB)
Signal to noise ratio: >98dB at 0dB gain
THD: <0.001%>70dB/10kHz
Output power: 650mW/300 Ohms, 800mW/60 Ohms
Output impedance: line out 60 Ohms, phones out 5 Ohms
Power dissipation: 10W, internal, regulated power supply
Dimensions: 180mm x 250mm x 80mm
Connectors (audio): 2 x phone jacks 6.35mm
2 x gold plated RCA connectors with Teflon isolation
Weight: app. 4.5 kg
Colour: silver anodized aluminium








Design and Construction (9/10)

The simplicity of the HA-160 is what stands out in its design. Enclosed in a thick, silver aluminum casing, the amp features one set of input jacks and two ¼” outputs for headphones of all kinds. The left output handles headphones with resistance between 15 – 150 ohms while the right output handles equipment between 150 – 500 ohms. Four rubber feet are placed at the bottom to ensure the amp's stability and resonance-free quality.

The HA-160 also sports an aluminum volume knob. The amp utilizes a 24-stepped attenuator to control its output volume. In contrast with a traditional potentiometer, a stepped attenuator can ensure highly accurate level modification to the sound, the elimination of pot noise/distortion, and the preservation of the weakest audio signal. There are 24 clicks when you turn the volume dial, and each click represents a preset level in the volume. If you want to control the level between the two clicks, you may modify the volume in your software when a computer is used as a source.

Overall, the HA-160’s design is solid and straight-forward.





Sound (9/10)

The sound of the HA-160 is extremely pleasant. While the overall sound signature is neutral, the amp is nonetheless leaning towards the warm side. That being said, however, the warmth of the amp never overpowered the balance and neutrality of the amp.

The HA-160 embodies the highs of solid-state amps. The treble is very present in the sound, yet the highs did not cause treble-heavy music fatiguing to hear. The amp captured the whole upper-range of female vocals and opera singers effortlessly. The highs embody all the qualities of treble done right. However, we would like to hear more crystal quality to the highs. In comparison to the LD MK6 balanced tube head amp (around the same price), the HA-160 lacks that glass-like “ding” we were so fond of in tubes.

The mid-range is definitely one of the best we’ve heard in solid state amps. The mids were able to capture the entire spectrum of mid-range vocals, from high-mids to low-mids. From Pavarotti to Diana Krall, the HA-160 was able to reproduce the timbre and richness of each singer’s unique voice. In fact, when comparing the mids to those produced by tube amps, the HA-160’s mids offer some of the most tubey resemblance we’ve tested. The low-mids stand out the most. The warmth and smoothness of the low-mids could trump a cup of hot chocolate in the middle of a Canadian winter night.

The bass of the HA-160 worked tirelessly to aid the mids to produce such enjoyable sound signature. The bass extends very far, giving the very low notes power and presence. In our extreme bass test, the low bass notes seemed to extend effortless onto the whole body of the listener. Moreover, bass notes not only extended far, but they also retracted fast, meaning the lows of the HA-160 had good impact and decay. The bass is definitely colourful, but not one bit sloppy.

Considering the HA-160 is a solid state amp, its soundstage is incredible. While not as large as the Little Dot tube amps in terms of width, the headroom has a taller height and a slightly larger depth. It also appears more accurate, making the soundstage more intimate and less echoey. I will have no problem using the HA-160 to represent the legendary soundstage of Pink Floyd’s When the Tigers Broke Free.

In comparison to one of our all-time favourite tube amps – the LD MKIII, we found the HA-160 offers even more details and resolution. Every pick of Eric Clapton’s guitar was well captured. In fact, believe it or not, the HA-160 offers even better vocals than the tube MKIII due to its higher details and resolution.


Conclusion ( 9 /10)




The Busron HA-160 is sold as a "Reference Class Headphone Amplifier." After our test, we can confidently say that the HA-160 is truly a reference class equipment. In comparison to other reference amps boasting prices in the thousands, the Burson HA-160 offers a truly amazing package for a fraction of the cost. Burson states that in their design, they eliminated anything that could make someone dislike the solid state sound. Whatever they did, they did it right. With exceptional build quality, superior components, and an amazing sound across the spectrum, the HA-160 is truly a first-class product with a second-class price. At Compudio Gadget Reviews, we know a bargain when we see one, and the HA-160 is definitely one. HOT Award well deserved.


This review was written by Cecil Lau, Editor in Chief.
We'd like to thank John at BursonAudio for making this review possible.