Solid State Preamp Reviews

all five USB connectors on the 151 are of the USB-A type...

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This is a common problem with music server software generally. Once the music is ingested, everything works fine, but ingesting music and setting up a library is an error-prone process. Fixing it up—in my experience at least—requires a certain amount of competence in information technology.

This is certainly true but I think it is much more significant for proprietary servers, such as the Burmester under review and the many other dedicated boxes whose embedded firmware does not support editing/tagging functions. That category includes those which run under such proprietary systems as HEOS and BlueOS. In all of these, the metadata has to be managed by some external device. Software-based systems that run Roon, Jriver, Audirvana, etc., have internal tagging/editing functions that can manage these tasks internally and more easily.

This is a not a quality review.
I could tolerate unrepentant subjectivity from Art Dudley because of his amusing style, but not from JVS with his empty blather, e.g., "music sings supreme."
There is evidence of poor design with this device-- e.g., "We never make products intentionally complex,"-- yet it sounds like a very unintuitive interface.
Big red flag-- the designer was cagey about which chip is used! Couldn't the reviewer take a peek at the innards? Nothing about the volume control? Coupling caps?
The designer claims "SUBSTANZ" but the reviewer has a duty to apply KRITIK to such claims. This review mostly regurgitated the company line and as such is unhelpful.
For me to regain confidence in JVS, I suggest that he undertake some blind ABX demonstrations to verify his listening ability. Particularly with more subtle devices like a DAC, or a preamp, a reader like me would like to know if any difference is detectable or not.

PS: My primary objection here is a failure to look beyond the marketing BS of the seller. I don't expect a reviewer to be an electrical engineer, but the failure to look under the hood is journalistic malpractice. And to be clear, I'm not asking reviewers to do ABX for every review. It's laborious, time-consuming and risky to one's credibility. But when a review fails to enlighten, a little investment in the scientific rigor of ABX listening would bring us all out of the Dark Ages of total BS. It's the bridge between fanciful subjectivity and honest objectivity.

PPS: I do appreciate the music reviews from JVS. But his product reviews strike me as deeply lacking.

Hi

Agreed. A good reviewer should override the usual marketing/sales pitches provided by the vendors & provide hands-on using/audition experience of the product under review as if a potential purchaser of the product.

That's what we audio consumers go after.

Listening is believing

Jack L

to be exposed to the world at large for business reasons. No consumer by rights of purchase is guaranteed access to technology IP. If they sealed the dac module, would some suggest to bust it open to get to the 'truth'?

The same holds true for the manufacturer. Many simply aren't going to share their trade secrets. It's nice to pretend that consumer transparency is attainable, but I don't think it is. Should the manufacturer lay out their engineering design choices in a crowded field of competition? Do other industries do this, even a bit? No, they don't.

Some feel JVS' music reviews are trustworthy and his product reviews are not. The lack of trust lies more at the poster than the author. I also believe Burmester has a product that JVS states as he hears it. All else is idealistic dross to demand more.

or just the arguments of these pages, I could agree with you in several of your arguments. Without exposure to those high-priced systems, one has absolutely no reference point whatsoever to the current reality of state-of-the-art music playback.

The 'capacity for self-delusion' comment is so far off the mark, it's as if one has been sitting outside the concert venue simply watching behind a glass window, while others are inside listening first-hand. (No offense intended whatsoever.)

To hear the entire Burmester system or any of the least 20 other rooms that were at the absolute cutting edge of reproduction is to finally say to oneself- "Oh, sorry. I had no idea of how accomplished reproduction is these days". Million dollar systems are utter and complete ear-openers.

You really should go at your nearest opportunity. Take the entire weekend to fully appreciate all of the various performance levels provided in the 100+ rooms.

NC