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Sitting on matching baseplates and carbon-fiber discs, the $27,500 Burmester 969 transport and 970 DAC look very much alike. On its front panel the 969 has fewer buttons and a larger, single display, and on the top, the central of its three armor plates can be slid back to reveal a top-loading, belt-driven CD turntable. I really got a kick out of hearing the subtle relay click as I slid back the cover. Indeed, the mechanism was so smooth that the relay was the only perceptible feedback to the operator.

Udo Besser gave me a demo transport…

Description: Balanced digital/analog converter with 24-bit/96kHz DACs, HDCD capability, full remote control, five digital and two analog filter characteristics, and phase-inversion switching. High-precision master clock at the DAC with output to control Burmester transports. Digital inputs: ST, TosLink, AES/EBU, two RCA. Digital outputs: RCA, TosLink. Analog outputs, fixed volume: balanced and unbalanced. Analog outputs, variable volume: balanced and unbalanced. 60-step volume control. External power supply with 11,6000µF capacitor filtering.
Dimensions: Main…

Most of the extended listening for these reports was done with the California Audio Labs CL-20 CD/DVD player as the source. I made this choice to eliminate any possible bias from using a transport designed and constructed to mate to a specific DAC. As the common source, the CL-20 provided both S/PDIF (coax and optical) and AES/EBU outputs, as well as CD/DVD compatibility with up to 24/96 digital output. I did this also to maintain a level playing field without auditioning all the possible combinations of transport and DAC and interconnection. Let's see:…

Because of the Burmester 970's large number of permutations of digital and analog filters, I performed most of the measurements at the fixed outputs and at the MaxRez/Sharp digital filter and Linear analog filter settings used by KR for most of his auditioning. I checked other settings as appropriate.

The Burmester didn't invert signal polarity from any of its outputs (the XLR jacks are wired with pin 2 hot). Its maximum output from the fixed-level outputs was 4.047V (balanced) and 2.025V (single-ended), sourced from 132.6 ohms and 66.5 ohms, respectively…

Of all this marvelous hardware, I most enjoyed using the $14,900 mbl transport; I just couldn't keep my hands off it! Its massive black enclosure matches that of the 1611HR DAC, with its central, convex display module flanked by wonderful little gold buttons. Somehow, I wasn't bothered by the placement of the Play, Stop, and Pause buttons on the right—the display module clearly separated them from the track and search buttons. Operation, whether via the remote or the front panel, was straightforward, as were the display options.

The rear panel had…

1611HR: Fully balanced digital/analog converter with 24-bit delta-sigma DACs, and full remote control. Digital inputs: two each of ST, TosLink, AES/EBU, RCA, BNC. Analog inputs: one (RCA and XLR). Digital outputs: two RCA S/PDIF. Analog outputs, fixed volume: 1 balanced, 2 unbalanced. Analog outputs, variable volume: 1 balanced, 2 unbalanced. Rotary analog volume control.
Dimensions: 18.72" (480mm) W by 5.85" (150mm) H by 16.77" (430mm) D. Weight: 33 lbs (15kg).
Serial number of unit reviewed: 21718.
Price: $15,500. Variable analog output: $2900; analog…

Most of the extended listening for these reports was done with the California Audio Labs CL-20 CD/DVD player as the source. I made this choice to eliminate any possible bias from using a transport designed and constructed to mate to a specific DAC. As the common source, the CL-20 provided both S/PDIF (coax and optical) and AES/EBU outputs, as well as CD/DVD compatibility with up to 24/96 digital output. I did this also to maintain a level playing field without auditioning all the possible combinations of transport and DAC and interconnection. Let's see:…

Interestingly, while Kal thought the mbl to have a higher output level—4.038V balanced and 2.024V single-ended from the fixed output jacks—than the Burmester and Mark Levinson DACs that he also reviews in this issue, it was actually only 0.08dB higher. The analog output was sourced from 200 ohms (balanced) and 100 ohms (unbalanced). The big mbl doesn't invert signal polarity from either set of outputs (the XLR jacks are wired with pin 2 as hot).

This sample of the 1611HR wouldn't lock to data with a sample rate higher than 48kHz. Its frequency response on…