Sound comparison of Burmester 909 mk5 vs 911 mk3 . Thoughts appreciated!

[dhruvgarg]

Greetings all! I wanted to learn about your experiences when comparing a 911 mk3 amp to Burmester 909 MK5.
I'm considering upgrading from a single 911 to single 909. Can i expect the low frequencies to be a bit denser? More fullness to mids and lows ?

I generally have always liked Burmester gear across all ranges (entry, top line and reference). My current setup is 035 preamp, 911 poweramp and B80 mk2 speakers. I'm trying to decide between 911 monos or a single 909 stereo.

My personal taste is to strive for a richer sound (not overly fat in the lows) that is a relaxed presentation. With a single 911 i sometimes yearn for more fullness in mid/upper bass and a little more heft/body to the overall sound. The airiness of 911 is very elegant and refined - but my only reason to upgrade would be to have some extra decay on low notes and "feel" the music a bit more. Will a single 909 stereo outperform 911 monos in this aspect ? I realize that reference amp is expected to add more air to the sound but I'm curious to learn about the difference to mids/lows in either combination.

Would appreciate any thoughts/advice if you've had a change to compare a single 911 to 909 or mono 911s to a 909.

Best Regards,
Dhruv

 

[Hamburger]

Somehow I am going to say the single 909 might suit your taste better than twin 911s. However, I cannot say with confidence. My impression of the 909 had been that of a fuller, more "romantic/old school" type of sound with a heftier bottom.

 

[dhruvgarg]

Somehow I am going to say the single 909 might suit your taste better than twin 911s. However, I cannot say with confidence. My impression of the 909 had been that of a fuller, more "romantic/old school" type of sound with a heftier bottom.

Really appreciate you response Hamburger! I certainly gravitate more towards the old school/romantic/fuller vs modern/clean/fast. Its super helpful to learn about your impressions of the 909.
Best Regards, Dhruv.

 

[Kippyy]

Burmester owner here:
Tho I've not heard the 909, I've seen a number of Burmester experts in audio forums contend that 911 monos sounded better than a single 909. Enjoy the journey!

 

[dhruvgarg]

Burmester owner here:
Tho I've not heard the 909, I've seen a number of Burmester experts in audio forums contend that 911 monos sounded better than a single 909. Enjoy the journey!

Thanks Kippyy for sharing your thoughts! Yes i've come across the same suggestions through forums but just didn't find enough reviews or comments that describe the sonic differences between 911 and 909. So 909's character is a mystery to me.