Burl Audio B80-BDA4 – a four-channel, always-transformer-coupled DAC card for the B80 Mothership chassis, built around the BX5 output transformer.
Unlike the BDA4M, where the output transformer can be switched in or bypassed, the BDA4 always runs through the large, nickel-core BX5 transformer - the same one used in the B32 Vancouver summing mixer - paired with a fully discrete Class-A path built around the BOPA14 chip, with no capacitors in the signal chain. The design is meant to consistently thicken and deepen the processed signal, giving it an analog character similar to running a mix through a two-track tape machine, but without tape hiss and with a wider dynamic range reaching 115 dB.
A permanent transformer character for the main mix output
Because the BX5 transformer is always active, the BDA4 works well as a dedicated main output for a mix or summing bus, where the engineer deliberately wants a specific, repeatable tone on every listen, without the risk of forgetting to engage a coloring switch as with cards that offer a switchable transformer. That approach removes tonal inconsistency between sessions, where different switch settings could otherwise produce a slightly different final result.Switchable DAC filter and Avid matching for hardware inserts
The DAC filter switch changes the converter's character between the classic, smooth Burl tone and a more direct, forward midrange, depending on the material and the stage of work on the mix. The Avid delay matching function syncs the card's output to an HD I/O signal path down to the sample, which is essential when using the BDA4 as an external hardware insert or in parallel routing within a Pro Tools session.KEY FEATURES
- 4-channel DAC with a permanently engaged BX5 output transformer
- Fully discrete Class-A path (BOPA14), zero capacitors in the chain
- Switchable DAC filter: classic Burl tone / direct midrange
- Avid delay matching for hardware insert applications
- Low conversion latency
- Output connectors: 4 x XLR
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Card type: 4-channel DAC, permanently engaged transformer
- Resolution: 24-bit
- Sample rate: 44.1 kHz - 192 kHz
- Frequency response (96 kHz): 10 Hz - 30 kHz, ±0.1 dB, -0.3 dB at 40 kHz
- Dynamic range: 115 dB
- THD+N: -96 dB, full scale output +22 dBu
- Analog path: discrete, Class-A, BX5 transformer
- Output connectors: 4 x XLR
