Difference between Burmester 979 and MBL 1521A

As a happy owner of the MBL 1621A transport, I'll say you can't go wrong with the MBL. Coupled to a nice DAC (like MBL's own DACs, they are fantastic at all price points) I strongly doubt you'll ever need a new Red Book front end.

The 1521+1511 combo is quite close to the 1621+1611. They basically sound the same but the 16xx's just goes that extra step. If you can't afford them, don't compare the two.. The 15xx combo is wonderful in its own right, and compares favorably to most other digital sources I've heard.

The 16xx duo has that extra bit of refinement I'd say. When you go from 15xx to the 16xx in the same setup, it's like you go from "this is great!" to "ahhh.." ;)

The presentation has more air, the resolution is slightly better, and it all sounds so natural and real. The relaxed sound you mention, I've never heard it better than this. Plenty of slam too, when the music allows.

Honestly, the differences are not huge, but then again they are. Sorry for being vague, but it's difficult to describe.

See, when you listen to the 15xx setup, it's not as if you're missing something. They are truly great, make no mistakes about that. But, when you move up to the 16xx, you realize that there were in fact something missing before. Something holding the music back. Hard to put the finger on it, but it's clear as day when you do the A/B.

This might differ in mixed setups - I've only listened to them in an all-MBL chain. Which is absolutely recommended too, the MBL synergy is huge.

I'm sorry, I'm not sure if I've actually helped you here. I find it hard to talk about the sound of MBL gear because there's not much to describe. All their gear is very coherent, and the differences are various grades of refinement and resolution. I think what you need to do is to arrange for an audition, and hear for yourself what I'm struggling to describe. :)

Jackaroe, without doubt the 1621A/1611E that you had before is better than the latest 15xx duo. Sounds to me like you're missing that old Reference sound.. If possible where you're at, try borrowing 1621A/1611F and see what happens! And yes, you're correct - the 1621A has the Philips CDPro 2M transport, whereas the 1521 uses the cheaper Philips transport. The 1621 is also a much sturdier construction overall.

Also, I've heard the 9008's quite extensively, and personally don't think they're as agile as my small 8011AM's (much newer model too). Not sure if the 8011's would be enough for the big 101E's though, but go ahead and try if you want to. Fantastic amps, I tell you. :)

The 9007's are also of a newer design, and although I haven't heard them much, I would suspect they'll beat the 9008's. If you have a dealer nearby, perhaps you can borrow a 9007 and check for yourself? By the way, all models work much better as monos, the stereo switch is quite a compromise and shouldn't be used too seriously.

I totally agree with your feelings for the 6010D. To my ears, that's where most of the "magic" is in an all-MBL setup. It is indeed much better than the 5011.

Feel free to email me if you want and we can continue privately. :)