Burmester 077 Preamplifier

The Burmester 077 is the compact preamplifier of the Reference Line — the 808 family's fully balanced X-Amp dual-mono topology, delivered in a chassis whose scale suits a wider range of rooms and racks. It answers a real question in Reference Line system design: how to keep the control stage at full Reference standard when the 808 MK5's physical presence would dominate the installation.

The essentials are uncompromised. X-Amp gain stages, fully balanced from input to output. Dual-mono construction, so each channel's signal path stands independent of the other. Frequency response from DC to 300 kHz — the bandwidth discipline that guarantees phase integrity through the audible band rather than merely extending response no one hears. The 077 is not a diffusion-line product wearing Reference badging; it is Reference Line engineering at a different physical scale.

Its position in the range is precise. Above it, the 808 MK5 remains the historic statement platform. Alongside it, the 249 is the modern full-scale control stage engineered around the current amplifiers. Below the Reference Line, the Top Line 088 offers balanced dual-mono architecture with optional DAC and phono modules at a different tier. The 077 is for the system builder who wants Reference Line control-stage performance and has decided the room — not the rack — should be the loudest thing about the installation.

Partnered with a 259, 218, or 909 MK5, and fed by a 111 Musiccenter, an 069, or the analog chain of a 175 with the 100 phono stage, the 077 completes a Reference system at any scale. Hear the Reference preamplifier family side by side in Scottsdale — walk in during business hours or book ahead.