Burson Soloist 3X Performance

[pimy]

Headphone Amp / Pre Amp: https://www.bursonaudio.com/products/soloist-3x-performance/

Audiophonics: https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/sedentary-headphone-amplifier/burson-audio-soloist-3x-performance-headphone-amplifier-preamplifier-balanced-class-a-p-14952.html

 

[Doodski]

I've admired the layout and look of the Burson Audio stuff for years. This new stuff is out of bounds. I wish @amirm could get one in for test. Really curious to see how it would do.

 

[Mnyb]

A tingling sensation in my "audiophile sense"(TM) "upgradable op-amps" ? uh-oh .

Cant you just not design the thing correctly to begin with ? To make the op-amps swappable and have the general design such that it is possible to swap without problems is a compromise in itself ? is it not ?

Why not one fully optimized and thought out circuit for the application and your done ?

 

[Sam Spade]

A tingling sensation in my "audiophile sense"(TM) "upgradable op-amps" ? uh-oh .

Cant you just not design the thing correctly to begin with ? To make the op-amps swappable and have the general design such that it is possible to swap without problems is a compromise in itself ? is it not ?

Why not one fully optimized and thought out circuit for the application and your done ?

Well people swap tubes. So I suppose it is analogous to that. Also different systems/headphones have different sound signatures. Op amps are a way of tweaking that.

Burson was born from providing components like opamps to upgrade from lesser quality components. Once upon a time, over 10 years ago I modded a Marantz circa 1990 CD80 with burson opamps, a burson liw jitter digital clock and new caps.

So Burson have a range of opamps, it makes sense that it is easy to change them without a soldering iron, just plug and play.

Sparko make componentry upgrades too: https://sparkoslabs.com/shop/

At the moment I'm trying to work out how to fit Sparko Pro opamps into my burson conductor 3x reference with the lid on. I'm not as crazy as some though:

 

[Sam Spade]

At the moment I'm trying to work out how to fit Sparko Pro opamps into my burson conductor 3x reference with the lid on. I'm not as crazy as some though:

 

[Veri]

At the moment I'm trying to work out how to fit Sparko Pro opamps into my burson conductor 3x reference with the lid on. I'm not as crazy as some though: View attachment 113098



View attachment 113100View attachment 113101

Audiophile insanities none of that looks like a particularly good idea, haha..

 

[Sam Spade]

Audiophile insanities none of that looks like a particularly good idea, haha..

Hey Veri That's not a final solution

It's Proof of concept. Does it sound better enough to justify the effort in finding a viable fitting solution. I'm convinced it sounds better. Although I'm well aware that could just be placebo or volume matching. I am a serious cable sceptic. I sold top end hifi for a while and I'm skeptical about a lot of things in hifi.

I also have a Sparko Aries Head/pre amp that uses the spark pro op amps exclusively and it sounds outstanding.

And people have tried the Sparko dual discrete op amp https://sparkoslabs.com/product/dual-discrete-op-amp-ss3602/ and its size makes it a plug and play swap with the burson and have reported positively.

I just figured given the positive reports on sparkos normal dual op amps, well if I'm going to try sparko in my burson conductor try sparkos best and see.

I have no idea how to measure op amps performance or the equipment or skills to do it. or even if testing them stand alone would mean a lot. I guess you could test a burson product with different opamps and see.

I thought the digital music player with the op amps hanging off the back was pretty funny. And not a good idea My temporary burson mods look unwise too.

Cheers
Sam

 

[Veri]

I also have a Sparko Aries Head/pre amp that uses the spark pro op amps exclusively and it sounds outstanding.

Wonder about the performance of that thing

 

[Sam Spade]

Wonder about the performance of that thing

Hey @Veri , Well I'm not going to send it in from Australia to get it tested Actually, I have no idea where the ASR reviewers are located.

Firstly I should say that Alex and Dennis from Burson, Chris from Audeze and Andrew Sparks from Sparko are all great to deal with.

What I can say is that based on my listening, subjectively the Sparko Aries is as least as good as my Burson Conductor 3X ref driving my Audeze LCD4s and LCD xc. But that comparison so far has only been with 2 different DACs so the comparison is Burson conductor using its own internal DAC vs Sparko Aries with a Chord Qutest. So its not just a headamp comparison.

I might at some time get my act together and just compare the Amp stages. I could drive both the Aries and Conductor with the Chord Qutest (which is outstanding) and I think I can drive the Aries with the Burson Conductor DAC and compare it that way. I could also run both headamps with my Cambridge Audio 840C and my circa 1990 Marantz CD80, which was modded a decade ago with burson opamps, burson low jitter digital clock, new caps and a Philips TDA1541A S1 double crown d/a converter. Actually it might have been a Philips TDA1541A S2 double crown d/a converter.

The CA 840C has a fully balanced layout, twin Analog Devices AD1955 24 bit DACs, true balanced XLR outs, use of DSP processing to up-convert the signal to 24bit/384kHz. It extracts detail amazingly well and has a great soundstage. I've thought about modding it with Sparko and Burson components but hasn't happened yet. review here:
https://www.dagogo.com/cambridge-audio-azur-840c-cd-player-review/

Re comparison the problem is whenever I plug the headphones into either combination it sounds so good I just start giggling like a school kid and enjoy.

As an aside, the 30yo CD80 wipes the floor with most other players/dacs I have compared it with. Especially with simple acoustic music. And the error correction is astonishing, It played the worst scratched discs. The Marantz CD80 player and PM80 amp, which does 20 watts class A and is switchable to 100w class AB, is running a pair of Dynaudio Image 1s on the desk of my home office. The CD80/PM80 also have sensational headphone stages that runs my headphones well, even difficult loads like the LCD4s. This Marantz/dynaudio setup I got when I was selling HIFI part time when I was at Uni. Buy quality and it lasts.

The Conductor is fully balanced, and the Aries is single ended.

The Burson is sensational for music and AV, as both a headamp and preamp. Actually when I bought it the main reason was I had no headphone output in my main system and I thought I was just going to use it as a headamp and possibly DAC, and stick with my current preamp, a Musical Fidelity Nuvista, #176 of 500 made.

I never thought I'd upgrade the Nuvista, it could be the most beautiful thing I have owned in form and function. It sounds unbelievable and is the only piece of audio equipment I've ever had with valves. But the Burson is better to my ears so I'll be selling the Nuvista.
Subjective reviews here https://hometheaterreview.com/musical-fidelity-nu-vista-preamp-reviewed/
and here http://www.audioreview.com/product/...s is better than,the lack of balanced outputs

Regarding the Aries, this review combines subjective thoughts and objective measurements:
https://soundnews.net/amplifiers/headphone-amps/sparkos-labs-aries-review/

Even if the Aries came up better in a listening test It will stay in my home office. It doesn't have a remote, Bluetooth, wifi etc. Which doesn't matter on my desk, but would be a pain in my main system.

 

[Sam Spade]

Oh and there is a short thread on the Aries https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/sparkos-aries.15516/

 

[Sam Spade]

And some more:
https://darko.audio/2020/10/moving-upfield-sparkos-labs-aries/
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sparkos-aries-headphone-amp.945912/

 

[pimy]

Burson Soloist 3X Review - A Heavy Lifter

https://soundnews.net/amplifiers/headphone-amps/burson-soloist-3x-review/

Certainly an excellent choice to power the most difficult headphones (Susvara, Abyss AB-1266 ...)

 

[Sam Spade]

Burson Soloist 3X Review - A Heavy Lifter

https://soundnews.net/amplifiers/headphone-amps/burson-soloist-3x-review/

Certainly an excellent choice to power the most difficult headphones (Susvara, Abyss AB-1266 ...)

I have a conductor 3x in my main system https://soundnews.net/amplifiers/headphone-amps/sparkos-labs-aries-review/

and a Sparko Aries + Chord Qutest in my home office. https://soundnews.net/amplifiers/headphone-amps/sparkos-labs-aries-review/

I feel like I'm missing out a bit not having a soloist. But that's greedy Isn't it?

 

[Inkey31]

I have a conductor 3x in my main system https://soundnews.net/amplifiers/headphone-amps/sparkos-labs-aries-review/

and a Sparko Aries + Chord Qutest in my home office. https://soundnews.net/amplifiers/headphone-amps/sparkos-labs-aries-review/

I feel like I'm missing out a bit not having a soloist. But that's greedy Isn't it?

While he seems like a nice guy and all, I could deal with his reviews being objective, but he turned around and started saying the Susvara shuts off his headphone amps, I was like what....? Like when he plays heavy bass music the AMP just shuts off becasue its drawing to much power, that is complete BS, or he has very bad power in his house.

The Susvara more likely than not is using .5W or 1W of power to get to normal listening levels.

 

[Sam Spade]

Yeah im all for objective measurements but music is an emotional experience so it's interesting to hear what they percieve.

And the objectivists dont exactly do a great job of linking the measuments to perception and emotional response. So it's not always easy to work out what the objective measurements mean to listening experience. Although the psychoacoustic research is probably pretty thin. Althougn some things like SNR are obvious.

But there are plenty of reviewers out there who dont understand electrical or acoustic science and technology.

I like @amirm and his approach he measures but he's a trained listener. He has a balanced and pragmatic approach.

 

[Inkey31]

Yeah im all for objective measurements but music is an emotional experience so it's interesting to hear what they percieve.

And the objectivists dont exactly do a great job of linking the measuments to perception and emotional response. So it's not always easy to work out what the objective measurements mean to listening experience. Although the psychoacoustic research is probably pretty thin. Althougn some things like SNR are obvious.

But there are plenty of reviewers out there who dont understand electrical or acoustic science and technology.

I like @amirm and his approach he measures but he's a trained listener. He has a balanced and pragmatic approach.

Here is what cracked me up, I was on my other form where they are all about "everything has a sound man" they think more expensive = better sound. I think its partly true to a point.

So, they were like yea the "ESS chips back in the day had a glare to them, I didn't like them at all." LOL that's the ESS hump Amir always talks about that you are hearing, it can be pointed to in a graph, the same graph they say means nothing for real music.

Why its funny is because they would always yell at me for bringing up this form. It's like face palm. I think what it is, is that people have built these amps that cost a lot to make because they made them in their garage, turn around and sell them at a massive markup, and now you have places like this who measure this gear and go.... yea its bunk. It tossed a wrench in their apple cart. They can no longer be like, we built it on a full moon and now the soundstage and detail is wider.

 

[Red@]

Hello guys,
Did you come across mesurments for the burson 3x performance ? Read very good thing (hearing tests).
I layed my eyes on it, but I am yet to push myself to click on buy.
Any feedbacks inthat regard ?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Inkey31]

Hello guys,
Did you come across mesurments for the burson 3x performance ? Read very good thing (hearing tests).
I layed my eyes on it, but I am yet to push myself to click on buy.
Any feedbacks inthat regard ?

Thank you in advance.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/burson-soloist-3x-performance.24591/

 

[Red@]

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/burson-soloist-3x-performance.24591/

Already read this review, very few data. Data hard to read in my opinion.

 

[Sam Spade]

Hello guys,
Did you come across mesurments for the burson 3x performance ? Read very good thing (hearing tests).
I layed my eyes on it, but I am yet to push myself to click on buy.
Any feedbacks inthat regard ?

Thank you in advance.

I've got a composer 3x reference. It's sensational. My chord qutest and sparko aries combo is just a little better. But no remotes. Composer has more power but both drive LCD4 just fine.