[Deni]

Riecenly I bought Burson Conductor SL 9018 and found some strange issues with it:
1. It has a low but constant buzz sound. I tried it in several AC environments with proper grounded outles not connected to anything (so no ground loops then). I tried to plug it without grounded contact - buzz sound remaind and got even louder.
2. Volume bleed with volume knob set to zero and gain set to low. Of course when I set gain level to high bleeding get worse.
 
Headphones I used to check it are low impedance (less then 100 Ohms): Sennheiser HD 280, several AudioTechnica (ATH-T500 and ATH-W1000X)   
Did anyone has this kind of issues?
 
English is not my native so sorry for any mistakes.

 

[cdsa35000]

It's common USB/PC groundloop. You'll need to cut the shielding at one side in the USB cable.
Because the shielding of the USB cable is also connected to PC Ground and together with USB Pin4 Ground is forming 2x grounds=groundloop!
With one side ground/earth connected shielding is still intact without groundloop.
Dont cut USB pin4 black groundwire, this with pin1=+5V redwire is powersupply to USB DAC.

http://www.theworshipguitarist.com/blog/theworshipguitarist-experience/usb-ground-loop-noise-eliminated/

m0jo
View December 12, 2010

I tried this, at first the usb device (a Digitech GSP1101) wasn’t recognised and didn’t see the USB connection.

It turns out that you have to leave the black wire connected!
For me the hum wen’t away with just the outer shielding cut away and the black wire still there..

This could have something to do with the fact that at the ports, the pins are connected to the circuit board, and the shield is connected to the casing.
Ultimately the board and case lead to the same ground, but apparently not perfectly..

So, try it with just the shielding cut first, you can always still cut the black wire if it doesn’t work.

 

[Deni]

Nothing is connected to Burson except headphones.

 

[cdsa35000]

You dont use USB Cable between PC and DAC?

Contact the seller, maybe it is defect?

And you need connect to a sound source as S/N is only 96dB so some noise can be normal.

 

[Blackerlam]

I have got a problem for the 9018 too. I use macbook pro. I connected the mac with usb to the burson HA - 160D SL. Put the power on. And so I started the player to play music from my iTunes. The sound is very find at the beginning. But after about 10 to 20 sec, the sound is twisted (wowuouowowaawa) and becoming some broken sound (pazzbzzzpaoabzz). Sound like broken radio sound and becoming no sound at all. Restart won't help. Can anyone help me out?
Thanks.