Burson Conductor 3 Reference

Burson Audio Conductor 3 Reference Review:

Over the past few years I've been afflicted with the op amp rolling bug. Similar to tube rolling, you can alter the sound of an amplifier by changing its op amps. The pursuit of the best sound (for me) led me to try 44 different op amps in the XDuoo XD-05+ portable amplifier until I found "the one". The winner in that setup was the Burson V6 Vivid, as it had the most engaging, detailed, and realistic sound of all the op amps I tried. After hearing how good the V6 Vivid was I started looking at higher end Burson amplifiers to see how far they could push that V6 sound. This led me to the Burson Conductor 3 Reference (C3R) which includes 4 V6 Vivid op amps inside.

The Conductor 3 Reference is Burson's flagship all in one DAC, Headphone amp, and preamp. There's two variants, the single ended Conductor 3 Reference (C3R) and the balanced 3X Reference. For my purposes I chose the single ended version as I wanted to use all of my headphones to their max potential (including those that are SE only). I also like the practicality of using one high end headphone cable across all sources instead of having to swap cables every time I want to use a different device. Now that I've spent a lot of time with the C3R, below is my review. Specs and is well documented in other reviews, so as usual I'll just be focusing on features, usability, & sound.




A quick note about my sound preferences so you know what I'm looking for in a headphone amp. My ideal sound is one that is completely clear but never bright, maximum sound stage, most detail possible, most separation possible, hard hitting textured sub bass, natural sounding instruments, and natural impact on every note. No soft or laid back listening here. I want everything to sound natural and engaging with maximum spatial cues all around.

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Unique or Special Features:
Most amplifiers have similar inputs, specs, and features. So instead of listing out all the C3R can do, I'm only going to focus on what is different or mostly unique. After all, there's a lot of amplifier choices out there, so what matters most will be what an amplifier does different from the rest:

7.5W of single ended output power at 16 Ohm (5W at 32 Ohm). Most amplifiers only output large amounts of power in balanced mode, so it's a bit rare to see this amount of power in a single ended setup. With this much power you know for sure your headphones are going to be driven to their max potential.

Remote Control: Yes, a lot of amplifiers do have remote functionality, but a surprising amount of amplifiers do not. This is absolutely critical if you are planning on using a headphone amplifier in a home theatre setup.

Swappable op amps to fine tune the sound to your liking. I can't stress how big this is, as it changes the potential of the amplifier quite a bit. When buying a high end solid state amplifier you research as much as possible, reading reviews to get an idea of how it will sound. You make the purchase, burn the amplifier in, then find that the sound is close but not quite what you had hoped for. You've then got the dilemma of whether to send it back and try a different amp, or hopefully get used to the sound over time. An even worse scenario is if after enjoying the amplifier for a year or two you simply decide it's time for a different sound. Being able to change the op amps fixes all of these issues as you can alter the sound as your tastes change. As long as the base unit has a very good DAC implementation and enough clean power delivery, you can change the tone, sound stage, and overall presentation to fit your tastes at any given moment.

Microphone input: I personally don't have a use case for this feature, but I'm sure there are others out there that will benefit from this. Quite interesting to see in a high end product.

Two headphone outputs: This may sound odd, but this is wonderful for comparing headphones, cables, and also a perfect Y splitter for two individuals who want to watch a late night movie without disturbing others.

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Usability:

The C3R is easy to use, but does have a few odd quirks here and there. No deal breakers, just the experience isn't as smooth as it could be in some spots. In the end it's easy to ignore any issues since they are minor and brief

• Digital Volume: The volume is digital, and the volume steps are very small. It's very easy to get to your exact desired listening level.

• Numerical OLED Display: The volume is displayed numerically, and is saved when you turn off the unit. Thanks to this it's easy to get right back to your exact desired listening level. At all times the display will show you the volume, input, output, and bitrate. The system does not let you turn off the screen, but you can set it to low brightness. Low brightness is just right for me in both light and dark environments. The display is clear and easy to read from a distance.

• Smooth Scrolling Overly Sensitive Volume Knob: The volume knob is a bit too sensitive in the way it registers changes. Not that it changes the volume too fast, just that the slightest of movement will register as volume up or down. It's so sensitive that as you are turning the volume up the system will occasionally register the stopping movement as turning the volume down. So you will be turning the volume up and occasionally see it go down by one step in the process. Since the volume doesn't change too rapidly this isn't a big deal, just not ideal. The knob feels good, turns smooth, and is not too finicky with the sensitivity issue. Overall it's easy to fine tune your volume.

• Front Buttons: The buttons under the front display are input, output, settings, and display orientation. Gain is hidden in the settings menu. In my opinion the orientation button would have been better as a gain instead. To change gain you click on the settings button, press in on the wheel to select gain (luckily it's the first option), spin the wheel, and click the wheel in again. Not bad, but having gain as a button with an automatic decrease to zero volume on button press would be ideal.

• Remote Functionality: The remote case is solid metal and fairly small. It's just a bit bigger than your index finger (yes, we are all different but it gives you an approximation). It looks and feels fairly high end, but in actual use it is a bit unrefined. The remote buttons are a bit wobbly, click hard, and have a tendency to occasionally get stuck on the remote casing. It works though, no complaints with the effectiveness of it. The C3R responds swiftly and easily to any remote commands as you would expect in an IR remote (line of sight required). I used the stock remote to teach another universal remote the commands, and with that setup I have absolutely zero complaints. As for what the remote can do, it allows you to cycle the input, volume up, volume down, and mute. You cannot turn the unit on or off via the remote control, which isn't a big issue as you will likely be inserting or removing your headphones at the start and end anyways. In my experience most other amps with remotes don't seem to allow on/off either, so the remote setup here is fairly typical. Still, in a perfect world I'd like to control more via the remote (On/Off, gain, and specific inputs instead of an input cycle). Overall the basics are covered and they work well. I do love this as a feature as it can make or break some system setups.

• Low Gain: Low gain is great for everything. My sensitive headphones (115db per 1mW @ 32 ohms) reach my desired listening level (about 75dB) at volume 10 of 99. Moderately sensitive headphones (94dB per 1mW @ 32 ohms) are perfect at about 20/99. Demanding headphones such as the Hifiman Arya reach a good sound level around 60-80 depending on the source. Compared to high gain, low gain offers maximum detail and separation but at the trade-off of having the presentation sound leaner. For my sound preferences I prefer low gain.

• High Gain: High gain is a drastic change. The system doesn't reduce the volume level to zero when you change the gain, so if you go from low to high you will really want to turn the volume down to protect your headphones and hearing. High gain without an attenuator can really only be used by demanding headphones. On my moderately sensitive headphones volume level 0 is completely muted, and volume 1 is 80+ decibels loud. On the Hifiman Arya's a comfortable listening level is achieved at about 20-30. There's a lot of room left to spare on high gain; the C3R truly has a massive amount of power. For those that want to use high gain on their sensitive headphones, you can use an attenuator like the ifi ear buddy. When I tested my moderately sensitive headphones with the ifi ear buddy I reached a comfortable listening level at about volume 30. Compared to low gain, high gain trades out some detail and separation in favor of a much richer fuller bodied sound.

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Sound Impressions:

The sound of the C3R is heavily influenced by the installed op amps, so I'm going to be listing out the sound for each of the best op amp combinations that I've tried. Before getting to that I want to go over the general capabilities of the C3R, the baseline sound that is heard across all of the op amps. In short, the C3R offers hyper detail, layering, separation, stage, and really everything else you could ever want as an end game product. The DAC implementation is excellent, as the details you hear are beyond what is typically heard in this price range. The only criticism I can give here is that there is a faint audible background hiss with sensitive or moderately sensitive headphones when no sound is playing. This means that there will never be a completely true black background, but instead there's always a little hint of perceived warmth in the sound. Otherwise, the C3R is truly end game capable in all aspects. Any shortcomings or issues in one op amp setup is corrected with a different setup, so really the end sound is whatever you want it to be. All that said, let’s talk about different op amp combinations starting with the stock setup.

*Stock* V6 Vivid in both the LP and I/V stages:
The overall tone is warmer than neutral, definitely colored to noticeable degree. Added warmth will typically reduce detail, but in this case the detail isn't reduced at all. The micro detail is so good that when you hear someone play the flute you can hear the sound pressure being pushed into the flute as it's played. Every shift in tone of instrument is portrayed vividly with great dynamic range and impact. There's no flatness; when you hear an instrument play you can hear subtle dynamics that typically only exist in an actual live performance. There's zero compression, so every note is exactly as full and wide as it should be. General detail, layering, separation, dynamics, and timbre are all spectacular, reaching a point where I personally wouldn’t look for further improvements. The sound stage is top tier as well, with the borders disappearing as music is played. Notes just go wherever they are supposed to go, including full spatial effects of hearing noises behind and above you. The only area that isn't near perfection is a slight lack of sub bass texture. The stock configuration seems to emphasize mid bass over sub bass reducing the sub bass detail a bit in the process.

When the overall sound is 'correct', nothing really to fix, the next question is how is that sound presented? The V6 vivids have a fairly close presentation. Vocals are typically presented right in front of you. The sound stage seems as wide, deep, and tall as it should be, just you will just typically notice sounds being close to you unless if they are intended to be farther away in the recording. In my opinion this is the best type of presentation as it increases how engaging the sound is. When sounds are further away by default, you get an increased airyness but with a more laid back sound, closer to background music. It's easier to get into the music when the presentation is closer and more vivid.

In summary, the Stock C3R setup is an end game for someone who likes a warm sound signature, a close presentation, and an emphasis in dynamics on each note. I'm an individual who really likes a crystal clear sound, but even then I really like the stock sound. I was tempted to leave the C3R as-is without trying any other op amp configurations, but as always with this hobby the pursuit of 'perfect' pushed me to try a few different op amps. My end goal was to find the exact stock sound just with the warmth removed.

Sparkos SS3601 (Singles) and SS3602 (Duals):
Seeing that the Sparkos op amps are supposed to be clearer and brighter than the V6's, this was the first combination I tried. The main difference here is that the warmness of the V6 Vivids is completely removed to just a hint brighter than neutral, and all sounds are presented further away. This changes the presentation from a close immersive experience to more of a 'listening to music in front of you' experience. Another way of putting it is that the stock configuration is like listening to a band play in a small studio setup, whereas the Sparkos setup is like listening to a band play in a large concert hall. Both setups have the sounds in the correct placement, with correct separation between them, just they are presented almost with different acoustics. One other smaller difference is that the V6 Vivids have a little more impact on every note, and the Sparkos clear up any issues with the V6 Vivid bass. Otherwise the general sound (details, separation, etc..) is comparable and with that is excellent. Personally I like the clearer sound of this configuration with the increased sub bass texture, but I miss the close presentation and note impact of the V6 Vivids. This is end game perfection for someone who wants their amplifier to put out a bright clear sound where the presentation is pushed out a little bit. This would be perfect to pair with headphones that are a bit warmer than neutral that also have a close presentation.

Burson V6 Classic (Singles) and V6 Vivids (Duals):
This adds a little more warmth to the stock configuration, pulls the sound even closer to you (you are now IN the sound), adds more micro detail to each note, and fixes all bass issues compared to stock. In terms of hearing individual instruments play this is my favorite combination. Each note becomes quite beautiful in the way it's presented. Another way of putting this is that often in music you are waiting for that chorus line, or a specific series of notes to make you really enjoy the music. With this setup every basic note becomes that immersive and enjoyable experience. What you lose in this setup is some stage depth, especially behind you, and a little separation due to the warmth. The sound is a little more two dimensional versus the stock setup. I'd say this is end game perfection for someone who wants a warm rich presentation where the priority is on instrument reproduction.

Burson V6 Vivid (Singles) and Sparkos SS3602 (Duals):
The strengths of the V6 Vivid mixed with the strengths of the Sparkos, but with emphasis on the Sparkos presentation. Presentation is pushed out a bit, tone goes to neutral if not just the slightest hint brighter than neutral. The sound is clear, and the details just swirl around you as a full 3D experience on headphones that are capable of it. End game for someone who wants a clear sound, maximum perceived detail, maximum spatial cues, and likes their presentation to be pushed out a bit.

Burson V6 Classic (Singles) and Sparkos SS3602 (Duals):
Presentation is very close (again, you are IN the sound thanks to the V6 classics), tone is warm, bass is fully textured, and instrument reproduction goes to the next level. Only problem is that the weakness of the V6 classics is still present. There's a lack of depth in the sound stage, and the warmth isn't quite ideal if you are looking for a clear presentation. End game sound for someone looking for a warm experience focusing on instrument reproduction, but where they want a little bit of warmth removed from the V6 Vivid + V6 Classic setup.

Sparkos SS3601 (Singles) and Burson V6 Vivid (Duals)
Again the strengths of the V6 Vivid mixed with the strengths of the Sparkos, but this time with an emphasis on V6 Vivid presentation. Tone is absolutely neutral and clear without being bright or harsh. Notes are placed fairly close to you, not as close as the full V6 Vivid setup, but close enough that the sound is still plenty engaging. Notes get the full warm texture of the V6 Vivids while being clear and precise from the Sparkos. Overall this is just about the best of all worlds to me. If I could further perfect this sound I would add the instrument reproduction of the V6 classic and pull the sound in just a bit more, but otherwise this sound is pretty close to ideal for my tastes. This is the op amp combination that I’m sticking with, and recommendation for someone who wants a sound that is clear, not bright, ultra-detailed, layered, with a fairly close presentation.

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Sound Comparisons around the same price range (Stock C3R)

Questyle CMA Twelve:
The CMA Twelve is a fairly typical "AK" DAC sound presentation done very well. Compared to the C3R, the CMA Twelve pushes out the sound just a bit leading to more laid back listening experience. Detail and separation is close, with the C3R having a slight amount more. Sound stage is presented a little differently where the CMA Twelve is wide to the sides and pushed out in front like a half circle. The C3R stage limit just kind of disappears as the sounds go all around you, seeming to just go wherever they need to go. In terms of tone the CMA Twelve is flat neutral and very full sounding, whereas the C3R is on the warm side with a little less body to each note in low gain. Another difference is that the C3R doesn't feel limited in any way, whereas the CMA Twelve could use just a hint more power for demanding headphones. I wouldn't say that the either amp is technically better than another here, both are plenty capable offering differing flavors of an end game sound. All AK449X DAC's I've tried all have the same general sound, and the CMA Twelve is more of the same in that regard. So if your ideal sound is that AK house sound, then the CMA Twelve could be that ideal amplifier for you. Otherwise the C3R offers more detail, more power, a different presentation, and the ability to fine tune the sound to your tastes.

Cyrus One HD:
Tone wise both are surprisingly similar with the Cyrus being less clear compared to the C3R. The presentation on the Cyrus is pushed a little forward and up on the Cyrus which leads to a more diffused and less impactful sound. The sounds being pushed out also leads to the impression of a sound stage that is less wide on the Cyrus, as lateral sounds are pushed a bit forward instead of to the sides. Details are clearly better on the Burson, whereas the bass is moderately better textured and impactful on the Cyrus. Presentations aside, the C3R feels like a clear step up from the Cyrus One HD, which says a lot as the Cyrus One HD is a wonderful listening experience as-is.

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Closing Notes:

The Conductor 3 Reference has several unique things going for it, whether it’s the immense single ended output power, two headphone ports, or swappable op amps. The stock sound is warm, detailed, and has an engaging close presentation. The sound is excellent as-is, but if you decide to change the op amps then there are plenty of different end game flavors that you can try until you find your ideal sound. With this headphone amp I am retiring from the never ending upgrade-itis, as I’m finally at a sound where my mind can relax and enjoy the music instead of nitpicking that something isn't quite right. With the C3R I don’t feel the need to find something ‘better’, or improve any aspect to make the sound complete. The Conductor 3 Reference is my recommendation as an end game solid state headphone amp.

Burson Conductor 3XP ($1344): Burson just keeps producing winners



Conductor 3XP

Having reviewed the Play, Bang and Fun along with various OpAmps from Burson when the opportunity came through as tour to review a ware of the Conductor variety, I jumped. And if it was anything like the other fine wares of Burson, it would not only be a treat but worth a good long listen. From what I had read of the others in the line, the reviews were good, very good. And upon my initial listen, I can concur with those findings. Read on for the in-depth report.

I thank @Barra for the tour, and @Burson for the use and review of their product. The sample will be sent to the next reviewer after my time. I have not monetary gain from this, and I spent a total of approximately 100 hours of listening through the devices listed below.


Specs:




In the box: see above

Gear used/compared:

XDuoo TA-30
iFi Pro iDSD

MacBook Pro
Shanling M6 Pro
XDuoo X10T ii

ZMF Eikon
Audeze LCD3
Verum Audio Verum 1
Empire Ears Legend X
Mr. Speakers Aeon Flow Closed



Songs:

Dave Matthews-Come Tomorrow, Away From The World
Big Head Todd & The Monsters-Beautiful World, Midnight Radio
twenty one pilots-Blurryface, Trench, Regional at Best
Van Morrison-Three Chords & The Truth
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Ziggy Marley
Damien Marley
Bob Marley
Santana
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Whatever my fancy of the moment


Unboxing:

It’s a Burson, its packed and protected well, and it has what you need: The Conductor, a remote, the power cord. What more do you want? Or need? Use your own cables.



Construction/Build/Connections:

The Burson as per other models has a small footprint, which belies what goodies lie inside. What is different is that this is not your typical black box. No, this one is styled to showcase your desk at work, your workstation, or your listening area. With a multitude of connecting options, the Conductor would and does fit well pretty much everywhere.

In place of the typical aluminum black box, the case is replaced with what Burson calls the “Cool Case.” The whole case of electroplated space gray colored aluminum acts as a unified heat sink for the pure Class-A amplifier. Not really a novel idea, as this has been used for pretty much decades on high-end stereo amplifiers. But here, it not only looks good, but serves a purpose. Substance and style formed together to make a worthy desktop addition.

As per the Burson line-up, changing OpAmps is not only acceptable, but easy and is done in under five minutes just like the others. Burson now carries not only their OpAmps on the company website, but worthy options from other manufacturers can be purchased right next to the fine Burson ones. It’s kind of like having a tube amp from a manufacturer and getting various options of tubes as well. Or going to the Kit Kat factory and having a Reese’s Peanut butter Cup for sale right next to it. A cool idea, and it works.



Other inside notables are that this would be considered the “competition” version of the range, as opposed to the luxury version (the 3XR). Think of a stripped SCCA Miata versus the one “with the works” and you get the point. But as with the Miata examples, the main components, the ones that matter, are still there: power, control and a good amount of connectivity. Just not every version in the book, unlike the 3XR and the iFi Pro iDSD. In thinking and analyzing that, I’m OK with that because it worked with what I wanted, and it worked as well or better than some here. More connectivity is a good thing, but not if “it adds weight.”

This is probably the best sounding version of a SABRE chip I have heard as well. The 3XP uses the SABRE32/ESS9038Q2M DAC and XMOS USB receiver chips with a customized USB driver by Thesycon in Germany to ensure low latency bit-perfect audio playback. It just works, and it sounds fabulous from the off. Variations from the 3XR include a different power source (which the more I get into this makes a big difference in how the power is delivered to the amplifier end, just ask anyone on the tube side of things...), no analog inputs and a bit less power. But just like the stripped SCCA Miata, it does not seem to matter. Anything I listened to through the 3XP sounded good, without sounding underpowered in the least. I expected this, and it came to fruition time and time again. Starting along with the Vivid OpAmps, the 3XP lacked only those extra inputs, which come on the 3XR. As listed below though, it still had plenty and runs BT aptx HD, which is as good as it currently gets. Alas, no MQA is had within the confines of the 3XP. But, in my opinion that should not necessarily discount the purchase of said unit, for the sound will indeed make up for it in other ways.


The 3XP is built exceptionally well, as one would hope for the price and level and I saw no flaws. It is also a good-looking unit, with the aesthetics working well together. On the front, you have the small on/off button furthest left. A bit small for my tastes, it worked, nonetheless. Next to that is an XLR connection, which I personally was looking forward to using. Starboard of that you have the 6.3se and 3.5se jacks. Then a reasonably large LED display, which gives a decent look at the sub-menus changeable from the volume knob with a push.

The owner uses the small button on the far right to access the menus, and by pushing the volume button, the “active” sub menu can be changed by then using the volume button like you would raise or lower the volume. Not entirely intuitive, but once through my fumbling, I was able to change filters, input and other options easily. The back contains the connections and is easy to decipher. This is a good-looking, workable unit.



Sound:

I will mesh sources and headphones throughout this section, as I feel the freedom of listening outweighs the efficiency of organizing what I used and on what source.

Starting with the MacBook Pro & ZMF Eikon, I was immediately impressed with the clarity and rich nature of the sound. I will note that the unit arrived with the volume set at “1,” and Bill recommended I start it there, especially with sensitive IEM’s. Since I started with harder to drive headphones, I settled on about 15, raising it to 20-25 for some hard-working songs as I jammed. Not having MQA on Tidal was a bit of a letdown, but no matter; the sound was superb.

Sometimes things such as “balanced” or “MQA” might seem to sway people with “better” sound, but the 3XP seems not to care about fancy words (except balanced). For you see it just plays. Throw on a different filter for an effective change in tonality and it works. Automatically reading the recording frequency (as most do...), it just plays. Richness exudes from pretty much any song played through the combination. Nicely detailed as well, the mids do sing a nice song. And to top that off, the treble has a pleasant sound without being overwhelming or grating. Not really sparkly either, it satisfies these ears just right. I do not feel cut off or of any hiding up top either. Again, the overall signature emits a wonderful synergy that if one were to be truly picky and pick apart might be different.

But the 3XP must (and should) be taken as a whole entity. Too often of late a source may sound fabulous at some level, or individual tones, but fail to sway at the overall picture part. Here thankfully, the 3XP promotes, provides and permeates a full-on richness of signature that is detailed, crisp and has a certain cleanliness that not many can match.

Bumping the volume to 40, I relish the sound from Feynman in 1-800MYLOVE. The artificial trap set, and vocals are healthy and vibrant up top without being strident. The piano-chords hold the mids as the clapping comes in, and the bass drum and bass hold the bottom together without being boomy or loose. There is a tightness to this song anyway due to the instruments of choice, but the detailed piano chords lend a naturalness (even if artificial) to an otherwise artificially produced song.

Soundstage is about as even a box as I have heard of late. Not huge, but certainly not minuscule either, the width is about ideal for the songs played. As is height and depth. A bit taller than deep, I do wish for a bit more depth with this setup. Then Air comes on and all is pretty much well. Recorded to be more forward and higher of reach it does make me reach for the volume, lowering it 6 slots to 34. Still magnificent of presentation, the 3XP is growing well on me.



Moving to the LCD3 next, I found the song a bit brighter. More of a mid-centric than the Eikon, it did take a bit of time to adjust. Until the bass hit. The Audeze bass is near-legendary in the planar world, and the 3XP was glad to oblige and aid in repping it well. Almost a bit too forward before adjusting to the sound, the LCD3 quickly became one of my favorites on the Burson. I could see someone listening to this combo and realizing, “yep, I made a great purchase,” with regard to either the Burson or Audeze they fit together so well. The mids do seem a bit too elevated here, but it could just as well be the song. Due to circumstances, I did not accumulate nearly the same amount of time listening to this pairing as the Eikon (family and not wanting to intrude...). But I did have two full evenings of listening to verify what I heard. This is a magnificent duo. Repeatedly listening to Billie Eilish’s wish you were gay, I found her voice intoxicating and coming from a spot inside my head, which was all but sensual. The bass kicking in made the song go over the top in the best possible way, and her verbiage of words made for a satirically sad song all at once. She is such a hugely talented artist, that even after listening to many of her songs over and over, I still feel that I do not understand her enough to warrant decent conversation. She is phenomenal.

Switching to the more familiar to me Implicit Demand For Truth, I stopped writing, kicked the volume up, grabbed my Logboat Brewing Bobber Missouri Lager and listened. A cacophony of sound emits at the 1:35 point, which could be troublesome for many sources (it is complicated by nature), but the 3XP just plays. Discerning small differences does not matter, for the complicated song is meant to be enjoyed as a cacophony of calcitrant concentration. I stopped again.

Switching to the Shanling M6 Pro via BT, the sound noticeably dropped. One would expect that to happen due to BT limitations, but I can happily report that gap continues to shrink. I did note some drop out in the sound as well. If this were to be used as a desktop setup with a dedicated DAP, I would add the correct connectivity to accommodate what should be a wonderful addition to the sound stream.



Comparisons:

Burson Conductor 3XP ($1344) vs XDuoo TA-30 ($799):

After hearing @Wiljen ‘s TA30, I arranged for my own from Linsoul at a reduced price in exchange for a forthcoming review. Needless to say, the TA30 is a fabulous unit with the ability to change tubes at a moment’s notice. That is the fun of having a tube amp, besides the sound of course.

There is a level of detail, which accompanies that tube-richness that is hard to beat in the TA30. It is such a fine amp at an “affordable” price that one would be silly not to look at it when trying to find a fantastic amp. I will admit that the mids are more forward than the 3XP, which can make the TA30 sound either too far in your face, or sound unnaturally “better” when comparing back-to-back. But when you listen, that overzealousness combines with the Mullard tubes up front to present a brilliant synergy.

Turning 1-800MYLOVE up, I relish the sound. Without the bass push of the 3XP, but the added rich layers make for an impressive sound. I do appreciate the mids more in the Burson, as they seem better held in control than the XDuoo. That could very well be down to the tubes used. While the Mullard’s are wonderful with a rich bass few tubes can provide, they do seem to push the mids a bit up and forward. Not that I mind, just different than the 3XP. Seriously, I’m quibbling over small bits of “error” between two fantastic amps. Listening to the XDuoo again makes me appreciate why I purchased it.

Where the Burson bests the XDuoo (and should, really) is in the cleanliness of sound. Playing Air over and over, I am amazed at the almost surgical quality of the sound. Think of the most precise drummer out there, technique-wise and that could very well be the Burson. Think of the XDuoo as the more fun-loving street drummer, who still has tons of precision in their repertoire. Just not on the level of the Burson.



Burson Conductor 3XP ($1344) vs iFi Pro iDSD ($2200ish):

The iFi is most likely the highest priced amp I will ever purchase. And for good reason. It has multi-connections like no one’s business, can be run as either a hybrid, full solid state or genuine tube, and can drive everything I have sent its way with aplomb. Not always the best match for some I have used with it, but that can be overlooked based upon what it DOES sound good with: the vast majority of my headphones and higher-tiered IEM’s, as well as the sources of which I prefer.

It is for that reason, after listening to it, I purchased the model sent for review. And I do not regret it. Deep reaching rich bass exudes from the sound chambers, but without being overly drippy or dank. There is no overriding tonality of cover here, just a warmth, which can be heard from a manufacturers TOTL, which happens to have that tubey sound of which I love as well.

Almost a more “delicate” sound is wrought from the iFi when comparing to the others, until you listen. That delicacy is detail. And detail of the near-highest order. This is an incredible amp with which to listen. Yes, it may seem to be full of gimmicks, but those are all necessary to wring the last amount of detail from a song. Don’t confuse politeness with shyness of quality. One need only turn the volume up to realize that the Pro can compete with the big boys and do so on their level.

That said, is it worth nearly twice the price? Well, that 2x price comes with more options than the 3XP has, along with a reference-level of sound, but on the warmer side. I still value and relish my listening through the iFi and it is just about the perfect complement to the XDuoo. Maybe, just maybe there is room for the Burson as well, due to the differing qualities of all three...



Conclusion:

It seems more and more often in today’s audio world, that more is better. More options, more power, more technology, more cost. Well to a certain degree that is correct. When one spends for premium gear, your expectations reach a certain zenith. A certain level above the “common gear.” That is not unfounded either. But here is the beauty of the Burson Conductor 3XP. It does cost a good penny or two, and in this day may seem unattainable. Or even frivolous. But one should still consider the 3XP, because when placed against similar items costing up too many times more, the 3XP simply goes about its business like the pure SCCA Miata mentioned above. It excels. It has the power. It has enough connectivity to make your system worth it. And, here to me is the best part; it has the sound to back all of that up. As stated above, this is the finest iteration of this SABRE chip of which mine ears have listened. This is one fine critter, even to these tired ears. And I would respectfully add that this is becoming a trademark (become?) of Burson products. Starting “years ago” with the Play and moving upscale, Burson has added that offense to the scheme, which should have the other manufacturers scrambling. This is not like the 1-year-spectacle known as the “Greatest Show On Turf,” no. This is more like the long-term excellence of the New England Patriots (love them or hate them you cannot deny their greatness, which pains me to say, and the simplicity of their dominance is something at which to marvel) or the newer breed of the Kansas City Chiefs (hopefully). Modifying one’s schema takes great courage, and perseverance to rear successfully. And here, is where Burson shares that characteristic with the Patriots and the Miata. Sometimes simple is better, and it works long term. The Burson Conductor 3XP is a patented picture of that perseverance and dedication to providing the end user (you and me) with the best they know how. And doing it in a fairly simple manner (which is most certainly not a knock on them, for it works), which is about as high a compliment as one can offer.



I thank Burson and @Barra for the opportunity to use as my own an extremely fine product. One in which had I the need, I would not hesitate.

BURSON AUDIO CONDUCTOR-3XP HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER
AUG 18 WRITTEN BY K. HEARTSONG for AUDIOKEY REVIEWS


A TRANSPARENT, MUSICAL, POWERFUL BEAST (IN A DIMINUTIVE PACKAGE)!

Burson Audio, based in Melbourne, Australia, has been in operation for nearly a quarter of a century. Burson prides itself on “quality build, thoughtful circuit design, value for money and elegant, engaging sound.” Additionally, Burson Audio espouses a low-key marketing paradigm which does not include advertising and relatively little actual marketing and PR. It is easy to understand the desire not to advertise, however, in a world with so very, very many audio/headgear choices, is this then not a zero-sum game for Burson Audio (relative to its many competitors)?

Case in point, the Burson Audio Conductor 3XP, which we now consider a very musical “killer of high-priced giants,” was almost virtually unknown, even among audiophiles and headfiers (via a non-scientific survey). Perhaps a rethink of the marketing campaign might well help to address this unfortunate dilemma.

Our time with the Burson Audio Conductor 3XP allowed us great insight into its voice, its power, and its ease of use. Its voice—musical, transparent, powerful, and yet delicate—as we have discovered fits very nicely into our “wheelhouse.” Its power finds it delivering six (6) watts into a 16 ohm, balanced load and three (3) watts into a single-ended load of the same impedance. There are few, if any, headphones that will not dance/sing to its dictates. And despite the fact that its instruction manual is, well, truly bereft of detailed instruction, we found that employing the Burson Audio Conductor 3XP was fairly intuitive and straightforward.

The Conductor 3XP is, by all means, a desktop solution, whether at home or at work. Of course, when allied to “open” headphone designs it becomes a decidedly at home, desktop solution.

REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review will be non-sequential, as it will start with how the headphones actually sound and not the process of physically “undressing” them and/or laying out their various parts, specifications, etc. Think of this review then, as a non-linear movie—Memento, Kill Bill, Arrival, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, etc—that, likewise, starts at the end and winds its way to the beginning.


THE SOUND

The Burson Audio Conductor 3XP embraces iOS, Android, Mac, and PC alike and to them it will deliver a powerful, yet delicate, musical, and transparent experience. For this review, I utilized the services of the Meze Empyrean, the oBravo EAMT-2C, and the FiiO FH5 to gauge the Conductor 3XP’s ability to both scale and to lift, respectively, products a great deal more expensive and products a great deal less expensive.

I listen now to Olafur Arnald’s Written in Stone (The Chopin Project, Mercury (Universal France)). A cello, violins enter and they are brooding and melancholy, the stage holographic. An electronic keyboard soon joins the mix and brings tone, timbre, and weight, that act as anchor. It is a slow-motion waltz, that is haunting, somber, beautiful. The Conductor 3XP, via this track, weaves an emotional pastiche of notes, weight, air, timbre, and tone, that appear to free the music from both headphones (Meze Empyrean) and the Conductor 3XP’s pleated, aluminum container. Perhaps it is the power of the Burson Audio Conductor 3XP and/or its transparency and/or its delicacy via the Meze Empyreans, that renders unfamiliar, that which is very familiar to me. Perhaps you too will begin the rediscovery of your media, as you engage the Burson Audio Conductor 3XP for your home, office, bedroom. I listen through Olafur Arnald’s “The Chopin Project” in its entirety, hooked on the music rendered via the Conductor 3XP. Natural and transparent are the words that remain center stage, as I listen to album after album with the Burson Audio Conductor 3XP.

The Conductor 3XP’s volumetric cube—its soundstage—is quite large. It is wide, though naturally so, deep, and with excellent height. Impressive. There is a profound unity/cohesion across its frequency range, that one remembers when forced to contemplate it. Otherwise it is simply there as the music plays and draws you in, naturally, transparently.

BASS

I listen now to Eiji Oue's Symphonic Dances, Op. 45 III Lento assai (Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances, Reference Recordings) a long, beautiful movement interwoven with transitions, complexities, dynamic swings, and the rumblings of thunderous bass notes. And they are all handled with aplomb via the Conductor 3XP. The Conductor 3XP places us, the listener, in the concert hall amid the music’s raw power and thunderous bass. Yet, it lays bare the sweet and delicate extension of strings and woodwinds, achieving a musicality and sophistication far beyond its price point. The Meze Empyrean is, of course, grateful for the power and is responding accordingly—sublimely. In sum, the bass of the Conductor 3XP is powerful and has great transparency, speed, musicality, and separation.

MIDRANGE

I return to Olafur Arnalds, but this time the song is Árbakkinn (Island Songs, Mercury (Universal France)). In this piece Icelandic poet—Einar Georg Einarsson—recites one of his poems in his native language. The Burson Audio Conductor 3XP brings a clarity of articulation, transparency, and naturalness to Einarsson’s recital that is, to date, unmatched. A piano soon enters to accompany and its timbre and tone are as well natural, engaging, beautifully melodic. As Einarsson ends his recital, a cello and violins join the mix and their truth of timbre, their tonality are sweet and delicate and ethereal. There is an analog-like warmth and, yet, crystal clarity rendered across this track. The partnerships of the Conductor 3XP as allied to the Meze Empyrean and the oBravo EAMT-2C have been sublime, beautiful. In sum, the midrange of the Conductor 3XP is transparent, natural, rich with very good layering, and separation. Impressive!

TREBLE+

The Conductor 3XP’s treble is sweet, extended, never fatiguing, and possesses very good transparency, air, and drive. Vilda Frang’s Andante (Veress: String Trio - Bartók: Piano Quintet, Alpha) brings a quiet dissonance, as interspersed notes from violin, viola, and violoncello compete amid a black-quiet background. The clarity and extension and speed of rendering are very good, as are timbre and tone. The Conductor 3XP empowers a wondrous transparency and immediacy to this track. And the sense of space and air and separation are, likewise, beautifully portrayed.



THE WRAPPINGS AND ACCESSORIES

The Burson Audio Conductor 3XP comes in a rather plain, white, cardboard box. Only its top is printed and that is with the Burson Audio trade name/logo and its byline—“A Lavish Musical Experience,” which, in this case, proves to be quite accurate.

Inside, the box top lifted, one finds the Conductor 3XP in the front most part of the box. A second smaller box, a few inches in width, spans the rear of the larger box from left to right. In it are the various items as listed below:

1-Slim, aluminum remote
1-Power cable
1-USB-C (male) to USB-C (male) adapter cable
1-OTG Adapter
1-24V Power Unit
4-Vivid V6 Opamps


DESIGN—LOOK AND FEEL

The Burson Audio Conductor 3XP is wrapped in a pleated, space-grey, high-density aluminum case, whose top, bottom, and sides have been fashioned as heat sinks, which Burson refers to as its “Cool Case.” The “Cool Case” is said to reduce the overall temperature of its Class A dissipation by “three (3) times.” Though the Conductor 3XP’s “Cool Case” will, indeed, still get warm, it will not singe small hands, sniffing noses, or curious paws.

Its front panel, from left to right, bears a small on/off button an XLR, 6.3mm balanced, and a 3.5mm single-ended headphone-out (PO) sockets, a small digital display, a volume knob to its right, and a selector button on the far right above its remote-capture eye. The Conductor 3XP’s back panel features a BlueTooth (BT) antenna, three digital inputs—USB-C, Coaxial, Optical—and RCA Preamp/DAC and XLR Preamp/DAC outputs.

The Conductor 3XP comes with a slim, elegant, aluminum remote control, that sports a mute button, an input selector (USB-C, Coax, Toslink) and up and down volume controls.

The design is straight-forward, nicely proportioned, and industrial, as in clean and quite handsome. It is by all means a desktop solution, as it will decidedly not fit in one’s pocket and will add a nice bit of weight to one’s shoulder bag, backpack, purse, etc.


FUNCTIONALITY

The Conductor 3XP via its SABRE32/ESS9038Q2M DAC supports up to DSD512 and 38bit/786kHz audio. The Conductor 3XP also contains a Qualcomm/CSR8675 Bluetooth 5.0 receiver, which is capable of 24bit/96kHz play back and it includes the aptX audio codec.

The Conductor 3XP’s input options consist of a USB-C (PCM 32bit 786K / DSD512), Coaxial (PCM 24bit 192K), Toslink (PCM 24bit 192K), and Bluetooth (PCM 24bit 96K). The USB-C option, in our testing, was optimal and sounded by far the best and most powerful. Whereas Bluetooth was apt to sound good at much higher volume levels compared to USB-C, but was still unable to match the weight of the USB-C’s rendering. The Burson Audio Conductor 3XP, however, does not enlist MQA.

The Conductor 3XP also houses Burson Audio’s Max Current Power Supply (MCPS), which Burson explains as follows:

“A technology developed, owned and used exclusively by Burson Audio, the MCPS raises voltage frequency from 50Hz to 170kHz, pushing noise beyond human hearing. It completely overcomes the disadvantages of both linear power supplies and conventional switching power supplies, resulting in incredible dynamic and micro-details ([+] Learn More).”

Click to expand...

The Conductor 3XP is powerful enough to drive even the demigods of inefficiency with its 330mW of XLR power and 115mW Single-Ended into 300 Ohms.

It features a PreAmp Output with volume control and a DAC Out at 2V RMS at line level (no volume control). It has two Gain levels—High, Low. High provides a maximum of six (6) watts and Low provides a maximum of three (3) watts.

The Conductor 3XP makes available a number of FIR Filters, that help to tailor the sound profile. Additionally, the Burson Audio Conductor 3XP can have its overall sound changed dramatically via Burson’s own Opamps, which are “specifically designed to optimize audio performance” and to change the tonality. And there are a range of Burson Opamps—Vivid V6, V6 Classic, V5, V5i—to chose from.


THE SPECIFICATIONS

Input Impedance: 39kOhms
Frequency Response: ±1 dB 0 —58kH
THD: <0.0015%
Output Impedance (Headphone amp): 0.5 Ohm
Output Impedance (Pre Out / DAC out): 1 Ohm / 25 Ohm
Inputs: USB, Optical, Toslink, BlueTooth 5.0, Microphone
Outputs: 1 x XLR Preamp/DAC
1 x RCA Preamp/DAC
1 x 6.3mm Headphone
1 x XLR Headphone
Weight: 3kg (approximately)
Dimensions: 200 x 250 x 60mm
Impedance (Headphone Jack) Power XLR/SE
16 Ohm 6 / 3 W
32 Ohm 3 / 1.5W
100 Ohm 1 / 0.5W
150 Ohm 660 / 330mW
300 Ohm 330 / 115mW

DAC Specs.
Channel Separation: 142dB @ 1kHz, 135dB @20khz
THD+N: 0.0005% @ 1kHz, 0dBFS
COAX & Toslink/SPDIF: up to 24bit 192k
PCM Support: 768kHz @ 16, 24 or 32bits
Native DSD: DSD 64 / 128 / 256 / 512
Bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD
(Qualcomm CSR8675)
DSD over PCM: DoP64 / DoP128 / DoP256/Dop512



CONCLUSION

The Burson Audio Conductor 3XP ($1,399) delivers a transparent, natural, and highly engaging, musical experience, well beyond its price point. Further, it is coherent from top to bottom, provides a dead-quiet background, a very generous soundstage, and it has the ability to simply disappear, which is rare regardless of price. However, that the Burson Audio Conductor 3XP does not lend itself to MQA, at its price point, is disappointing, as far less expensive DACs and DAC/Amps do so and quite well (AudioQuest DragonFlys, iFi Hip-DAC, etc.). And, perhaps, a more ‘instructive’ instruction manual should, at some point, be addressed. That said, the Burson Audio Conductor 3XP is highly recommended!

NOTE: Comparisons Coming Soon.


MUSIC—QUBOZ, TIDAL EXCLUSIVELY

Alexander Tharaud—Tharaud Plays Rachmaninoff
Omar Sosa—Ballads, Calma
Patricia Barber—Verse
Rickie Lee Jones—Pop Pop
Sade—Lovers Live
Sheku Kannah Mason—Inspiration
Tracey Chapman—Where You Live
Olafur Arnalds—Island Songs
Olafur Arnalds—The Chopin Project
Melody Gardot—My One and Only Thrill
Melody Gardot—My Worrisome Heart
Eiji Oue—Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances
Hilary Hahn—Tchaikovsky
Mechell Ndegeocello—Bitter
Jordi Savall—Tous les Matins du Monde
Maxwell—Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite
Sarah Jarosh—Undercurrent
Igor Stravinsky—Stravinsky: Le sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring)
Annie-Sophie Mutter—Mendelssohn, Brahms: Violin Concertos
London Grammar—If You Wait
Stevie Wonder—Innervisions
Miles Davis—Kind of Blue
Jóhann Jóhannsson—Orphée
Alexis Ffrench—Evolution
Dave Holland—Emerald Tears
Gidon Kremer, Daniil Trifonov, Giedre Dirvanauskaite—Preghiera/Rachmaninov Piano Trios
Joan Shelly—Joan Shelly
Magdalena Kožená—French Arias
Andy Bey—American Song
Erykah Badu—Baduism
Kronos Quartet—Kronos Caravan


ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT

Meze Empyrean
OBravo EAMT-2C IEMs
Final Sonorous III
FiiO FH5
Cayin N6ii/A01
Cayin N6ii/E01
Burson Audio Conductor 3XP
AudioQuest Cobalt
AudioQuest Red
AudioQuest Dragon Tail
Samsung S10
Apple X iPhone


THE COMPANY

Burson Audio
Melbourne, Australia
team@bursonaudio.com
www.bursonaudio.com