I spent about a month going back and forth trying to decide between the Conductor 3X GT (Balanced) or the 3 GT (Single Ended). Both are said to sound slightly different, so it was a difficult decision. I went back and forth multiple times as I wanted the sound described from both models. Below are some of the resources I used to decide between the two models. Hopefully it will help someone else going through the same decision:
Sound News Soloist 3X GT and 3 GT Written Review - This is for the Soloist GT's, but the sound difference between SE & Balanced are said to be almost the same on the Conductors.
Passion for Sound Conductor 3X GT Review - Review for the Conductor 3X GT
Passion For Sound Conductor 3X GT vs GT Review - Comparison between the 3X GT vs the GT
- Long story short both models sound very similar to each other. The small difference is that the 3X GT is said to have a slightly wider stage, be sharper, and have more texture on each note. The 3 GT version is said to have more presence/focus on each sound (fulller notes, more concentrated), be more musical/flowing, and be slightly more accurate across the entire spectrum.
- The 3X GT generates more heat. I doubt this is a big deal though, as my 3 GT only gets warm. The fan works really well at keeping the amp cool.
- The 3X GT uses six dual op amps, whereas the 3 GT uses two duals and two singles. Just something to keep in mind if you plan on changing the op amps. Duals are more expensive than singles, and there is less room in the 3X GT case to swap op amps.
For those who are thinking about upgrading from the Reference series, there's a few changes that aren't talked much about in the reviews:
- When the Conductor GT is plugged in it no longer automatically turns on (you must press the power button to turn it on)
- The Volume wheel is less sensitive, it no longer jumps around (at least on mine)
- At idle the 3 GT consumes over three times the power of the Reference. Both using Superchargers, the 3 GT consumes around .65 amps and the Reference consumes about .2 amps. Something interesting is that I tried measuring the stock power brick on the GT and it uses 1.1 amps at idle, almost double that of the Supercharger 5A. Not sure why the stock brick is so inefficient/power hungry.
- Both the GT and Reference use the same IR codes for their remotes. You can use the Reference remote to control the GT and vice versa.