[fb24601]

I am not sure what I shall do.....I like the sound and design of the virtuoso, and I don't like hd800 and t1, may be I sell k812 and th900 to swap for an lcd3???

 

[PetarCV]

  I am not sure what I shall do.....I like the sound and design of the virtuoso, and I don't like hd800 and t1, may be I sell k812 and th900 to swap for an lcd3???

I also like the sound and looks of the Virtuoso, and only find issue with the noise. And I was thinking about geting an LCD-3 too, but we don't know how much noise they'd produce... I assume it won't be much, but they won't be as silent as 250 ohm + phones, I think. Also, I am not a fan of HD800 ad T1 either, so I wouldn't wanna get those.

 

[fb24601]

  I also like the sound and looks of the Virtuoso, and only find issue with the noise. And I was thinking about geting an LCD-3 too, but we don't know how much noise they'd produce... I assume it won't be much, but they won't be as silent as 250 ohm + phones, I think. Also, I am not a fan of HD800 ad T1 either, so I wouldn't wanna get those.

 
Honestly the noise for k812 is very subtle (and should be the case for lcd-xc). For lcd3 likely there is no noise audible, but we have to find out.

 

[PetarCV]

Look earlier into this thread, where Tokoyo wrote:
 
"Thank you for answering! I use Audeze LCD-X, but after reading this I tested with my old AKG K-702, and they are dead silent. Quite the amount of noise in the LCD-X though, but everything else is great "

 

[fb24601]

I tested lcd-xc at the shop together with k812, and if there is any noise that would be similar. I have seen two shops using lcd-xc as demo upairing for virtuoso. The lcd-xc noise problem should not be very material. And remember the thread starter Frank I's photo uses lcd-xc also and give positive comment. 
 
It is very difficult to explain, th900 has higher impedance than and same sensitivity as lcd-xc, but the noise floor for th900 as I heard is much much higher than lcd-xc.
 
I bought virtuoso after testing as I think th900 and lcd-xc is similar in response to noise according to specifications.

 

[PetarCV]

That's strange... Based on the specs, you'd expect a similar noise level. And PS1000 are 32 ohm / 98 dB, so similar to LCD-X, but the noise is high. I also tried Sony MDR-NC60, and they also produce a lot of noise (I assume they are very low impedance phones).

 

[fb24601]

I may visit the shop that I buy the virtuoso this weekend and may ask for recommendations and do some testing on the lcds if possible. Any results will be posted.

 

[PetarCV]

Great, looking forward! Try to test with some quiet music too, if possible, it'll be easier to detect the levels of noise.

 

[Chik0240]

That's strange... Based on the specs, you'd expect a similar noise level. And PS1000 are 32 ohm / 98 dB, so similar to LCD-X, but the noise is high. I also tried Sony MDR-NC60, and they also produce a lot of noise (I assume they are very low impedance phones).

Maybe the noise level is partly due to local power condition? Say if the power stage in the virtuoso don't have sufficient power conditioning measures might result in significant noise in some locations with sensitive phones?

 

[fb24601]

burson, buy why there is no reported "hiss" for some of the headphones for the conductor model? For example a user mentioned there is no background noise for th900 using conductor.

Seems it is not just a +2db, there is some effect needed to be look into.

 

[Burson Audio]

 
I assume that the new EL8 will not be a good match with the virtuoso.

On the contrary, EL-8s sounded wonderful at CES in the Burson Audio room. There appear to be some people with low-impedance and senstive in-ear phones as well as other types of headphones that experience the hiss masked by music. I'm not a kid, but as I play the Condutor Virtuoso now on a pair of LCD-X I hear onlly the faintest hiss buried deep in the noise floor.
 
Some people must be more sensitive to that hiss than others because we listened to another unit today that came in with the same "issue", but again we hear hardly anything! So the consumer has many choices. if they want class-A operation and all-discrete circuitry for a deeply analog-sounding product, we have it. Or he or she can choose a different headphone amp that exhibits no hiss but built around op-amps -- the very devices Burson won't use -- to achieve an alternative sound. 
 
Thank you,
Burson

 

[Burson Audio]

burson, buy why there is no reported "hiss" for some of the headphones for the conductor model? For example a user mentioned there is no background noise for th900 using conductor.

Seems it is not just a +2db, there is some effect needed to be look into.

Hello fb24601. As explained in another post, the low-level hiss is the class-A idle current that some people and headphones are more sensitive to. Burson choose a no-op-amp all-disrete class-A design to get the sound they coudn't get using op-amps. 
Thanks,
Burson

 

[fb24601]

We are not talking about sensitivty iem here. Let's say the noise reported in lcd-x and lcd-xc and k812 is "faintest hiss buried deep in the noise floor”. But the hiss for th900 is quite loud (it is surely not some user sensitive to hiss).

Is it possible the planar magnetic headphones are less responsive to the bias class A current than dynamic drivers?

But for previous conductor a user said there is no such hiss for th900 even at different gain settings.

 

[Burson Audio]

I am not sure why Burson didn't manage to eliminate the noise, SHAME!

As explained in other posts today, these were decisions based on a no-op-amp topology with all-optmized discrete circuits and class-A operation. Some people and headphones are more sensitive to the sound of the class-A idle current which disappears when  playing music. The new 100-step volume control is obviates the need for the three gain settings in the older Conductor and essentially is always optimzed for whatever volume you choose, But we emphasize, these are choices we've made to get the analog-like sound Burson is known for, the sound they couldn't get using op-amp-based amplifier building blocks.
Thank you,
Burson

 

[JackarlTwo]

But for previous conductor a user said there is no such hiss for th900 even at different gain settings.

 
No hiss at all here either with previous conductor + th900 with different gain settings.