Burson "Fusion Core", Powering the Future of Hi-End Audio - low noise power supply featuring GaN transistor technology - 24V@15A, 32V@15A X 2

[Lépine]

@Lépine, you really tried hard to isolate that noise, thanks for your reply. I'm sure you tried the lowest gain setting from the Settings, right? If so, then not sure where that EMI noise might come from, but it might be induced directly into the amplifier and not into the power supply, so the Fusion Core may not help much in your case, but it really worth a try. However, Fusion Core is a marvelous PSU, a beefy and really low-noise one...I personally love it's design, look & feel and functionality, it really screams high-end.

Thanks, I am going to count the days for it to arrive. I put the order in only a few hours ago so I imagine it will take a couple of weeks to come from Austria and make it to the US. My experience with the gain setting is on the Voyager is that it really doesn't seem to make much difference in baseline noise. Other amps I have it makes an immediately audible difference. If you have iems like mine, I don't think you can hear any increase in background noise. I prefer the tonality and dynamics of Medium gain on this amp.

The ground noise hum is faint to begin with and once music is playing, even with one acoustical guitar and one singer playing slow folk music, I don't notice the hum. It only caught my attention the first time I powered the amp up and during changing song tracks.

Getting a ground wire should be easy enough and if attached to the bottom case screw of the chassis, it won't distract from the overall looks of the amp so I think I am going to just get some wire and run it to the nearest outlet and bind it to the green terminal post of an outlet.

 

[raoultrifan]

I will start this post with a strong DISCLAIMER:

• Burson clearly told me that they do not recommend opening this power supply as there's a high risk of shock hazard and death, even several minutes after the device was powered off! Also, by doing this it will void the warranty!
• Burson Fusion Core involves high voltage AC power and opening the case is highly risky and life threatening! I'm doing it here so curious head-fiers to not do it, so again: don't open your Fusion Core; if it's broken just contact manufacturer and follow their words, but don't open it!
• Mounting the covers back is very difficult to be done and damaging the wires or some internal components could easily happen, due to the mechanical force that appears when pressing the top cover to fit back the screws into their halls. Also, the thermal pads might need replacing with new ones of the same quality, in respect with thermal conductivity value. So again: just don't open the case!

Double aluminum case for a better heat dissipation. Also, most components are perfectly glued on the PCB to resist vibrations.


Thermal pads on each transformer to prevent overheating and to prolong their operating life.
The four GaN Q1...Q4 transistors are located in the middle, but are soldered on the back of the PCB.


Yellow rubber covers on top of electrolytic capacitors to further eliminate any possible vibrations effects


The small fan from the rear-bottom is dead silent, but is evacuating the hot air from inside properly​

 

[raoultrifan]

The ground noise hum is faint to begin with and once music is playing, even with one acoustical guitar and one singer playing slow folk music, I don't notice the hum. It only caught my attention the first time I powered the amp up and during changing song tracks.

When using sensitive IEMs with such powerful amplifiers, an in-line device like iFi EarBuddy or iEMatch or something similar is strongly recommended, see the small orange adapter I was using while I was listening to Conductor 3X:

​

With such an adapter the noise will get removed while the output power will be lower, protecting your hearing.

 

[Peder 29]

With such an adapter the noise will get removed while the output power will be lower, protecting your hearing.

Hi ...
But an adapter affects the soundquality negatively.

Why use IEM's at all for such a powerful head-amp,.if you have to destroy the soundquality with an adapter.?

 

[Peder 29]

Burson clearly told me that they do not recommend opening this power supply as there's a high risk of shock hazard and death, even several minutes after the device was powered off! Also, by doing this it will void the warranty!

Hi ...
My contact at Burson has told me the same thing.
BUT,.now that you still open your Fusion Core and post pictures here...

Have you received approval from Burson regarding this,.or are you taking the risk that the warranty will expire when you publish internal images publicly.?

 

[Lépine]

When using sensitive IEMs with such powerful amplifiers, an in-line device like iFi EarBuddy or iEMatch or something similar is strongly recommended, see the small orange adapter I was using while I was listening to Conductor 3X:

​

With such an adapter the noise will get removed while the output power will be lower, protecting your hearing.

Yes, but if it is an impedance adapter it will sound like s**t.

 

[Lépine]

Hi ...
My contact at Burson has told me the same thing.
BUT,.now that you still open your Fusion Core and post pictures here...

Have you received approval from Burson regarding this,.or are you taking the risk that the warranty will expire when you publish internal images publicly.?

Just don't tell anyone he did it so his warranty is not violated

 

[Lépine]

Finally, an amp powerful enough to drive my LCD i4. But the Burson is still at 45 on medium gain

 

[Peder 29]

@raoultrifan Hi ...

Next question:
As I have two Fusion Core's,.
one for my Conductor 3X Grand Tourer which is now used solely as a DAC.
It currently has V7-Vivid,.
previously V7-Classic installed.

The other Fusion Core is connected to my Voyager.
The Fusion Core connected to my DAC runs hotter than the one to my Voyager.

I tried putting the Fusion Core that was connected to my DAC to the Voyager instead...
Then it ran a little colder, and the one that previously went to the Voyager now went to my DAC, and ran a little warmer.

With this little experiment,.they run about as hot.
But if I move back to the original mode,.that Fusion Core runs about 2.5 degrees Celsius hotter.

• Do I need to be worried about this.?
I also thought on the first move, that the one that originally went cooler when it was attached to Voyager,sounded slightly better when it was connected to my DAC than the other.

BUT, I will evaluate this more during the weekend.

 

[Peder 29]

Just don't tell anyone he did it so his warranty is not violated

Hi ...
But I know Burson reads here.

Since I use my real first name,.they know who I am and usually comment on what I have written sometimes when we talk.
We have incredibly good contact,.and I appreciate their level of service, which is among the best in the hifi industry together with InnuOs .

 

[Peder 29]

so I imagine it will take a couple of weeks to come from Austria and make it to the US.

I live in Sweden,.and when I get the tracking number via email...
In other words,.when DHL has picked up the package from Burson in Australia, well then it only takes 3 days,and then DHL calls my door and hands over the package .

I have ordered a lot from Burson the last three years,.and unless the weekend comes in between, it only takes 3 days.
So you might get your new Fusion Core sooner than you think .

 

[raoultrifan]

But an adapter affects the soundquality negatively.

No, not at all, because internally these adapters are nothing else but a few metallic film resistors that are not affecting the audio signal in any ways. The schematic for this is rather simple and is based on a few quality resistors (like the ones placed around the I/V stage around your DAC) aiming to cut the output power in half without increasing amplifier's output impedance. So, IEM's cable will have more influence on the final sound than this adapter (if it's done right, of course).

Why use IEM's at all for such a powerful head-amp,.if you have to destroy the soundquality with an adapter.?

Some might want to use a headamp for all the headphones they have, nothing wrong here. I've just tested the new Conductor GT4 powered via Fusion Core with my super sensitive 130dB/V KZ ZSX (24 Ohms) and KZ AS10 (22 Ohms) IEMs and I must say that, on the Lowest gain, I can barely hear a slight faint of hiss in a room having a background noise of 20-22dBA, which is quite good actually, given the amount of power delivered by the output stage of the Conductor GT4.

 

[raoultrifan]

Have you received approval from Burson regarding this,.or are you taking the risk that the warranty will expire when you publish internal images publicly.?

No approval for sure, but I live for teardowns of electronic devices, mate. I simply can't help myself not doing this, I'm probably addicted. Too bad I'm not a surgeon doctor and I'm just a silly Engineer.

 

[raoultrifan]

Yes, but if it is an impedance adapter it will sound like s**t.

"Some amplifiers perform (sound) better at somewhat higher output levels. In this case an adapter may improve sound quality" - source: https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/headphone-attenuation-adapter/.

The author from above is an Electronic Engineer, designer of several headphones amplifiers, some of them with valves, some with transistors and some of them with both transistors and operational amplifiers. You also have there the main schematic for such an adapter which, for low impedance and high sensitivity headphones, is a quite a clever choice.

Do you really think I would use and recommend such an adapter if the audio quality would have to suffer? No way, I'll never do something like that, especially that such an adapter will protect your hearing too, because without the adapter, if you crank up by mistake the volume knob from 15% to 50%, you might get injected into your ear's drums >120dB SPL of music for a second or two, which is not desirable.

@Lépine, buy one such adapter, try it out with your IEM's, keep it if you like it or return it if you don't. That's exactly what I did a few years ago I'm happy keeping it.

 

[Peder 29]

No approval for sure, but I live for teardowns of electronic devices, mate. I simply can't help myself not doing this, I'm probably addicted. Too bad I'm not a surgeon doctor and I'm just a silly Engineer.

Hello again ...
We are probably both equally "Addicted" based on different knowledge .

I appreciate your posts,.even the latest one with internal pics.
I just don't want you to get in trouble.
Now you sign under a "nickname" which can be an advantage,.AND confirms Burson's powerful warning not to open Fusion Core.

Otherwise:
Did you have any thoughts,.with your technical knowledge about what I wrote to you above about different temperatures on my two Fusion Core's.?