[Knee Deep In Epoxy]

I think class A is often associated with a warmer character but not all Class A amps share this sonic character, just like not all Tube amps are warm sounding per se. Jot 2, for example, is class A but sounds closer to the neutral-sounding THX 789 which is class D, but A90 sounds much warmer than 789 which is also class D.

I actually have both amps in question and an Arya V2. It can be kinda difficult to hear the stage differences between amps with Arya since it's already a wide staging headphone. The differences in stage are a little easier to hear through a HE6SE.

A song I had picked apart and would like to share as an example is "Flowers" by GeeJay. I volume matched 789 and Soloist to the vocalist's sustained note from 2:28-2:32 as close as possible. From the chorus (0:59 to 1:19), you can hear the bass on 3XP has more weight and texture. You can also hear the decay of the piano a little better through 3XP, whereas the 789 "hides" the decay a little more and thus gets lost in the background. Second verse (1:19 to 1:39) there's a little synth you can hear riffing above (and possibly slightly to the right of) the vocalists position. The leading edge of each note is blunted in the 789, smearing the movement between notes. On the Soloist, the leading edges are better defined and effectively makes it sound like it isn't buried in the background. Second pre-chorus (1:38 to 1:48) there's a certain timbre to the bass synth stabs that sound different between each note, whereas each note sounds texturally similar as the next on the 789. Finally, at the piano solo at the end of the song (2:08-2:49), you can appreciate the piano's decay better on Soloist and again has better reproduction of the leading edge here; most evidently with the piano's lower notes being played with the pianists left hand. Towards the end of the solo as the pianist hits higher notes (2:37-2:48), the 789 sounds thinner and dynamically cannot keep up with the song, whereas the Soloist conveys the piano's crescendo more accurately with weight and cleanliness of each note.

I have to say the differences between amps can be subtle a lot of the time but whether that difference justifies the price difference is up to each listener individually. I hope this comparison has been helpful.

I like how I'm not the only one with a Qutest / Soloist combo and am upgrading from a 789.

The only downside of the Soloist to my ears is the emphasized treble. I usually hear it in "trap hi-hats" and sometimes in snare drums. Does the Super Charger alleviate the "emphasis" to these areas?

Thanks for this! I've just received the replacement part for my soloist. waiting for instructions from burson on how to install it and then I'll run the same tests. Thanks for taking the time!

 

[Knee Deep In Epoxy]

Seeing the earlier posts about using the soloist in power amp mode and controlling the volume from the source has made me wonder whether there is a transparent and good quality standalone volume control that can be added between a DAC with no built-in volume control (Denafrips Ares ii in my case) and the Soloist.

Can anyone here recommend such a product?

 

[godmax]

Seeing the earlier posts about using the soloist in power amp mode and controlling the volume from the source has made me wonder whether there is a transparent and good quality standalone volume control that can be added between a DAC with no built-in volume control (Denafrips Ares ii in my case) and the Soloist.

Can anyone here recommend such a product?

Well you could go into full madness mode and add a dedicated pre-amp in between your Ares II and the Soloist in power-amp mode like the Gustard P26 (active) or some passive attenuator from Goldpoint.

 

[adeadcrab]

Seeing the earlier posts about using the soloist in power amp mode and controlling the volume from the source has made me wonder whether there is a transparent and good quality standalone volume control that can be added between a DAC with no built-in volume control (Denafrips Ares ii in my case) and the Soloist.

Can anyone here recommend such a product?

Well you could go into full madness mode and add a dedicated pre-amp in between your Ares II and the Soloist in power-amp mode like the Gustard P26 (active) or some passive attenuator from Goldpoint.

I have the Gustard P26 with Vivid opamps and it's fantastic. Further pushes the soundstage out and sounds great. I adjust all my volume via it.

 

[alekc]

I have the Gustard P26 with Vivid opamps and it's fantastic. Further pushes the soundstage out and sounds great. I adjust all my volume via it.

Adding all components prices it makes me wonder if one could have same if not better sq using simply better headamp...? If you add dac price to the equation - like Chord Qutest - you are close to new Hugo TT2 cost for example.

 

[Sword of Damocles]

Does anyone have a stock power supply with very loud coil whine? My unit is very loud when Soloist is powered on. I can hear the coil whine clearly from the next room and it is like Nvidia RTX 3080 with 1000 fps.

Time for Super Charger?

 

[Melting735]

Does anyone have a stock power supply with very loud coil whine? My unit is very loud when Soloist is powered on. I can hear the coil whine clearly from the next room and it is like Nvidia RTX 3080 with 1000 fps.

Time for Super Charger?

Lol. I'm suprised that a power block can do whining. Anyways, I am very happy with my new superchargers.

 

[adeadcrab]

Adding all components prices it makes me wonder if one could have same if not better sq using simply better headamp...? If you add dac price to the equation - like Chord Qutest - you are close to new Hugo TT2 cost for example.

Whatever DAC and amp you use, adding a preamp will just add to its spaciousness and depth. The tonality is quite neutral (you can roll opamps and I am currently using 1 Burson Vivid in each channel); I compared DAC -> THX 789 with and without a preamp, and noticed a slight, slight amount of bass weight and detail retrieval. This could either be the added soundstage / imaging and that helping with detail retrieval.

In particular it was 43 seconds into Diana Krall's rendition of 'Popsicle Toes'. The highs were just as extended and airy; but at that moment I mentioned the bassist plays what sounds like a 3-note chord. Without the preamp it is a bit muddled, the preamp added to the chain spreads those 3 notes out and renders it IMO at a superior resolution.

 

[KerrangZ]

I have the Gustard P26 with Vivid opamps and it's fantastic. Further pushes the soundstage out and sounds great. I adjust all my volume via it.

I nearly bought the p26 last week, but decided to wait on a preamp with tubes like a Freya+ or a tube amp with a line out.

 

[adeadcrab]

I nearly bought the p26 last week, but decided to wait on a preamp with tubes like a Freya+ or a tube amp with a line out.

Tube preamp is an amazing choice, especially with the Soloist 3XP. My amp has line out and I can only imagine the warm, buttery tonality and soundstage it would give to the Soloist. All the tubey goodness with the speed and slam of the Soloist!

 

[Blackbriar0216]

Does anyone have a stock power supply with very loud coil whine? My unit is very loud when Soloist is powered on. I can hear the coil whine clearly from the next room and it is like Nvidia RTX 3080 with 1000 fps.

Time for Super Charger?

I never used my stock one long enough to experience that. It is normal as they age. How old is your stock power supply? Do you use much ? Yeah Definitely get supercharger as it is a linear power supply design and contributes to better sound quality. ( less harsh treble)

 

[SQ13]

There is a Burson sales and I just order the super charger @50% discount

 

[David222]

There is a Burson sales and I just order the super charger @50% discount

Based on the time-stamp on your post I beat you by a minute and will ship first

 

[Sword of Damocles]

There is a Burson sales and I just order the super charger @50% discount

Great, I ordered one as well!

 

[sabloke]

Hey Hey it's Black Friday!​

Burson Black Friday 2021 Super Sale Burson Audio is taking up to 20% off all items displayed on our web-store. However, our production is also affected by the global supply constraints, and we expect popular models to run out quickly. So don't miss out on this great chance to upgrade your listening experience! Crazy 2021 deals Playmate 2 - 15% off (estimated delivery time, within 1 week) Funk - 15% off (ETA, within 1 week) Composer 3X Performance - 20% off (ETA, within 1 week) Soloist 3X Performance - 10% off (ETA, within 1 - 2 weeks) Conductor 3 Performance - 20% off (ETA, within 1 week) Conductor 3X Performance - 10% off (ETA, within 1 - 2 weeks) Conductor 3 Reference - 20% off (ETA, within 1 week) Conductor 3X Reference - 15% off (ETA, within 1 week) Timekeeper 3i Reference - 20% off (ETA, within 1 week) Soloist 3X Grand Tourer - 5% off (ETA, within 3 - 4 weeks) Burson Super Charger 3A - 50% off (ETA, within 1 week) Burson Audio Opamps - 20% off the entire range. Sale Ends on Cyber Monday. https://www.bursonaudio.com/shop/ Watch out for those items already on sale! A further 20% applies to already reduced prices! (excluding the Playmate 2 pre-order)