[rmsanger]

Do you run your Spring KTE through the Soloist? If so, how's the sound, any brightness?

yes Spring to Soloist has been a great combo for me... The Soloist is the best amp I own for LCDX and 1266 Phi TC... the LCD3F sound best on the Auris and the HP3s sound best on Phonitor E. My Clears are back with Focal with a warranty repair ATM so haven't had a chance to test with Soloist yet.

I'm still awaiting appropriate instructions from Sparkos before I roll op amps but the Vivids have been quite nice. I'd say it's a touch brighter than the Phonitor but it's nowhere near as bright as others amps i've tried (THX/A90). The power and technicals from the Soloist are pretty great for the price point.

 

[betula]

I have installed the new volume control chip and it is working. Problem is now I cannot exit the headphone power amp mode even after holding the menu button for 12 seconds. Anyone experienced this?

Edit: What I mean by working is that it has sound output now because when I first installed one of the two chips, the amp has no sound coming out from it. When I installed the other one, it automatically went headphone power amp mode and cannot switch it to normal mode so I really haven't tested if the volume jump from 51-52 is gone.

I did not have this problem with the new chip.
Have you tried switching on/off, unplugging everything?
Pressing that button for 12 seconds can feel quite long...

 

[rmsanger]

I ended up just emailing sparkos to see exactly the instructions on how to install... I got user guide from Burson's website (page 9)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1juWvGo3icP60gctx1t46luBMHA6OIpVR/view

Their arrows match the orientation for the V6 vivids but that doesn't neccessarily align with the instructions on Sparkos website in trying to align the #1 orientation. There is a R + / - and L + /- on the input buffer but I didn't see it on the volume control side. Also the on the sparkos 3602 ops amps it doesn't have a +/- label anyway just a 1 in the bottom left corner.

In case anyone else struggles installing the Sparkos SS3602 op amps here is the response I got:

So pin one on the SS3602 is marked by the large gold pad that is shaped like the letter L in the corner of the board.
That must be on the same edge as the notch in the sockets in the Soloist.

You basically want the 1 gold box to align with the arrows on the Soloist diagram. Plugged it in and worked easy peasy... Now identifying the sound changes is going to take quite a bit longer. I will say just on a quick first pass it feels like with the sparkos I've giving up a tiny bit of bass impact a tiny bit of treble shimmer for maybe a bit more mid range detail and a flatter response curve. I need more time to spend with it but I think an initial take is the Vivids sound a bit more dynamic/impressive with the TCs.

 

[Timbuk2]

yes Spring to Soloist has been a great combo for me... The Soloist is the best amp I own for LCDX and 1266 Phi TC... the LCD3F sound best on the Auris and the HP3s sound best on Phonitor E. My Clears are back with Focal with a warranty repair ATM so haven't had a chance to test with Soloist yet.

I'm still awaiting appropriate instructions from Sparkos before I roll op amps but the Vivids have been quite nice. I'd say it's a touch brighter than the Phonitor but it's nowhere near as bright as others amps i've tried (THX/A90). The power and technicals from the Soloist are pretty great for the price point.

Thanks for the feedback. I would imagine your Spring DAC is more neutral, so it's really more an issue between amp and your drivers. Have fun experimenting with the Sparkos opamps. That's the beauty of the Soloist design, that you can alter the sound quality a bit to find that sweet spot!

 

[betula]

In case anyone else struggles installing the Sparkos SS3602 op amps here is the response I got:



You basically want the 1 gold box to align with the arrows on the Soloist diagram. Plugged it in and worked easy peasy... Now identifying the sound changes is going to take quite a bit longer. I will say just on a quick first pass it feels like with the sparkos I've giving up a tiny bit of bass impact a tiny bit of treble shimmer for maybe a bit more mid range detail and a flatter response curve. I need more time to spend with it but I think an initial take is the Vivids sound a bit more dynamic/impressive with the TCs.

What made you want to experiment with the Sparkos op amps?

On another note, who else is experimenting with op amps? Any results that are worth mentioning?

 

[rmsanger]

What made you want to experiment with the Sparkos op amps?

On another note, who else is experimenting with op amps? Any results that are worth mentioning?

Burson engineers designed it to be done think of it akin to tube rolling. I’d like to eventually get the classic op amps and then try power amp mode as well then compare all combinations and my active speakers as well. Tons of different avenues to test out.

 

[BattousaiX26]

I did not have this problem with the new chip.
Have you tried switching on/off, unplugging everything?
Pressing that button for 12 seconds can feel quite long...

Yes I already tried unplugging everything and switching on and off but still did not work

 

[betula]

Yes I already tried unplugging everything and switching on and off but still did not work

Strange. I would ask Burson about this.

 

[wazzupi]

Following @Timbuk2's post earlier I have also contacted Burson regarding the new volume chip with updated programming. It is actually the exact same chip, only the programming makes the volume curve smoother. This means there are no jumps anymore, the 51-52 volume jump is gone. It is all smooth and balanced across the range.

Burson immediately answered my request and sent me two chips (just as in @Timbuk2's post). When I inserted the first chip the amp went totally silent. Luckily when I tried the second chip everything was back to normal and the 51-52 jump disappeared. (Apparently there are two versions of the same chip and it is impossible to tell which one will be compatible with your amp.)

It took Burson a week to allocate a sound chip for me from their factory and another week for the post to arrive from Hong-Kong to the UK.

I am pleased with the service and the result. If the slight 51-52 volume jump bugs you, I recommend to contact Burson as there is an easy fix.

How significant of a difference is it because I am either lucky or got a fixed version perhaps I can't detect a significant volume difference from 51-52

 

[betula]

How significant of a difference is it because I am either lucky or got a fixed version perhaps I can't detect a significant volume difference from 51-52

Apparently this only affects the first batch of Soloist 3XPs and it has been solved since then.

The jump between 51-52 is not huge by all means, but noticeable enough compared to 50-51 or 52-53 therefore it can bother some users.

 

[BattousaiX26]

Burson will just send me another pair of volume control chip. Hopefully it gets ok now because the courier is still asking for a delivery fee which is a waste if I keep paying for the fee and still have an issue.

 

[mynamesjeff]

Sorry if it's been asked before, but how different or better is this amp compared to the THX-789? Is it a big upgrade on it? I assume it is on build quality alone. I use HD800s, Focal Clear and TR-X00 Purplehearts

 

[raphaelchan]

Is Anyone using Soloist with Audeze LCD-3? how do you like it? Thanks

 

[BattousaiX26]

Is Anyone using Soloist with Audeze LCD-3? how do you like it? Thanks

Soloist is good for any Audeze headphone in general. Tried it with X(older version), 4 and 2F and I think would be good match for 3s but have not tried the pairing.

 

[Doctor56]

Is Anyone using Soloist with Audeze LCD-3? how do you like it? Thanks

I've been using old Soloist with Audeze LCD-3 prefazor for 7 years. Excellent pairing imo.