[Scott526]

Better sound quality

Thank you!

 

[rmsanger]

If any of the early adopters decide in the New Year they want to sell their unit I'd be willing to offer you around what you got it for (pre-launch pricing). I can't spend money until 2021 (per wife) but PM me and we can try to work something out... Or I'll just stalk you on the classified section

 

[SQ13]

still burning in the soloist but tested it for hiss on iem using se while waiting for the xlr cable to return. with the Shure 846, there is a slight faint hiss on medium gain but it doesn’t increase with volume. No hiss detected on low gain. Using the Sony ier-z1r, i only notice the hiss on high gain.

 

[Rioblast]

Yep. Works fine.

Does it affect the other output in any way or is it a completely different circuit?

 

[Coztomba]

Does it affect the other output in any way or is it a completely different circuit?

Doesn't seem to affect it as far as I can tell. I had Focal Clears in the single ended and Beyer T1.2's in the Balanced and they were close to volume matched.

 

[Rioblast]

Doesn't seem to affect it as far as I can tell. I had Focal Clears in the single ended and Beyer T1.2's in the Balanced and they were close to volume matched.

Thank you, I will try it out.

 

[Coztomba]

Video of the issue:

So a battery change hasn't helped this issue. I've emailed Burson. Is anyone able to test if holding down the volume in PRE OUT mode gives them pause free volume change all the way up and down? It seems like such a strange problem. I would expect it was either glitchy in both modes or neither.

 

[JWahl]

Has anyone else had the opportunity to try the dual-channel SparkoS op-amps in the Soloist 3X? I've been going back and forth between the Soloist 3X with stock V6 Vivid and the Fun with single-channel SparkoS and the Soloist 3X with Vivid presents a more laid back midrange and might be smearing the transients just a hair in comparison to the Fun with SparkoS. Everything else is superior on the Soloist 3X, of course. I think the SparkoS, in at least one of the two positions, might bring out that last 5% to 10% that I know this amp is capable of. I know there's already a ton of impressions with them in the Conductor series, so I'm guessing the results will probably be very similar.

 

[Slim1970]

Has anyone else had the opportunity to try the dual-channel SparkoS op-amps in the Soloist 3X? I've been going back and forth between the Soloist 3X with stock V6 Vivid and the Fun with single-channel SparkoS and the Soloist 3X with Vivid presents a more laid back midrange and might be smearing the transients just a hair in comparison to the Fun with SparkoS. Everything else is superior on the Soloist 3X, of course. I think the SparkoS, in at least one of the two positions, might bring out that last 5% to 10% that I know this amp is capable of. I know there's already a ton of impressions with them in the Conductor series, so I'm guessing the results will probably be very similar.

I have a set, but I haven’t tried them yet. I can agree with you about the midrange on the Soloist. It’s the worst part about the amp. With the V6 Vivids, the midrange seem recessed a bit. The amp sounds v-shaped. I need to try them and report back.

 

[Sam Spade]

Has anyone else had the opportunity to try the dual-channel SparkoS op-amps in the Soloist 3X? I've been going back and forth between the Soloist 3X with stock V6 Vivid and the Fun with single-channel SparkoS and the Soloist 3X with Vivid presents a more laid back midrange and might be smearing the transients just a hair in comparison to the Fun with SparkoS. Everything else is superior on the Soloist 3X, of course. I think the SparkoS, in at least one of the two positions, might bring out that last 5% to 10% that I know this amp is capable of. I know there's already a ton of impressions with them in the Conductor series, so I'm guessing the results will probably be very similar.

I've got a Sparkos Aries coming (sorry just gloating) for my home office. I've got sparkos dual pro opamps to try in my conductor 3X reference. I already have the vivids and the classics. It might be tricky to fit the Sparko pros in but I've got 3 solutions in my head. I should get them before xmas. I'll post what they are like and how I installed them. If you can wait you might decide to try the sparko pros. I know they are more expensive, $55 more for dual pros with the adaptor so $110 more for a pair of dual Pros, but why not get the best? (actually it's slightly cheaper than that when you buy the pair)

Pros are singles, but Andrew was even nice enough to solder the pros together with the PRO TO DIP ADAPTER to make duals as I don't have a fine soldering iron for that fine work.

But I haven't tried the DUAL DISCRETE OP AMP SS3602 and I have got a conductor. But the soloist and the conductor have very similar amp sections. So my findings for the Conductor should match the soloist.

Other than fitting the Sparko pros there is one issue, current draw. Burson said:

120ma is very high, it will not work in many applications but our Conductor is designed for opamp rolling so there is enough headroom for such current draw.

So also Burson advised me to only change the LP stage and leave the V6 vivids in the IV stage. Lachlan at passion for sound said the same thing in one of his youtube reviews I think it was the soloist, or it may have been the Sparko opamps review. But Andrew from Sparko strongly recommended changing all 4 to a customer. I emailed him about that and he said you need to work out what the opamp is doing and if say it is running the balanced XLR outputs and you don't use them, then no need to change, but if you do use XLR change it.

So I might end up changing all 4, but I'm only changing the LP stage for the moment.

I know there's already a ton of impressions with them in the Conductor series, so I'm guessing the results will probably be very similar.

Is there a thread specifically on opamp rolling in the Conductor?

Cheers
Sam

 

[Sam Spade]

So also Burson advised me to only change the LP stage and leave the V6 vivids in the IV stage.

oh just to be clear they said this about classics.

 

[Bob Ley]

If any of the early adopters decide in the New Year they want to sell their unit I'd be willing to offer you around what you got it for (pre-launch pricing). I can't spend money until 2021 (per wife) but PM me and we can try to work something out... Or I'll just stalk you on the classified section

pm'd

 

[JWahl]

Is there a thread specifically on opamp rolling in the Conductor?
Cheers
Sam

Not that I know of, but the various Conductor threads and reviews have some impressions scattered about. "A ton" was probably a little hyperbole on my part.

 

[Slim1970]

I put the Sparkos Labs SS3602's in the Soloist and gave them a brief listen before heading out to work. Even without break-in the SS3602's adds some refinement to the sound of the Soloist. The slight graininess I was hearing is gone. The midrange is also pushed forward creating a more balanced sound. The hollow sound I was detecting in the upper midrange is also improved.

I'm guessing the bass with the V6 Vivids is somewhat bloated because the bass is tighter and more taunt with the SS3602's installed. You do give up some bass quantity for better quality bass. So I'm okay with having better defined bass. It works well with headphones like my TC's, Z1R's and LCD-4z's which have big bass to begin with. I imagine things will improve upon break-in. Right now I definitely prefer the sound of the Soloist with the Sparkos op-amps installed.

 

[normie610]

I put the Sparkos Labs SS3602's in the Soloist and gave them a brief listen before heading out to work. Even without break-in the SS3602's adds some refinement to the sound of the Soloist. The slight graininess I was hearing is gone. The midrange is also pushed forward creating a more balanced sound. The hollow sound I was detecting in the upper midrange is also improved.

I'm guessing the bass with the V6 Vivids is somewhat bloated because the bass is tighter and more taunt with the SS3602's installed. You do give up some bass quantity for better quality bass. So I'm okay with having better defined bass. It works well with headphones like my TC's, Z1R's and LCD-4z's which have big bass to begin with. I imagine things will improve upon break-in. Right now I definitely prefer the sound of the Soloist with the Sparkos op-amps installed.

Did you change all 4 op-amps?