Burson Soloist 3X vs HPA4

[WoollyGeezer]

I am eyeing these two amplifiers for my LCD5. Does anyone have any recommendations between the two? I know the LCD5 love current

 

[Terco]

Follow! I'm also looking for a new amp for the 5, I'm considering the new iFi Pro iCAN signature.

 

[WoollyGeezer]

Follow! I'm also looking for a new amp for the 5, I'm considering the new iFi Pro iCAN signature.

With the numerous amp choices it can be a challenge to pick one lol

 

[Terco]

Yeah I will wait for CamJan NYC 2022 to test some amps, at the moment I'm ok with the A90.

 

[neogeosnk]

I have the HPa4 and just sold off my Soloist 3x so I can get the GT version. The Soloist has sooo much power and makes my planars sound incredible. Aside from the power, I think they sound the sameish but I feel the soloist is just better in every way, specifially with micro dynamics and soundstange as the Burson has more. I'm putting up my HPA4 up soon for sale because I liked the burson that much better. I had the previous version of iCan pro and wasn't that great of a match with planars but new signature version may be different.

 

[David222]

Follow! I'm also looking for a new amp for the 5, I'm considering the new iFi Pro iCAN signature.

Be mindful with iFi you only get a 12 month warranty. I'm having an issue right now with an iFi product (only few months old). You have to open a ticket and they are VERY slow to respond. I opened a second ticket just to try and get help/bump my 1st ticket.

By way of comparison, if/when there is a question or concern with my 3XP, the Burson folks have been immediate in their customer service responses.

 

[iFi audio]

I'm having an issue right now with an iFi product (only few months old). You have to open a ticket and they are VERY slow to respond. I opened a second ticket just to try and get help/bump my 1st ticket.

Our support staff in most cases gets back to customers within 48 hours and addresses their tickets in order of their arrival, so opening a new ticket won't speed up the previous one. Please drop ma a PM with your original ticket number and I'll see where it's at in our system. Thanks!

 

[neogeosnk]

Our support staff in most cases gets back to customers within 48 hours and addresses their tickets in order of their arrival, so opening a new ticket won't speed up the previous one. Please drop ma a PM with your original ticket number and I'll see where it's at in our system. Thanks!

Yeah I've never had an issue with ifi support.

 

[rhart00]

No real perspective on the HPA4 (besides briefly listening to CanJam Socal in October), but just received a Soloxist 3xp earlier this week and very happy with it so far.

 

[MalinYamato]

I am upgrading my Singxer SA1 to either ifi pro ican signature or Burson 3X GT to feed my LCD-5, Denon AH-D9200 and Argon T60rp.... but no one compares these amps out there .

 

[buson160man]

I have the HPa4 and just sold off my Soloist 3x so I can get the GT version. The Soloist has sooo much power and makes my planars sound incredible. Aside from the power, I think they sound the sameish but I feel the soloist is just better in every way, specifially with micro dynamics and soundstange as the Burson has more. I'm putting up my HPA4 up soon for sale because I liked the burson that much better. I had the previous version of iCan pro and wasn't that great of a match with planars but new signature version may be different.

Funny I used to have the soloist 3 but I found that it had a electronic signature to it that I attributed to the switching power supply that they now use. I compared it to my older Burson HA-160 and I actually preferred the sound of the Burson HA-160. The Ha-160 sounds more analog like than the Conductor 3 reference model . I still have my Ha-160 which keeps surprising me. I also have a rogue RH-5 and find that I also quite shockingly preferred the Burson Ha-160 as well. You never know . I fairly recently purchased A Yggydragasil OG dac which is just amazing sounding. As a dac the schiit smoked the dac section in the conductor 3. No comparison the schiit is in an entirely different league or two above the Burson conductor 3 ref dac.

 

[neogeosnk]

Funny I used to have the soloist 3 but I found that it had a electronic signature to it that I attributed to the switching power supply that they now use. I compared it to my older Burson HA-160 and I actually preferred the sound of the Burson HA-160. The Ha-160 sounds more analog like than the Conductor 3 reference model . I still have my Ha-160 which keeps surprising me. I also have a rogue RH-5 and find that I also quite shockingly preferred the Burson Ha-160 as well. You never know . I fairly recently purchased A Yggydragasil OG dac which is just amazing sounding. As a dac the schiit smoked the dac section in the conductor 3. No comparison the schiit is in an entirely different league or two above the Burson conductor 3 ref dac.

Yeah the dac on the Burson is not that great. But the Soloist 3X GT smokes all the schiit amps that I've owned (most of them).

 

[buson160man]

Yeah the dac on the Burson is not that great. But the Soloist 3X GT smokes all the schiit amps that I've owned (most of them).

Only thing the older Burson HA-160 sounds much better than the headphone amp section of the soloist ref 3. Thats why I got rid of it and went back to the Burson ha-160.

Yeah the dac on the Burson is not that great. But the Soloist 3X GT smokes all the schiit amps that I've owned (most of them).

The Headphone amp section does not sound as good as the older Burson Ha-160. That is why I got rid of the Burson Ref 3 unit and went back to the older Buron HA-160. Burson has got away from their minimalist thinking and loaded up their new units with multifunctionality. The older unit was much more purist in its approach. The newer Burson may have a more usable volume control, but it is inferior to the stepped attenuator volume control in the Ha-160. The sonics don does not lie the sound has suffered as a result. The differences are clearly audible the older headphone amp sounds more analog like and better .

 

[Dixter]

Just got the Burson Conductor 3XGT .... its a very very nice DAC/AMP ... no complaints here... its got gobs of power, the sound stage is wide... its like it was purpose made for Planar headphones... if you use it with the LCD-5 I would suggest trying out some EQ to warm up the sound signature... you wont be begging for more power thats for sure... look on youtube for a couple of reviews.. I also like the form factor where you can stand it on its side... that way it takes up around 3 inches of desk space..

 

[ld100]

Did anyone try it against Mytek Liberty II AAA? Liberty II should be very similar to Benchmark...