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New, Burson Conductor 3 Reference: Dual 9038 DAC, 7.5Wpc Head Amp, Preamp, Changeable Opamps
Dec 22, 2019 at 4:28 PM Post #316 of 744
Marutks said:
>incorporating every single wish of the community?

They should have done something to reduce background noise with low impedance headphones.
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Honestly, can't hear any background noise with low impedance 18 Ohm Momentums. Either a courtesy of my aging ears, or MacBook Pro's clean output. Or maybe both.
I didn't test it with low impedance iems, as I find it ridiculous to power them with a 7.5 W headphone amp.
With low impedance on-ears, the volume maxed, can't hear any background noise.

Burson Conductor 3-momentum.jpeg
 
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Dec 23, 2019 at 12:24 AM Post #317 of 744
Marutks said:
They should have done something to reduce background noise with low impedance headphones.
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I guess the intention was never to create a device compatible with IEMs, mostly due to the very high output power of the output buffer (you could blow away your ears with ease). If I remember well, it was the ASUS STU who after every power cycle starts up on the lowest-gain setting to protect customers hearing, but funny thing...they were only blamed due to this safety feature, because most customers that bought the STU had power hungry cans instead of high sensitivity one.

I think that a resistive adapter should do the trick for C3-Ref for now, like many stated on the previous pages, and for a possible future C4 (if will ever exists) maybe Burson will analyze an analogue adjustable gain-stage.
 
Dec 23, 2019 at 12:26 AM Post #318 of 744
DjBobby said:
With low impedance on-ears, the volume maxed, can't hear any background noise.
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Volume to the min. or to the max. should make no difference due to the digital volume used and the digital gain-stage.
It's great that the Momentus have no background noise; I do hope that in the Q1/2020 I will be able to borrow a C3-Ref to have it tested myself too.
 
Dec 30, 2019 at 12:32 PM Post #320 of 744
noticeable noise-floor on low-impedance full-sized headphones

Thank you for noticing this problem! Other reviewers ignored it.
I tried two different c3-ref amplifiers and two different headphones. They all had very audible background noise.
Now they are sending me c3-x. There is some hope that it will work with ZMF Verite.

stepped attenuator

I may be wrong but I think that digital volume control doesn't use stepped attenuator.
 
Dec 30, 2019 at 12:53 PM Post #321 of 744
It's not stepped attenuation, indeed, it's a rotary knob that controls the digital volume from inside the two ESS 9038 chips.

C3X has also some noisefloor as well with sensitive cans, after all we're speaking about a several watts per channel amplifier. At least in balanced operation it might be a bit noisier than C3Ref, but I don't think your ZMF Verite are so sensitive at their 300 Ohms.

What version of Verite do you have, Open or Closed?

The closed one has 97dB/mW or 102dB/V, while the Closed one has 99dB/mW or 104dB/V.

For Stellia, at their 120.5dB/V sensitivity, you really need a different amplifier, preferable unity-gain. With C3 even with volume to 1 it will still be to loud for quiet-night listening. C3Ref/C3X is pushing over 20V RMS into these headphones, while they only need 1V to get over 120dB SPL! A unity-gain headamp has a max. output of 2V RMS and quieter background noise as well, but will only be able to drive sensitive cans only.
 
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Dec 30, 2019 at 1:29 PM Post #324 of 744
I prefer Verite C to be honest. It is not like they sound much better. But you can change pads to tune sound. Also lifetime warranty for drivers is a good thing I guess.
 
Dec 30, 2019 at 2:53 PM Post #325 of 744
Marutks said:
noticeable noise-floor on low-impedance full-sized headphones

Thank you for noticing this problem! Other reviewers ignored it.
I tried two different c3-ref amplifiers and two different headphones. They all had very audible background noise.
Now they are sending me c3-x. There is some hope that it will work with ZMF Verite.

stepped attenuator

I may be wrong but I think that digital volume control doesn't use stepped attenuator.
Click to expand...
I have noticed mild background noise with certain high sensitivity headphones. It is more like a faint hiss, which you forget once you start listening to the music. But I agree, it is present.
 
Dec 31, 2019 at 12:41 AM Post #326 of 744
Conductor 3 review up live on headfonia.

This is one serious piece of kit
 
Dec 31, 2019 at 1:20 AM Post #327 of 744
Dec 31, 2019 at 9:13 AM Post #329 of 744
gonzfi said:
Would love to hear comparisons with the Hugo TT2. If this gets close it would be a big saving...
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I would too... I am demoing a TT2 right now. Unfortunately, I don't have a Conducter 3 to compare with. TT2 is pretty amazing. I really want to hear a C3.
 
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