New, Fully Balanced Burson Conductor 3X: Dual ESS9038, 7.5wpc XLR, 3.75wpc SE Headamp, Changeable Opamps
Oct 5, 2021 at 3:46 PM Post #466 of 528
For the AKG K812, I use:
. AP fast filter (the default)
. Low gain
. Single ended (the AKG K812 has no provision for balanced cables.
Great sound.
 
Oct 5, 2021 at 4:37 PM Post #467 of 528
For the AKG K812, I use:
. AP fast filter (the default)
. Low gain
. Single ended (the AKG K812 has no provision for balanced cables.
Great sound.
Do you just use it as the Amp, do you have a separate DAC you use with the Burson?
I am looking at the new Soloist maybe so would need a DAC too
 
Oct 5, 2021 at 4:47 PM Post #468 of 528
Do you just use it as the Amp, do you have a separate DAC you use with the Burson?
I am looking at the new Soloist maybe so would need a DAC too
I use the it as a DAC and amp - sounds wonderful. Go for the combo - maybe the Performance series of the Conductor 3?
 
Oct 5, 2021 at 4:49 PM Post #469 of 528
I use the it as a DAC and amp - sounds wonderful. Go for the combo - maybe the Performance series of the Conductor 3?
Yeah thats an option I guess. The Soloist GT not out yet so I will wait for the reviews and head-fi impressions.
I currently have the Conductor 3X Ref and yeah I have really come to appreciate it more since I got my TCs.
Thanks for the post
 
Oct 6, 2021 at 10:46 AM Post #470 of 528
According to the signature John does not have the Empyrean.

I am using
  • LP Slow
  • High
  • Balanced
Volume mostly on 1, some tracks require up to 10-20. On low it requires 48+, I am just lazy to turn the volume all the time from 0 to up so much.

Using balanced at the moment, but I will reassess SE. I think there was once a conversation somewhere which suggested that SE shall have wider stage.

Using LP Slow because I found that as the calmest or most relaxed on busy parts of tracks.
Thanks. The reply was intended for you, I probably pressed the wrong reply button...
 
Dec 8, 2021 at 11:34 AM Post #471 of 528
Has anyone heard the HEKv1/v2 on this? If so, how does it sound? I'm looking for a more darker/neutral sounding DAC/amp combo with great bass. For reference I felt like the IDSD Pro was too bright.
 
Dec 8, 2021 at 2:02 PM Post #472 of 528
Yeah thats an option I guess. The Soloist GT not out yet so I will wait for the reviews and head-fi impressions.
I currently have the Conductor 3X Ref and yeah I have really come to appreciate it more since I got my TCs.
Thanks for the post
I should have looked more closely at your signature.
The Conductor Reference 3XR is a rather nice combo - currently my favourite amp/DAC, although I'll occasionally use the old SPL Phonitor 2730 as a headphone amp which sounds superb as well.
 
Dec 8, 2021 at 2:12 PM Post #473 of 528
I should have looked more closely at your signature.
The Conductor Reference 3XR is a rather nice combo - currently my favourite amp/DAC, although I'll occasionally use the old SPL Phonitor 2730 as a headphone amp which sounds superb as well.
Things have moved on since then, took delivery of a Niimbus US5 Pro today to replace the Burson if its worth it.
Using it with the Qutest DAC. The Qutest was added a few weeks ago and used it with the Conductor Reference 3XR and it improved it considerably in my opinion.
 
Dec 12, 2021 at 3:10 PM Post #474 of 528
Things have moved on since then, took delivery of a Niimbus US5 Pro today to replace the Burson if its worth it.
Using it with the Qutest DAC. The Qutest was added a few weeks ago and used it with the Conductor Reference 3XR and it improved it considerably in my opinion.
Did you get the Supercharger 3A power supply for the Burson?
 
Dec 13, 2021 at 1:21 PM Post #478 of 528
So has anyone done blind testing on the Burson Supercharger?

I haven't blind tested it yet, but I have spent a few months with the Supercharger going back and forth with the stock power brick trying to find my ideal setup. I've been meaning to write about the Supercharger, so even though it's not through blind testing below is some quick impression of it in case it helps. Every review online that I can find is 100% positive, so I might be the first to give a more cautious view of it. All subjective opinions of course.

The TL;DR is that the Supercharger improves the sound stage over stock, and it will provide a clearer base sound. If your existing setup will benefit from more clarity then the Supercharger is a definite upgrade. If your setup is already as clear as you want it to be, then the Supercharger can push the sound into lean or sharp territories. So while the Supercharger is capable of providing a better sound than the stock brick, consideration is needed as to what your end sound will be.

A little more detail is that the sound difference between stock and the Supercharger is noticeable, it's not subtle. Compared to stock the Supercharger opens up the sound stage further in all directions, and takes away any muffled or overly warm tones to make everything sound clear (not brighter as all natural tones are still present, just clearer). The sound stage should be a positive change in any setup, with better spatial details and a more realistic sound. The clearing up of the sound may or may not be a positive depending on your setup. If you are like me then you may be using some some Silver or Rhodium in your cables to add clarity at the expense of leaning out the sound. In adding the Supercharger to the mix the Burson will become clear by default, where any Silver & Rhodium in the audio cheain will further brighten the sound into a lean & sharp territory. When I added the Supercharger to my setup the sharpness was unbearable, but I could tell that if I could remove the sharpness the end sound would be improved over stock. I ended up going back to the stock power brick and tested different headphone cables through trial and error until I found the right ones that would synergize with the Supercharger (Single crystal OCC wire and gold connectors in my case..). Aside from Silver cables I'm also using Sonic Imagery 992/994 op amps which add a good deal of clarity compared to the V6 Vivids, so you may have better luck in just adding the Supercharger to your setup without the need to change anything else. So in the end being able to use the Supercharger will depend on your setup. It's more capable than the stock brick, but you may have to change around some things in your audio chain to incorporate it.
 
Dec 15, 2021 at 12:06 AM Post #479 of 528
I haven't blind tested it yet, but I have spent a few months with the Supercharger going back and forth with the stock power brick trying to find my ideal setup. I've been meaning to write about the Supercharger, so even though it's not through blind testing below is some quick impression of it in case it helps. Every review online that I can find is 100% positive, so I might be the first to give a more cautious view of it. All subjective opinions of course.

The TL;DR is that the Supercharger improves the sound stage over stock, and it will provide a clearer base sound. If your existing setup will benefit from more clarity then the Supercharger is a definite upgrade. If your setup is already as clear as you want it to be, then the Supercharger can push the sound into lean or sharp territories. So while the Supercharger is capable of providing a better sound than the stock brick, consideration is needed as to what your end sound will be.

A little more detail is that the sound difference between stock and the Supercharger is noticeable, it's not subtle. Compared to stock the Supercharger opens up the sound stage further in all directions, and takes away any muffled or overly warm tones to make everything sound clear (not brighter as all natural tones are still present, just clearer). The sound stage should be a positive change in any setup, with better spatial details and a more realistic sound. The clearing up of the sound may or may not be a positive depending on your setup. If you are like me then you may be using some some Silver or Rhodium in your cables to add clarity at the expense of leaning out the sound. In adding the Supercharger to the mix the Burson will become clear by default, where any Silver & Rhodium in the audio cheain will further brighten the sound into a lean & sharp territory. When I added the Supercharger to my setup the sharpness was unbearable, but I could tell that if I could remove the sharpness the end sound would be improved over stock. I ended up going back to the stock power brick and tested different headphone cables through trial and error until I found the right ones that would synergize with the Supercharger (Single crystal OCC wire and gold connectors in my case..). Aside from Silver cables I'm also using Sonic Imagery 992/994 op amps which add a good deal of clarity compared to the V6 Vivids, so you may have better luck in just adding the Supercharger to your setup without the need to change anything else. So in the end being able to use the Supercharger will depend on your setup. It's more capable than the stock brick, but you may have to change around some things in your audio chain to incorporate it.
When I changed the power supply to the Supercharger 3 with the Conductor Reference 3X with V6 Vivid discrete op-amps, there was no increase in brightness, but rather better dynamics. As I use copper (rather than silver) cabling, I suspect that may be where the brightness came from.
 
Feb 26, 2022 at 4:53 PM Post #480 of 528
Just got myself a conductor 3xR!

How many classic opamps should I replace if I want a warmer signature? Should I just replace 2, or all 4? Not too much of a fan of the vivid as they are a bit sharp/lean on the Susvaras.
 
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