šŸ”· Burson Soloist 3X

Equipment / Electronics / Gear / Accessories [Official] Headphone Amps
75

This is just a guess but it probably has to do with form factor. A bunch of those class-A passive amps are not small.

76

True, I guess more surface area means better heat dissipation but if an active solution is way more efficient than passive as shown by CPU coolers, just weird that more amps arenā€™t doing the same.

77

i think that their reasoning is that the soloist 3xp doesnā€™t need the extra cooling and that it doesnā€™t make enough heat to hurt itself with the passive fins of the enclosure. yeah, it runs hot, but blowing that heat around isnā€™t going to do much iā€™m guessing. heat cycles are usually more detrimental to lifespan than just raw operating temperature alone. mine stays on 24/7 to avoid heat cycling and long ass warmup times. most other amps arenā€™t pushing full class a and donā€™t get nearly as hot (and most donā€™t pull 24v@3a and 5a on the gt is literally 66% more power draw)

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78

Usually because a (potentially whiny) fan inside an amp causes complains from customers.

In power amplifiers (for PA or cinemas, etc.), it is quite common to find (temperature controlled) fans.

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79

Yep. Audiophiles want their rooms dead silent and fan noise is antithetical to that.

And they can be LOUD. Back in my days of running PA systems I sat next to a rack full of QSC and Peavey amps and yes, when their fans kick on it can affect what you hear from the stage. I eventually had to rig up a system where the amps were moved underneath a platform that was boosting my chair.

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80

Hi guys! Can anyone compare the soloist vs the g111?

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81

I messaged burson about getting a sample of the soloist gt. If they decide to send me one im gonna do the whole 9 yards for a written review. Might even do a video review. I donā€™t want to get my hopes up but oh God I would love the chance to review the big boy soloist. I imagine based on the sound signature of the 3x that the GT could easily be my endgame headphone (and active speaker) amp.

82

what are some of the bigger differentior beetween the SA-1 and the Soloist you feel like?

83

I guarantee Lachlan firm P4S will getting one soon for review since heā€™s in their back yard.

84

Yeah. Australia is literally the only place on earth Iā€™d actually love to move to. They love jumping trophy trucks, dune buggys, 3000hp cars and thanks to burson, good music lol.

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85

Itā€™s been a while since I heard the SA-1 (it was already sold before the Soloist arrived). So I canā€™t very specific. But overall, Iā€™d say the biggest difference is the Soloist has a warmer, thicker sound (I consider the SA-1 to be neutral with maybe a slight lean warm). Plus more powerful bass impact. So it pairs very nicely with some headphones like the HD800S and HE6se. The Clear is a good pairing as well. But honestly I still slightly prefer the RNHP for the Clear since I find there to be better synergy in that combo.

In terms of detail, Iā€™d say the improvement was pretty small going to the Soloist. So I wouldnā€™t upgrade if mainly looking for that.

I also recently got the Super Charger power supply for it. I havenā€™t had much time with it. But so far my initial impression is itā€™s a small improvement. Though my opinion might change some once I switch back and forth.

@hifiDJ also did a good evaluation on the super charger, in case you want to hear more.
Burson Audio - Official Thread - #55 by hifiDJ - Headphone/DAC/DAP/Amp Brands - The HEADPHONE Community

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86

really cool, thanks for that. now i got that to look out for. thanks for the link!

87

I have blindly pre-ordered the Soloist GT. Wish me luck.

I am driving TC and Susvara with the OG Timekeeper; seems like this is the proper next step.

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88

are you using the speaker taps on the timekeeper?

89

Yup, via speaker taps

90

Looking forward to any thoughts you might have!

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91

It seems this is the next best amp below 1200$. I have the g111 and RNHP. I am thinking about buying this and forget about SS amps. What is the lowest price it can be found? Seen some at headfi used for around 900$.

DAC: BF2.
Headphones: T1.2nd, HD800S, Tygr 300r and HE5XX.

Edit: Added my setup.

92

If you buy it for the $1200 directly from burson or an approved seller (idk what qualifies as approved) you get a 3 (2 year plus register it through them for a bonus year) year warranty. I would definitely not pass up that warranty.

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93

Most I see is around $900. Saw one for $800 so maybe haggle closer to that.

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94

How does this compare with the Violectric V280?