šŸ”· Burson Soloist 3X

Nah the he6 is actually pretty great off the burson, I wouldnā€™t worry about that.

Hm, thatā€™s pretty hard to fulfill lol. This is pushing your budget, but I wonder if youā€™d like a 1266, that kinda sounds like it (sorta, entirely different, but could see it being worthwhile lol). Honestly I canā€™t think of anything in your budget that really is a combination of those cans or would be a replacement for all 3. You could try and find a used diana v2 (around 2k used) which I think could potentially be something you could like, but Iā€™m honestly not really sure (it has solid punch and impact more than the arya or argon but not as much as the he6 but very controlled, a warmer tonality with good timbre that I think would work well with the music you listen to, and I think subbass can be great overall as long as fit permits. Spatially itā€™s not going to be as grand as the arya but it will have better placement and depth for sure, overall technical upgrade from those cans but fit is hit or miss and will greatly potentially change the experience)

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I really appreciate that response. Based on reviews and my taste I was wondering if 1266 was something that could be perfect for me. Thatā€™s something to work toward.

Thanks for the feedback!

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Anyone know how well the Soloist drives an 880 600 Ohm?

1.3 watts at 600ohm out of the 1/4" out. Drives 600ohm beyers incredibly well.

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Thanks, Pokrog. Is from looking specs though or experience? I found my Singxer SA-1 and Master 19 to be inadequate, even though they should be able on paper. Cayin IHA-6 though, no problem - volume at 11 oā€™clock is damn loud; well controlled lows and highs, etcā€¦ Iā€™m looking for a similarly capable amp but with a little warmth, like my Singxer.

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I run my t1.2s and 600ohm 880s and 990s off of it and itā€™s quite a bit better than any other amp Iā€™ve heard them on. Smooth without losing detail and very well controlled bass. Great pairing imo.

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Excellent. Quite an endorsement. Looks like another amp to add to my shopping listā€¦

For sale, if anyone is interested!

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Hey guys, i am thinking about upgrading my DAC from the Schiit Modius into something ā€œbetterā€, the question is how much better can a new DAC get paired with the Soloist?

I have tried a friendā€™s RME ADI-2 FS briefly and i notice a big volume increase and an overall improvement on the sound, specially the bass had a bit more texture and layering, but i donā€™t think the improvement was so big that the investment would be justified.

Is there another DAC that would be a clear improvement over the Modius and not cost an arm and a leg? Preferable with volume control so i can use the Soloist on power amp mode.

Iā€™ve got a Bifrost 2 / Jot 2 and am considering a future upgrade to the Soloist as well. Take anything I say with a grain with of salt since I donā€™t actually have the Soloist; however, from what Iā€™ve read, the BF2 could potentially have good synergy with the Soloist. The Burson seems to be more airy / bright and having a warmer DAC could help smooth it out.

edit: I love the RME ADI-2. Its a top tier DAC in terms of sound and features. Sounds excellent with my Jot 2 at work.

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The only DACs Iā€™ve actually tried from schiit was the modi 3 multibit and then modius and honestly preferred the modi lol. How much are you willing to spend?

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Under $1000 would be ideal

The bifrost 2 has been liked a lot paired w/ the soloist as it capitalizes on its macro performance. Additionally, if you want a clearer improvement Iā€™d suggest finding a used yggy og to pair with it, but thatā€™s likely a bit over your desired budget.

I wouldnā€™t get hung up on the volume control thing with the soloist personally. While there is improvement, itā€™s only worthwhile if you have a high-performing preamp already imo.

Iā€™d suggest getting the supercharger if you havenā€™t already.

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I already have the super charger.

So, about the Bifrost, what do you mean macro performance, you mean macro dynamics? The aspect i enjoy the most in the sound is bass slam, so if a dac can help with that then that is the one i am looking for.

Yup, pretty much. The initial hit/impact when the next note hits. Can give it that ā€œfunā€ factor.

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I say go used gungnir based on nothing but price limit. Iā€™ve heard a lot of comparisons say that unless your whole system is really solid the yggy isnā€™t a gargantuan upgrade like it should be vs the gungnir and since you have a DDC I wouldnā€™t worry about the highest tier unison USB as youā€™d be using the coax for better sound anyways so theyā€™re out there for $600 occasionally for gen 5ish USB (and the coax implementation remains identical) which is under bifrost prices lol. Impulse demand blew the bf2 used market way out of proportion and used Gumbyā€™s are actually pretty common under $700 while being full r2r instead of part r2r part D/S like the bf2.

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I didnā€™t know this about the BF2. I was under the impression that it was full r2r.

Genuine question: can you provided a bit more explanation?

Personally think that even on a soloist the gumby ā†’ yggy is still going to be a reasonably sizable jump, still enough to potentially be worthwhile. But if you canā€™t swing an og yggy a2 (used they are around 1700?) a used gumby can be sometimes found for around half that, but it depends on how itā€™s configured and prices have consistently been going up. That being said Iā€™d actually argue that if you ever take a step past something like the soloist, the yggy ends up being better value given what it can offer (but on a soloist the value isnā€™t as strong compared to the gumby)

Pretty sure they are somewhat similar in architecture, and both are r2r from what I know, not sigma delta, both use similar AD chips and similar DSP processing iirc. One key difference is that the bifrost isnā€™t true balanced, where the gumby is (which might be why the bifrost vs gumby is a closer comparison single ended vs when balanced the gumby takes a clear lead). Overall somewhat similar dacs in terms of signature and sonic goals, the gumby just does it generally all around better assuming you are running balanced, regardless of architecture they share similar house sound and both are great

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Is the gumby a short for gungnir? Apparently i can find it used for CAD$950, half the RMEā€™s price.

Gungnir multibit, there is a sigma delta version of the gungnir but I personally wouldnā€™t suggest considering that one. Make sure you are looking at a multibit. Also Iā€™d personally much prefer a gumby over a rme, personally I didnā€™t really find the rme all that much of a step up from the more budget dacs, and I would say the gumby offers a fair bit more in terms of sound quality than the rme can (but the rme clearly offers more features and versatility, but you pay for that)

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