🔷 Burson Soloist 3X

Another reason the get the supercharger then.

Damn this thing runs hot, it will not catch on fire or anything like that, right? :rofl:

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I mean I sure as hell hope not. But yeah it’s a great hand warmer station after you come in from the cold lol.

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Can you test if it is noise floor free on the zen in low gain? On both plugs?

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Yes, the U2 Pro works a treat. The Wyrd 4 Sound Reclocker also works well, but I think I like the U2 Pro a bit better.

i ended up getting the highest tier upgraded u2 pro (cmd-17) and it’s a slight step up but not really worth the extra $100 and it has the crystek femtosecond clocks like a lot of pretty spendy DDCs. i cant switch into atmos with it though because atmos sets the bitrate to 24/48 and for some reason it only plays out of the right side like it doesn’t have the clocks for 48khz. kinda irritating.

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Just tested, the noise floor is there even in low gain but i could only tell it was there by connecting and disconnecting the IEM a few times, it is barely perceptible and does not bother me at all.

I must say that the Soloist is an awesome pairing with the Zen, it takes it bass to the next level comparing to the other amps i tested it with.

But yep looks like the noise floor is an issue with the Soloist for both sensitive IEMs and headphones. I the super charger really solves the problem it is a worthy investment because this amp has such an amazing sound i don’t see myself ever switching amps again.

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Playmate 2 was the same. If you get the supercharger and still have the Zen, please try again! :wink:

Even subtle noise floors can bother me. For some music it destroys the dynamic range.

I use IEMs a lot and my desktop amp really needs to deal with them. iDSD micro signature is still winning this battle. And that made the zen come alive as well.

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How do you guys connect this U2 Pro to the DAC? SPDIF?

Yessir, I use the digital coax out of the U2 Pro to feed my Bifrost 2. I know the Schiit unity USB module does a great job but the digital coax does even better.

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Man, synergy is something which plays a much bigger role in this hobby than i thought. The Soloist changed my LCD-X to a point i like it now much more than the HP-2. The soundstage is more spacious and realistic, the bass impact is something i have never heard in a planar, it hits hard and fast. It is almost like it turns a planar into a dynamic in terms of bass slam.

The difference now is so big with the LCD-X that i just may sell the HP-2 in the future and that says a lot because i love the HP-2, but the star of the show for the HP-2 was the bass slam and now the LCD-X is almost as good in that department while also maintaining that unique planar bass.

I am extremely curious to hear the HE6 on this amp!

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So true. When I first heard the term being tossed around here I thought “oh man, another buzz word just like the corporate jackoffs like to throw around”. I was wrong. The way one piece pairs with another is critical in this game! You learn a lot in this community; there are very sharp people that hang out here. I am grateful for the knowledge they impart to folks like me who are just coming up to speed.

To all of you (you know who you are!) - Thank you.

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Getting back to the Soloist, I can see this as a possible end game amp for me down the road. Most likely I will retire the SP200 for perhaps this amp. But that is down the road. I’m gonna play the SP200 out first! Pairing this with the TA-20 as a preamp has extended its life for sure. And I will use the term - the synergy between the two is definitely there.

I wouldn’t blame people for thinking that either, because when you are working with more entry level gear that really is the perception you can get, a lot of the entry level stuff is more similar than different and the more midrange to entry level headphones don’t react as much to amp changes, but once you get up there synergy starts to play a massive role as you continue to go up

Also nice impressions on the soloist @luizgarcia :+1:

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Definitely! I used my Focal Clears for a short while with the THX789 (got caught in the hype). Listened to it on the Soloist and it synergized significantly better. Made me want to throw the 789 out of the window.

Try to always keep in mind the synergy and the system as a whole. Don’t just look at the individual parts where most reviews, unfortunately, tend to highlight. Think about what sonic goal you’re trying to achieve and the overall strategy, not just focus on tactics (ie. “best” hp, amp, iem, etc… in each category).

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Exactly this!

I had a Schiit Magni Heresy which i loved for the price, then i started seeing people saying it sucked so i decided to get an used Asgard 3, the difference was there but it was subtle to my ears and i was happy i did not pay full price for the Asgard. Then i got a Drop 789 which was my first balanced amp and the jump was much bigger from the Asgard to the 789 than from the Heresy to the Asgard, and with the 789 i got my first experience with synergy, it paired extremely well with the LSA HP-2.

Because of that experience i started believing a high end amp could make a real difference and decided to get an open box Soloist, so i could sell it and not lose a lot of money in the experiment in case the gains were not real, well the Soloist is not going anywhere and i am actually purchasing a super charger today which btw is another thing i would call snake oil right away if this was 1 year ago, lol

Thank you guys for the knowledge you shared!

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Yep i could not agree more, now i understand that.

I bet the Focal Clear + 789 is a thin, bright and lifeless experience. I like warmer sound myself so i know that combo would not be for me.

The HP-2 in the other hand greatly benefits from the 789’s signature.

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For sure, the entire system is what counts when put together, not things on their own

Oh sweet will be curious on your thoughts for that as well

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:+1:

As @M0N likes to say, ““Snake Oil” is much less common than you think, but that doesn’t mean every product makes sense for your setup or will improve your setup.”

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I agree with mon but people mis-construe snail oil with other things all the time. People will say break it or burn is false, that cables make no difference, or that only measurements matter for sound quality.

They will also say product xyz isn’t worth it so it’s snake oil. People’s perception of value and worth weigh heavily on their usage of that phrase. Also if they can’t hear a difference they automatically assume that other people cannot either.

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I was not yet able to hear a difference in cables, but i am open minded about it. Maybe now with higher end gear?