[LegionofDoom]

Dropped in the SP2 modules to my v2023 Soloist 3XGT. Going to give them the weekend to burn in (whether it matters or not, who knows). Will report back if this $300 upgrade is worth it. I know professional reviews have opined that it is. TBD!

 

[rush1]

Dropped in the SP2 modules to my v2023 Soloist 3XGT. Going to give them the weekend to burn in (whether it matters or not, who knows). Will report back if this $300 upgrade is worth it. I know professional reviews have opined that it is. TBD!

Please do give your impression, I'm awaiting anxiously
How's ZMF VC with Soloist 3XGT? I always thought they are only good with tubes, so been holding back on it.

 

[damascato]

Mine is shipping today, just got the confirmation email.

When did you purchase it mate?

 

[Fafner]

When did you purchase it mate?

Think it was a couple of days after it was announced. 7. Nov or something like that.

 

[CFGamescape]

After fiddling around with different op amps in the volume control buffer stage, I think I agree with the consensus (?) that as long as you have the SS2590 in the voltage gain stage, and a syngergistic op amp in the input buffer stage (I have the SIL 994), it doesn't seem to matter what you put into the volume control buffer stage.

In the input buffer stage, I've tried an extra pair of SS2590, the SS3360, and the Muzg JFET, and they all seem to sound similar. Maybe a slight edge to overall clarity with the SS2590, but it's probably placebo. It's really impossible to A/B at this point because any difference is perceptively small.

I can say for certain that the SS2590 in the voltage gain stage and an extra pair of the same in the input buffer stage didn't sound good to me. Distant, no presence, and no sense of cohesiveness in the music. I really like the SIL 994 in the input buffer stage, as it gives a good, clean boost to the bass on tracks that call for it, while retaining clarity and spaciousness.

That said, I'm going to hold onto my extra pair of SS2590 because of a perceived improvement, as small or negligible as it might be. It is fun to roll op amps every once in a while, but I'm tired of taking the cover off every time.

 

[davesa]

Has anybody ever had to send their unit for warranty repair in the US? What address did Burson support provide you? How long did it take?

 

[gc335]

So, my time with Soloist Tour unit is over unfortunately. I've really enjoyed my time with it. Here are some thoughts.

Build
I really like the build of the Soloist. It looks and feels very premium. Everything from the jacks to the volume knob screams high quality. The volume dial has a beautiful red anodizing and has an ultra-smooth feel to it as you adjust the volume. I think this is one of the best-looking pieces of audio gear that I've ever seen. Clean and simple. The remote carries over the same look and feel of the amp. It's small and simple but of high quality.

UI
The UI is simple and easy to use. I had no issues figuring out how to change the amps settings. The volume knob doubles as an input device for the menu and can be pushed to make your selection.

Noteworthy Features
I really like the large number of inputs. Two RCA and two XLR. This gives a lot of option when feeding the device with multiple sources.
There are three headphone outputs on the front of the device. 3.5, 1/4" and XLR. A 4.4 would have been nice but an adapter works just fine.
The GT also has a sub output which I don't believe I have ever seen. I didn't try it, but it would be interesting to try a sub with headphones.
I also really like the fact that you can use the GT vertically. This gives you more options for arranging your listening space. One press of a button adjusts the display.

Power
Here is where the GT really shines. This thing has some serous power. Even with my super hard to drive Tungstens, it never broke a sweat. I was listening at around 33-40 for normal listening and never really got above 67/100. Extremely impressive. If you have hard to drive headphones or headphones that benefit from extra power, definitely consider the GT.

Sound
I tried the GT with a ton of different headphones, and all sounded great. The sound is clean and neutral to my ears. I never got the feeling that the amp is imparting its own signature on the sound. Nothing is harsh, mids and vocals are clear and natural. Bass is tight and controlled. The treble has a nice shimmer but never bright. Detail retrieval is good without coming across as clinical. The staging is wide but not too wide and also nice and deep resulting in a very immersive listening experience. I wish I could a little more specific but all I can say is that everything just sounded right.

Bottom line
The Soloist 3X GT is not cheap but if you're looking for a super powerful, feature packed clean and well-built amp for your set up, this Burson is worth a serious look.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

[CFGamescape]

Power
Here is where the GT really shines. This thing has some serous power. Even with my super hard to drive Tungstens, it never broke a sweat. I was listening at around 33-40 for normal listening and never really got above 67/100. Extremely impressive. If you have hard to drive headphones or headphones that benefit from extra power, definitely consider the GT.

This is good news since I have the DS Tungsten on order. Nice to see that there will be plenty of headroom. Curious, were you listening with the stock op amps? A lot of folks here are rolling op amps, as that's when the amp reaches full potential (IMO).

 

[gc335]

This is good news since I have the DS Tungsten on order. Nice to see that there will be plenty of headroom. Curious, were you listening with the stock op amps? A lot of folks here are rolling op amps, as that's when the amp reaches full potential (IMO).

I just used the stock op amps. I’d be curious to see how it changes things.

 

[CFGamescape]

I just used the stock op amps. I’d be curious to see how it changes things.

I’ll report back in 12-14 weeks (hopefully)! Thanks for your review.

 

[gc335]

I’ll report back in 12-14 weeks (hopefully)! Thanks for your review.

You're welcome! Enjoy the DS. It's something special for sure.

 

[quawn0418]

Hey guys, I've been with a demo unit for a bit and i can now confidently provide you with my impressions. Just a quick background if you will. I like to consider myself more of a mid-fi guy as i don't quite see the point is such high priced gear. I firmly believe that after about $1000 the improvements are too small for justify the price increase. With that being said i will proceed with my impressions.

BUILD & DESIGN
The Burson Soloist GT is built like a tank. There are no issues here guys, seriously. It is designed very nicely. I'm not crazy about the red accents but overall it is a very well designed unit. I must also add that the internal fan can be a bit annoying depending on placement. The volume knob is solid but could use some resistance in my opinion, but thats a matter of personal preference ofcorse. The I/O ports are all of high quality and very sturdy. No issues with the display, i find it quite nice.

FEATURES
Feature wise, the Soloist GT lacks a bit if im being honest. It has some, like crossfeed (which works pretty well, just not a fan of it). Something that stood out to me though was that it has channel balance but ONLY for the preamp function. I found that quite weird to be honest. One thing i love is the dual XLR and RCA inputs, very nice.

SOUND
OK here we go. Simply put the sound quality of the Soloist GT is flawless. I mean this in the truest sense. It literally does nothing wrong, it lacks in no department. I would describe its sound signature as elegant. It doesn't give you too much of anything, i feel it is perfectly balanced. Timbre, control, and fluidity are all strengths here. Stage is can get pretty wide, imaging and placement are superb and background is as black as you'll ever need it.

I'll start with bass. The bass coming from this unit is simply well done, it hits when it needs to and never overdoes it. Its defined, it can be lively, its felt when necassary and out of the way when not.

The mids are gorgeous, very fluid like. There's no warmth here (and who doesnt love warmth) but at the same time you dont ever feel like your missing any either. As weird as that may sound its something you'll have to hear yourselves to understand. Besides, I have a warm amp and at times i get bored with it. So bravo to Burson for what they've done here.

The treble is excellent, very well controlled. It has more treble energy than my Aune S17 and somehow the S17 is still more sibilant than the Sololist GT, amazing really. The treble here may just be my favorite part of this thing. This is funny because im not usually a fan of treble and never really understood the fascination other people have with it untill now.

CONCLUSION
To conclude i'll say this. The Burson Soloist GT is the best amp i have heard to date, very impressive. I really enjoyed my time with it. I still believe it is overpriced and doesn't sound thousands of dollars better than some of the amps you can find for around $500 but i also understand that it is very special. I want to thank SS Audio and the Burson team for allowing me this opportunity. Happy listening everyone!!

 

[invisiblekid]

my recently acquired 3X GT has the black surround on the 4pin XLR so I assume it’s the OG (but with red knobs). While it might be old footage, SoundNews’ video of the 2023 version showed the back of the unit as model number R-120X, which lead to me possibly believing I had the newest version.

It’s ok tho as I never bought it thinking it was the 2023 version, (I wasn’t even considering the GT version) and it was never sold to me as that version. It was open boxed with a £700 discount so £1800. I went in the shop for the Soloist 3XP but it was out of stock but they had this and the wife was not home to see me come back with another purchase!


It worth going back to the store and swapping for the 2023 version? I’m not one that salivates over tinkering for that last bit of improvement, but I certainly would have swapped the SP modules.

With my version apart from the PSU and changing/mixing the op-amps is there anything else I can do with this version?

I can’t help feeling a little less excited having read everyone’s enthusiasm for the 2023 version, even tho the absolute potential was something I might not have done.

But to upgrade it would cost over £900 for the new version and modules. That’s around half more than what I paid for it.

Hmmmmm

 

[invisiblekid]

another one? it seems like every year they release a new one. looks to be like a yearly release to me. what's next? 2024?

While I’m new to the serious 2.0 hifi/headphone world, the general take I heard was apart from the one box streaming, amp, dac units from say Naim etc, it was a satisfyingly slow upgrade world.

Then I recently wanted to upgrade my old Klipsch headphone dac/amp, I first discovered the world of Topping and especially SMSL of a million units with a new one every year.

It seems Burson is flirting with this marketing, which when we are talking £2k+ gear is troubling.

As my post above (sorry I'm slowing making my though the thread and reacting accordingly) the OG GT had silver knobs, then exactly the same version with red knobs for 2022?, and now the 2023 version.

This is dangerous territory Burson.

 

[LegionofDoom]

my recently acquired 3X GT has the black surround on the 4pin XLR so I assume it’s the OG (but with red knobs). While it might be old footage, SoundNews’ video of the 2023 version showed the back of the unit as model number R-120X, which lead to me possibly believing I had the newest version.

It’s ok tho as I never bought it thinking it was the 2023 version, (I wasn’t even considering the GT version) and it was never sold to me as that version. It was open boxed with a £700 discount so £1800. I went in the shop for the Soloist 3XP but it was out of stock but they had this and the wife was not home to see me come back with another purchase!


It worth going back to the store and swapping for the 2023 version? I’m not one that salivates over tinkering for that last bit of improvement, but I certainly would have swapped the SP modules.

With my version apart from the PSU and changing/mixing the op-amps is there anything else I can do with this version?

I can’t help feeling a little less excited having read everyone’s enthusiasm for the 2023 version, even tho the absolute potential was something I might not have done.

But to upgrade it would cost over £900 for the new version and modules. That’s around half more than what I paid for it.

Hmmmmm