Burson Soloist 3X Grand Tourer Head Amp/Pre Amp w/Sub out - 10W XLR
Feb 22, 2024 at 7:01 AM Post #2,206 of 2,258
Anyone wanting to sell their Sparkos SS2509 or Sonic Imagery Labs 994s?
 
Feb 24, 2024 at 8:27 PM Post #2,207 of 2,258
Quick question. I'm running my ZMF Calderas on the Soloist 3XGT. The Calderas have a 60ohm impedance with a sensitivity of ~95dB/mW. Would it be best to play my music on low, medium, or high gain? I feel like there is more weight to the music on Medium gain as compared to low gain, but I don't want to blow up my headphones. I haven't even tried high gain as I'm afraid it's too much juice. I play my Atriums easily on high gain, but I've yet to try the Calderas on high gain. Any thoughts as to what's the best setting for the Calderas? Is high gain too much for the Calderas?
 
Feb 24, 2024 at 10:58 PM Post #2,208 of 2,258
Quick question. I'm running my ZMF Calderas on the Soloist 3XGT. The Calderas have a 60ohm impedance with a sensitivity of ~95dB/mW. Would it be best to play my music on low, medium, or high gain? I feel like there is more weight to the music on Medium gain as compared to low gain, but I don't want to blow up my headphones. I haven't even tried high gain as I'm afraid it's too much juice. I play my Atriums easily on high gain, but I've yet to try the Calderas on high gain. Any thoughts as to what's the best setting for the Calderas? Is high gain too much for the Calderas?

Every headphone, cheap (some dirt cheap) or expensive, easy to drive or not connected to my GT are always on high gain and at least 75-80% on the volume knob. Nothing ever complained to me with this setting, not only that but music feels very tight and full without noticeable distracting noise.

However, MCPS amps have a very steep power curve. A small bump at 85% and certain easy to drive headphones will begin to play restrained audio, produce scratchy treble etc, a sign that you should back off. An example is the Sony Z7.

I have tried to break numerous supermarket level, 10 EUR worth phones on High and 99% volume but I never succeeded. :smile: Not once!

Manufacturers, especially the established ones, don't make stuff to get broken just like that.

I believe Caldera will benefit from high gain. Then you can discover its (if any) power limitations with the knob.
 
Feb 28, 2024 at 4:09 PM Post #2,210 of 2,258
Feb 29, 2024 at 3:31 AM Post #2,211 of 2,258
Mar 4, 2024 at 10:06 AM Post #2,212 of 2,258
Just picked up a Super Charger. I got it cheap and was unsure if I'd actually hear any differnce even on the Arya Stealths and with the PSU plugged into a power conditioner (albeit a cheap extention one)

Tested the Super Charger plugged direct into the wall. Tired a few tracks and thought, yeah maybe. But then came along one of my fave songs by Nick Cave, Bring it on. Damn.

The peaks of Nicks voice were tamed a little so too the violin at the start and the cowbell/mentronome sound seemed higher (still for a Planar) in the air, but his whole voice came through just a little better, like everything was contollled a little better.

The biggest change was at the beginning there's the three strum guitar that came to life. Instead of just hearing them as quite flat with no space or air with the std supply, they are now moving around in and out with a little front to back movement and have a bit of echo to them? To the point I had a little goosebumps or a tingle in my ears.

An odd choice of song but Metallica's Ronnie Rising Medley, Lars has a drum fill around 2:35 which had more.....presence and again seemed more accurate and detail....less supressed.

Want to test more especially with accoustic, classical and electronic music and Dark Knight OST.

but yeah I'm amazed. Not at the product itself, but more that I could actually hear the change that everyone else has.
 
Last edited:
Mar 4, 2024 at 10:56 AM Post #2,213 of 2,258
Last edited:
Mar 14, 2024 at 10:53 AM Post #2,215 of 2,258

Hello everyone.

I'm having an annoying issue with my Burson Soloist 3X GT from the first generation (the volume knobs aren't even red).

When I plug it in, it turns on normally. However, if I turn it off and try to turn it back on, it doesn't turn on immediately. The light above the power button, which normally stays on and is blue, starts blinking very quickly in blue. When I press the power button again, it sometimes turns on, but sometimes not; to the point where the device won't turn on at all.

It gives the impression that it's going to turn on, the fan even makes a movement and a blue light inside blinks, but it doesn't actually turn on. When I press the volume button or the input switching button (RCA1, RCA2, XLR1 or XLR2) while the power button light is blinking quickly, things appear on the screen, but they disappear the moment the blue light above the power button starts blinking quickly again.

I'm using the Burson's own 3A Super Charger and my home electrical network is 110V (the Super Charger is suitable for 100V to 240V), so in theory, everything should be in order. Other audio equipment works normally (Chord Hugo TT2 and Fiio R7).


Could anyone help me out or shed some light on this issue? I'm in Brazil and there's no Burson support here, and unfortunately, to send the product back to them in Australia, I would need to sell at least one kidney...

 
Last edited:
Mar 14, 2024 at 11:29 AM Post #2,217 of 2,258
This sounds like it might be the problem, but the way it's happening sounds like the failsafe for the top cover not being engaged. Have you opened the unit up and changed opamps?
Faced with the issue, a knowledgeable friend opened the device to inspect it and found no internal defects. No Opamps were replaced or even tested.

In fact, the device functioned perfectly at my friend's house, without any problems.
 
Mar 14, 2024 at 11:35 AM Post #2,218 of 2,258
Maybe try changing outlets, power strips, at home to see if the problem repeats/persists.
 
Mar 14, 2024 at 12:10 PM Post #2,219 of 2,258
Faced with the issue, a knowledgeable friend opened the device to inspect it and found no internal defects. No Opamps were replaced or even tested.

In fact, the device functioned perfectly at my friend's house, without any problems.
So there's a sensor inside the amp that tells it not to turn on if the lid is off and people have had issues (me included the first time I swapped opamps) with the amp not wanting to turn on afterwards after removing the lid and putting it back on. I'd make sure the screws are nice and tight and that the lid is being firmly pulled down and then go from there. The 3A Supercharger isn't enough to fully drive the amplifier and that could also be the issue, which is why it comes with the 5A Supercharger. The 5A is 66% more power than the 3A.
 
Mar 14, 2024 at 2:05 PM Post #2,220 of 2,258
So there's a sensor inside the amp that tells it not to turn on if the lid is off and people have had issues (me included the first time I swapped opamps) with the amp not wanting to turn on afterwards after removing the lid and putting it back on. I'd make sure the screws are nice and tight and that the lid is being firmly pulled down and then go from there. The 3A Supercharger isn't enough to fully drive the amplifier and that could also be the issue, which is why it comes with the 5A Supercharger. The 5A is 66% more power than the 3A.
Silly question: how do I know if a Supercharger is 3A or 5A?

Looking only at the bottom, the output says: 24V 3A DC. Shouldn't it say 24V 5A DC?
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top