Burson Audio Soloist 3X Grand Tourer

Burson Audio Soloist 3XGT Review:

In this hobby I've often read that the headphone is the most important part of the audio chain. It’s said that you should prioritize getting a good headphone over any other gear, and worry about the rest of the audio chain later. As your audio chain improves there is a point where things flip, where the most important parts become the DAC & Amp. In my experience the trick to long term happiness with this hobby is to have several competent mid-tier (or better) headphones that you can use on a whim to keep things fresh, all while having one really solid DAC & Amp combo which allows those headphones to sound their best. The Soloist 3XGT fits that amp role right out of the box. I’ll go more into the details of the sound below, but first some background on me and additional details on the amp.

A brief history of where I’m coming from is that around a decade ago I finally got some mid-tier headphones. In wanting those headphones to sound their best I started playing around with portable amps. Adding a dedicated headphone amp into the chain made it obvious how important a quality amp is, regardless of the headphone you use. All headphones scale with proper amplification, and they scale up by a large amount. Over the years I’ve tried desktop amps from a dozen or so manufacturers, but ended up enjoying the Burson Conductor 3 Reference the most. After using the Reference for a few years I upgraded to the single ended Conductor 3GT, which immediately became my favorite amp. I was curious as to what the sound difference would be in using a dedicated amp, such as the Soloist, instead of the combo DAC + Amp of the Conductor. With that I jumped at the opportunity to give the Soloist a try.



Unique Features of the Soloist 3XGT:

10 Watt Output @ 16 Ohm Balanced, or 5 Watt Single Ended: Having both balanced and single ended outputs allows you to use almost any headphone. For power hungry headphones you never have to wonder if your headphone is being fully driven. The Hifiman HE6se V2 is notoriously difficult to drive with a sensitivity of 83.5db @ 1mW. The Soloist is so powerful that I’ve preferred to use the HE6se V2 on low or medium gain depending on the source. The sound is similar to using a speaker amp, just with more detail. Using low gain delivers the most accurate stage and detail, while medium adds some additional body for the most demanding headphones. I never found a need to use high gain on any of my headphones, as all were fully driven on low or medium gain settings.

The single ended output has less power than the balanced, which makes it ideal for more sensitive headphones. My most sensitive headphones (102db per 1mW @ 32 ohms) don’t have any audible hiss on low gain, and they start at a low listening volume on level 01. Those same sensitive headphones get up to my normal listening level at around volume 10.

Both RCA and XLR Inputs: You can use a DAC that outputs RCA or balanced XLR. I tried both types of inputs and they both were great. You do not need a balanced DAC to enjoy this amp. I ended up preferring the RCA inputs in my setup, as my best DAC outputs single ended.

Subwoofer + Headphone Mode: You can attach a subwoofer to both hear and feel the sound. I mainly use my headphones in a home theater setup where the sub is far away from my listening position, so I didn’t end up using this feature. Should be fun for those that have a close listening position though.

Remote Control is Included: A must have if you are planning on using a headphone amplifier in a home theater setup. I’ll talk more about the remote control further down.

Changeable Op Amps to Fine Tune the Sound: We all change our preferences over time, and we all want the sound to be exactly what we prefer. Out of the box the Soloist 3XGT sounds correct, but if any aspect of it isn’t to your liking then you can change the sound at the hardware level by putting in different op amps. There’s a lot of op amp choices out there that will make the sound warmer, brighter, more dense, less dense, more detailed, or alter the sound stage however you like. Since the capability of this amp is so great, it’s possible to fine tune the sound to be exactly what you prefer.

Microphone Input, and Preamp Outputs: I don't have a use case for these features, but I'm sure there are others out there that will benefit from these.

Crossover: You get Low, Medium, and High crossover settings to simulate what you would typically hear from speakers. This is great on some recordings, but I typically leave it off to get the most accurate sound stage.

L/R Balance: As we age our ears will often age at different speeds. You can get that perfect stereo image regardless on if one ear is quieter than the other.

Optional Upgrades: The Silent Power Modules can be swapped to further reduce noise in the chain (should increase detail and separation). There’s also a Supercharger power supply that also filters out any noise in the chain prior to the amp. With past Burson products I would say the Supercharger is required to get the most accurate sound, but with the Soloist 3XGT I found the sound was already correct right out of the box. Still, these upgrade options are available for those that want to push the resolution further, or for those that need additional power filtering.


Works great in a home theater setup. You can have full volume at night while others are sleeping.

Usability:

It's easy to use and does everything you would expect. All issues in usability from past models have been fixed, but otherwise the form factor and UI is similar to past Burson models.

• Numerical OLED Display: The volume is displayed numerically, and is saved when you turn off the unit. At all times the display will show you the volume, input, and bitrate. The system does not let you turn off the screen, but you do have the option of setting the brightness to Low, Medium, or High. Low brightness works great in both light and dark environments. My usual listening position is 3+ meters away, and the display is clear and easy to read from that distance.

• Smooth Scrolling Volume Knob: The volume knob is large, feels solid, and moves smoothly. In some past Burson models there was an issue where the knob would be overly sensitive, causing the numbers to jump up and down with the slightest touch. The knob feels unchanged from past models, but the sensitivity is lowered to the point that the volume or selections no longer jump around. The knob now works well and feels premium.

• Front Buttons: The buttons under the front display are input, output, settings, and display orientation. Gain is hidden in the settings menu which is the same as past Burson models. I used to think it would be best to have gain as a dedicated button up front, but in using the Conductors for years I’ve found it really isn’t an issue. I do tend to change the gain somewhat often, but it’s not a bother to have to press one additional button to do so, especially now that the volume knob is no longer overly sensitive. Everything works and is easy to access.

• Remote Functionality: The remote is unchanged from past models. It’s solid metal and fairly small, about the size of a disposable lighter. The remote allows you to change the input, mute, volume up, and volume down. The remote looks and feels fairly high end, but it’s line of sight capability is somewhat limited. You do need to point it exactly at the Soloist for it to register. To improve the IR capability I used the stock remote to teach another universal remote the commands, and with that I have zero issues with using the Soloist in a home theater setup. I've had the same remote for the last several years (on other models), and while everything works I do wish it had some more buttons/commands. I'd love if the next remote design would include 'Power', ‘Left’, ‘Right’, and ‘OK’ buttons, which would allow you to go through the menu to change settings from a distance. This isn’t necessary by any means, but it would be a useful feature I'd love to see on future models.

• Gain Settings: The Soloist has Low, Medium, and High Gain settings. This differs from the Conductor 3GT model which only has Low and High. The Soloist has more power than you should need on any headphone, so which gain you use will come down to the sensitivity of the headphone and your preference. In general Low gain will offer the cleanest sound and maximum separation. Increasing gain will add warmth and density at the expense of detail and stage. Different headphones will sound best with different gains, but you’ve got all the options you need to get the best sound for your setup.

• It’s got a fan!: Due to the Class-A design there is now the need for active cooling. The fan is quiet. In a home theater setup the sound isn’t noticeable to me. If I was right next to the amp the noise is so low that it wouldn’t bother me, but everyone is different. Just know there is a very low air hum whenever the amp is on. It sounds similar to air quietly blowing out of a house vent.

Sound Impressions:

Most reviews are focused on how music sounds out of an amp or headphone. I listen to a lot of music, but I use my headphones more for playing all sorts of video games and watching movies or shows. With music there is a lot of leeway in interpreting if the sound is correct. You cannot see where the sounds are supposed to be in the stage, or the details of how the sound is being created, so it's easy to listen to music and think that the sound is accurate when it actually deviates in multiple ways. When you are watching visual media your eyes get involved too, and you can then better interpret if there is something off with the sound. That said, the 3XGT delivers the greatest movie experience I've ever had while using headphones. The sound placement is exactly where it should be, the acoustics are correct, sound detail matches up with the visuals, and the entire presentation is done in a 3D like bubble that mimics a surround speaker setup. This same experience extends to video games, shows, and music. In short everything sounds ‘correct’ regardless of the media.

Normally I would go into the specific details of the sound signature, but in the case of the Soloist 3XGT it’s not really necessary. Sound reproduction is how it should be. If there is thunderous bass in the mix, that is what you will get. If there are subtle sounds in the layers of the music, you can hear it. All of this assumes that the rest of your audio chain is not altering or reducing the audio quality, but the point is that the Soloist 3XGT does what it is supposed to do. What is worth mentioning is how the Soloist 3XGT differs from other amps in order to deliver that ‘correct’ sound. While detail, timbre, and tonality needs to be accurate, the largest difference is the sound stage and density within that stage. The sound stage is presented as a 3D bubble filled with sound which gets us closer to what we hear in our every day life. Many amps have large sound stages, but typically they won’t extend properly behind you, or the stage will be large with a lot of blank space in-between. In life when we hear a sound from a short distance away it isn’t just in one small spot with blank space around it, but instead the sound fills the space in front of us while having enough spatial info for us to pinpoint the exact source. The Soloist 3XGT fills the sound stage with sound as it should be, giving a more realistic sound reproduction. The Soloist 3XGT accomplishes this great presentation while keeping detail at a level where you don’t feel that anything is missing.

While the Soloist 3XGT does exactly what it needs to do, that isn’t to say it is absolutely perfect. In our everyday life we are surrounded by sound that contains a lot of data. That amount of data is not going to exist in a stereo recording, but there is a point where a headphone goes from sounding really good to sounding correct, even if it is still missing data. The Soloist 3XGT crosses that line where you can just be immersed and enjoy. While the sound is correct, there is always going to be the potential for 'more'. The ability to get more detail, more spatial information, cleaner sounds, blacker backgrounds, etc… I have no doubt that the Soloist 3XGT can gain additional detail by customizing the op amps, making sure that the power input is pristine, and upgrading the silent power modules. Even then, the sound reproduction won’t exactly match what we hear in our everyday lives. However, while upgrading and playing with op amps is always fun, it’s not really necessary for the Soloist 3XGT. There comes a point where the amp sounds correct enough to convey exactly what the recording intends, and more is just more. The fundamental experience won’t change by adding 'more'. So while upgrading the components can likely improve the sound further, the Soloist 3XGT is good enough out the box to be all that is needed as the amp in your chain.

Closing Notes:

The sound coming out of your headphones will only be as good as the weakest part in your audio chain. This includes your power quality, DAC, Amp, interconnects, headphone cable, and finally the headphone. Often times we end up tinkering with cables or ear pads to equalize a sound when it’s not those items that are causing issues, but rather something else in the chain. This can lead to a lot of trial and error as we attempt to fix the symptoms of an issue rather than the root cause. This also leads to differing impressions of how audio gear sounds, as we all try to patch together a correct audio signal while altering it in different ways. Ideally the end goal is to make sure each part of the chain is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do, not altering or degrading the sound. That is how you end up getting the most out of your headphones, but it's difficult to find gear that simply does it's job. The Soloist 3XGT is accurate, it can be that piece of your audio chain that you don’t have to question or change to get it to sound right. That's one piece of the puzzle solved. Now you just have the difficult task of figuring out the rest of the chain.

Bought this amp based in part the great reviews here and elsewhere. About six months ago I decided to swap op amps. I put a pair of Sparkos 2590's into the volume control and a pair of Sonic Imagery 994s into the input buffers. Worked great and to my ear brought sonic improvements to the amp. About four months later I got the itch to upgrade again and this time I replaced the Vivid Op Amps in the Voltage Gain with a pair of Burson Classics. It was sonic heaven - tube-like and rich - resulting in a bigger improvement to the sound then the Sparkos and the Sonic Imagery put together. Problem is, after about two weeks the amp stopped working. Oh it turned on and lit up, but it produced no sound, no matter what configuration of op amps or external connections to headphones and DACs that I tried.
I took the amp to Audio Design and Service, a highly regarded pro-repair shop here in Los Angeles. Some $300 later they told me the Classic op amps were both fried (they had no explanation for why) and that they repaired all damage and the amp was now working. So, I ordered a new set of Burson Classic op amps which I had the repair shop install and run for three solid days without a problem. However, when I brought the amp home it worked fine for about two weeks and then it died again no matter what op amps I drop in or how I tried to connect it.
Luckily I was contacted by Burson as a result of the review above. Charles at Burson told me that they stand behind their equipment and gave me a local address to send the amp in for repair at no cost. Charles kept in touch with me during the entire process and was truly helpful throughout. Long story short, they found a broken pin on the Sparkos, replaced it and repaired all damage to the amp. I've been running the amp for over a week now and it sounds even better (even more effortlessly commanding and more musical) than before it broke the first time. I don't know what magic they've got going on behind the scenes, but I've been in the audio game a long time and have owned and dealt with repairs and upgrades from companies from Ayre to Schiit to Innuos and Burson is without a doubt among the very best there is when it comes to standing behind their products and seeing that things are done right. (I've posted an image below of the broken Sparkos op amp that they found)