3 in 1 Burson Conductor 3 DAC/Preamp/ Headphone amp review

#hifi #DACs #audiophile #stereo #audioreviews
Update Nov 23, 2020 : Burson just sent me this info for Christmas 2020 (Non-affiliated)
* Take advantage of our 2020 pre-Christmas promotion: Type Coupon Code 20OFF at check out from our web-shop www.bursonaudio.com/shop/
* Those purchasing our Reference, Performance and/or Pre-order the Playmate 2, email us with subject TS-STAND and the Order Number.
* Burson will then throw in the Cool Stand for free.
* This offer ends with this promotion.
www.adorama.com/brr180v6us.html
www.adorama.com/brr180xv6us.html
Coupon code : DEALBURSON
The coupon code will also work with the XLR version
Equipment used in this video
Burson Audio Conductor 3
XTZ EDGE Poweramp
Moon W5.3
Schitt Freya
Modwright LS100
PMC FACT 8
PMC DB1 Gold
Monitor Audio GX200
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[@SeanSisco]

This wasn't even on my radar until this video, but I've been looking to clean up and upgrade my desktop solution so this was very timely for me. After watching I went ahead and watched other reviews and this has moved to the top of my list so thank you for excellent review...as always

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Awesome, yeah read up more on it as I don't think there is a return policy so you have to be sure if you are going for it.

[@pyrolusite]

Enjoy your reviews very much. I like the sound combination of the burson, xtz and schiit preamp! I think more fuller sounding.

[@aceofspades6667]

Thanks for reviewing this! I know you're not a headphone guy although many of us are... The Burson 3XR conductor looks like a very appealing AIO unit with us driving some higher end headphones. having a great DAC and preamp to feed our speaker setup is an added bonus. I've been looking at this product and a few other AIOs and very excited to get your feedback on this.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks for watching! I really wish I knew more about headphones because I think for someone looking for a solution like this, it is a no brainer.

[@aceofspades6667]

@@ThomasAndStereo well maybe.. there are other products like the ifi ican pro, Flux labs FA-10, etc, RME ADI-dac 2, etc... That may offer similar performance/value depending on your HPs. I think the primary concern with AIO is if the quality of each components stands up with buying separates. One could purchased a Topping D90 / Topping A90 for ~ $1k and potentially get a system that "measures" better per ASR but doesn't add the hifi flavor of the burson. It gets to be a tricky road... People with TOTL HPs (Abyss 1266, Susvara, sr1a) will tend to lean for higher end components (Nimbus US4, XI Formula S, Woo Wa33, etc..)

[@hi-fihaven2257]

Hi Thomas! Cool a Swiss Army Knife component! Amp, DAC, Pre-amp. I really like the aesthetic design. Looks like great build quality. Have a great day man!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah and it does all 3 great.

[@amusikpoem1071]

Great review with great insights, Thomas! It is a pricey unit if one is only looking for a dac, but it's a pretty good deal if considering the entire package as a whole with that strong preamp, dac and headphone amp combined into one beautiful unit that could be further tweak by the user in the comfort of their own homes by swapping op amps.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yes, that is how I feel too. The DAC itself is really high quality and even without the headphone amp, it is still competitive.

[@jaydenarcher3674]

instablaster.

[@Soundoverload]

Great review!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@rotaks1]

Nice episode.

[@michaelmityok1001]

Seems like a great value dac/preamp/headphone solution, we are living in a great time for entry level gear, too bad there aren't more younger folk into hifi!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah, if you factor in the all 3 things it does well, it is very good for the price.

[@dilbyjones]

I think 2 channel is where most young folks could easily step in . it offers tremendous value as well as offering lessons on basic electronic principals.

[@bennywongbbb]

you may take a look at the idsd pro as well

[@marius127]

HEY, I'm young...ish

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

I had to watch twice 😆 Thomas that's a clean-looking Pre/dac/HP-amp that outputs 7.5 watts of class A ! ! dual Ess 9038Q2M i bet it has weight to it also ! Love the Oled screen also looks like Hi-end build quality to me !!! Bet these sale like crazy ! Alot of people into headphones these days thank you for the review Thomas 😆

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Cool, thanks and I forgot to mention, it is pretty heavy the unit.

[@paulwilliams7715]

Great review

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks

[@noreencarlos5452]

BeautifulGirls

[@llee4225]

Hi Thomas, good review as always. Just a technical note. The "discrete" opamp is really a discrete amp packaged with an opamp pinout so it can ready substituted. However due to package size, it would not have the power handling capability of a full discrete implementation.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks for the info!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

The coupon code in the description works for both the Conductor 3 RCA and XLR version. (Non-affiliated link) www.adorama.com/l/?searchinfo=burson www.adorama.com/brr180xv6us.html I forgot to mention this unit is from an Australian company. The unit is $1800 USD. Update Nov 23, 2020 : Burson just sent me this info for Christmas 2020 (Non-affiliated) * Take advantage of our 2020 pre-Christmas promotion: Type Coupon Code 20OFF at check out from our web-shop www.bursonaudio.com/shop/ * Those purchasing our Reference, Performance and/or Pre-order the Playmate 2, email us with subject TS-STAND and the Order Number. * Burson will then throw in the Cool Stand for free. * This offer ends with this promotion. www.adorama.com/brr180v6us.html www.adorama.com/brr180xv6us.html Coupon code : DEALBURSON

[@NosTubes58]

Thomas you’d always use a standard type A - type C adapter, also using the slow mode filter tends to soften the edge on otherwise brighter sounding DACs, hence your statement regarding both the Topping | S.M.S.L. makes, which are all about detailing, yet used with richer | warmer type cables ( read as pure Copper ) of the OCC | UP-OCC IC’s | USB cable that is........., and finally by using warmer sounding tubes further downstream.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

One thing I forgot to mention in the video is I end up using the slow filters and prefer it. Sure I could have used an adaptor but did not want to get one for review purpose. Thanks for the comment.

[@SoundHobbit]

There are as you say....different taste for different people! For example i found a good match between a Gustard A22 and a pair of Trigon monoblocks Tre50m! And best sound i found it to be on RCA and Not on Xlr....altought the Xlr has 6v output and Rca 3v output! Thank you for the vids!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah, thanks for letting me know about the Gustard A22.

[@wokthetalk3079]

Hey Thomas, thanks for being brave enough to really reviewing a DAC and what it sounds like. Most KZbinr default to simply describing the features of the unit without discussing the sound characteristics. Thank you for explaining the difference between a DAC/headphone amp with a volume and a real preamp section with an output stage. What happened to your review of the X8 that did a teaser on a few weeks ago? It seems that most entry level hifi or midfi headphone DAC amp combos have an op amp at the output stage. Can you please review the Audiobyte entry level Black Dragon which is manufactured by Rockna Electronics. It comes with the more musical AK DAC chip, a discrete class A circuitry pre/headphone amp for $1500 USD. Or can you please review the Musician Audio Pegasus R2R DAC with the 0.005% precision resistors as in the two top of the line Denafrips model but sells for around $1,000.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks, THe X8 will take a while as I have too many gear to review. I have to read up on those company you suggested.

[@pennfootball71]

I am using a Lampizator Baltic now as a DAC and preamp (it actually has an active tube preamp section better than most preamps anyway) and OMG It's god level endgame good. I can't describe it becasue it is not analytical and has tons of detail and holographic air magic. It just sounds perfect no matter what you feed it from audiophile Qoobuz on roon to TV to crap Pandora. On the Burson they are not normal "op amps" they are actually discrete op amp circuits and that makes a huge difference. Normal cheap op amps are not designed for audio and were designed for multi use purposes and sounds like ass in most applications unless they ad a lot of stuff to fix it and feedback and bla bla. Mytek Brooklyn has a decent preamp in the dac section too.

[@aaronlam2584]

Nice review Very good video

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks a lot

[@richardblaauwgeers4349]

Thomas... i love opamps and i own a xtz edge.... now i need to buy this 🤣 actually liked it more without tube preamp in the demo

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Haha, watching my channel can be dangerous to your wallet.

[@Velvet_Torpedo]

Hi Thomas great review, sounds like an interesting piece. My suggestion for your next review is the Naim Uniti Atom

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks. I think I heard it at the audio show and it was pretty good.

[@rileyleclerc7042]

@@ThomasAndStereo Would be really interested to see how you like the Unity Atom, especially considering it is Class AB and you lean towards Class D

[@ThomasAndStereo]

@@rileyleclerc7042 Good question. I like both class and I have both at my home. In fact, I have more class AB gear at my home than class D.

[@rileyleclerc7042]

@@ThomasAndStereo I just meant at first look at the Unity Atom I would have assumed Class D like the Nad M10 but then find out it is AB. As someone who listens to both without bias I await your review anxiously. Based on pictures alone it's the wife's favorite for the living room rig.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

@@rileyleclerc7042 haha. NAD I do have a connection, I would probably ask for a review in the future.

[@Mourik131]

I would love for you to test the QLN Prestige 3 speakers.You hear allot of compliments about it.

[@noreencarlos5452]

Funny,Thanks

[@Startekselva]

i do own Burson Conductor 3x and all burson products their R&D is far better than other brands

[@alfredtolentino8614]

Love the video. Perfect timing too. I just got my Burson Audio 3. It’s a bit too bright for me, might still need the proper burn-in. I’m hoping that “rolling” the op amps to the V6 Classic will warm the sound signature a bit.

[@gerard3797]

Hi Alfred, I also think it is a bit bright for my taste. I have the Performance 3. Did the Classic opamps warmup the sound enough?

[@alfredtolentino8614]

@@gerard3797 no I didn’t get the Op Classics yet. Holding off, I think the burn in is warming it up, unless I’m just getting f use to it :)

[@gerard3797]

​@@alfredtolentino8614 I just ordered a pair of dual and singles classic opamps to try out !, currently 20% off in their webshop, so let's see ;)! I have the aune X8 to compare it with, so compared to that is definitely a bit brighter. Maybe edgy or sharp is a better word than bright. I also found a good review on the opamp swapping experience. www.head-fi.org/showcase/burson-audio-play.22702/reviews?page=2

[@jsmctch]

Thomas great job as always. In fact, I would love to see you review the Sonnet Morpheus R2R DAC. A continuation of Cees Ruetenburgs work with R2R. You may of heard of his past company Metrum Acoustics. I'm sure your subscribers have too. It has a volume control and is said to be the next in line after the Metrum Adagio. Its in a less expensive case so it retails for only $3200

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Those would be awesome to review. One day hopefully my channel will grow big enough for them to reach out to me.

[@jsmctch]

@@ThomasAndStereo Thomas you keep doing you. The thing that sets your channel apart is you're unique in the way you present on your channel and that is enough to be recognized. More will come your way. Keep at it.... And to think you were considering ending your channel not too long ago

[@ThomasAndStereo]

@@jsmctch Thanks, appreciate the support.

[@naznee73]

Hi thomas. In general, would adding a good preamp into DAC/preamp + power amplifier setup brings about significant sonic improvement? I m using SMSL M400 as DAC + preamp as of now.

[@jtsmak]

Thomas, great review!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks Jackson!

[@brucemitchell5092]

Hi Thomas, sorry for double posting, but I was wondering if you could address the issue of differences in retrieval of spatial and imaging information in the DACS you've reviewed? In your reviews is this generally part of what you mean by retrieval of detail? I know that you've spoken about this issue in relationship to tube preamps, but how much have you found that DACs make a difference in this area? In my own experience, upgrading my DAC from a Bifrost to a Mytek Liberty (twice as expensive) made a profound change and for the first time I could understand what a "holographic" presentation might sound like. Since that I have become a bit obsessed about this part of performance. How does the Burson do in this area of performance relative to an R2R DAC like the Denafrips Ares?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Detail and holographic sound stage is 2 separate thing. You can have a Hifi gear that is great for detail but meh for soundstage. The Denafrips Ares 2 should be better for the sound stage as that is the strength of R2R DACs, I did not AB test it but that is based on memory.

[@sc51153826]

You may have just hit the jackpot with the Burson and XTZ, great sound for the money! The Freya does help to separate the sounds and give the music a little more oomph though. Tony's system is a work of art! For active application, the amps sound faster and cleaner than in passive, IMHO, and his JBLs already have fast bass too.🤩🤩🤩

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Couldn't agree more!

[@kennethlee1818]

I had the same comment of the Freya+ too. It was a very noticeable improvement

[@sc51153826]

@@kennethlee1818 and Thomas, it's a Freya and not the Freya + right? 😅😅😅

[@ronenik]

Thanks for the review! How would you compare the Conductor as a preamp to the Schiit Freya? Thanks again!

[@Amadis37]

I 100% agree with all you say, I have a focal celestee and I wouldnt pair it with an analytical dac even if some random people on YT says it is the best at the price point. The only thing that mathers is sinergy, I am actually considering burson playmate 2 I think it would be a good balance. I'll try to test it first.

[@B8THOV3N]

I just received my Conductor 3XR not long ago. I found polarity issue with both XLR (RCA) inputs. Luckily, I own a RME ADI-2 DAC that can reverse the polarity of the output to the XLR input of the Burson. I can pretty much presume that the Burson XLR inputs are reversed. I have been in touch with Burson about it, and they are doing some testing on their end. I really hope it's just an issue with my unit particularly. Otherwise, I really like this amp!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I think some of the Marantz from Japan has reverse polarity too? In Asia, don't they wire it differently?

[@B8THOV3N]

@@ThomasAndStereo I'm not sure. I've never owned anything by Marantz. If it was just the speaker output that's reversed, it would be an easy fix to just reverse the speaker cable. But the when it's the input that's reversed, that could be a huge problem.

[@bobslave7063]

Which one do you like more burson or RME?

[@majorlaser4801]

I have a Burson and the best way of describing the sound is: Lush. Warm and clear.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Nice.

[@MarkKam]

Does the computer see the microphone input?

[@majorlaser4801]

@@MarkKam i use it as a headphone amp (with focal elears) and as a preamp with music streaming onlyso cant comment on the mic input. I'll check it out

[@MarkKam]

@@majorlaser4801 Thank you!

[@manueljenkin95]

How good is the usb input on the dac? Does it still respond to changes in transport/USB cables or is it really high quality internal isolation/filtering making cables pointless?

[@bunc7406]

Thomas you should check out the Aune x8, it's also an op amp but at a budget friendly price of 300 usd. Uses FPGA tech like Chord Mojo. Dacs are not that fun to review..but given the price diff between the two... it might be a good entry level.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I actually have that in for review too😁

[@harrisedgar]

Yes Thomas... The Yamaha AS1200 would be great...!!! Hahahaha... Great video as usual, thank you. (maybe the Naim Uniti Nova)

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I have yet to try Naim at my home. Heard so many good things on it.

[@harrisedgar]

@@ThomasAndStereo Yeah... I've heard great things too. The thing is that you have some great speakers to really have some fun with it and us with you...

[@BigBoss-kk8hq]

Cant afford great success... I am content with the modius ... but must admit, I enjoy watching review videos to see what else is out there

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks for watching!

[@robh9079]

Some of the class D amplifiers have a very high input impedance making them more suited to use without a preamp, so not surprised your edge was better in this scenario. That's not to say they might sound even better with a pre though I suspect no pre is better than a cheaper pre in many cases...

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah, I find class D amp wtih high input impedance seems to be easier to match preamps.

[@djhmax09]

Nice video! Is there any harm with connecting a dac straight to a power amp to speakers other than sound as you mentioned? I know with headphones you typically have no need for a preamp whereas with speakers you would use a preamp to amplify that signal to carry it properly to the power amp

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Well, you DAC will need a volume control. Well,will it sound good or excellent will depend on the synergy.

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

Nice job ! JRC op-amps! Japenese Radio Company my favorite with my system is the JRC 5532 op-amp but i only had 5 cheap OA to choose from to color the sound to my taste 😆 I wanna try the double burson V5i , I feel ya on the Op-amps causing big trouble if put in wrong , I been threw it with a certain budget dac that sounds great for the price liquidey yes a tad of warmth review coming soon I hit a speed bump along the way 😥 Thanks Thomas ! Dual dac chips heck yeah ! The inside looks like quality ! 😆 Trying hard to up me reviews Thomas 33 years expierence with audio gear doesn't give me much experience with actually reviewing gear ! I'm now 1 year into reviews and learning fast thanks to reviewers like yourself and Sean 😆 Thanks for the video i always learn something new from your video's Did you see the pop the hood video of the Kef Q-100 ? Or me review of the Audiolab-6000 compact disk Transport ? Wow Thomas i really really want you to review that cd transport badly ! I know you have alot on your plate but dang its a GEM for real and it got rid of what i call 'DIGINITIS' cross contamination/jitter That i was getting from my other cd/Sacd/DVD/Bluray players, I may be getting the new Audiolab AS-6000 integrated in for a review, it hasn't been released yet, Me keeping my fingers crossed ! P.s. lets make this an essay i really wanna try that class d amp i wanna compare it to the EMOTIVA A-300 almost the same price ! ! Thanks again Thomas i won't call ya the Audio-Sensei anymore 😥

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

Shit i did write an essay , I'm using my phone and didn't realise how long the comment was my bad Thomas

[@ThomasAndStereo]

On the countrary great to hear from you. Yeah, CD transport is something interesting and I see you are really excited about it. One day when I get a chance to come across one!

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

@@ThomasAndStereo just say when Thomas ! I can get it all setup 😆 Yeah Thomas when I found that weak link in me system , well it had to go , I have owned many budget to entry level mid-fi 'players' , So i done some extensive research to find a well built Heavy Duty CD 'transport' ! On a budget and that wasn't easy ! And after Researching the Audiolabs 16 pounds / OlED display , Nice size power supply read ahead buffer filter, Oscillating 🔮Master clocks temp sensors , and 32 screws and 3 prong power IEC (detacable) with front slot port design with the cd mechanism being out of their flagship model the 8300 (1399US) will for 549.00US WOW ! 😃 "GOOD-ENOUGH" ➕ a couple levels, The Audiolab6000CDT will be my channels 2nd 'BUDGET-FI-BANDIT' Video Coming Soooooon ! And if you know me, Then you know i got to '''''''''' On something 😆

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

@@ThomasAndStereo I heard you say they won't ship you the Yamaha AS-1200 ! Ehaaa makes me wanna ship you my Yamaha AS-1100 and it weighs 52 pounds ,4.5 pounds more than the AS-1200 , dang it writting Yamaha . I know you want to review the newer model ! Are they crazy you know the views you would generate ! Is it due to shipping and customes ? Cost me 75.00 bucks to send 4 pounds back to wuhan China !!! Threw USPS !! Lol X8 😆 writting Yamaha right now !

[@ThomasAndStereo]

@@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120 You spent $75 to ship back the X8?! Sean is working on getting me hook up with Yamaha.

[@DV-fg4pq]

Interesting video, especially the synergy part between pre and power. Could you explain why you would have expected the high output impedance of the mc intosh D150 would be a limiting factor for its matching to a random power amp contrary to the combination of the good combination between the burson preamp section with the XTZ power amp? I still fail to understand that technical "rule of thumb" of matching pre and power amp parts. Some say the difference should be 10 times, others 25 times between output and input impedance. So what's the truth in all that in your experience ? Is the design of the power amp (class D) more important and/or impedance matching or both (for detailed bass) or is it more a mix of such things that give a good indication for a good synergy between pre and power amp? I know, that's a lot for a question but maybe a good future topic for a video for those that have not enough equipment and/or experience to try and know about this "synergy" question?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I think that is a question more for Paul McGowan. In my case , it is just my experience and I have no idea why.

[@DV-fg4pq]

@@ThomasAndStereo Lol ok thanks anyway I had to try and ask :-)

[@yangarzon8994]

Thank you. Very good pov. I look after the m400. I already have a rme adi 2 fs but i curious about the smsl.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

So you are shooing for a m400?

[@yangarzon8994]

@@ThomasAndStereo should pulled trigger soon. But i Washington waiting for a good unbiase review. Not like zeos sold to everything....so far none are done since they are not out since a long time. Just tried m500 and find it ok but under my rme. Return it. But but i was amazed by price vs performance

[@keithkrieger7075]

For this price it is up against the Benchmark Dac & preamp which has gotten an A+ rating from Stereophile. A shootout is in order.

[@jurajrybansky3744]

Hello can I ask what source of sound you use when testing DAC'S.Thank you.

[@marekkordzik7517]

sold mine Conductor 3r and Im thinking about getting another Burson . Should I get conductor 3xr and use ballanced headphone cable or get conductor 3r gt for little extra money ?

[@mcjonner]

How does the wharfedale 225 compare to the br03 in your opinion? There was a reviewer who preferred the 225 over the br03 and I wondered your thoughts since there are so many great reviews on the br03 and that the 225 is so much cheaper. I seen that you mentioned it in a previous video. I believe the sound signature might be up my alley. The 3050i would have a similar sound signature as the br03? Thanks

[@ThomasAndStereo]

For me it is 2 completely different sound. I had both. D225 has a more laid back presentation, I would go as far to say it is slightly dark. Bass goes really deep for its size. Br03 is a faster sounding speaker and relative to the D225, seems to be more lively. I would say the D225 is probably closer to the Q3050i interms of top range when compared to Br03.

[@mcjonner]

@@ThomasAndStereo Perfect, thanks for the feedback

[@eddiec679]

hi thomas, when you say you burn the op amps, is the device that become un-usable, or only the opamps.?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Only opamp

[@williamwong4529]

Great review Thomas! May I have your opinion? I'm looking for a dec and I want to pair it to my B&W floorstand loud speaker. Which one would it match better with: Topping D90 or MP-D1 MK3?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I have not spend enough time with the D90. Wait for my review.

[@williamwong4529]

@@ThomasAndStereo Thanks!

[@marcusm5127]

Thomas please review a Focal speaker.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I have made 3 videos on Focal speakers. Look for my Sopra 2 video.

[@chillandnothing]

@Thomas & Stereo How is the noise floor when using it as a preamp? Is it dead silent? Thank You!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yes, I remember it was. I will double check but wait for my upcoming Burson DAC review.

[@CUDAbuster]

That's a cool looking unit. I couldn't tell from the back if it has a toslink connection. It should if not. This brings me to a bit of frustration with a lot of DACs. The point of these units are to convert digital signal to analog and do it in a musically pleasing way (although there are other types of DACs for other applications). So why is it that many of the DACs for audio application not have an abundance of digital connections? Such as two toslink, a couple USB perhaps, digital coax and even HDMI (including additional built in decoder for Blu-ray type decoding). RCA connectors on a DAC is needed also, but only in the rare case when a digital device only has RCA and no other output. Another question is what happens when outputted signal from a digital device has already gone through an internal DAC and then again through an external DAC? A CD player being the obvious example, vs. a CD transport (which would export the raw digital signal).

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Good question but probably for an engineer to answer. It does have a toslink input and I forgot to mention, all 3 of us prefer that input over coaxial.

[@chrisvinicombe9947]

I can answer a couple of these. Hdmi is very expensive to rent the manufacturing rights for. Many dacs have multiple coax and toslink inputs but its the exception not the norm. The benifit of using a cd player is no jitter and a single box. The benifit of a transport is questionable since players will have digital outputs too. Transports are also more expensive for no justifiable reason.

[@chrisvinicombe9947]

Here's a link to hdmi license costs and conditions. www.semiconductorstore.com/blog/2014/licensing-costs-HDMI/654/

[@MaZEEZaM]

Given at least in Australia this costs the same as the 3i Timekeeper at $3,300 AUD, why would you buy this over the timekeeper which also powers speakers?

[@ekaftttt]

Wish you had started by saying this cost 1800 $

[@kenjames246]

Me too. I thought we were comparing DACs under $1000 US approx. price.

[@borisuththaimee3398]

Can i connect turntable to this unit or the Conductor 3XR (more expensive one ) ?

[@myronhelton4441]

Windham Hill "96 sampler is best for cello that can tune all speaker builders to test speakers. Gretchen Yanover - Bow & cello, is as good. Deep bass would be piano Holly Cole-Dont smoke in bed. Nils lofren-Acoustic live, on acoustic guita for highs. Michael Hedges-oracle to test any speaker. The best 2 cds that I"ve ever heardto test mids & highs is the air off a flute on these next 2 albums of Jeremy Steig, Howling for Judy, Wayfaring stranger. Drums & mids on sax is John Coletrane A LOve Subpreme. Most of these are on youtube. Michael Hedges_ Oracle on youtube isnt put on good. Van Morrison-Astral weeks, is great on acoustic bass. Michael Hedges-oracle is best cd to test low mids to build the correct size cabinet for a bookshelf speaker & woofer size

[@xray111xxx]

Are you doing a review on the Schiit Modius? Keep the reviews coming. $1800 is not happening but it is fun to watch otherwise.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

No as I don't have one. I have too many DACs in hand right now to reach out to them.

[@fizywig]

When will you do a review of AURALiC g2.1?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I would probably reach out to them in a few months. Unless you have a contact?

[@GlueeeeGuy]

hi Thomas

[@MaZEEZaM]

Sadly I can't get XTZ amp's in Australia.

[@samlee2562]

No headphones? Blowing up the op amps? Come on man!! ✊😂

[@dajikbatarang1]

I believe some of the topping dacs have the ability to swap opamps. Not sure about the d90 but the d50s i have it can be done

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I don't know about the D90 as I don't remember seeing a kit in it for opamps swapping.

[@dajikbatarang1]

@@ThomasAndStereo i think your right, the op amps are soldered on the d90. On my d50s they are socketed so i can experiment with op amps if I want.

[@modemmark421]

*Kanto* *Tuk?* HELP! please review. Many of us are chiosing to live in smaller homes and crave simplicity in our necessarily busy lifestyles. I was looking at the Kanto Tuk because it appears to be simple, compact, and claims to have high end Audiophile quality sound and is less than $1,000.00 (USD)!!! Please share your thoughts. Kind Regards, Mark

[@MultiBryanlee]

Good introduction, Thomas. I recently just bought one Conductor 3XP, could I also use it as a DAC? By the way, may I ask for the name of the song you played at the end of this video? Many thanks.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I don't think there is an RCA output, you have to check. The song is in the description, thanks

[@MultiBryanlee]

@@ThomasAndStereo Hi Thomas, thanks for your reply. I have checked and there is one RCA outlook. For the XLR output, if it connect with Amplifier or speakers? Many thanks.

[@kinwong959]

Great review Thomas, I know you like the Denafrips Ares II in the past. How is the DAC section of the Conductor 3 compare to the Denafrips Ares II and which one you preferred? Thank you!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

It depends on which speaker I pair it with. Overall, I would say I prefer this one because this one has more punch bass.

[@kinwong959]

@@ThomasAndStereo If pair with your Silverline Sonata, you still prefer the Conductor? I have the original Silverline Sonatina. Thanks!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yes I do.

[@bobdupuy5910]

@@ThomasAndStereo Like the D90?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

@@bobdupuy5910 Yes, it is a great DAC the D90.

[@jonberg8266]

Plz. review the Element X

[@ThomasAndStereo]

That is one high-end DAC!

[@benendog]

Do you have a link to the music you always play ? Cristal Eye? I can't find it in TIDAL OR QOBUZ.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Just search for Crystal Eyes - Airixis on youtube or tidal

[@benendog]

@@ThomasAndStereo Thanks Thomas, found it. Proud for what you have done for the community!

[@IsaacChew]

For the end demo, a lot nicer w the freya+ added in.

[@IsaacChew]

Thomas I am using a Chord Hugo TT and even today it is hard to find a dac w that level of detail retrieval. The TT brings you very close to the performers. And one “strange” thing is many TT owners removed their preamps as the TT direct to power amps sounds more transparent. I always took it for granted. I connect the TT direct to active speakers. But besides the Chord Hugo TT, I think not many dac/preamp will not experience an upgrade in sound w an external preamp.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah, there are some DACs that are both excellent as DAC and Premap. My friend has the Hugo, maybe I should borrow and try it.

[@IsaacChew]

Thomas & Stereo certainly. Note the portable hugo and hugo TT has differences. For home use, get the TT. Then try adding any premap, unless your preamp is very good, the sound will not be better w a preamp to the TT. We added a denafrips hestia to the TT - did not work at all. The sounds becomes much less transparent.

[@yogiwp_]

The reason we don't see a lot of explanation for the filters is because the engineer themselves are not quite sure how it affects sound. It's just something needed to be done to the audio data and there are multiple ways of doing it, and it is unclear which one is better. So the decision gets deferred to user.

[@t.j.bennett6454]

I'm in the market for a new dac after getting my new speakers and solid state amp. My new speakers are very detailed and have a lot of meaty texture available. Problem now is that all my music sounds digital and I think because the speakers are so revealing. I use the dac in my rotel integrated and it seems to be more musical and bigger Soundstage than my MOJO. But my MOJO seems to have more information but just not as musical. Should I go this or ares 2 or mhdt? I'm wanting a tube amp or preamp down the road. Would the tube from the mhdt be too much to add to a tube setup?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

You probably get more rounder sound with the MP with better tubes. However, your issue might be more with the amp or preamp. As you noticed, the Rotel is more musical.

[@t.j.bennett6454]

@@ThomasAndStereo my rotel is an integrated. Using the internal dac and premp and amp its more musical than using the mojo dac with the rotel as a preamp and amp. The amp doesn't sound as digital with the mojo but it sounds like its missing a lot

[@yogiwp_]

How does the Conductor compare to Denafrips offerings?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I am about to review a burson DAC and maybe it would be more fair to compared that one. In about 3 weeks.

[@rileyleclerc7042]

Great review. Both you and Jay rave about this piece of kit. I wonder how it stacks up against the Ifi Pro iDSD and the RME ADI-2. Thujan loved the RME ADI-2 and Jay loved the Ifi Pro iCAN but didn't try the iDSD. Keep up the good work.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah, I can get a IFi Pro iDSD and one day will check it out.

[@deangale4496]

Totally agree to make an audiophile product and then put in a generic class C USB port in it ffs! Also I agree one more sentence " orientation " of the op amp! Geezus

[@johnmckay428]

had this since release. beautifully built. manual is abysmal. filters I can't tell any difference when switching them. using as head amp with focal elegia which altogether sounds a little flat. I think this head amp will pair better with warmer power hungry cans like Audeze. wish it had 2 way bluetooth and MQA decoding. thanks for your review Thomas.

[@myronhelton4441]

I try to pick out the best sounding one album of each group. I dont like any cd or record that I havent listed. Most albums in 1972 started some digital that I dont like. Most of the vinyl on my playlist I dont like on cd, unless I mentioned it on my cd list. There isnt many new versions of old records I like, I will mention the new ones I like.I really like the old Hendrix records. The only cd I like of Hendrix is blue, but I like Hendrix blue on the record better, so I think buying the new record is ok, because the record Hendrix Blue Was just put out. I like Dylan, but I only like his cds . Dylans records dont have good sound, except Dylan MTV Unplugged cd sounds great, I have never heard the vinyl Unplugged, wished I had it. I only like the old Beatles Vinyl. The remaster cd of The Who Live at Leeds is much better, but I like the old vinyl better. I hate Alan Parsons cds. I hate Yes cds. I hate all new Beatles records. New Cat Stevens new records are good, but the older ones were better. Beck_Sea Change MFSL remaster is much better on cd & the record is better. I like the old analod tube recorded Ry Cooder-Meeting at the River better than the newer remastered digital version of it, but I like the remastered vinyl of it, the 1st cd of it was never on vinyl. I like the Nils Lofgren Acoustic Live cd that was put out 10 years before the vinyl that I havent heard, I'd like the vinyl. All the new Rolling Stones Let It Bleed in stores are great remasters hybrid cd & DSD vinyl. I would love the vinyl thats been out 10 years., & I"d like the oldest version of the vinyl, too. The Windham Hill analog George Winston-December cd I like, never heard the vinyl, I like the remaster anniversary edition also, a little better on cd, never heard that vinyl version of it. Van Morrison-Astral weeks I like , cant tell the difference in the remaster, but I like the 10 year old remaster, but the vinyl sounds the same as the cd, both sound good. Windham Hill "96 Sampler is a great stereophile cd cheap used on Amazon. The Hotspot soundtrack is great vinyl, bad cd. I will say Beatles 15 year old remaster Yellow Submarine on dvd & cd is great, I think the remaster vinyl would be great, the dvd picture was remastered analog by hand. Santana first 3 cds are good, especially & only the oldest Abraxas is great. Jennifer Warnes -raincoat is much better remaster, havent heard the vinyl. All acoustic Led Zeppelin 3 on cd is good, but the oldest on vinyl is best.. Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds _ live at Luther College on 2 cds is good, but 8 lps is too much. The bass must be better on 8 lps, its on one of the lists. Elton John- Tumbleweed Connection, only album he had with great guitar Mick Ronson from David bowie. Joe Walsh-James Gang-rides again (1971) cd is good, the oldest vinyl is great audiophile lp.

[@t.j.bennett6454]

The ares 2 review you did, you said that what matters with DACs for you is organic. Is this dac organic?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yes, although not as analog sounding as my exasound e28, it is still enough.

[@robh9079]

Another Yes. My take is it an 'honest' sound not tuned to be something it's not. Attempt at describing; Liken an analytical DAC to a sharp metal right angle. Ares (and probably R2R in general) has that same edge but it's made of wood.

[@t.j.bennett6454]

@@robh9079 i think organic has a lot to do with the timbre of textures. I believe the dac to be main place to get this with speaker driver material being next. But I think you can get some organic with right soeaker and cheap amp but if organic dac with wrong speakers you won't get it as much. Some speakers just aren't capable of delivering a fleshy timbre. Is the burson or the ares 2 or r2r in general better at this?

[@robh9079]

@@t.j.bennett6454 I have not heard the burson so can't compare. ares is definitely a lot more organic than rega - another highly regarded dac that goes for that sort of sound. audiophiliac also rates areas above his previous fave organic/analogue sounding 1K dac (border patrol) I think depth of soundstage also is a key area for organic sound. yes, the ares is very natural sounding when it comes to timbre. these are the qualities that r2r is meant to bring and my initial reasons for exploring this architecture, although they don't 'measure' so well...

[@t.j.bennett6454]

@@robh9079 well I tried one of those "measures" well dacs and it was the most basic sounding thing I'd ever heard. Could definitely tell it measured good but it was a joke in terms of pleasure

[@brucemitchell5092]

Thomas, I really enjoy your reviews. How does this DAC do in presentation of spatial detail and holographic imaging? One of the best upgrades (aside from room treatments) in my system was purchasing a Mytek Liberty that opened up the imaging in my system . How is the Burson in this regard, and do DACs make a lot of difference in this area (imaging and soundstage)?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I appreciate that!

[@hushpuppykl]

Just like the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge. There’s no mention as to how the filters work. 🙄

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I see, so other companies have the same problem.

[@uhugvjkbkjh]

What's difference between performance and reference models?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I don't know as i did not read up on the performance line.

[@alfredtolentino8614]

The Performance model has 1 Sabre chip as the Reference has 2 chips. That and slightly lower headphone power rating.

[@t.j.bennett6454]

Is there a tube preamp for under $1000 US youd suggest to get the 3d soundstage?

[@amusikpoem1071]

Schiit Freya+ is a great option...Thomas has a review of the previous gen Freya...go check that out.

[@t.j.bennett6454]

@@amusikpoem1071 haha thats actually exactly what I did watch before you comented

[@dilbyjones]

I don't understand how u get soundstage without loads of current

[@limcheekeong1159]

Hi Thomas, thx for the review. To my ears, Freya is a no brainer😄my wife think so too 😆

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yes, the Freya is pretty good value for the money.

[@intoitreviews]

All reasons to get a my favorite, Gold Note D-10 instead ;)

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Wow, that is a pretty high end DAC.

[@intoitreviews]

@@ThomasAndStereo yup, its incredible!

[@AmazonasBiotop]

Great Thomas! Sorry that you blow the op-amps. As a audiophile we need to know these things. :) Why do you say "that it uses op-amps" twice? I understand that electronic is not your thing ;) But it sounds like that it something unique, it is the fact that gear usually use op-amp than not! The thing you should emphasize instead is that they have their op-amps in a SOCKET. That is the differentiation because most of the times the op-amps is soldered directly on to the PCB so you can't change them easily. The importance is too hunt for equipment that uses sockets.. If you think about it actually it is one of the bigger reasons why two different brands of DACs that uses the same "DAC chips" will sound differently as they say it depending on how it is "implemented".. ..and probably they two DACs uses different models of op-amps in the output stage. And that is one of the single biggest contribution that to the sound difference! (It might be easier to change a little op-amp than a whole DAC and tweak the sound to your own unique liking.) I understand that you were not able to hear the different op-amps. So you did not realize the big change in sound they will make. And it is the equivalent to "tube rolling" but it is "op-amp rolling". :) Take care!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yes, thanks for clarifying it. Yes, you would find opamps even in preamps with no DACs. It is too bad I cannot AB test it in this case and comparing it to tube rolling is cool!

[@dilbyjones]

Yea. It's been around for a while O heard of some folks in Denver building op-amps

[@jimfarrell4635]

Hi. Just came back to this review as I took delivery of the Burson Conductor 3xp model yesterday and have found one issue which may be of interest. I am using it in my second system with an Auralic Aries Femto streamer and when I connect the Burson via USB, Roon will not recognise the Aries. It seems the Burson will not work with the Aries over a USB connection. Using coaxial or optical all is fine but then PCM is limited to 24/192 and no DSD. I think the problem may relate to the Burson requiring a windows xmos driver but installing the driver did not resolve the issue. The sound is fantastic and DSD is not a dealbreaker for me ( the only files I have are rips from vinyl and I can always play the vinyl ) . It may be an issue for some people however. I also have an Aries G2 but have not tested that combo yet. I have reached out to Burson and Auralic to see if there is a solution and will update this post if I find one. Prior to this I was using a Topping DX3 Pro which worked perfectly but the Burson sounds so much better even over Toslink and I never liked the Topping headphone amp.

[@jimfarrell4635]

OK. Now I feel like an idiot. All I had to do was perform a new setup on the Aries and now the Conductor is recognised over USB and working perfectly with Roon. Thanks to all those who gave me advice on the Auralic forums and also Hans Beekhuyzen - incidentally if you like watching Thomas you will enjoy Hans' channel. Very different styles but they complement each other.

[@manueljenkin95]

I own the burson fun. I actually preferred the sparkos ss3601 opamp over the V6 vivid on it. Has better transients with the sparkos. Yep the manual sucks. Regarding usb-c, it had to be done, let the cable makers follow. It's a problem of moving on.

[@kirarittberg5088]

Glad to have my vintage gear. Most of the new "affordable" gear looks cheap compared to high end vintage IMO. R2r dacs are smooth, no need to add tube preamps to "fix" the harsh sound. If you haven't tried r2r , you should. Thomas, get a set of headphones, it is a great way to check (ab them against) speakers and also necessary to review certain products with headphone amps. You should not feel too bad about the op amps, at least the dac survived.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

The only R2R DAC I have tried is the Ares II

[@kirarittberg5088]

Thomas & Stereo I have not tried any of the newer r2r units, too pricey for me. I have vintage Monarchy and Adcom dacs that use the old Burr brown r2r chipsets. Despite their age they are very good dacs . I also use an old MSB link dac 3 (with over sample upgrade, it is not r2r) for my headphone system and it beats out newer econo dacs I have tried. Like your JBL friend (I also have JBL drivers in DIY cabs) I was also finding Sd dacs edgy . There was no way my Bryston amps were going anywhere, they were doing what amps are supposed to do, amplify as transparently as possible. Replacing my previous (Schiit, Cambridge, Zero, and other modestly priced dacs....) dacs with r2r put me in sonic bliss. I think it is a mistake to replace amps, speakers ,cables etc.. with possibly inferior (less revealing) components in order to remove the "edginess" rather than dealing with the source , if source is the issue. If I had a bigger budget things may have been different but for less than $500 there are great vintage r2r dacs out there. I am cd based for digital so usb is not required on my system. I know you are a busy guy so I appreciate your replies. Keep well !

[@AdrianIII]

Is "color" the same thing as distortion?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

check how stereophile explains it. www.stereophile.com/content/sounds-audio-glossary-glossary-b-c That is why we say there is such a thing as the Mcintosh sound, the marantz sound and etc.

[@AdrianIII]

Thomas & Stereo - Thanks. Stereophile doesn’t use the word “distortion,” but in essence, that’s what it is. The unit “colors” all signals passed through through it.

[@charleskatz2606]

Thomas Hey I think this was a great review.Nice unit.I totally agree with you that a gain control does not mean it is "a pre-amp".Even the Mytek Brooklyn well if you have a good turntable and cartridge would you be satisfied with a simple chip phono section?Maybe for a second deck.But for me based on reviews and specs (Audio Science Review) the Benchmark DAC 3 and AHB2 I would love to have you review them as pair the with the Benchmarkr headphone amp the HPA4,,Gow would the DACX direct compare with the headphone pre or the Schiit Freya inserted.They are Class A extra value items at Stereophile Recommended components and the gear I think not only me but many out there would love to have a review of the DAC and the stack.Keep up the great work your fan Chazz

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks. Yeah the challenge is I have no idea about headphones so it would be hard for me to review them because part of the value proposition is that they are fantastic headphone amps. I read many good things on Benchmark and hopefull I get to try it one day.

[@charleskatz2606]

Thomas & Stereo Thomas if you read about the Benchmark HP4 you can see it is the minimalist pre-amp I would be interested in hearing myself and your evaluation.Like you I rarely use headphones.But two brands of headphone amps intrigue me because of their minimalist pre-amp function.This Benchmark compared to to just their DAC and the Linear Tube Audio MZ2 and MZ3.Those OTL designs also add a 1watt amp.So right now from reading the system I’d like to put together is the Benchmark DAC3 to begin with which has a few analogue inputs and to try it with their HP4 as well as the Freya+ and the LTA MZ2 or 3.If I was looking for a integrated amp to replace my EL34 E.A.R Yoshino the LTA intergrateds would be based on reviews at the top of my list

[@kevincheung3023]

Hey Thomas, out of this topic here. I thought about getting the Klipsch RP-8000 speakers, however the KEF Q950 caught my attention. I am planning to build a home theater around them eventually. I would say 60% Music/concert and 40% movies. Which one would you go for? Or any other recommendations are welcome. Paradigm SE6000 is cheaper but can they stack up with those 2? Sorry got alot of questions. Thanks I am concerned about speakers being too bright, not alot of dealers are opened nor they have these on demo.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I never heard the Q950 but if you are going for that, then you have to get an amp that leans more towards the warm side. Yeah, sadly there are not as many stores that allow people to audition.

[@kevincheung3023]

@@ThomasAndStereo So Thomas, you mean the Q950 can be brighter than the RP-8000?

[@dinsy512]

16:27 Burson pre 17:27 Schiit Freya pre

[@jimashby43]

The manual sucks! Haha Thomas is fearless and strait to the point...lol

[@datdudeinred]

5:20 seriously Thomas how on earth can you complain about type c? Let zeos hear about this.. 😂 But seriously it's made for desk use and that makes immense sense as you can use his with a laptop.. & nowadays laptops have type c than a full blon USB

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Ah, I am behind times!

[@dilbyjones]

Lol! You blew them! I heard it was easy to do that.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I know! I am an idiot!

[@dilbyjones]

Thomas & Stereo Actually I wouldn’t feel so bad from one of the other of my favorite shows that I watch the gentleman who was making the video said that it was very very easy to blow them as in most people blow them . I would suggest they do what is done with CPU chips and create a gold triangle on one of the leading edges

[@johnsweda2999]

What's with the mic input what's that all about. Be nice if you swapped out the op-amps for tubes somebody made a daughter board for it and power supply Why can't they export Yamaha what's the reason for that

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah, no idea about the mic. For the Yamaha, it is written on the box of those products that it is only for US.

[@ResilientME]

Yamaha likely already has a dealer in Canada with an exclusively contract.

[@ThujanK]

Burson Audio is based in Melbourne Australia which also home to world famous RODE microphones. If you were using this unit on a desktop with Headphones (Intended use case), it is convenient to also have a microphone jack aswell at the front. Desktop users would appreciate this as it makes use of the built-in DAC this way instead of your computer.

[@johnsweda2999]

@@ThujanK yeah so it's a microphone amp as well I don't know about roge being famous but I get your point

[@mjjm6220]

Get with the USB-C…the only way to go. Everything else is so last Millennium.

[@humanbass]

Usb c is pretty good, micro that sucks.

[@monetize_this8330]

Those op-amp sockets aren't robust. For $1800 they're taking the p**s compromising its long-term reliability.

[@yaniv-nos-tubes]

get some headphones! what's wrong with you? try to get audioquest nighthawks even second hand they are great . mr headphones

[@dennisvanderben2719]

did you really just complain about usb c? cmon,

[@navinadv]

Thomas I am sorry. Everyone knows that opamps (be it the 741 or 2604 or 5532 or 275) have an orientation as 2 pins are used for power. Even transistors have an orientation. Both opamps and transistors are marked so people don’t make that mistake. And filters, like tone controls, are best set by ear. I would compare this Burson with the Schitt which also costs the same. One is a chip based multi-bit R2R while the other is a chip based Delta Sigma. Both are well built.

[@patricaomas8750]

3 in 1 isn't that called an integrated amp?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

You can.

[@patricaomas8750]

@@ThomasAndStereo

[@HungryEatNow]

Where's my d90

[@ThomasAndStereo]

In a few weeks.

[@HungryEatNow]

@@ThomasAndStereo 😭

[@bilguana11]

No balanced in or out.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

The have 2 version, one with balance and one without.