Burson ha160d vs soloist books

Burson audio conductor headphone amplifierpreamplifierdac. Unit sounds great and easily drives all of my head phones. The soloist power supply is built around a custom noisefiltering network employing twice as many filtering stages as most conventional designs resulting in superior. The burson soloist sl mkii is a smaller version of bursons award winning soloist headphone amp with the same build and high quality. The burson audio soloist class a headphone amplifierpreamplifier. The mk2 of soloist sl the soloist sl mkii delivers benchmark setting performance in a tiny package and very affordable pricing.

I think the first headphone i tried the soloist with was the hifiman he500. The amplifier casing follows the usual thick and resonance free. But the trend these days is to have a good source quality alongside a great amp, and so burson took the ha160 amplifier back to the design room, and out come the burson ha160d which is basically the ha160 amplifier with a dac in one box. Oct 04, 2012 but this cuts both waysthe soloist isnt going to save a headphone that you want to like either. I have a burson soloist and senn hd650 phones, and. The soloists internal 25watt power dissipation has gotten beefed up to 45 watts. Also because burson only had to select and match 21 components, the soloist sounds absolutely amazing. Powerful and transparentno other headphone amp offers. A musical prodigy, reinhart was a worldclass cellist from a young age. Burson audio soloist preamplifierheadphone amplifier. Both products make sense to us, and the ha160 in particular offers a ton of value for the money.

Design and setup of the burson soloist headphone amplifier. I have no possibilty to try any headamp, so i came here for advice thank you. The business formed in 2006 designing diy upgrade parts, along with completed products such as a power amp, preamp, and integrated. Burson audio ha160d hifi headphone amplifier dac preamp silver. Operating in pure class a, for the cleanest audio performance, the soloist sl mkii is handcrafted in australia using only the best components, including dale resistors, elna caps, a 25watt low noise transformer, and bursons supreme sound audio opamp circuitry. The soloist adds the very handy feature of three gain settings, however, so all that power doesnt mean that it wont work with high efficiency headphones as well. In 2009, the soloist was made into a movie starring robert downey jr. They have a lengthy section about their philosophy on their web site, explaining both why they prefer discrete circuits, and what they feel is wrong with ics and class d, too. But the trend these days is to have a good source quality alongside a great amp, and so burson took the ha 160 amplifier back to the design room, and out come the burson ha 160d which is basically the ha 160 amplifier with a dac in one box. From clay tablets to bound collections of wood pulp to units of stored data, the book has been around in one format or another for some 3,800 years. The conductor sl 1793 is housed in a refined and precision folded 3 mm aluminium casing that is unmistakably burson. Coming up from australia, the burson soloist redefines the state of the art for headphone amplifiers. Jan 01, 1994 the soloist is an endearing story that tells the tale of a man who hit his prime as a child.

If you do require dsd functions, then of course the idac2 is the better option, but it is very musical to me and pairing it with the burson soloist mk2 kind of negates the tone. William murdock the headphone experience 833 views. He was nurtured and encouraged albeit a bit harshly when it came to his mother and, sadly, isolated. Burson understands the difference between burst and sustained power so youll find a custom 35va transformer ensuring the soloist is capable of a sustained 4 watts at all times. I also have the chance to demo the hifiman he560 for the weekend, of course driven with the same setup i can return the hd800 if i want to get the he560.

Nov 14, 20 the burson conductor is a fine sounding piece of kit. Burson is the difference between hearing music and experiencing it. The burson audio soloist headphone amplifier page 2. All of us at burson audio would like to say thank you, and congratulations for purchasing the burson soloist sl. Got new dac that has a preamp built in, no longer in use. Burson told me that the circuitry is basically the same aside from the changes i mentioned above. Running in pure classa, it is a concentrated version of our awardwinning soloist. Bursons oversize transformers and power supplies deliver pure classa peak driving power, a muscular 2. Audiohead meets the burson audio conductor parttime. Soloist took the new turn in the book of burson audio aesthetics. They have reduced the component amount from 32 in the ha160 down to 21. Nov 02, 2016 the burson soloist sl mkii is a smaller version of burson s award winning soloist headphone amp with the same build and high quality. Discussion in audio hardware started by theron d, feb 28, 2017.

Compared to the standard soloist sl, the mk2 is 25% more powerful, it is very dynamic, yet with more refined mid and mid high. The latter i noticed even before i opened the box, given how heavy it was, and i didnt realize how badly i remember the size of the last burson products i saw the 160d and 160a. It makes the amp very nice to operate, and adds a touch of class, instead of the usual dip or toggle switch gain selector. Ha160d, ha160ds is also whats making this soloist amp exciting from my. Such comfort and sound peculiar ha160d, but soloist does the same thing, be careful when handling the finest detail. The soloist is an endearing story that tells the tale of a man who hit his prime as a child. Longterm playback readers know that we are great admirers of the australianmade burson audio ha160 headphone amplifier and ab160 audio buffer. Modwright ls100, ex imus dp1, burson audio ha160ds, burson audio ha160, linnenberg audio u.

Australian manufacturer burson has done well when they introduced themselves with the burson ha160 headphone amplifier last year. Im using it in my second system now as both preamp and headphone amp with external phonostage and dac. Hifiman he5le, he500, he6 with optional entreq konstantin 2010 replacement harness. Burson conductor virtuoso usb dac, preamplifier, and. Burson conductor virtuoso and timekeeper virtuoso positive. Analogue volume control rather than a stepped attenuator and slightly less power. They also make a power amplifier, but headphone amps seem to be their focus.

Attempting to use your burson soloist at any voltage other than specified on the rear of the unit may cause damage that is not covered by bursons warranty. The conductor sl 9018 is housed in a refined and precision folded 2 mm aluminium casing that is unmistakably burson. Review by headfonia the headphone enthusiasts website. Facilitated by the chief editor, it was a 3 way shootout between linnenberg u. Theres been a long, and i think unfortunate trend in the upper reaches of highend audio over the last fifteen years or so. I am the product of the american educational system and whats worse, a former. In november of 2008 the soloist will debut on the big screen. Burson audio audio equipment models on audiogon, the highend audio community. Try burson audio headphone amplifiers and dacs in our showroom. I have the burson with three inputs, not sure which one that is, i guess its the earlier model, now they just have two inputs, right.

Burson audio soloist headphone amplifier and preamplifier. This case also works as a singular heatsink for the entire machine ensuring stable and optimized performance at all times. Jackson x series soloist slxtq 2016 has 0 ratings score 0 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. Both the soloist and the conductor offer 4 watts of headphone output, so expect a versatility with respect to headphone pairings, pretty much across the board. I owned the 160ds before and never found it bright or boring to listen to. Oct 04, 2012 the soloist, at least in part, is burson s answer to the market demand for a powerful headphone amplifier to drive the currently popular but power hungry planarmagnetic headphones. I am kind of struggling to choose between burson soloist or 160ds. Im thinking between audeze deckard, burson audio soloist sl mkii and marantz hddac1. The soloist reads like a book written by a columnist, which is to say its clear, its compelling and its easy to read. The ha160ds is the baby brother of the original ha160d and comes in a good bit. Sep 09, 2012 the burson soloist will make your headphones sound better than ever.

Apr 14, 20 i have to admit that the first things that struck me about the burson soloist were the finish and the weight. Steve lopez is the author of several books, including the sunday macaroni club and the soloist. Burson audio conductor headphone amplifierpreamplifier. Both the soloist and the conductor also offer preamp capabilities, while the pared down soloist sl functions mostly as a head amp. The burson soloist will make your headphones sound better than ever. Burson soloist headphone amppreamp for sale us audio mart. Feb 28, 2017 i have a burson soloist and senn hd650 phones, and like the combo, but havent heard the valhalla.

A discreet amp and dac such as this is a real keeper in my book. So far as the dac is concerned, buyers have the option of getting the virtuoso with either the burrbrown. The input stage of the soloist is a symmetrical current feedback circuit with only 21 components on its signal path compare that to a typical ic opamp of over 50. Burson already proved right with their ha160d concept and now carries their glories to the. For example, i personally find the sennheiser hd800 to be a bit too bright in the treble, and as such, i dont think id like it paired with the burson soloist. The soloist, at least in part, is bursons answer to the market demand for a powerful headphone amplifier to drive the currently popular but power hungry planarmagnetic headphones. With a fullfunction preamp that includes two analog inputs, the usual digital inputs, and, with my audio technica athw100 headphones, a superbsounding headphone amp coupled with build quality to write home about, the conductor is also a very nice package. Burson audio has been around for over twenty years, and focuses on high quality solid state components using, discrete circuitry instead of ics or opamps. The dayens ampino stereo power amplifier stereotimes. Call us 01903 768910 monfri 9am to 5pm or click here to book an appointment. For what it is and does, the soloist is a bargain, and a versatile one at that. The amplifier section of the conductor virtuoso is essentially identical to bursons own highly rated soloist headphone amplifier which should excite orthoheads out there that need 4 watts of power on tap for their powerhungry beasts. More amplifiers should come with relay based gain switches, and the soft touch selector button ala bursons soloist amp. If you do, then dont try for the older ha160d, as it doesnt handle dsd at all.

We sincerely believe that your burson soloist sl is an intelligent investment that will bring you many years of musical enjoyment and satisfaction. Burson audio conductor sl 9018 headphone amp and dac. I listned to it last year with a pair of audeze lcd2s and it was absolutely amazing. Comparing the two amps side by side, i noticed that a lot of the difference is similar to what i observed on the burson ha160d and ha160ds the amplifier equipped with the burson stepped attenuator in this case the original soloist is a step forward in technicalities. That said, the soloist was superb with the audeze lcd3. Article pdf available in bmj british medical journal 340feb10 2. The soloist and conductor are two that have sold very, very well. This is designed to facilitate highly sensitive headphones more so than others in the slee lineup. Buy burson audio soloist sl mk2 headphone amplifier. The soloist was clearly crisper, more articulated and. For sale burson audio soloist sl mkii headphone amp. My 600 and 400ohm beyerdynamic t1 and sennheiser hd800 headphones would probably plug into the right socket. The burson soloist will make your headphones sound better.

It seems clear that the burson is the better headphone. Jan 28, 2014 on the burson website, i see the burson conductor is a 4w headphone amplifier and dac and preamplifier that comes only with the ess saber32 reference dac. Overall design started as a superstrat with differences from the stratocaster such as a neckthru design and often a floyd rose doublelocking tremolo bridge and premium woods as the 1980s brought up a shredding guitarist phenomenon, the soloist. The burson musicians series is a huge step up over the 160 series, ive listened to many ss amplifiers and the soloist is among the best headamps ive tried. The jackson soloist is an electric guitar model by jackson guitars officially produced since 1984 prototypes were available in the early 1980s. Sennheiser hd800, beyerdynamic t1 and t5p, audeze lcd2 all recabled by alo audio. Operating in pure class a, for the cleanest audio performance, the soloist sl mkii is handcrafted in australia using only the best components, including dale resistors, elna caps, a 25watt low noise transformer, and burson s supreme sound audio opamp circuitry. With the soloist, burson takes the less is more philosophy to another level. The burson audio soloist headphone amplifier innerfidelity. Australian manufacturer burson has done well when they introduced themselves with the burson ha 160 headphone amplifier last year.