Burson Conductor 3 Performance-Bloom Audio
Burson Conductor 3 Performance-Bloom Audio
Burson Conductor 3 Performance-Bloom Audio
Burson Conductor 3 Performance-Bloom Audio
Burson Conductor 3 Performance-Bloom Audio

Burson Conductor 3 Performance | Headphone Amp, DAC, and Preamp

Regular price$1,044.00
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Get the Sound You Want and the Power You Need with the Burson Conductor 3 Performance

  • Desktop DAC, Pre-Amp, and Headphone Amplifier
  • SABRE ESS9038Q2M DAC and customized USB driver for low latency, bit-perfect playback
  • Includes V6 Vivid discrete opamps, "rolling-ready" for tailored sound
  • Check out Burson's new V7 OpAmps for improved performance
  • Qualcomm Bluetooth 5.0 receiver with 24bit/96khz playback
  • ROON tested and ready

Bloom's Take

The Burson Conductor 3 Performance is a great DAC/Amp in its own right, with clear, accurate output and huge soundstage. It also happens to be a great choice if you’re familiar with the Burson Conductor line, and want the Conductor 3 sound at a lower price point and with a smaller footprint.

From Burson

Some DAC/Amps claim to give you the front row experience in exchange for less soundstage. Others promise a 3D soundstage in trade for fewer details. The Conductor 3 Performance simply gives you everything in the recording without sugar-coating the good and sometimes ugly. You can locate a tapping foot on the stage while enjoying that lingering vibration of air after a keystroke.

Advanced Digital

The Conductor uses the SABRE ESS9038Q2M DAC and XMOS USB receiver chips, the most advanced and expensive in the industry. Its customized USB driver by German manufacturer Thesycon ensures low latency, bit-perfect, accurate DSD512 and 38bit/786khz audio playback.

Featuring Qualcomm's CSR8675 Bluetooth 5.0 receiver at 24bit/96khz playback with aptX HD audio codec, it pushes sound quality to the highest level with easy connectivity.

The Power Supply

The Conductor features the same Max Current Power Supply (MCPS) that has made the Conductor Reference legendary. A technology developed, owned, and used exclusively by Burson, the MCPS raises voltage frequency from 50Hz to 170kHz, pushing noise beyond human hearing while overcoming the disadvantages of both linear and conventional switching power supplies for incredible, dynamic micro-detail.

The Cool Case

Burson aims to tame typical, Class-A amps from heat-fin "monsters" into elegant, desktop-friendly amps using their Cool Case. Made from high-density aluminum, the Cool Case is a unified heat-sink keeping the Conductor cool and optimal. Critics such as 'Headfonics' called it “the new standard” in the audio industry. Having a footprint 30% less than the Conductor Reference and volume similar to a lunch box, it is beautiful but non-obstructive.

Burson Conductor 3 Performance

Opamp Rolling Fun

The Conductor Performance comes with Burson V6 Vivid discrete opamps, but don’t let that limit your listening experience. The Conductor encourages opamp "rolling" with gold plated DIP8 sockets along its signal path. With hundreds of audio opamps out there, enjoy the flexibility of tailoring your listening experience to your preference.

The Sound

While the Conductor Reference is like Hugh Jackman in 'Kate and Leopold,' the Conductor Performance is the shredded Wolverine: it’s still him but stripped down! Power and the ability to control will be overwhelming as it energizes every note and in-between spaces bringing accuracy and micro-detail. The C3 Performance is for the perfectionist who works hard but plays even harder.

Specifications

Measurement

  • Input impedance: 39 K Ω
  • Frequency response: ± 1 dB 0 – 58Khz
  • THD: <0.0015%
  • Output impedance (Headphone Amp): 0.5Ω
  • Output impedance (Pre Out / DAC Out): 1Ω / 25Ω

Conductor 3P General Info

  • Inputs: USB, Optical Toslink, BT 5.0, microphone
  • Outputs: (x1) RCA Pre Amp, (x1) RCA Line Level DAC, (x1) 6.3mm Headphone
  • Head Amp: 6W SE PC
  • Power Supply: (x3) MCPS
  • Weight: 6.6 lb (3 kg)
  • Dimensions: 7.9” x 9.8” x 2.4” (200mm x 250mm x 60mm)

DAC Spec

  • DAC: (x1) Sabre ESS9038Q2M
  • Channel Separation: 142 dB @ 1KHz, 135 dB @ 20KHz
  • THD+N: 0.0005% @ 1KHz, 0dBFS
  • COAX & Toslink / SPDIF: up to 24bit 192K
  • Bluetooth Input: Bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD (Qualcomm CSR8675)

Asynchronous Isochronous USB Spec

  • Desktop OS: Windows XP, 7, 8, 10 | Mac OSX
  • Mobile OS: iOS, Android (OTG support)
  • PCM Support: PCM ≤ 768kHz @ 16, 24 or 32bits
  • Native DSD: Native DSD 64 / 128 / 256 / 512
  • DSD over PCM: DoP64 / DoP128 / DoP256/Dop512

Impedance (Headphone Jack)

  • 16 Ω: 6W, SNR 96db, 99% Separation
  • 32 Ω: 3W, SNR 98db, 99% Separation
  • 100 Ω: 1W, SNR 95db, 99% Separation
  • 150 Ω: 660mW, SNR 96db, 99% Separation
  • 300 Ω: 330mW, SNR 96db, 99.5% Separation

Conductor 3 Comparison

Model Retail Price Dimensions (mm) DAC(s) Analog Power Supply Others
Conductor 3XR $2144 255 x 270 x 70 (x2) ESS9038Q2M 7.5Wpc XLR / 3.5Wpc SE (x5) MCPS (x2) Analog Inputs
Conductor 3R $1744 255 x 270 x 70 (x2) ESS9038Q2M 7.5Wpc SE (x5) MCPS (x2) Analog Inputs
Conductor 3XP $1344 200 X 250 X 60 (x1) ESS9038Q2M 6Wpc XLR / 3Wpc SE (x3) MCPS
Conductor 3P $1044 200 X 250 X 60 (x1) ESS9038Q2M 4Wpc SE (x3) MCPS

In the Box

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Customer Reviews

Based on 2 reviews
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T
Thomas Davis
Love this amplifier!

Having been a music lover for over fifty years it's fair to say that I have owned and listened to quite a variety of audio gear in my time. From the simple record player with built in speakers to my first Panasonic All-In-One system, to the vast variety of receivers, integrated and power amplifiers, loudspeakers, tape decks, turntables, etc., while my goal within the hobby has never wavered, I have simply wished to listen to music at the highest level of which I could afford. I have never considered myself the proverbial audiophile, but rather a music enthusiast, if you are different than me in that regard then that's fine.

Being a father of an autistic son has required me to make some changes in the way I listen to my music as he can easily become overloaded when the main system is turned on. It's for this reason that I began putting a desktop system together and using headphones instead of firing up my 300 watt per channel Emotiva XPA-2 which feeds some vintage KEF Reference floor standers that make the building shake even at a low volume level.

This Christmas I treated myself to a pair of Audeze LCD-X. I already owned the LCD-2 but had heard so many great things about the X, I just couldn't resist. WOW... they are really terrific! I am feeding them with either a Dragonfly Cobalt while away from my desk using my laptop, or with an Emotiva XDA-2 DAC/Headphone Amplifier. So I started looking at amplifiers. Did I want separates or an all-in-one solution? Much to think about!

There sure are a LOT of new brands in the audio world since I got involved. Many of the old have either gone out of business or have become irrelevant. I had to do a lot of research on these new brands while at the same time keeping within my budget. I liked some Schiit products well enough to at least try them out but didn't care to wait 6-8 weeks before they shipped. And shipping charges were added to the cost. In the end I chose the Burson Conductor 3 Performance Headphone Amp/DAC/Preamp. And I just love it!

I have mine standing upright on my desk on it's "Cool Stand" which gives the amplifiers aesthetic a real kick in the pants. It doesn't look like any amplifier I am aware of. The stand acts as a heatsink. I can't speak to how much but I don't find the amplifier to be too HOT after three or four hours of listening. And it takes up far less desk space; the XPA-2 is a full 17 1/2 inches wide so I certainly appreciate that.

This particular amplifier doesn't feature a ton of inputs/outputs but does include all that I need. I can connect my Marantz CDP to it with the optical connection. I appreciate the Pre-amp functionality to use my powered M25's when I wish. I can't speak too much about the opamps as I have not tried any but the Vivid V6, but they sound darn fine. While not a master of definition, what I'm hearing is impressive. Music is presented with a sense of power and authority, as if the amp is just cruising along, never breaking a sweat. It's ultra silent between tracks and during quiet passages; I hear no noise whatsoever. I was listening to Collective Soul's "See What You Started By Continuing" yesterday, the second disc is a Greatest Hits mash-up. I became enthralled just listening to the bass line in the song "Better Now". It came across as smooth, effortless and quite punchy. Nice. I like the synergy between this little amplifier and the LCD series. My system would seem to be more refined than it had been before. It sounds lush, the detail is impressive and I find nothing to be offensive. It's sweet and polite when listening to female vocalists but comes alive when the big boys want to rock. This is the best set-up I have ever owned.

This is a well built piece of gear that sounds great. I bought an open box which looks brand new and couldn't be happier.

P
Patrick Andresen
Burson Conductor 3 Performance.

This is my third Burson product so far, I still use the Funk for a bedroom set up, and upgraded from the Playmate 2 to the Conductor 3. If you haven’t tried Burson yet you are missing out. These things are extremely well built and sound great. They are also at a price that although not cheap is more than fair for what you get. I will probably always have a Burson option with my headset set ups going forward.

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