Name: Burson Soloist 3X Grand Tourer | Standalone Headphone Amp
Brand: Burson Audio
SKU: SOLOIST3XGT-2023
Price: 2499.0 USD
Availability: InStock

Burson Soloist 3X Grand Tourer | Standalone Headphone Amp-Bloom Audio

$2,499.00

Condition

2023 Standard

2023 Deluxe

Previous Gen Open Box

The Burson Soloist 3X Grand Tourer is a Class A Desktop Headphone Amp and Reference-Class Preamp that Drives Hard with Pinpoint Precision

DELUXE edition includes 5A Super Charger + Large Cool Stand | Cool Stand GT Red version available by request
NEW innovative modular power supply design
2023 version includes Silent Power v1 modules for a remarkable SNR of 116dB
Check out Burson's new Silent Power v2 upgrade kit for even lower noise floor
Includes V6 Vivid discrete opamps, "rolling-ready" for tailored sound
Check out Burson's new V7 OpAmps for improved performance
Optimized for Balanced output performance (check out the Burson Soloist 3 GT for Single Ended optimized Amp)

Burson Soloist 3x grand tourer sitting diagonally on wooden table

Bloom's Take

With the Soloist 3X Grand Tourer, Burson succeeded in creating an all-around improvement to the already excellent Soloist 3X Performance, with more features and options. If you need nearly speaker-level power for your headphones, with a transparent sound that balances a huge sense of space, powerful slam, and intimate delivery of detail, Burson brings it all together and delivers the total package with Soloist GT.

Read our full review here.

An Epic Grand Tourer

The Burson Soloist GT embodies the Burson innovative spirit, showcasing their commitment to pushing boundaries and turning unconventional approaches into design benchmarks. In 2023, Burson took the GT to the next level with even cleaner power and a superior signal path, pushing its performance to new heights.

Symmetrical Through and Through

You can’t judge a book by its cover, but you can judge circuitry by its layout. Symmetrical dual-mono is beautiful and achieves the highest possible audio performance. Under the bonnet, the GT has 2 independently powered mono amps in mirrored symmetry resulting in pitch-black soundstage and breathtaking crisp details!

Elitist Volume Control x2

Typical stereo volume controls create cross channel interference. Industry aristocrats such as Pass Lab and AVM use the MUSES72320 volume control to reduce such distortion in their flagships preamps.

The Soloist GT goes further by using one MUSES72320 + V6 Vivid discrete buffer volume control per channel, eliminating any chance of cross channel interference.

Burson soloist 3x grand tourer sitting on wooden table with headphone leaning on left side

Headphone Crossfeed

Live music and loudspeakers produce a mixed sound, providing positional awareness. Many recording engineers anticipate tracks playing on stereo speakers rather than headphones.

Software-based crossfeed can introduce distortion, however the Soloist GT offers 3 hardware-based crossfeed emulation levels allowing you to enjoy your favorite tracks.

Silent Power Modules

By transitioning from the LM317 low noise regulator (120µV) to the more advanced LT1963 (40µV), Burson has achieved a purer, more stable power supply for its internal components. In addition, this innovative design also features modular elements, enabling effortless future upgrades. A critical part of Burson's MCPS, the new Soloist 3X GT attains a remarkable SNR of 116dB, delivering an unrivaled audio experience.

Check out Burson's new Silent Power Level 2 upgrade kit for even lower noise floor!

GT Cool

The Burson Cool Case boasts the largest heat sink for any headphone amp. But Burson took it a step further with active cooling for the GT. This allows every component to operate within optimal temperature ranges. The redesigned, resonance-free enclosure combined with Noctua’s ultra-quiet fan from Austria, ensures wind noise below 25dBA (quieter than an empty recording studio’s 30dBA ambient noise) making the GT virtually silent amidst your music.

Burson Soloist 3X GT airflow diagram over black background

Optimized for Balanced

The Soloist 3X GT optimizes XLR balanced performance with a fully differential and discrete signal path. It delivers 10W balanced and 5W single-ended, making it suitable for driving any headphones. Additionally, it boasts enough inputs and outputs to be the command center of any system.

Head+Sub Mode

Sound is felt as much as it is heard, and before the invention of headphones, music listening was always a full-body experience requiring that which you can both hear and feel to move the soul. Headphone listening goes to a new level with a carefully matched and placed subwoofer. The GT enables this experience with its Head+Sub mode.

Specifications

Input Impedance: 35 KΩ
Frequency Response: ± 1 dB 0 – 48Khz
THD: <0.0015%
Output Impedance (Amp): 0.5Ω
Output Impedance (Pre Out): 25Ω
Inputs
- (x2) XLR
- (x2) RCA
- (x1) Mic Bypass
Outputs
- (x1) XLR Preamp
- (x1) RCA Preamp
- (x1) RCA Subwoofer Output
- (x1) XLR Headphone Jack
- (x1) SE Headphone Jack
Impedance (Headphone Jack) | Power (XLR / SE) | SNR | Separation
- 16Ω | 10W/5W | 116db | 99%
- 32Ω | 8W/4W | 111db | 99%
- 100Ω | 3.8W/1.9W | 110db | 99%
- 150Ω | 1.3W/0.65W | 110db | 99%
- 300Ω | 0.64W/0.32W | 109db | 99.50%
Weight: 11 lbs
Dimensions: 10” x 10.6” x 2.75”

In the Box

Soloist 3X GT
IC Opamps (diagnostics)
Remote Control
Hex key
24v / 5A Power Supply
DELUXE package includes Super Charger 5A and Cool Stand
Burson Soloist 3X GT User Manual

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Burson Audio Soloist 3X GT

Great amp. Quiet and very powerful using XLR. It’s one of few amps that will push my Susvara properly. It gets hot and fan has some noise but neither thing would make me not purchase it.

FRICKEN AWESOME!

Wow what a step up from the 3xp.

Beautiful and well built

The fan makes enough noise to bother me. The sound quality was similar to my McIntosh C49 preamp built in headphone amp. That is pretty good.

Burson 3X GT 2023

I recently ordered a Burson 3X GT 2023 upgrade version from Bloom. Ordering was smooth as silk and unit arrived on time and in good shape. Bloom friends were great answering initial set-up questions.

I won't repeat the many comments on the 3XGT already posted on Head-fi and other places, noting its excellent low-end punch and texture, superior soundstage, great extension at both ends of the frequency spectrum. The 2023 version with the quieter power chip is simply excellent. I did not have the prior version but compared to Soloist 3XP it is bigger and substantially better both technically and with respect to timbre, and the 3XP is no slouch; however, here I just comment on the fan noise, since this has been a concern that has been widely commented-upon in the audiophile community, some saying that a high-end amp with a fan is a self-contradiction for those seeking TOTL sound quality.

I used an iPhone app (Decibel Meter) to measure ambient sound in my listening room, which is about 40 db (mostly heating/AC background noise).. With the 3X GT Unit then switched on, and iPhone/app placed 10 cm from the fan (GT in the Cool Stand, front of the iPhone directly facing the top side of the GT Unit/fan) sound level increases to 48 db. Backing off 1 m, with the GT still switched on the and fan going, the app cannot measure a difference in db from the ambient room noise vs with the fan off. Having said that, I can still hear it in the room at that distance, but it's only just audible (this is while not wearing headphones/no music playing). From a total of 2 m distance, I can't hear a difference from ambient sound at all. Note that my listening room has sound dampening carpet and wall covering (bubble wrap).

My point here is that in the 2023 revised unit, the fan is now very quiet indeed, certainly not bothersome (to me at least, YMMV). If one is really wanting to hear the sound of purist "blackground" and is prone to obsession about room noise, don't get this amp (and then whinge about the fan). But for the rest of us, IMHO, the added sound quality benefits now fully eclipse the potential minimal dis-benefit of any added noise due to the fan.

Impressive sound, but......

I was so impressed with the Burson Soloist 3x, I purchased its big brother the GT. It takes all the great qualities of the 3x and puts them on steroids! It's more than a subtle improvement in sound quality!
I'm not using any of the extra features now, but nice to have as options. Unfortunately the Balance control only works with the Pre-amp output, NOT the headphone outputs (one of the reasons I purchased it). If you have any level of asymmetrical hearing loss (at least a 1/3 of the population does), this amp won't help you. Why do they include a balance control on a headphone amp and not allow it to be used with headphones ??? Seems like a real design flaw to me.
Cooling fan noise is audible when you get within a few feet of the unit (but not bad). With headphones on/music playing I don't think it would be a problem for most people.
Another issue (maybe just unique to me) is the GTs' infrared sensor "reads" some buttons on my cd transport remote control (which I use a lot). If I hit those buttons, the GT either switches inputs or changes volume. It's annoying, but there's nothing I can do about it, so I'm learning to live with it. I use the GT in my main audio rack, so I sit at a distance and need the remotes!
Despite the flaws and quirks I've decided to keep the amp just because it sounds so darn good (and with restock/shipping fees, it would cost over $250 to return it).
So, 5 stars for sound quality. Less for the rest.

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Burson Soloist 3X Grand Tourer | Standalone Headphone Amp