I’d tell burson this and see what they can do to help you fix this… Most likely they’ll help you out
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Burson 20% off sale through Monday 11/27 with code BF2023.
It applies to “all” products, but not the new Soloist Voyager. I checked… 
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This is driving me crazy. I bought the Conductor 3 Reference but it developed a terrible static noise. It happens even when the volume is off. I haven’t heard it while using the DAC output. I’ve sent Burson emails since Friday with no response yet. I am not even sure if they’re getting these since there is no confirmation when you send them a “message” on the website. I read somewhere else this may be the display, or this may be the volume knob… anyone know exactly what this is and how to fix it?
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So it has only been one work day then since they haven’t replied? I’d maybe wait a bit longer, they’ve been responsive to me when I dealt with them
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Yea I’m jumping the gun here…should add that I bought it second hand and have only till the 20th to return. But I got a very good price, typically wouldn’t be able to afford the unit, so I’m hoping it’s a cheap fix. I was also considering bringing it to a local shop that’s done a lot of vintage stuff for me, but it will take them a few days to diagnose…
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Keep us in the loop for what the problem ends up being. These types of trouble shooting for problems such as yours help educate the likes of me and this community for that matter. 
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Have you tried to replace the Burson op amps with the non-discrete op amps that come in the box? I remember a comparable situation and it was one of the Burson op amps that was faulty.
Yes, Alex from Burson got back to me and asked me to switch them out. I followed the instructions in the online manual but there is no sound at all from the spares. There are four blue indicator lights next to each op amp, when the original vivids are in, all four lights are solid bright blue. When I put the replacement op amps in, one of the lights flickers and looks very dim, the other three lights look solid bright… Maybe one of these spares is bad too? They messaged me on Thursday night and have not gotten back to me yet after my reply that same day. If I cannot sort this by next Friday I may be forced to return the unit. I am running close to close of my return window. If it’s a matter of 200 to 300 dollars for new op amps I’m willing to go that route.
Would I be able to test the vivid op amps using my Cayin iDac 6 MK2? I can pop them in there to see if I hear the static? However, the DAC function from the C3R does not seem to have the noise. It’s only when using preamp and headphone out.
Hi all, we diagnosed the issue and Alex from Burson said there was most likely a problem with the amplifier board. I even purchased new cheapo OP amps to make sure (I fried the old cheapo amps not knowing which were singles and duals).
Shipping the item back to Burson was too expensive so I returned it to the seller. The return went through ok and I got my money back. The seller stated there is still a warranty on the item so I’ll have him deal with all that. He also confirmed the noise would happen from time to time (so why sell it in the first place 
).
Meanwhile I’m debating on whether to get a demo unit of this again, or possibly the GT demo but that is a bit out of my range right now.
I thought the USB implementation of the unit was one of the best I’ve heard. Since the unit worked fine with DAC out, I spent many hours comparing it with the onboard DAC of the HINT 6 via USB, Master 7, Parasound DAC 1100, Theta Gen V, and Cayin iDac 6 MK2 briefly. I thought the USB implementation was the best out of all those, although I still preferred some aspects of other DAC’s using the SU02 transport.
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Has anyone compared the HeadAmp CFA3 to the Burson sound? I listened to CFA3 and a LTA10Ze recently and liked them both. The Burson Voyager Soloist is often listed in the same value range but would appear to have a very different sound signature.
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The LTA is a otl amp and it has a very different interaction with your headphones than the Burson. Check this thread for an explanation Headphone Impedance vs. Headphone Amp - #4 by AudioTool
Mike
I’m afraid I haven’t heard a CFA3, but I own both a Burson Soloist Voyager and a LTA Ultralinear +, and I used to own an LTA MZ3. I’ve also listened to the LTA Z10E multiple times at shows, including at CAF recently. And I have some emails from LTA describing the differences between their amps.
I’m triangulating a bit, but the Voyager should have a similar profile to the Z10E, with the caveat that you might need to switch out one or more of the opamps.
The Voyager out of the box (with V7 Vivid opamps) is very very neutral. This is a good thing for people who don’t want any coloration in their amps, but I prefer a bit of flavor, and switching out one pair of Vivids for the Burson V7 Classic opamps will give it a touch of tube-like “sweetness” in the mids that will bring it closer to the Z10E, which is also pretty neutral with a little “sweetness” in the mids.
The Voyager has 3 pairs of Vivids, so you can keep adjusting the sound as you see fit by replacing more Vivids with Classics. But I would recommend listening to it with the Vivids first, because you might prefer that sound.
LTA isn’t a typical OTL as they use a special circuit. When I owned the MZ3, I preferred dynamics to planars, so I’m guessing that acts closer to a traditional OTL, but the Z10E and Ultralinear + didn’t follow that pattern for me, and both worked very well with planars.
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That is super helpful. I was just looking at the new Burson Stellar soloist that looks like a slightly more budget conscious option.
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I went on a road trip over the holidays from Baltimore (actually, I’m about 40 mini drive W of B’,more) up 95 to Bloom Audio to audition Burson’s GT4 Soloist and the Soloist Voyager and Conductor Voyager. I brought my Bifrost 2/64 (also have a RME-ADI- that I didn’t bring) to listen with my source and my headphone collection (Mod House Tungsten DS V!, Hifiman Arya Unveiled, Focal Clear (OG), Audeze LCD-3 and LCD-X). Full disclosure, I enjoy audiophilia, but am an unapologetic extreme metal fan and listen to approx 80% metal and rock of all kinds (hard rock, punk, alternative/indie fare, classic rock, experimental rock (Swans, post rock, etc.) folk, singer songwriter, etc. ) and maybe 15-20% jazz and classical. I have a GSX-Mini and a Violectric 280, Schiit Jot 2 and Lyr+. I’m considering consolidation for my desktop rig for a true endgame “last amp I’ll ever need” -famous last words LOL. It was really nice to have several uninterrupted hours with my laptop to dig into the Burson gear.
I know that’s a lot…but caveats aside, given my genre preferences, I found there to be a rather huge leap from from the GT4 Soloist to the new Soloist Voyager and Conductor Voyager. Thumbs up from me in a big way. Significant investment that I would likely need to save for the majority of 2026. I’ve got a few others on my shortlist to check out at CanJam NYC. But the Voyager Soloist or Voyager if the right discount came my way, is definitely up there-it meets most of my criteria: neutral-warm, punch and slam, that is reasonably forgiving for poorly recorded rock/metal whilst having the finesse for classical and jazz (which I do, absolutely enjoy), all the while prioritizing an organic, musical sound over raw, unfiltered, analytic detail. That’s my jam.
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So glad you liked it. I’m really happy with my Soloist Voyager and I listen to a lot of the same music as you. As I mentioned above, I fell in love with the amp after switching one pair of opamps to the V7 Classics, but that’s just a preference thing, you may not feel the same way.
When you’re ready to buy one, I’d recommend checking Bloom and Hifi Heaven (both official Burson dealers) for open box Voyagers every now and then. In fact Hifi Heaven has one right now at an $800 discount.
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Thanks man. My plan is to save up, think about selling some gear and hear a couple of other amps for comparison at CanJam NYC. I think the Voyager is going to be my preferred amp, If I get one, I’ll definitely hit you up about your op amp rolling. Which version do you have-basic, deluxe, max? Deluxe was what I heard. I’d be curious about your thoughts about the fusion core external power supply.
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I have the equivalent of the Max (Voyager with Burson Silent Power 02 & V7 Opamps plus Fusion Core power supply). I bought the Fusion Core later in a sale.
From memory, the Fusion Core helped the background become quieter, but the amp was very quiet to begin with, so the Fusion Core was definitely an impulse purchase, when I saw it on sale.
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Well the plan was to go to CanJam and listen to any number of amps I’ve been eying as my endgame….but Marlon Brando style-I found a deal I couldn’t refuse (no swimming with the fishes hopefully) and just grabbed a deluxe Burson Soloist Voyager. Basically, 50% off retail with a minor scratch on the screen, I can absolutely live with. This has the V7’s. I’ll look into op amp rolling later and maybe fusion core.
So far, this is a game-changer. Still going to CanJam!
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I’d like to try some V7 classics. Did you just roll one pair?
Yes, I only rolled one pair of V7 classics. Unfortunately, I can’t remember which spot I put them in. I’m guessing they’re in the volume stage, because even though that’s meant to be the least impactful place, the very slight change in sound was exactly what I was looking for, and I didn’t bother trying them anywhere else.
If you haven’t already, I’d recommend reading through the Burson V7 Classic Pro and V7 Vivid Pro thread on Headfi for tips.
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