Nikos’s Burson Super Charger 3A with Meze Empyrean

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Post Info

  • Feedbacks - Super Charger 3A | 5A
  • Audiomat Aria, Audiomat Tempo 2.8, Burson Soloist 3X Performance, Burson Super Charger 3A, Heed Elixir, Jay's Audio CDT2-MK2, Jean-Marie Reynaud Cantabile Suprême, Lab12 Knack, Meze Empyrean, Ortofon Windfeld MC, Pro-Ject Phono Box RS, Pro-Ject Xtension 9 Evo

Great! The Soloist 3XP really made my Meze Empyrean sing and brought my headphone listening experience up to almost the levels of my speaker setup. I’ve just added the Super Charger 3A in good faith and I’m expecting further improvements.

The System

Listening with

Meze Empyrean · Headphones: open-back, isodynamic hybrid array (planar), circumaural · discontinued
  • Impedance: 31.6 Ω
  • Sensitivity: 100 dB SPL (1 mW / 1 kHz) ≈ 115.0 dB/V (calc.)
  • Frequency response: 4 Hz – 110 kHz
  • Plugs / cables supplied: 4-pin mini-XLR cable; 3 m OFC XLR cable
  • Other: max SPL >130 dB; THD <0.1%; ~430 g; Rinaro driver

Matching notes: At 31.6 Ω and 100 dB/mW, the Meze Empyrean is a low-impedance load, and an efficient one: about 0.56 V (10 mW, 18 mA) for 110 dB SPL (calc.). Burson does not publish a 31.6 Ω rating for the Soloist 3X Performance. Its 16 Ω and 32 Ω ratings (8 W XLR / 4 W SE; 4 W XLR / 2 W SE) fall either side of it. The Soloist 3X Performance’s 0.5 Ω headphone output impedance is 1/63 of the load. [1] [2] [3]

Jean-Marie Reynaud Cantabile Suprême · Speakers: passive 2.5-way floorstander, tuned triangular transmission line (25 mm silk dome on top, 2x 13 cm carbon/kevlar) · discontinued
  • Impedance: 4 Ω
  • Sensitivity: 91 dB (2.83 V / 1 m)
  • Frequency response: 35 Hz – 22 kHz
  • Connectors: bi-wire terminals
  • Recommended amplifier power: power handling 90 W (170 W peak)
  • Other: crossover 600 / 3,800 Hz; distortion <0.6% at 84 dB; 1020 x 200 x 300 mm; 27 kg

[4] [5]

Burson

Burson Super Charger 3A · Power supply (24 V DC)
  • Other: 24 V / 3 A; noise floor <1 µV; 2.5 mm barrel plug, centre positive; 100-240 V AC in

[6] [7]

Burson Soloist 3X Performance · Headphone amplifier / preamp (Class-A) · discontinued
  • Output power (XLR / SE): 16 Ω 8 W / 4 W · 32 Ω 4 W / 2 W · 100 Ω 1 W / 0.5 W · 150 Ω 0.6 W / 0.3 W · 300 Ω 0.3 W / 0.15 W
  • Output impedance: 0.5 Ω (headphone); 25 Ω (pre out)
  • Gain: High / Medium / Low (manual); dB not published
  • Inputs: 1x XLR; 1x RCA; mic bypass
  • Input impedance: 35 kΩ
  • Input sensitivity: standard line level
  • Outputs: XLR pre out; 4-pin XLR + SE headphone
  • Other: Model M-120X (3XP); THD <0.0015%; FR ±1 dB 0-48 kHz

[2] [3]

Also in the system

Audiomat Aria
Audiomat Tempo 2.8
Heed Elixir
Jay’s Audio CDT2-MK2
Lab12 Knack
Ortofon Windfeld MC
Pro-Ject Phono Box RS
Pro-Ject Xtension 9 Evo