Ed Selley reviewed the Burson Playmate 3 in the September 2026 issue of Hi-Fi Choice (issue 544) under the headline “Play time!”, and gave it the Hi-Fi Choice Recommended award. Read the reprint (PDF).
Ed writes that the Playmate 3 “offers a fairly elegant demonstration of the ‘beyond the specs’ element to audio equipment”. Its Class A circuit means “there are very few headphones it won’t drive comfortably”, and owners can fit upgraded Burson op amps or add the Fusion Core power supply.
With Focal Clear MG headphones he found “an effortlessness at any volume”. Bass is “authoritative and impressively potent”, and Peter Gabriel’s San Jacinto revealed “a superb grasp of the incidental details”. He also notes “consistently excellent tonality and an impressive sense of space”. Over the RCA output, drumming on Little Barrie and Malcolm Catto’s Quatermass Expansion was “effortlessly funky and involving”.
“It’s niche, but if you can make use of its limited specification, the Playmate 3 is a sonic delight.” Ed adds that “the sheer musicality of the diminutive Playmate 3 is very hard to ignore”.
Discover the full features and specifications on the Burson Playmate 3 product page.
