Willem’s Burson Playmate 3 with Audeze LCD-XC

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Sales Burson
February 25, 2025

Post Info

Feedbacks - Playmate 02 | 03
Audeze LCD-XC, Burson Playmate 3

The Burson Playmate 3 delivers impressive sound quality. It offers a rich and dynamic listening experience, with clear details and a well-balanced audio profile. Whether you’re enjoying music, gaming, or movies, the Playmate 3 consistently provides a satisfying sound that enhances the overall experience. I’m quite pleased with its performance so far!

The System

Listening with

Audeze LCD-XC · Headphones: closed-back, planar magnetic, circumaural

Impedance: 20 Ω
Sensitivity: 100 dB/1mW (at Drum Reference Point) ≈ 117.0 dB/V (calc.)
Frequency response: 10 Hz – 50 kHz
Plugs / cables supplied: 1.9 m 4-pin XLR cable with 6.35 mm adapter
Other: recommended power >250 mW (min >100 mW; max 5 W RMS);

Matching notes: At 20 Ω and 100 dB/mW, the Audeze LCD-XC is a low-impedance load, and an efficient one: about 0.45 V (10 mW, 22 mA) for 110 dB SPL (calc.). Burson does not publish a 20 Ω rating for the Playmate 3. Its 16 Ω and 32 Ω ratings (3.5 W SE; 2.5 W SE) fall either side of it. The Playmate 3’s under 2 Ω headphone output impedance is less than 1/10 of the load. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Burson

Burson Playmate 3 · DAC / headphone amplifier / preamp

Output power (headphone): 16 Ω 3.5 W · 32 Ω 2.5 W · 100 Ω 0.6 W · 150 Ω 0.4 W · 300 Ω 0.15 W
Output impedance: <2 Ω (headphone); 15 Ω (pre out)
Output voltage: RCA not published
Gain: High / Low: 16 Ω 3.5 W / 1 W; 32 Ω 2.5 W / 0.8 W; 300 Ω 150 / 80 mW; dB not published
Inputs: USB (XMOS; PCM to 768 kHz/32-bit, native DSD512); Toslink; 3.5 mm AUX headset with mic
Input impedance: 38 kΩ
Outputs: headphone jack (SE); pre out; DAC out (fixed line level)
DAC / chipset: ESS ES9039 (manual: ES9039Q2M)
Other: THD <0.002%; FR ±1 dB 0-35 kHz; versions Standard (NE5532, SP01, 24V3A) / Deluxe (V7 Vivid, SP02, Super Charger 3A, remote)

^{[2] [3]}

Specs from manufacturer data unless a source below says otherwise. “calc.” values are worked out from those figures (V = √(P × R); 110 dB SPL used as a loud reference level). Gear listed without specs is not in our spec library yet.