Nicholas’s Burson Conductor 3 with Wilson Benesch Orator and Grado RS1

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Sales Burson
November 23, 2019

Post Info

Feedbacks - Conductor 3R | 3XR
Grado RS1, Theta Jade, Unison Research S2K, Wilson Benesch Orator

I have had the Burson DA-160 in my system but the Conductor 3 changes everything. As you suggested it means I need to listen to my complete cd collection again. The detail is totally amazing and the imagery breathtaking! It does mean that CDs need to be in good condition and bad recording really are bad! I can live with that!

The System

Listening with

Wilson Benesch Orator · Speakers: passive 2-way floorstander, 4th-order Bessel reflex, double-chamber (Scan-Speak 9300 tweeter, isotactic polypropylene bass/mid, fibre-composite cabinet) · discontinued

Impedance: 6 Ω (minimum 4.5 Ω)
Sensitivity: 88 dB (1 W / 2.83 V)
Frequency response: 30 Hz – 20 kHz (±2.5 dB 40 Hz – 20 kHz)
Connectors: bi-wireable
Recommended amplifier power: power handling 200 W peak unclipped programme
Other: max level 112 dB at 1 m; approx. 44 l; 1115 x 230 x 370 mm; approx. 48 kg

^{[1] [2]}

Grado RS1 · Headphones: open-back (open air), dynamic, on-ear

Impedance: 38 Ω
Sensitivity: 99.8 dB SPL / 1 mW ≈ 114.0 dB/V (calc.)
Frequency response: 12 Hz – 30 kHz
Plugs / cables supplied: standard connector (options sold)

^[3]

Burson

Burson Conductor 3 · DAC / headphone amplifier / preamp family (Conductor 3 Performance / 3 Reference) · discontinued

Output impedance: 1 Ω (pre out); 25 Ω (DAC out); headphone 0.5 Ω (3R) / 0.6 Ω (3P)
Output voltage: RCA 2 V (DAC out)
Gain: High / Low (3P); High / Medium / Low (3R); dB not published
Inputs: USB (XMOS; PCM to 768 kHz/32-bit, native DSD512); Toslink; Bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD; microphone (3R adds 2x RCA analogue in + coaxial)
Outputs: RCA pre out; RCA DAC out; 6.35 mm headphone (SE only)
DAC / chipset: ESS ES9038Q2M (1x in 3P, 2x in 3R)
Other: 3P (M180): 4 W @16 Ω, 2 W @32, 0.64 W @100, 0.16 W @300; 1x ES9038Q2M; THD <0.0017%. 3R (R180): 7.5 W @16, 5 W @32, 1.75 W @100, 0.58 W @300; 2x ES9038Q2M; THD <0.0015%. Both FR ±1 dB 0-58 kHz.

^{[4] [5] [6]}

Also in the system

Theta Jade

Unison Research S2K

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.