Burson Soloist Stellar Review by Passion for Sound: High-End Audio Just Got Smaller

Lachlan Fennen of Passion for Sound reviewed the Burson Soloist Stellar Deluxe, comparing it with the Soloist Voyager he uses in his main system. Burson supplied the unit, and he states that neither Burson nor the retailer influenced the video.

Stellar vs Soloist Voyager

He found the Stellar a little thicker in tone, with the Voyager more transparent and better separated. As a preamp, the Voyager offers cleaner imaging and staging and more resolution. Even so, he puts the Stellar at “85 to 90%” of the Voyager’s performance for less than half the price, and calls it “one of the very best headphone amplifiers that I’ve ever heard at around about the $2,000 mark.”

Where the Stellar Shines

• A dedicated IEM output that is “dead silent”, with plenty of usable volume range
• Finer volume steps than the Voyager, and a knob with satisfying tactile feel
• Separate balance controls for the headphone and preamp outputs
• A compact, great-looking design with fans so quiet he didn’t know they were there
• A single menu button to cycle input, output and settings

One quirk he noticed: in IEM mode the display still shows the gain setting, though gain has no effect on that output.

Against the Competition

Compared with the HIFIMAN Prelude (thicker, warmer and richer) and a pricier rival, the Stellar holds its own on sound while being more versatile, smaller and better with IEMs.

Verdict

Lachlan calls the Soloist Stellar “possibly the most versatile headphone amp and preamp at the performance level it offers”, and says it will become his go-to amp in his home office.

Discover the full features and specifications on the Burson Soloist Stellar product page.