Cesar’s Burson Soloist 3X GT with Cayin iDAC-6, FiiO M17 and iFi ZEN Stream

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Post Info

I recently upgraded to the Burson Soloist GT3 from my trusty Soloist 3XP, and the experience has been nothing short of extraordinary. The improvement in sound quality is dramatic—every headphone I���ve tried with the GT3 has been elevated to an entirely new level. The clarity, dynamics, and depth of the audio are more refined and detailed, and the power delivery is simply effortless, making my headphones sound better than ever before. The difference is immediately noticeable, with each track feeling more immersive, balanced, and alive. I couldn’t be happier with this purchase—it has completely transformed my listening experience.

The System

Listening with

Cayin iDAC-6
FiiO M17 · Digital audio player: desktop-class portable music player / USB DAC / headphone amp
  • Output power (headphone): 16 Ω 1.5 W · 32 Ω 3 W · 300 Ω 0.5 W
  • Output impedance: not published
  • Output voltage: RCA not published · XLR not published
  • Gain: low / medium / high / headphone mode / enhanced over-ear mode (on DC power)
  • Inputs: USB-C (DAC, DSD512, 768 kHz/32-bit); Bluetooth 5.0 RX; SPDIF RX; AirPlay
  • Outputs: SE + balanced headphone; line/coax out
  • DAC / chipset: 2x ESS ES9038PRO; THX AAA 788+ amp; XMOS XUF208
  • Other: power at THD+N <1% (output jack not specified per figure); SNR >=123 dB (A); THD+N <=0.0007% (1 kHz/32 Ω); noise floor <=3.5 µV; 9200 mAh

[1]

iFi ZEN Stream

Burson

Burson Soloist 3X GT · Headphone amplifier / preamp (Class-A) · discontinued
  • Output power (XLR / SE): 16 Ω 10 W / 5 W · 32 Ω 8 W / 4 W · 100 Ω 3.8 W / 1.9 W · 300 Ω 1.3 W / 0.65 W · 600 Ω 0.64 W / 0.32 W
  • Output impedance: 0.5 Ω (headphone); 25 Ω (pre out)
  • Gain: High / Medium / Low; dB not published
  • Inputs: 2x XLR; 2x RCA; mic bypass
  • Input impedance: 35 kΩ
  • Input sensitivity: line level
  • Outputs: XLR + RCA pre out; RCA subwoofer out; 4-pin XLR + SE headphone
  • Other: Model R-120X (“GT3”); THD <0.0015%; FR ±1 dB 0-48 kHz

[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.

  1. FiiO M17: fiio.com
  2. Burson Soloist 3X GT product page
  3. Burson Soloist 3XGT User Manual V2.0 (Burson downloads)