Gilman’s Burson Conductor 3X Reference with Focal Stellia and Focal Elex

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Sales Burson
December 6, 2021

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Burson Conductor 3X Reference, Focal Elex, Focal Stellia, Sennheiser HD 650, Shure 1540

With a recently purchased TOTL Focus Stellia, I wanted a high-quality amp to drive it to its potential. My research lead me to the Burson Conductor 3XR. I am extremely pleased with it. The sound is incredible, the noise floor amazing, and the aesthetics are beyond my expectations (the marketing photos do not capture how beautiful this appears).

The System

Listening with

Focal Stellia · Headphones: closed-back, dynamic (40 mm beryllium M-dome), circumaural

Impedance: 35 Ω
Sensitivity: 106 dB SPL / 1 mW @ 1 kHz ≈ 120.6 dB/V (calc.)
Frequency response: 5 Hz – 40 kHz
Plugs / cables supplied: 3.5 mm cable (1.2 m); 4-pin XLR cable (3 m); 3.5 to 6.35 mm adapter

Matching notes: At 35 Ω and 106 dB/mW, the Focal Stellia is a low-impedance load, and an efficient one: about 0.3 V (2.5 mW, 8.5 mA) for 110 dB SPL (calc.). Burson does not publish a 35 Ω rating for the Conductor 3X Reference. Its 32 Ω and 100 Ω ratings (5 W XLR / 2.5 W SE; 1.75 W XLR / 0.88 W SE) fall either side of it. The Conductor 3X Reference’s 0.5 Ω headphone output impedance is 1/70 of the load. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

Focal Elex · Headphones: open-back, dynamic (40 mm Al/Mg M-shape dome), circumaural · discontinued

Impedance: 80 Ω
Sensitivity: 104 dB SPL / 1 mW @ 1 kHz ≈ 115.0 dB/V (calc.)
Frequency response: 5 Hz – 23 kHz
Plugs / cables supplied: two 1.8 m cables: 6.35 mm and 4-pin XLR (Neutrik)
Other: THD <0.3% @ 1 kHz / 100 dB SPL; 450 g

Matching notes: At 80 Ω and 104 dB/mW, the Focal Elex is a low-impedance load, and an efficient one: about 0.56 V (4 mW, 7.1 mA) for 110 dB SPL (calc.). Burson does not publish a 80 Ω rating for the Conductor 3X Reference. Its 32 Ω and 100 Ω ratings (5 W XLR / 2.5 W SE; 1.75 W XLR / 0.88 W SE) fall either side of it. The Conductor 3X Reference’s 0.5 Ω headphone output impedance is 1/160 of the load. ^{[6] [7] [8] [3] [4] [5]}

Shure SRH1540 · Headphones: closed-back, dynamic (40 mm neodymium), circumaural

Impedance: 46 Ω
Sensitivity: 99 dB/mW (@ 1 kHz) ≈ 112.4 dB/V (calc.)
Frequency response: 5 Hz – 25 kHz
Plugs / cables supplied: dual-exit detachable MMCX cables; 3.5 mm plug + threaded 6.3 mm adapter
Other: impedance @ 1 kHz; max input 1,000 mW; 286 g without cable

Matching notes: At 46 Ω and 99 dB/mW, the SRH1540 is a low-impedance load: about 0.76 V (13 mW, 17 mA) for 110 dB SPL (calc.). Burson does not publish a 46 Ω rating for the Conductor 3X Reference. Its 32 Ω and 100 Ω ratings (5 W XLR / 2.5 W SE; 1.75 W XLR / 0.88 W SE) fall either side of it. The Conductor 3X Reference’s 0.5 Ω headphone output impedance is 1/92 of the load. ^{[9] [10] [3] [4] [5]}

Sennheiser HD 650 · Headphones: open-back, dynamic, circumaural

Impedance: 300 Ω
Sensitivity: 103 dB SPL @ 1 kHz, 1 V (as published) ≈ 97.8 dB/mW (calc.)
Frequency response: 10 Hz – 41 kHz
Plugs / cables supplied: 6.35 mm stereo jack plug (3.5 mm adapter)
Other: THD <0.05% (1 kHz, 1 V); 42 mm transducer

Matching notes: At 300 Ω and 103 dB/V, the HD 650 is a high-impedance load that needs voltage more than current: about 2.2 V (17 mW, 7.5 mA) for 110 dB SPL (calc.). Burson rates the Conductor 3X Reference at 0.58 W (XLR) / 0.3 W (SE) into 300 Ω, which is about 13.2 V / 9.5 V RMS (calc.), roughly 15 dB / 13 dB more than that. The Conductor 3X Reference’s 0.5 Ω headphone output impedance is 1/600 of the load. ^{[11] [12] [3] [4] [5]}

Burson

Burson Conductor 3X Reference · DAC / headphone amplifier / preamp · discontinued

Output power (XLR / SE): 16 Ω 7.5 W / 3.75 W · 32 Ω 5 W / 2.5 W · 100 Ω 1.75 W / 0.88 W · 150 Ω 1.16 W / 0.58 W · 300 Ω 0.58 W / 0.3 W
Output impedance: 0.5 Ω (headphone); 1 Ω (pre out); 25 Ω (DAC out)
Output voltage: RCA 2 V (DAC out)
Gain: High / Low; dB not published
Inputs: 2x XLR; USB (XMOS; PCM to 768 kHz/32-bit, native DSD512); Toslink; coaxial; Bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD; microphone
Input impedance: 40 kΩ
Input sensitivity: line level
Outputs: XLR pre out; line-level DAC out; 6.35 mm + 4-pin XLR headphone
DAC / chipset: 2x ESS ES9038Q2M
Other: Model R180X (3XR); THD <0.0015%; FR ±1 dB 0-58 kHz

^{[3] [4] [5]}

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.