Irwin’s Burson Conductor 3X Reference with Focal Utopia and Focal Clear

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Sales Burson
November 8, 2022

Post Info

Feedbacks - Conductor 3R | 3XR
Audeze LCD-2C, Burson Conductor 3X Performance, Burson Conductor 3X Reference, Feliks Audio Espressivo II, Focal Clear, Focal Utopia, Sennheiser HD 650, Sennheiser HD 800 S

Burson Audio makes outstanding products that take the audio listening experience to its highest potential.

Excellent Technical and Customer support whenever the need arises.

The System

Listening with

Focal Utopia · Headphones: open-back, dynamic (40 mm beryllium M-dome), circumaural · discontinued

Impedance: 80 Ω
Sensitivity: 104 dB SPL / 1 mW @ 1 kHz ≈ 115.0 dB/V (calc.)
Frequency response: 5 Hz – 50 kHz
Plugs / cables supplied: 6.35 mm cable and 3.5 mm cable, 4-pin XLR cable; Lemo connectors at the cups
Other: THD <0.2% @ 1 kHz / 100 dB SPL

Matching notes: At 80 Ω and 104 dB/mW, the Focal Utopia 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. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

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

Impedance: 55 Ω
Sensitivity: 104 dB SPL / 1 mW @ 1 kHz ≈ 116.6 dB/V (calc.)
Frequency response: 5 Hz – 28 kHz
Plugs / cables supplied: 4-pin XLR; 6.35 mm; 3.5 mm cables supplied

Matching notes: At 55 Ω and 104 dB/mW, the Focal Clear is a low-impedance load, and an efficient one: about 0.47 V (4 mW, 8.5 mA) for 110 dB SPL (calc.). Burson does not publish a 55 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 1/110 of the load. ^{[6] [7] [8] [3] [4] [5]}

Sennheiser HD 800 S · Headphones: open-back, dynamic, circumaural

Impedance: 300 Ω
Sensitivity: 102 dB SPL @ 1 V ≈ 96.8 dB/mW (calc.)
Frequency response: 4 Hz – 51 kHz
Plugs / cables supplied: 6.35 mm unbalanced; 4.4 mm balanced

Matching notes: At 300 Ω and 102 dB/V, the HD 800 S is a high-impedance load that needs voltage more than current: about 2.5 V (21 mW, 8.4 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 14 dB / 12 dB more than that. The Conductor 3X Reference’s 0.5 Ω headphone output impedance is 1/600 of the load. ^{[9] [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. ^{[10] [11] [3] [4] [5]}

Audeze LCD-2 Classic · Headphones: open-back, planar magnetic, circumaural

Impedance: 70 Ω
Sensitivity: 101 dB/1mW (at Drum Reference Point) ≈ 112.5 dB/V (calc.)
Frequency response: 10 Hz – 50 kHz
Plugs / cables supplied: 4-pin XLR cable; 4-pin XLR to 6.35 mm adapter cable; 6.35 to 3.5 mm adapter
Other: recommended power >250 mW;

Matching notes: At 70 Ω and 101 dB/mW, the LCD-2 Classic is a low-impedance load, and an efficient one: about 0.75 V (7.9 mW, 11 mA) for 110 dB SPL (calc.). Burson does not publish a 70 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 1/140 of the load. ^{[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]}

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

Output power (XLR / SE): 16 Ω 6 W / 3 W · 32 Ω 3 W / 1.5 W · 100 Ω 1 W / 0.5 W · 150 Ω 0.66 W / 0.33 W · 300 Ω 0.33 W / 0.115 W
Output impedance: 0.5 Ω (headphone); 1 Ω (pre out); 25 Ω (DAC out)
Output voltage: RCA 2 V (DAC out) · XLR not published
Gain: High / Low; dB not published
Inputs: USB (XMOS; PCM to 768 kHz/32-bit, native DSD512); Toslink; Bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD; microphone
Input impedance: 39 kΩ
Outputs: XLR + RCA pre/DAC out; 6.35 mm + 4-pin XLR headphone
DAC / chipset: ESS ES9038Q2M (x1)
Other: Model M180X (3XP); THD <0.0015%; FR ±1 dB 0-58 kHz

^{[13] [5]}

Also in the system

Feliks Audio Espressivo II

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.