Burson Conductor 3X Performance User manual

Burson
Conductor 3X Performance (C3XP)
Headphone Amplifier / Pre Amplifier / USB DAC
User Manual
Register for warranty Ref. page 10 for details

Thank You.
All of us at Burson Audio would like to thank and congratulate you for purchasing the Burson
Conductor 3XP. We sincerely believe that your new Burson Conductor 3XP is an intelligent investment
and that it will bring you many years of musical enjoyment and satisfaction.
We understand how eager you are to begin listening but before you start we want you to become
familiar with the full capabilities of the Burson Conductor 3XP. Before powering the device, we
encourage you to look through the manual.
Our Philosophy
The less the equipment tampers with the music, the greater the purity and musical enjoyment
become. This has been the core design philosophy of Burson Audio since 1996. If the equipment is
honest and transparent, then the tempo, dynamics and tone will materialize as a natural expression
of the music and it becomes unnecessary to ‘flavor’ the original sound. We believe that this ideal can
never be achieved through the use of standard circuitry building blocks such as opamps, IC regulators
or even standard transformers. Instead, we work towards this ideal through the research and
development of customized solid-state circuitries that are developed specifically to suit our
applications,l with each and every component be pushed to their performance peak. Only then will
the end result be consistent with our philosophy and standards.
Team Burson
Unpacking
After carefully unpacking your Burson Conductor 3XP, inspect for any shipping damage and call your
dealer immediately if any is found. Do not plug your Burson Conductor 3XP into any outlet if you find
shipping damage. Please save all packing materials so the unit can be easily and safely shipped if the
need arises.
The Package
●Conductor 3XP Pre Amp / DAC
●External Power Supply 24V 3A
●USB Data cable
●Remote control unit
●Hex Key / Spare Fuse / Spare IC opamps for
troubleshooting
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Basic Setup
2

XLR to RCA Output:
To achieve an ideal sonic performance, the XLR outputs of the Conductor 3XP are direct coupling. ie.
It has no coupling capacitors or transformers in the audio signal path.
However, direct coupling outputs are NOT compatible with off-the-shelf XLR to RCA adaptors like the
ones showing below. Never use these type of adaptors. Using such adaptors to connect the C3XP to any
single-ended amplifier with RCA inputs will damage the internal opamps of the C3XP. Doing so will void
the warranty.
Therefore, to safely connect the Conductor 3XP to any single-ended amplifiers, please use the RCA
output of the Conductor. The only adaptor that is permissible is the transformer type of adapters as
shown below. (Neutrik NA2F-D0B-TX XLR to RCA Transformer Balancing Adapter)
3

Basic Setup
4

Connections
USB interface software setup guide.
When connecting the Conductor 3XP to OSX, iOS or Android systems, no driver is needed.
5

For use with Windows OS, a driver is required. You can download a driver from our website:
https://www.bursonaudio.com/downloads/
Please download the latest Windows driver: Burson_UsbAudio_v4.59.0_2019-04-02_setup.exe
Break-in, Warm-up and Caring.
The sound of the Burson Conductor 3XP improves steadily within minutes after powered-up.
Depending on the resolution of the system and the attentiveness of the listener, you may find that
the sound continues to improve over the first weeks of operation.
Never connect or disconnect the RCA or XLR output cables from the Conductor 3XP while music is
playing. This could damage the Conductor 3XP. Please stop the music source before disconnecting.
Menu Items
Input
USB
PCM 32bit 786K / DSD512
Toslink
PCM 24bit 192K
Coaxial
PCM 24bit 192K
Bluetooth
PCM 24bit 96K
Output
Pre Out
Pre Amp output with
volume control
DAC Out
2V RMS line-level No
volume control
HP Out
Headphone Output
Gain Level
High* / Low
High / Low
FIR Filter
Brickwall, CMFR, Reserved, AP Fast*, MP
Slow, MP Fast, LP Slow, LP Fast
See FIR Filter section
below
DPLL (DSD)
DPLL Off / Low / Mid / High*
DSD file playback setting
DPLL (PCM)
DPLL Off / Low / Mid / High*
PCM file playback setting
DE-EMPHASIS
On / Off*
Only turn on if your source
is a cassette tape player
RESTORE SETTINGS
YES / NO
This resets the unit back
to default factory settings
Default selection marked with*
Changing Menu Items
●To change the menu item settings press the Menu button to access the Menu.
●Use the rotary Volume control to scroll through the menu items.
●Select a Menu item by pressing the Volume dial inwards.
●Additional choices can be made using the scroll and select function of the Volume dial.
●Press the Menu button to remember the setting and escape from the Menu.
6

FIR Filters
See a visual representation of the various FIR filter settings below.
Break Wall
CMFR
Reserved
AP Fast
MP Slow
MP Fast
LP Fast
LP Slow
7

FIR Filters are part of the digital process built in the DAC chip. These filter settings mainly affect
high-frequency roll-offs usually in the 18khz and above frequency range. The effect of the filter
settings is very subtle and may not always be audible.
Opamp Change & Upgrade
The Burson Conductor 3XP allows opamp changing to customise its sound to the owner’s preference.
When changing opamps, please be aware of the following:
1. The opamp power supply voltage in the Burson Conductor 3XP is +/-15V. Always remove the
power supply before opening up the unit.
2. There are 2 dual and 2 single opamps inside the Conductor 3XP.
3. Please refer to the following diagram for the position and correct orientation of the opamps.
The notch at the top of the opamp indicates the orientation of the opamp within the socket.
Match it to the existing opamp.
4. The case can be opened by removing 4 hex screws at the bottom of the case. Use the
supplied hex key.
8

The Initial Powering up
Make sure volume control has been turned to minimal when using your Conductor 3XP for the first
time. Always power on your source machine first and your power amp last. When powering down your
system reverse these steps.
To select the Source - Rotate the Volume dial until the desired input is shown and press inwards to
Select.
Free Warranty Extension
All Burson Audio products are covered by 24 months + 12 months of warranty (See conditions below).
https://www.bursonaudio.com/warranty/.
Warranty Conditions
Burson Audio warrants that this product shall be free from defects in materials and workmanship for
The warranty period begins at the date of sale and is subject to the following requirements and
understandings:
9

1. This is a non-transferable warranty.
2. This product is only warranted in the country of original sale by Burson / authorised dealer.
3. The product must not have been modified in any manner whatsoever, or the warranty is
immediately voided.
4. The product must not have been stored in a humid, damp environment; nor subjected to
weather, water, or salt spray.
5. During the warranty period, Burson will replace a defective Burson Conductor 3 with a
similar available product, at no cost to the owner for labour, materials, and shipping charges
from Burson.
6. Burson shall not, under any circumstances, be liable for any incidental or consequential
damages arising from the loss of property or other damage or losses due to the failure of a
Burson Conductor 3. Burson will not pay for loss of use or inconvenience caused by the
failure of a Burson Conductor 3. Burson will not pay for damage caused to other audio
components caused by the failure of the Burson Conductor 3 within the limits allowed by
Australian Law.
7. The compatibility between our USB receiver and your computer is dependent on software
drivers provided to Burson by the USB chip manufacturer. Therefore Burson cannot
guarantee the compatibility of our USB receiver during or after the warranty period.
8. The use of XLR to RCA adaptors will void the warranty.
Warranty Registration
10