Burson Soloist 3X GT User manual

Burson Soloist 3X GT (R-120X)
Headphone Amplifier / Pre Amplifier
User Manual
Register for warranty Ref. page 8 for details

Thank You.
All of us at Burson Audio would like to thank and congratulate you for purchasing the Burson Soloist 3X
GT. We sincerely believe that your new Burson Soloist 3X GT 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 Soloist 3X GT. 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 Soloist 3X GT, inspect for any shipping damage and call your
dealer immediately if any is found. Do not plug your Burson Soloist 3X GT 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
●Soloist 3X GT Pre Amp / DAC
●External Power Supply 24V 5A
●Remote control unit
●Hex Key / Spare Fuse / Spare IC opamps for
troubleshooting
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Basic Setup
XLR to RCA Output:
To achieve an ideal sonic GT, the XLR outputs of the Soloist 3X GT 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 3X GT to any
single-ended amplifier with RCA inputs will damage the internal opamps of the 3X GT. Doing so will void
the warranty.
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Therefore, please only use the custom made, Burson marked XLR-RCA adapter we have provided in our
accessories box to connect the XLR outputs of our products to any downstream amplifiers with RCA
inputs.
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Connections
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Break-in, Warm-up and Caring
The sound of the Burson Soloist 3X GT 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 Soloist 3X GT while music is
playing. This could damage the Soloist 3X GT. Please stop the music source before disconnecting.
Menu Items
Input
XLR 1
XLR 2
Standard Line Level
RCA 1
RCA 2
Standard Line Level
Output
Headphone Out
Speaker Out
Headphone + Subwoofer Out
Pre Out
Headphone Amp Out
Speaker Amp Out
Headphone + Subwoofer
Out
XLR & RCA Output
Gain Level
High* / Medium / Low
High / Medium / Low
Speaker Balance: From the menu, you can adjust the volume level of each preamp output separately
for up to 20 volume steps.
Cross Feed: From the menu, you can create 3 levels of headphone cross feed. High* / Medium / Low.
Auto Sleep: To comply with EU energy saving regulation, the GT goes into sleep after 20 minutes of
idling. This feature can be manually turned off from the menu.
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.
Opamp Change & Upgrade
The Burson Soloist 3X GT allows opamp changing to customise its sound to the owner’s preference.
When changing opamps, please be aware of the following:
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1. The opamp power supply voltage in the Burson Soloist 3X GT is +/-15V. Always remove the
power supply before opening up the unit.
2. There are 6 dual opamps inside the Soloist 3X GT.
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.
5. In the top down photo below, we have zoned the opamps by their application. ie I/V stage,
L/P stage, or buffer stage and volume control stage.
6. When changing opamps, you must change both within the same "zone" together.
7. For example, if you want to change I/V stage opamps from its default Burson Vivids to Burson
Classics, both opamps in the I/V stage must change simultaneously.
8. Non-compliance with the above procedure could risk your audio system and will void our
warranty.
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Like most performance machines in the world, the GT gets hot and needs active cooling. A top quality fan and
our unique Cool Case form part of the cooling system.
Precaution
It has air vents on top and bottom covers. Never obstruct the airflow with foreign objects such as
books or clothes. Never place the GT on top of other equipment that generates heat. Using its
matching Cool Stand is highly advisable to optimise its cooling efficiency.
Fail-safes
If the fan is disconnected from the motherboard, if the fan fails or if the top cover of the GT is
removed, then the GT will automatically go into sleep mode.
Before closing the top cover, please also ensure that cables or other objects are not obstructing the
proximity sensor.
Maintenance
The fan is a standard 12cm PC cooling fan, and replacements are widely sourceable.
Cleaning the GT may be required if dust accumulates inside.
Undo four screws on its belly to remove the top plate.
Undo two more screws to remove the backplate. Then vacuum away.
When reinstalling the backplate, ensure all the pins between the motherboard and the back PCB are
correctly connected.
The Initial Powering up
Make sure volume control has been turned to minimal when using your Soloist 3X GT 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/.
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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:
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 Soloist3 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 Soloist3. Burson will not pay for loss of use or inconvenience caused by the failure of
a Burson Soloist3. Burson will not pay for damage caused to other audio components caused
by the failure of the Burson Soloist 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
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