Burson Audio - Conductor 3X Grand Tourer

Burson Audio Conductor 3X Grand Tourer utilises dual ESS9038 DAC chips for audio conversion, XMOS USB receiver and Qualcomm Bluetooth modules to elevate the performance. The digital interface is the most advanced and comprehensive, from its XMOS USB receiver to its Qualcomm Bluetooth module. With a customised driver by Thesycon, Germany, its XMOS USB receiver has unsurpassed processing power and accuracy, perfectly streaming DSD512 and 32bit/768khz audio. It also features a Bluetooth 5.0 receiver Qualcomm/CSR8675 streams at 24bit/96khz with support for aptX HD audio & LDAC codec. It pushes Bluetooth playback beyond CD quality and ease of use to the highest level. The inclusion of these technologies takes the unique house sound of Burson Audio to a new level with even more details in every note and seamless connectivity with Windows, Mac OS, iOS and other mobile operating systems.

Burson Audio Conductor 3X Grand Tourer is a carefully engineered headphone amplifier that prides on a deeper class-A operation, higher power output, lower noise levels, precise volume control, advanced features and outstanding I/O. Burson Audio Conductor 3X Grand Tourer takes up the concept of a Class-A architecture and is driven to its maximum potential. The Burson Audio Conductor 3X Grand Tourer features a Class-A amplification stage, capable of churning out ample power to drive various power-hungry headphones. To add to the Class-A architecture, Conductor 3X Grand Tourer utilises precise volume control with two levels of gain setting. The two-level gain setting allows the Conductor 3X Grand Tourer to be paired with headphones and IEM to deliver the best audio experience.

The Conductor 3X Grand Tourer allows you can change, upgrade and even try out various Opamps to suit your sonic taste. It comes embedded with 6 Burson V6 Vivid discrete Opamp in its fully differential output stage, achieving incredible transparency. The V6 Vivid discrete opamps are wildly regarded as the best and used in countless recording studios but Burson does not dictate your listening experience. It encourages Opamp rolling with gold plated DIP8 sockets along its signal path. With hundreds of audio opamps out there, you have the freedom to tailor your listening experience to your preference. 

The Conductor 3X Grand Tourer features the same Max Current Power Supply (MCPS) that has made the Conductor 3 Reference legendary. The MCPS raises voltage frequency from 50Hz to 170kHz, pushing noise beyond human hearing. This power supply overcame the disadvantages of both linear power supplies and conventional switching power supplies, resulting in incredible dynamic and micro-details. The Burson Conductor 3X Grand Tourer utilises 5sets of MCPS, which means the Display/Functionality, DAC, analogue left and analogue right are all separately powered, eliminating any cross-interference between the components. Burson Audio pushes the MCPS to the limits of their potential. So much so that they consume 90W when idle and need active cooling. Although spitting out 10 Watts, the GT is not tracing power. Instead, it pursues purity.

Burson Audio Conductor 3X Grand Tourer features superior digital connections. You get dedicated coaxial and TOSLINK inputs and USB C connectivity to seamlessly connect with all PC, Mac, iOS and Android devices. Along with these, you get access to 2 stereo XLR inputs and 2 stereo RCA inputs. The Conductor 3X Grand Tourer also offers Head+Sub mode that allows you to connect a subwoofer. Before the invention of headphones, music listening has always been a full-body experience. It’s not just what your ears can hear but all the energy that your body feels that moves the soul. Headphone listening goes to a new level with a carefully matched and placed subwoofer. The GT enables this experience with its Head+Sub mode. Conductor 3X Grand Tourer also offers Room streaming support as it is Roon Tested, and they seamlessly connect with any 3rd party Roon Ready audio streamers.

Burson Audio is known to turn Class-A amplifiers from monsters with heat-fins into elegant, desktop-friendly machines, and they do it through the Cool Case. The Cool Case on the Burson Conductor 3X Grand Tourer is made from high-density aluminium and electroplated to space-grey. The Case has only 4 visible screws under its belly. It is also a unified heat-sink that is 300% more efficient than previous Conductors. The Burson Cool Case is already the most oversized heat sink on any headphone amp. Still, the team at Burson Audio adopted active cooling for the GT. With every component operating in a predetermined temperature range, independent of the environment, active cooling gives the freedom to push the GT to its performance limit. Combining its resonance-free enclosure with the quietest fan money can buy from Noctua in Austria, the GT is quieter than the background ambience of your music. It is audio jewellery at its finest, and it looks and plays very cool. The all-new OLED screen and interface program deliver a calming and intuitive user experience. Its machined solid aluminium knob offers fine control and feels luxurious. Having a footprint 30% less than the Conductor Reference and a volume similar to a lunch box, it is beautiful but unobstructed.