Burson Conductor Stellar and Soloist Stellar – Desktop Headphone Amplifiers

Australian company Burson Audio has released two new desktop headphone amplifiers – the Conductor Stellar and Soloist Stellar. Both new models are positioned in the company’s lineup between the entry-level Playmate 3 series and the more senior Grand Tourer devices. The Conductor Stellar features a built-in digital-to-analog converter and a Bluetooth module, while the Soloist Stellar is designed as a fully analog unit.

The Burson Soloist Stellar is a headphone amplifier that can also operate as a preamplifier. Its circuitry is entirely analog. Source connectivity includes one RCA input and one balanced XLR input. The amplification stage is built in Class A, with four ON Semiconductor MJE15032 transistors used per channel. The unit is housed in a metal chassis with large cooling fins and ventilation openings that ensure effective passive heat dissipation.

On the front panel of the Soloist Stellar there is a wide selection of headphone connections. Users are offered a balanced XLR output, as well as unbalanced 6.35 mm and 3.5 mm outputs. In addition, the unit is equipped with a dedicated stage for sensitive in-ear monitors, which helps reduce the noise floor when working with IEM models. For integration into a stationary system, preamplifier outputs are provided on XLR and RCA connectors, allowing the new model to be used in combination with power amplifiers or active speakers. Both the headphone outputs and the line outputs feature independent channel balance adjustment, which can be useful both for compensating for room characteristics and for accounting for differences in perception between the left and right ear. In addition, the model includes a separate mono RCA output for connecting an active subwoofer.

The Burson Conductor Stellar is built on the same analog platform and uses the same chassis as the Soloist Stellar, but additionally includes a built-in DAC. Its digital section is based on the ESS ES9039PRO chip, and source connection is possible via three digital inputs. The USB-C interface is implemented using an XMOS receiver, and there is also an optical TOSLINK input. The unit supports PCM audio processing up to 32-bit / 768 kHz, as well as DSD up to DSD512.

Wireless functionality in the Conductor Stellar is implemented via a Bluetooth 5.0 module based on the Qualcomm CSR8675 chip, with support for LDAC, aptX HD, and AAC codecs. In addition to the digital interfaces, the amplifier also offers analog inputs: one balanced XLR, one unbalanced RCA, as well as a microphone bypass input intended for connecting gaming headsets.

Both new models are capable of delivering up to 5 W in balanced mode and up to 2.5 W in unbalanced mode into a 32-ohm load. When using the output for in-ear headphones, power drops to 500 mW in balanced connection and 250 mW in unbalanced connection, also into a 32-ohm load. The dimensions of both units are 210 × 75 × 200 mm, and the weight is around 5 kg.

The models have already appeared on the European market. The recommended retail price of the Burson Soloist Stellar is 1,600 euros, while the Burson Conductor Stellar is priced at 1,900 euros.