Australian manufacturer Burson Audio has announced two new desktop headphone amplifiers under the Stellar banner, slotting between its entry-level Party Playmate 3 and Grand Tourer ranges. One Stellar unit has an internal DAC, and the other does not.
Soloist Stellar
The Soloist Stellar is the DAC-less option: a pure headphone amplifier and pre-amplifier that accepts analogue inputs only (XLR and RCA). Its Class-A discrete circuitry drives four ON Semiconductor MJE15032 transistors per channel, housed in a fin-and-vent enclosure that dissipates heat passively.
Headphone outputs cover balanced XLR, single-ended 6.35mm and single-ended 3.5mm. A dedicated IEM output stage sits alongside the standard outputs to reduce the noise floor for high-sensitivity in-ear monitors….