Once my loaner had left Oz, the wizard rang. "Coming back to work today, I found your review sample Conductor 3 Reference still here. So I'm unsure what we sent to you. Please let me know. I'm very sorry for this strange situation." After Alex had collected his wits, he followed up. "I think the guys accidentally sent you a Conductor 3X sitting on my table next to the Conductor 3. If so, maybe you can change to reviewing it? But the Classic op-amps I asked them to include would be incorrect then."

This is where today's movie goes from R to X-rated. Delivery indeed was a fully balanced X. I changed the review title and Alex was my uncle. Of course most my balanced headfi leashes terminate in dual XLR3. But, I had a wired adapter to accommodate Burson's XLR4. Being paralleled by 6.3mm and 3.5mm, I could enter regular though being upgraded to fully adult status, balanced was the ticket. In case you felt tweaked seeing USB-C, Burson include a matching cable and an OTG adapter so a smart phone or tablet can become a host device.

Unless you're Down Under or share their angled AC blades, you won't be equally smitten with the included figure-8 cord. Having changed countries already four times including continents and islands, our household had Swiss-made universal AC adapters so sound right away. Chances are that the 3 Reference intended for Ireland would have had a proper UK mains. My X was likely earmarked for a domestic customer.

OTG adapter inserted just to show (would actually go into the host device); ; back of remote control secured with just one screw for easy access

An included hex key helps undo four long bolts which, from beneath, connect the clam shell's top half to the bottom half without visible fasteners on the top or sides.

In person, the new CoolCase metal work was ultra sleek and immaculately executed, the clicking control knob super smooth in action and finely cross-hatched for grip. Cosmetically, the fourth conductor had come a long way since the original HA-160D. Time to test its sonic mettle whilst Alex put another pair of dual Classic op-amps in the mail so I could roll the full quad of Vivid. Whilst cased in identical colored plastic chimneys, the single and dual versions are clearly marked as such beneath the jumping kangaroo logo. Confusing them should be impossible if one can read. The regular Conductor has a pair of single and dual op-amps each, the balanced Conductor gets dual dual pairs. These work in the I/V and low-pass stages.