Burson's Stellar headphone amps promise head-fi heaven in spacecraft-inspired Star Wars style

• Powerful headphone amp/preamps with and without ESS DAC
• Dedicated low-noise IEM amplification stage and up to 8W output
• From $1,500 / £1,700 / €1,600 / AU$2,600

Australia-based head-fi firm Burson Audio has launched a new series of Class A desktop audio devices. The Stellar Series features two models: the Conductor Stellar, which is a hi-res DAC, Class A headphone amp and a desktop pre-amp, and the Soloist Stellar, which is a headphone amp and preamp.

Pitched between the entry-level Party Playmate 3 and the Grand Tourer products, the Stellar devices promise to bring the "essence" of Burson's flagship Voyager Series in a more compact and accessible form.

While both products are happy to drive all kinds of headphones, one of the key selling points is for IEM owners: the Stellar duo come with a dedicated ultra-low noise IEM amplification stage built around ...