Burson Audio Soloist Voyager

Disclaimer: Burson has kindly arranged a tour for reviewers within Singapore. I had the amplifier for about 3 weeks for the purposes of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Introduction​

Burson Soloist Voyager is the latest top-of-the-line headphone amplifier and preamplifier from the Australian audio company, Burson Audio. It comes in two versions: Standard (US$3499) and Deluxe (US$4199). The Standard edition comes with standard power supply and V6 Vivid opamps installed. The Deluxe edition comes with the Burson Super Charger 5A power supply and V7 Vivid Pro opamps installed. The following review is written with the Deluxe edition.

Those who are unfamiliar with the Burson lineup, the Soloist line is assigned to amplifier/preamplifier only products. The dedicated DAC line is called Composer, and the DAC-amp combo line is called Conductor or Playmate. The Funk line is for the headphone amplifier and power amplifier combo unit.

Packaging and Build Impression​

The Soloist Voyager came in a modest, brown cardboard box that kinda hid the image of a luxurious product within. Along with the amplifier unit, there are Burson Super Charger power supply with multi-region plugs, CNC-milled metal remote control, RCA cable, and spare 6x NE5532 opamps. I am not sure whether some of the items are included in the retail packaging or simply added for convenience for the purposes of the tour.

I think the included accessories are sufficient, but I do wish for some minor accessories like XLR interconnect cables or maybe XLR to 4.4mm adapter considering that is a very common termination in consumer products. That said, these are just nitpicks.

The amplifier itself is a beast! It weighs roughly 7kg with thick copper heatsink on the sides to dissipate the heat passively. It certainly needs one, considering Burson’s claim of 80W operating power on idle. The body itself is solidly built, with all-metal components down to the buttons and knob. I am always a fan of Burson’s build quality, simply exuding quality.

On the back, there are plenty of input and output options. There are 2 sets of XLR and RCA inputs each, allowing you to connect the Voyager to up to 4 sources. Then there are 1 set each of XLR and RCA preamp out, along with a single subwoofer out, allowing this to be the centre console of your audio setup.

In the front, there are 6.35mm single-ended headphone output and 4-pin XLR balanced headphone output. Also, a nice touch for having a 3-pole 3.5mm jack with mic bypass for those using gaming headphones. I do wish that they provided a 4.4mm output along with the XLR output (or at least providing a high quality adapter), but then it’s another nitpick.

The digital encoder knob, used for volume control and menu navigation, is somewhat unreliable in my experience. It does not really “snap” into the steps, making it sometimes detect movement to the opposite direction when you start turning at a higher speed. This is similar to my previous experiences with digital encoders in Xduoo XA-10 and Topping A90D to a certain extent. While it is not a big issue, I think it’s worth noting. Personally I prefer an analog knob, so take my view with a grain of salt. That said, the knob itself is made with utmost precision, with nicely knurled sides and very little play.

Overall, I think it’s an excellently built unit, as expected of the price point it is asking for.

Specifications​

Sound Impression​

Gears used: 64 Audio U18S, Sound Rhyme SR8, Melodic Artification Alter Ego, Sennheiser HD800S, Hifiman HE6SE V2 Final Audio D8000 Pro LE, Beyerdynamic DT177X Go, Focal Utopia 2022
DAC used: SMSL D300, FiiO M23 in balanced LO mode
Music Sources: Youtube Music, Tidal Masters, Apple Music Lossless

The Soloist Voyager is always warmed up a few minutes prior to each listening session in accordance to Burson’s advice in the manual. I did not evaluate the pre-amp capabilities of the unit.

Listening impression is a very subjective experience depending on individual ear shape, choice of eartips, music library, and personal preferences, so your experience may vary. I personally listen mostly to pop, jazz, some rock, and very limited metal.

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The Soloist Voyager is a powerhouse, combining analogue warmth with technical prowess. It delivers a rich, thick, full-bodied sound that feels incredibly natural. The analogue signature comes with a layer of warmth and depth, making it immersive and expansive.

In addition to its analogue charm, the Soloist Voyager maintains an excellent technical prowess, providing exceptional resolution and layering. Its soundstage is huge, but without sacrificing the finer details in the music. The Soloist Voyager has a sense of space and dimensionality that makes live recordings particularly engaging.

The intricate layering is the characteristic that stood out for me. It separates instruments and vocals with amazing precision, allowing each element of a track to shine individually while maintaining a cohesive overall sound. This does require a good source to pull off, as my M23 couldn’t really pull the same level of layering capabilities compared to my D300.

Furthermore, the dynamics are top-notch, one of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. It handles sudden changes in volume and intensity with ease, switching from the softest points to the loudest peaks with finesse. This dynamism is especially more prominent in dynamic driver headphones.

The Soloist Voyager’s power output is also impressive. With up to 10W of pure class A amplifier power, it is capable of driving even the most demanding headphones with authority, making it a versatile choice for those with a wide collection of headphones. The Voyager only needed low gain for almost everything I have in my collection, with the exception of the HE6SE V2 which required the high gain.

I found that jazz, classical, or any genre that benefits from a warm, analogue touch pair well with the Soloist Voyager. These genres benefit immensely from its wide soundstage, intricate layering, and excellent dynamics. For classical and orchestral music, the layering and imaging let you listen to the full breadth of an orchestra, with each section clearly separated and positioned. Its ability to handle complex compositions ensures that every instrument, from the strings to the percussion, is reproduced naturally. Jazz listeners will appreciate the Voyager's analogue thickness and dimensionality, which bring out the subtle nuances of live recordings.

However, the Burson Voyager is not without its drawbacks. One of the significant issues is its heat generation. The amplifier runs very hot during operation, to the point that the copper heatsinks at the side reached an uncomfortable level of heat to the touch. This heat is troublesome since it is primarily a desktop unit meant to be placed close to the user. The act of plugging and unplugging headphones might even make you accidentally touch the hot sides. Additionally, sensitive IEMs may experience much higher noise floor with the Voyager. With my very sensitive SR8, the noise floor was so high that it was unlistenable to me. With the U18S and Alter Ego, the noise was audible in quiet parts of the song, but hard to notice when music was playing.

The actual physical size of the Burson Voyager is another potential downside. Compared to other amplifiers, it is significantly bigger, even bigger than Burson’s previous models. For those with limited desk space, this might be an issue. I had to set up the review in my office since the amp is simply too big for my desk space.

As for pairing, I found that Burson Voyager significantly enhances the performance of dynamic driver headphones, more so than planar magnetic headphones. Dynamic driver headphones harness more benefits from Voyager’s power and dynamic capabilities, resulting in a more impactful and engaging listening experience.

With HD800S and Utopia 2022, the improvements are immediately apparent. The width and depth of the soundstage were increased, and the more rounded and warm tonal characteristics became more emphasised. Dynamic range is incredibly wide and I could feel the visceral punch and slam of every percussion hit.




While planar magnetic headphones also sound amazing with the Voyager, the improvements are not as pronounced as with dynamic drivers. With the D8000 Pro LE, I do find that this headphone is already performing close to its maximum potential with my other setups. The expansiveness of the soundstage is not improved as much as the tonal thickness. That said, it is still the best sounding headphone amp I have ever paired with my D8000 Pro LE.


(ignore the black bar on the LED screen, that's the shutter speed issue)

Nonetheless, the final result with both types of headphones is equally impressive, making the Voyager a versatile and effective amplifier for a wide range of headphone types.

Conclusion​

The Burson Soloist Voyager headphone amplifier is a compelling choice among the current TOTL headphone amplifier options. Its rich, analogue sound and technical prowess as well as impressive power make it a very competitive performer in its class. However, just be aware of its physical and operational quirks, especially if you plan to use sensitive IEMs or have limited physical space. Despite these drawbacks, the Burson Soloist Voyager remains an excellent option for those seeking a powerful, dynamic, and immersive listening experience.

I had the privilege of trying the Burson Sololist Voyager, complete with the upgrade V7 Vivid op-amps and super-charger power supply, as part of the Australian tour. Big thanks to Ryan Triplets and @AddictedToAudio for giving us this this amazing opportunity.



Build/Aesthetics

It’s a chonky beast for sure, but that goes with the territory in this tier of amps. Burson have gone for a design that takes the edges off, which gives it a sleeker and more unique profile. Its feels really solid and well-constructed.

There does appear to be an issue with the volume knob on the tour unit. It doesn’t press easily like I assume it should and is a bit rough when turning. Not sure what the issue is but felt I should mention that.

User Interface/Experience

I’ve never been a fan of digital interfaces on amps like this, I find them always to be clunky and awkward to use. I would personally prefer physical switches. That would probably allow you less functionality but give me gain, input and output switches and I’d be happy. That said, it does get the job done, albeit with difficulty given the volume knob issue on the tour unit.

The amp is a dual-mono design aimed to provide maximum channel separation, so the inputs on the back are on opposite sides of the unit. This can make it a little tricky if you’re using short cables. I don’t think that’s an issue, just something to note.

The upgraded power supply is in the form of a rather large wall wart that could be slightly awkward depending on your space. Not a deal-breaker but I would prefer either a built-in power supply or separate box. If you’re in the market for an amp in this price range and have the space, I’d suggest looking at the Fusion Core option. It would both max out the potential of the amp and be a more elegant solution than the wall wart.

It does get pretty warm. But not to the point where it was a problem for me. I only have a small space where I listen and had to have the Pietus on top of the BSV. I used some rubber spacers to raise it off by a few cms, which seemed to work fine. Long-term though you’d want it in a rack or with enough space to have other components placed beside it.



Sound

I was listening to the BSV via my Mojo 2 using Focal Clear, Radiance headphones and Thieaudio Prestige Ltd IEMS.

Overall, it’s a warm and very resolving amplifer. My current amp is the humble Nitsch Pietus Maximus, which is known for being a very lush and warm amp. The BSV is pretty close to it in terms of tonality but with more extension and a little less midrange forwardness, a more balanced presentation overall. It was an excellent pairing with my Clears and Radiance, which tilt slightly bright for my taste. It also worked well on low gain with my Prestige Ltd IEMs.

I’m not going to break down the individual components of the sound spectrum. I don’t think I have enough experience with amps in this tier to do that justice. Also, I’ve always thought relative comparisons are much more useful in reviews.

It was a very clear upgrade on the Pietus Maximus, as it obviously should be. More resolving, wider soundstage, better clarity and separation and more balanced tonality. I don’t imagine there are many of you weighing up the BSV versus something like the Pietus LOL, so not sure how useful that comparison is.

I previously owned an Auralic Taurus, which was a summit-fi tier amp back in its day. It’s a while since I had it but I feel like the Pietus is in the same ballpark as the Taurus, meaning the BSV would be a significant jump up from the Taurus as well.

Does the improvement justify the huge price difference? Well of course that’s really a subjective question depending on your budget, gear chain and experience. I would think a comparison with the Schiit Mjolnir 3 would be a much fairer and more telling comparison. I’ve read people say the Pietus is about 90% of the MJ3, if that’s correct, I would expect it to be much closer to the BSV. But I’ve not heard the MJ3, so please check out other reviews on that.

* The first photo is stolen from the web, I took a few but didn't like how most of them turned out. The second photo is mine though.