Burson Timekeeper Voyager Thomas & Stereo Video Review

Thomas of YouTube channel Thomas & Stereo has reviewed the Burson Timekeeper Voyager monoblocks together with the Soloist Voyager headphone amp and preamp. His video is titled “Class-A Heat, Tube-Like Air, Explosive Dynamics – Burson Nails It”. He puts the combination at around US$10,000. Here are the highlights.

Class A sound from a hybrid design

Thomas explains that each Timekeeper Voyager delivers 200W into 4Ω and 100W into 8Ω. The first 30W are in pure Class A. The input stage is a pure Class A buffer built with discrete op-amps, and the output stage is high-current Class AB. Each monoblock is paired with a Fusion Core power supply. Burson describes the Fusion Core as a GaN design switching at 1MHz that delivers 480W. Thomas notes that the power supplies run remarkably cool, while the monoblocks run hot. The amplifiers also use Burson’s Silent Power modules.

Op-amp rolling

The op-amps inside are swappable, so you can fine-tune the sound. Thomas compared the V7 Vivid with the V7 Classic and preferred the preinstalled V7 Vivid, which he found more lively and engaging.

Sound: a fluid, detailed midrange

• Fed directly from his Matrix Sabre DAC, the fluid midrange captivated him. He stresses that it is detailed and textured rather than rolled off.
• It is dynamic and keeps excellent control of the woofer, but the bass is not so tight that it becomes dry.
• Soundstage, separation and dynamics are well balanced. Against amplifiers costing twice as much, he feels the dynamics and contrast could be a bit better, “but for what it is for the price, it’s fantastic.”
• Just the right amount of warmth, without the heavy coloration of some 300B amps.
• Compared with Burson’s older monoblocks, which he found could sound a bit thin in some systems, the new ones “nearly eliminate listening fatigue”.

With the Soloist Voyager preamp

Thomas found that the Soloist Voyager adds a sense of air and opens up the soundstage, something he usually hears from tube amps. Together the pair leans slightly towards the lively side, close to neutral. For a richer, warmer presentation, he suggests a smoother preamp; he found the Gallium TSP 75 a fantastic match with the Timekeeper.

Downsides

“Aside from running hot, I don’t see any issues,” says Thomas. He adds that power consumption may matter if you have high electricity bills, as with any Class A amp. He also points out Burson’s 30-day trial period.

Watch the full review on Thomas & Stereo’s YouTube channel.

Discover the full features and specifications on the Burson Timekeeper Voyager product page.