Andrea’s Burson Soloist Voyager with Sennheiser HD 800 and Abyss AB1266 Phi TC

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Sales Burson
January 29, 2024

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Feedbacks - Soloist Prime | Voyager
Burson Soloist Voyager, dCS Bartók, Sennheiser HD 800, T+A MP 3000 HV

First experience with Burson, coming from Flux Lab’s Volot and some other amps in the past.

The Voyager sounds more energetic, more lively, seems to have a tighter control of my Abyss. Treble is endlessly extended but with very natural timbre, seems to be a great pairing with the dCS.

The System

Listening with

Sennheiser HD 800 · Headphones: open-back, dynamic, circumaural (ring radiator) · discontinued

Impedance: 300 Ω
Sensitivity: 102 dB SPL @ 1 kHz, 1 V (as published) ≈ 96.8 dB/mW (calc.)
Frequency response: 14 Hz – 44.1 kHz (-3 dB); 6 Hz – 51 kHz (-10 dB)
Plugs / cables supplied: 6.3 mm stereo jack plug; 3 m cable
Other: THD <=0.02% (1 kHz, 1 Vrms); max input 500 mW

Matching notes: At 300 Ω and 102 dB/V, the HD 800 is a high-impedance load that needs voltage more than current: about 2.5 V (21 mW, 8.4 mA) for 110 dB SPL (calc.). Burson rates the Soloist Voyager at 0.64 W (XLR) / 0.32 W (SE) into 300 Ω, which is about 13.9 V / 9.8 V RMS (calc.), roughly 15 dB / 12 dB more than that. The Soloist Voyager’s 0.5 Ω headphone output impedance is 1/600 of the load. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC · Headphones: open-back, planar magnetic, circumaural

Impedance: 50 Ω
Sensitivity: 88 dB/mW ≈ 101.0 dB/V (calc.)
Frequency response: 5 Hz – 45 kHz
Plugs / cables supplied: 2.5 m 4-pin XLR cable with 6.3 mm adaptor (JPS Labs); other terminations optional

Matching notes: At 50 Ω and 88 dB/mW, the AB-1266 Phi TC is a low-impedance load, and a fairly demanding one: about 2.8 V (158 mW, 56 mA) for 110 dB SPL (calc.). Burson does not publish a 50 Ω rating for the Soloist Voyager. Its 32 Ω and 100 Ω ratings (8 W XLR / 4 W SE; 3.8 W XLR / 1.9 W SE) fall either side of it. The Soloist Voyager’s 0.5 Ω headphone output impedance is 1/100 of the load. ^{[4] [2] [3]}

Burson

Burson Soloist Voyager · Headphone amplifier / preamp (Class-A)

Output power (XLR / SE): 16 Ω 10 W / 5 W · 32 Ω 8 W / 4 W · 100 Ω 3.8 W / 1.9 W · 150 Ω 1.3 W / 0.65 W · 300 Ω 0.64 W / 0.32 W
Output impedance: 0.5 Ω (headphone); 25 Ω (pre out)
Gain: 3 levels: High full power (XLR 10 W / SE 5 W), Medium 50%, Low 10% (IEM); dB not published
Inputs: 2x XLR; 2x RCA; mic bypass
Input impedance: 38 kΩ
Input sensitivity: RCA 2 V; XLR 4 V+ (line level)
Outputs: XLR + SE headphone; XLR + RCA pre out; RCA subwoofer out
Other: THD <0.0015%; FR ±1 dB 0-48 kHz; Standard/Deluxe: 24V5A PSU or Super Charger 5A, V6 Vivid or V7 Vivid Pro; SP02 installed

^{[2] [3]}

Also in the system

dCS Bartók

T+A MP 3000 HV

Specs from manufacturer data unless a source below says otherwise. “calc.” values are worked out from those figures (V = √(P × R); 110 dB SPL used as a loud reference level). Gear listed without specs is not in our spec library yet.