Thomas of the YouTube channel Thomas & Stereo has reviewed the Burson Soloist Voyager headphone amplifier and preamp in his video “Class-A Heat, Tube-Like Air, Explosive Dynamics – Burson Nails It” (17 October 2025). It is a system review: he paired the Soloist Voyager with our Timekeeper Voyager monoblock power amps and Fusion Core power supplies. This post focuses on what he says about the Soloist Voyager, with the Timekeeper as context.
Thomas also makes his own preamps and power amps, and he addresses that up front: “Burson trusted that I be able to deliver an honest, objective evaluation.”
Thomas describes the Soloist Voyager as a 10-watt Class A headphone amplifier that can also be used as a preamp. He highlights its fully balanced, dual mono design, which in theory minimises crosstalk and maximises stereo separation, and the Silent Power regulator modules. He also liked the small remote, calling it compact and minimalistic but far from feeling cheap.
Like the Timekeeper, the Soloist Voyager uses swappable discrete op-amps, which Thomas compares to tube rolling. Burson sent him the V7 Classic to try alongside the V7 Vivid. He expected the Classic to be smoother, but ended up spending all his time with the V7 Vivid, which he found more vivid, fluid and transparent. His key point is that you can fine-tune the sound, which he sees as a big deal, because most solid-state preamps lock you into one sound profile.
Although he mainly used it as a preamp, Thomas calls the Soloist Voyager a high-end headphone amp too. He tested it with the Audeze LCD-5, which he describes as neutral, with a forward midrange and detailed, controlled bass. Against a more affordable headphone setup, he found the Burson more effortless, with greater texture and more detail: “It’s definitely another league.”
Thomas says one of his audio buddies, who likes speed, detail, dynamic range, sharp imaging and clarity, and who thinks the Soloist is fantastic. Thomas stresses that the Soloist is not clinical or cold, and adds: “With the Soloist, you’ll never fall asleep at listening sessions.” He found it delivers detail, resolution and excellent separation with ease.
The most interesting finding for him was how the Soloist interacts with the Timekeeper monoblocks: the pairing adds a sense of air and opens up the soundstage, something he usually associates with tube amps. He hears the Soloist as more lively and vibrant than the smoother Timekeeper, so together they balance out as almost neutral, leaning slightly to the lively side. For a warmer, more euphonic presentation, he suggests pairing the Timekeeper with a smoother preamp instead.
Thomas says this combo is worthy of your attention. His summary: the monoblocks suit a modern Class A sound with a hint of smoothness, while the Soloist Voyager preamp leans towards speed and detail, and together they make a good match that leans slightly lively. He adds that this friend, who is “notoriously hard to impress”, can’t stop praising the Soloist Voyager preamp.
Watch the full video on YouTube: Class-A Heat, Tube-Like Air, Explosive Dynamics – Burson Nails It (Thomas & Stereo).
Discover the full features and specifications on the Burson Soloist Voyager product page.
