Burson Timekeeper Voyager Hi-Fi News Review: Outstanding Product

The Burson Timekeeper Voyager monoblocks are reviewed in the June 2026 issue of Hi-Fi News & Record Review. Andrew Everard did the listening and Paul Miller ran the lab tests. The amplifiers earned a Hi-Fi News Outstanding Product badge and a Sound Quality score of 87%. The standfirst reads: “Thunder from down under? These Aussie monoblocks from a company once only known for ‘head-fi’ components might just rearrange your preconceptions… to the MAX”.

Compact Class AB monoblocks, heavily biased into Class A

Hi-Fi News reviewed the MAX package, priced at £6200 for the pair including two Fusion Core power supplies, through UK distributor Armour Home. Each amplifier is about 27cm square and 8.5cm tall. It is rated at 100W into 8ohm and 200W into 4ohm, and it is heavily biased into Class A, so it runs hot. The review advises against putting them in a cupboard.

Design and features

• A ribbed “Cool Case” with copper internals. The fans are inaudible at normal listening distance.
• The Fusion Core is a 32V GaN switchmode supply running at a claimed 1MHz, connected by a 4-pin umbilical.
• SP2 Silent Power modules (0.8μV) and V7 op-amps in the Class A input buffer.
• RCA or XLR inputs selected with a copper button, a gain boost of +3dB on RCA and +6dB on XLR, and an LED bar that shows the mode.
• Combination speaker terminals and a 12V trigger.

Sound: a sense of “live”

Everard’s listening covered Nick Lowe’s Untouched Takeaway, Steeleye Span’s Conflict, Nine Inch Nails’ “The Warning”, Apollo’s Fire playing the Brandenburgs, Vivaldi’s “La Folia”, the Sinfonia of London’s “Carousel”, Sean Shibe’s Vesper, The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” and the Rolling Stones’ “Fingerprint File”. As he puts it: “That sense of ‘live’ is a hallmark of the Timekeeper Voyager’s sound.”

Lab report highlights

• Power output of 155W into 8ohm and 275W into 4ohm. Dynamic power of 155W, 281W, 460W and 542W into 8, 4, 2 and 1ohm, with 23.3A maximum current.
• Output impedance of 0.045–0.048ohm, and an S/N ratio of 96.0dB/116.0dB.
• Distortion of 0.0014–0.004% at 1W and 0.004–0.01% at 10W.
• Power consumption of 75W at idle and 215W at rated output. The case warms to around 50°C over the first hour.
• Size 265x85x270mm, weight 7kg each.

What Hi-Fi News would change

• They run hot, so they need open space and ventilation.
• The Fusion Core layout is awkward, with the mains input at the rear and the output at the front.

Verdict: Outstanding Product

“Small but mighty – yes, it’s a cliché, but one that sums up rather well these compact power amplifiers. Beware of the fact they run hot… put them on display and enjoy their open, refined and yet hard-hitting sound, full of detail and impact. Beautifully built and finished…” Sound Quality: 87%.

Download the Hi-Fi News June 2026 review reprint (PDF).

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