Pavel’s Burson Soloist Voyager with HiFiMAN Susvara

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Sales Burson
January 15, 2024

Post Info

Feedbacks - Soloist Prime | Voyager
Burson Soloist Voyager, Chord Hugo M Scaler, Chord Hugo TT 2, HiFiMAN Susvara

Over the past four years I have heard Susvara on a large number of headphone amplifiers from renowned brands such as Chord Electronics, Auris Audio, Feliks Audio, HoloAudio, Ferrum Audio and others. Of course also with most of the headphone amplifiers from Burson Audio. Incidentally, my previous amplifier was just the Burson Soloist 3X Grand Tourer (2023). The new Burson Soloist Voyager beats all of them.

The System

Listening with

HiFiMAN Susvara · Headphones: open-back, planar magnetic, circumaural

Impedance: 60 Ω
Sensitivity: 83 dB (reference not stated by HiFiMAN)
Frequency response: 6 Hz – 75 kHz
Plugs / cables supplied: not published (HiFiMAN spec page lists no connector)
Other: weight 450 g

^[1]

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

Chord Hugo M Scaler · Upscaler: digital upscaler (1,015,808-tap WTA filter) for Chord DACs

Inputs: galvanically isolated USB-B; 2x coax BNC; 2x optical
Outputs: dual BNC (to 768 kHz); BNC S/PDIF; optical
Other: PCM 44.1-768 kHz, 16-32 bit; 15 V 4 A PSU; 2.55 kg

^{[4] [5]}

Chord Hugo TT 2 · DAC / headphone amp: FPGA DAC / preamp / headphone amp (98,304-tap WTA filter)

Output power (XLR / SE): 8 Ω 18 W / 7.3 W · 300 Ω 1.15 W / 0.288 W
Output impedance: 0.042 Ω
Output voltage: XLR 9 V (300 Ω, max)
Gain: High / low gain modes
Inputs: USB-B; 2x coax BNC; 2x optical; Bluetooth aptX
Outputs: XLR; RCA; 2x 6.35 mm + 1x 3.5 mm headphone; 2x DX BNC (M Scaler link)
DAC / chipset: Chord custom FPGA (Xilinx Artix-7), WTA filter
Other: PCM 44.1-768 kHz, DSD64-512 (DoP); dynamic range 127 dB (A); noise 1.7-4 µV (A); THD 0.00008% @ 2.5 V 300 Ω; powers 8 Ω speakers (7.3 W SE / 18 W bal); 2.53 kg

Matching notes: Burson lists the Soloist Voyager’s analogue inputs as RCA 2 V; XLR 4 V+ (line level) (38 kΩ input impedance). The Hugo TT 2 is rated at 9 V (300 Ω, max) (XLR) output. ^{[6] [7] [2] [3]}

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.