Chuck’s Burson Soloist Voyager with KEF LS50 Meta and Sennheiser HD 800 S

Published on

Post Info

  • Feedbacks - Soloist Prime | Voyager
  • Burson Soloist Voyager, Chord DAVE, Chord Hugo M Scaler, Focal Stellia, Focal Utopia, KEF LS50 Meta, Red Dragon Audio M500 MK2, Sennheiser HD 800 S

My warranty experience with our 2023 Soloist 3x GT wasn’t great but the unit being away led us to this upgrade and it does sound fantastic as always. I am hopeful for absolutely no more technical issues throughout our use of your products and am happy to continue to be a loyal burson customer.

The System

Listening with

KEF LS50 Meta · Speakers: bookshelf, two-way bass reflex (Uni-Q)
  • Impedance: 8 Ω (minimum 3.5 Ω)
  • Sensitivity: 85 dB (2.83 V / 1 m)
  • Frequency response: 79 Hz – 28 kHz (±3 dB); 47 Hz – 45 kHz range
  • Recommended amplifier power: 40 – 100 W
  • Other: max SPL 106 dB

[1]

Sennheiser HD 800 S · Headphones: open-back, dynamic, circumaural
  • Impedance: 300 Ω
  • Sensitivity: 102 dB SPL @ 1 V ≈ 96.8 dB/mW (calc.)
  • Frequency response: 4 Hz – 51 kHz
  • Plugs / cables supplied: 6.35 mm unbalanced; 4.4 mm balanced

Matching notes: At 300 Ω and 102 dB/V, the HD 800 S 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. [2] [3] [4]

Focal Utopia · Headphones: open-back, dynamic (40 mm beryllium M-dome), circumaural · discontinued
  • Impedance: 80 Ω
  • Sensitivity: 104 dB SPL / 1 mW @ 1 kHz ≈ 115.0 dB/V (calc.)
  • Frequency response: 5 Hz – 50 kHz
  • Plugs / cables supplied: 6.35 mm cable and 3.5 mm cable, 4-pin XLR cable; Lemo connectors at the cups
  • Other: THD <0.2% @ 1 kHz / 100 dB SPL

Matching notes: At 80 Ω and 104 dB/mW, the Focal Utopia is a low-impedance load, and an efficient one: about 0.56 V (4 mW, 7.1 mA) for 110 dB SPL (calc.). Burson does not publish a 80 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 1/160 of the load. [5] [6] [3] [4]

Focal Stellia · Headphones: closed-back, dynamic (40 mm beryllium M-dome), circumaural
  • Impedance: 35 Ω
  • Sensitivity: 106 dB SPL / 1 mW @ 1 kHz ≈ 120.6 dB/V (calc.)
  • Frequency response: 5 Hz – 40 kHz
  • Plugs / cables supplied: 3.5 mm cable (1.2 m); 4-pin XLR cable (3 m); 3.5 to 6.35 mm adapter

Matching notes: At 35 Ω and 106 dB/mW, the Focal Stellia is a low-impedance load, and an efficient one: about 0.3 V (2.5 mW, 8.5 mA) for 110 dB SPL (calc.). Burson does not publish a 35 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 1/70 of the load. [7] [8] [3] [4]

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

[3] [4]

Also in the system

Chord DAVE · DAC / preamp / headphone amp (FPGA)
  • Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz ±0.1 dB
  • Output power (headphone): 33 Ω 1.4 W · 300 Ω 0.154 W
  • Output impedance: 0.055 Ω (headphone)
  • Output voltage: RCA not published · XLR not published
  • Inputs: 4x BNC coax (384 kHz); 1x AES XLR (96 kHz); 2x Toslink (96 kHz); USB-B (768 kHz, DSD512)
  • Outputs: RCA; XLR; 6.35 mm headphone
  • DAC / chipset: Chord custom FPGA (Spartan 6, 164,000 taps)
  • Other: headphone 6.8 V RMS @ 1% THD; THD+N -127.5 dB; DR 127.5 dB; channel sep >125 dB

[9]

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

[10] [11]

Red Dragon Audio M500 MK2