voyager monobloc power amplifiers

Spent a very pleasant couple of hours at Avondale Towers last week and was very pleased to hear the new Voyager amps. I don’t post very often on PFM, but I can honestly say that this is the first time I have listened to any audio component and not spoken once during the first track, to make any kind of comment. I was captivated from the start.

This is a very special piece of equipment. From the start the percussion sounded like I have never heard from any hifi before, very believable, but once the track got going I just listened to the music, not any instrument, the bass the mid, just the music.

A modified Naim CD player played through a modded Naim 72 with Avondale 821 boards and Les’s prototype 2 ways; the music just flowed.

Norah Jones vocals were staggeringly realistic. I put on Around by Tom Verlaine as I have this CD and know it very well. The sound stage was enormous. I could, genuinely walk around the music, which was weird.

There was no sense of equipment, just the flow of music, quite uncanny. I have thought that the Grad 1 and the 821 boards have this kind of quality before, but partnered with the Voyager it was really evident. I did listen for hifi attributes like the bass, very impressive, especially the decay of double bass, but this seemed a bit pointless when there was music playing very believably in the room.

There was no sense of anything missing, or half heard details. I fact I am just watching Radiohead at Reading: “Everything in its right place,” which sums it up well.

I am very lucky to have a well spec’d NCC200 based amp and this experience does not diminish it in anyway, it is awesome, but the Voyager does show what further gains are to be had and where they can take you. Overall a very inspiring couple of hours. I am resisting the temptation to try a pair in my system as the funds are just not there, but if they were I would be putting in a request.

I listened to the same amp+CD set up on 22nd Aug with a mix of my CDs and Les's - nearest I have yet got to a live performance with a hi-fi.

One disc by Suden Aika particularly stood out - I had heard the vocal group live only weeks before - the realism was breathtaking.

Already got the modded pre and a TPX2, got an unmodded CD3 and a NCC200 based Avondale poweramp - same general orientation but the Voyagers and modded CD3 go even further. More expenditure on the horizon... must start saving...