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Super Voyager

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msphil View Drop Down
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    Posted: 08 Feb 2015 at 7:03pm
What you say Graham makes a lot of sense. To my mind performance, and reasonable convenience, are the most important factors. No one could honestly expect an iPhone sized case.
'You are, through your soul not your body, a human being.'
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Graham Slee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2015 at 7:20pm
Points to address:

Battery (or batteries): having asked metalworkers how they could incorporate a form of battery access, I have still to receive an answer, and I don't think I ever will. An option would be to keep the existing plastic case, but more on that below. If there is to be no battery access, the the battery would have to be soldered in place because, otherwise, corrosion would eventually affect performance (edit: that's battery contact corrosion). The ideal answer would be to use a bought-in battery compartment, but they are bulky.

Case: the original case is good from a wear and tear point of view, and several Voyagers have been around the world with their owners, and have clocked up more air-miles than most humans (apart from airline crew). However, most people want looks rather than longevity, witnessed by their willingness to spend big-time on delicate mobile phones. Many express their dislike for the existing case or anything thicker than a wafer. We are not Apple or Samsung, or a mutinational brand, and to make something like that requires a projected sales turnover in the several thousands - this is not going to happen. To house a PP3 (E-cell) battery, the case has to be thicker than it. To house a battery drawer that takes such a battery, the case has to be even thicker. It cannot be a wafer!

Op-amp rolling: the 8 pin DIL package is on borrowed time. SOIC (small outline integrated circuit) packages are replacing 8 pin DIL op-amps at an alarming rate. The price of adaptors required to convert SOIC to DIL sockets is considerable. The economical solution is to use SOIC straight onto the board - surface mount. The only way to roll an op-amp would be to desolder it and solder in an alternative. Valves may well have been "rolled" but transistors were not, and all an op-amp consists of is a predetermined transistor configuration. There was a time when folk just trusted that the engineer knew his job... not so now, it would seem.

Use: from what "real" people tell me (those who are not wanting to make a fashion statement or those who don't feel they, as solicitors, bank managers, surgeons, interior designers, marketing executives etc, are better than a time served audio design engineer), all that is wanted is a high performance battery portable amplifier that goes a step beyond the existing Voyager. Could this be spelled out in terms I can understand?

Hopefully the above will be taken constructively and answered similarly.

Thank you,

Graham



Edited by Graham Slee - 08 Feb 2015 at 1:17pm
That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote discrete badger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 2015 at 1:27pm
Most sealed batteries are easy to renew, and replacements are easy to find, unless the product's case also happens to be sealed.

I suppose you do have to be confident enough to tinker though! Never a problem for me, but not everyone is so inclined.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote morris_minor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 2015 at 11:19am
Hi David and welcome to the forum.

It's great you're getting on so well with the Voyager, though not a surprise! Smile

I definitely agree with you about sealed batteries! IMO it's a ploy to get us to replace our devices more quickly . . .Angry
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ahgast Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Feb 2015 at 7:22pm
My Voyager has been a loyal companion for at least 6 or 7 years and people are amazed at the difference in sound quality when they plug in their portable device. 
 I use mine mostly with an iPod classic, primarily because of the large memory and use a Kimber Cable to connect directly from the line out. 
 I like the option of having the contour option and in my view , with some headphones improves the sound. It's always good to have choice and as far as I am aware, few other portable amps offer this feature so Graham you should consider this a USP! 
 I also would be happy to keep the battery configuration. Yes it convenient to have a sealed internal battery, but if my history with mobile phones is anything to go by, they are also the first component that to fail. Ultimately it's about the sound quality and if you can improve on that then I defiantly would buy.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kt66 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Dec 2013 at 5:35pm
terribly excited about this news,still have my
2 year old Voyager, used daily with my HM-801
or Hisound Studio
I would like a totally clean,warts n all, neutral
sound and dump the contour switch
Would like to be a test driver to compare to my
Voyager,Epiphany O2,Fiio 07 & 17
 
And please keep the plastic case, I can throw it in my
bag without fear of marking, I cant say
the same for Fiio and Epiphany.
If it does come in a metal case
please include a carry case or offer.
 
And I want a super amp and not a DAC
 
 
 
 
 


Edited by kt66 - 05 Dec 2013 at 5:48pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote highfell Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Dec 2013 at 4:22pm
Originally posted by less less wrote:

Originally posted by highfell highfell wrote:

Hi Graham



BTW Another thing to consider with the Super Voyager is that Hifi Adicts like to try different equipment or combinations all the time and therefore the ability to roll Op Amps is some thing that they might like to do as well.

Cheers

Nigel


I think Nigel, that we should draw a distinction between those of us who regard Hi-Fi as the enjoyment of listening to Music with the highest possible fidelity viv a vis a live performance, and those who prefer to tweak and listen to the
Equipment.

I am not suggesting for a moment that there is anything wrong with latter. It is just that Graham has a level of knowledge, understanding and experience that the vast majority of tweakers probably lack. So the idea that someone without Graham's level of understanding and skill can somehow improve a circuit designed by Graham is, frankly, without merit.

If the circuit cannot be improved then what would be the point of tweaking it, other than the pleasure presumably gained from the tweaking activity? Again, nothing wrong with that in principle but I for one would prefer to just sit and listen to the Music, and if that makes me a music addict and not a Hi-Fi addict then so be it!

One last thing, this is not a personal attack on you or anyone else, just my point of view. I do find it very odd that some people spend a decent sum of money on a perfectly good component and then set about trying to Improve it without the knowledge or understanding of the circuits design parameters!

Regards

Les


I understand the point that you are making and no offence taken. I think that we are all tweakers and improvers to a certain extent, eg we progress from ipod headphone out, to using the line out into a headphone amplifier and then decide that the DAC on a ipod can be improved upon, so you take the digital out into a separate DAC etc. etc.

Anyone on this forum is interested in music quality and seeking the holy grail. And over time seek improve the quality of the sound until we get to a level that we feel satisfied with.

I can sympathise with the rolling of OPamps as I think its analogous to the rolling of Valves in a valve amplifier and in the latter there is no question that you can tell the difference between newer valves and some of the old GEC ones for example. Some portable amplifiers offer a selection of suitable OPamps that you can choose from.

But your point is well made in that there seems to be tendency for members of certain forums to change their equipment all the time. In looking at old threads of a particular new amplifier or DAC they sometimes extol their virtues as producing an excellent sound, but when you look at their current profile, the equipment that they own is very different !!



Edited by highfell - 01 Dec 2013 at 10:21pm
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