Movin' in sound

Voyager Portable Headphone Amplifier

The shirt/blouse pocket sized Voyager portable headphone amplifier makes music on the move a whole new experience. Capable of projecting an airy musical outside your head performance using good headphones the Voyager portable headphone amplifier can even make cheap headphones sound good: its contour switch compensates for the limited tonal range of lightweight street-wear headphones making them sound like real hi-fi headphones. From the moment of your first listen you will never want to travel without it.

Running on a single 9 volt "E-cell", the Voyager portable headphone amplifier has a long battery life: usually lasting a month of average usage at good volume levels - and on occasion 3 months! This is because it uses a low loss battery polarity-protection system leaving more power for your music. When at home or at work it can borrow power from your computer USB port* or be powered from its mains adapter (supplied). Laptop users on the move can also make use of the USB* power facility, thus preserving battery power. Rechargeable 9 volt batteries charged on a separate charger may also be used.

The Voyager portable headphone amplifier uses noiseless DC to DC conversion to increase the 5 volt USB voltage to 9 volts ensuring no loss of level when powered from USB.

Stereo input and headphone output are on high quality Jalco 3.5mm jacks. The volume control is a high quality all metal Alps miniature "velvet" potentiometer of similar construction to the Alps AC27/30 often found on really expensive amplifiers, but a whole lot smaller. Switches are also by Alps - known for their precision. A clear low noise red LED warns you when the Voyager is switched on, helping you to conserve battery power.

The Voyager portable headphone amplifier case is made of durable precision machined textured ABS, featuring a black and silver anodised aluminium fascia plate carrying the necessary functional markings. A clip on cover securely holds the battery within its hard wearing foam lining.

Each Voyager portable headphone amplifier is individually hand built in Britain by time served engineers and fully specification tested to ensure perfect operation. The circuit uses conventional through-hole non-surface mount components to help achieve its excellent and airy sound quality making it unique amongst miniature headphone amplifiers.**

Specification

Dimensions: L. 12.5 W. 6.7 H. 2.8 (cm)

Weight: 180 grams approx. (700 grams with plug top PSU)

Battery life: 50 hours continuous play, 2-3 weeks average usage

Output: 12mW rms into 32 Ohms, 10mW rms into 600 Ohms

Frequency Response: Flat: 13Hz to 34.5 kHz (-1dB), 5.5Hz to 69 kHz (-3dB)

Contour: +9dB at 45Hz and 20 kHz, Turnover +3dB at 260Hz and 2.85 kHz

Channel Balance: 0.5dB*

Hum & Noise: -94dB CCIR Q-pk 20Hz-20kHz, better than -100dB "A" curve weighted

Stereo Crosstalk: -52dB

Distortion (THD+Noise): at 80Hz: 0.03%, at 1 kHz: 0.03%, at 5.6 kHz: 0.05%, at 16 kHz: 0.13%

Power sources: [1] Battery, 9V (MN1604; 6LR61), [2] USB via "mini-B" 5VDC (with internal 9VDC analogue voltage conversion), [3] Mains adapter, 12-18V AC or DC unregulated (internal rectifier for AC use) (Polarity protection on all)

Price

£160.43 supplied with plug-top power supply. Prices in GBP (pounds sterling) ex VAT/GST

Notes

* a USB to mini USB lead will be required. This is not supplied but many computer accessories are supplied with a suitable lead which may be used. A connection cable will also be required to be purchased separately fitted with a suitable connector for your source equipment and terminated with a stereo 3.5mm jack plug to fit the Voyager.

** In times of difficult supply the integrated circuits may be substituted for surface mount versions of the same type, but assembled onto our own high quality soldered through hole adapters.

Caution: Although the highest quality Jalco jack sockets are used, the plating on 24 carat gold plated jack plugs on headphones and connecting leads can prematurely wear out because of usage conditions, resulting in a distorted sound. It is advisable that these plugs are replaced if and when that occurs by nickel-plated plugs.