VPI Voyager User manual

VPI Voyager
Phono Preamp Manual
Setup and Instruction Manual
VPI Industries, Inc., 77 Cliffwood Ave. #5D, Cliffwood, NJ 07721
http://www.vpiindustries.com

Quick Start Guide
1. Safely unpack the unit and its accessories (Voyager, Power Cord, 2 Shorting
Jacks)
2. Place the unit on a sturdy and dry surface
3. Insert shorting jacks in un-used inputs if needed
4. Plug the unit into a grounded electrical socket
5. Connect the RCA and ground wires from your turntable
6. Connect the Output cables to your line level input on your line stage or
integrated amplifier
7. Turn on the unit from the power switch in the back
8. Mute the system to configure your settings, Mute indicator will turn red.
9. Select input, gain (MM/MC), and loading from front panel
10.Unmute the system and wait for the mute indicator to turn green
11.At this point you should be able to play music and enjoy your new voyage

Introduction: Thank you for purchasing the VPI Voyager phono preamplifier. For many
years, VPI produced turntables which are universally acknowledged for being able to
resolve incredible amounts of musical information from a record’s grooves. The Voyager
phono preamplifier was created to compliment not only the VPI turntables musical
performance but to functionally compliment the flexibility inherent in the VPI Turntable
designs. The Voyager was inspired by past work of Mike Bettinger, VPI Director of
Electrical engineering. With suggestions from Harry Weisfeld, VPI founder, Mike molded
a musically involving, easy to use Phono Preamplifier.
Accommodating multiple arms or various cartridges is now simple. Changing between
two inputs with front panel selection of gain and cartridge loading makes the Voyager a
Swiss Army Knife for vinyl lovers. VPI created a phono preamplifier circuitry that truly
compliments the capabilities of your VPI turntables.
The Sound: Much like the creation of a fine musical instrument, the Voyager circuitry is
the culmination of many years of exploring the boundaries of audio circuit design. With
an audiophile’s sensibilities as a guide, selection of the best circuit building blocks (gain
circuits, power supplies, etc.), component parts, biasing and circuit layout have all been
synergistically combined.
Musically, the defining characteristic of the Voyager is its low-level detail resolution. The
beauty and emotional involvement of music is tied to a components ability to hear into the
music and reproduce the subtle decays of notes and resonances, room reflections that
add bloom and body, and purity to reproduction of vocals and strings.

Second, the Voyager’s lack of compression or congestion as the music gets more
complex is also striking. Attention to the power supplies and circuit layout provides a very
stable electrical environment for the gain circuitry that does not change with the
complexity of the music. There is a sense of nuance and air in the lower frequencies.
Third, purity in the reproduction of vocals and wind instruments is excellent, with the music
effortlessly soaring through passages that have a history of being compressed, hard or
grainy when the dynamics and complexity of the music.
Overall the sound of the Voyager is very consistent from top to bottom, cut from the same
cloth as the saying goes.
Design Overview of VPI’s Voyager Phono Preamplifier
Circuit Overview: The Voyager uses a two-stage design using Linear Systems JFETs as
input devices. The input stage provides gain and passive EQ, followed by a differential
JFET second stage providing more gain and active EQ. The power supply is a unity gain
voltage stabilized design. The circuit layout takes into consideration the complicated
current loops and loads to control interactions between stages and unintended feedback
as the signal is processed by the preamp. The design is intentionally symmetrical and
single-ended.
Design details: The first stage provides an interface with the cartridge while providing the
gain and drive for the 75us passive de-emphasis equalization network that follows it. This
gain is provided by a precision JFET/ Bipolar discrete op-amp design. Circuit balance is
maintained by low noise servos. Power for the servos is provided by simple zener-based
shunt regulators. MM/MC gain switching is provided by embedded subminiature low

signal relays located at the optimum position in the layout to maintain circuit resolution
and stability.
The output of the first stage is fed into the second differential gain block, which provides
the additional gain need for tracking the low frequency portion of the RIAA curve. This
stage is also designed using matched Linear Systems JFETS and is servo controlled.
The drive for the signal out is provided by a high current Class-A/common collector
topology.
Front Panel Switching Capabilities.
The Voyager provides front panel switching between two inputs, MM/MC gain and three
settings for both resistive and capacitive loading, depending on the MM/MC choice for the
input the voyager selects either resistive or capacitive loads. MC loads of 100R, 500R
or 1K ohms and MM capacitive loads of 100pf, 200pf or 270pf can selected using the
front panel switches for each input.
The gain and load settings operate separately for both inputs allowing independent
settings when using two turntables or arm. This arrangement allows for easy swapping
of arms/cartridges requiring different gain or load settings, while retaining the settings for
the unchanged input.

Mute operation.
Front panel switching of gain or inputs is normally only available in expensive
microprocessor-controlled preamps with sophisticated (expensive) hardware and
software control to mute the output during switching. The Voyager minimizes the
switching transients through a unique analog muting circuit that monitors the circuit output
and mutes the signal during the first 10% of the disturbance. Reducing the transient to a
minor pop. The circuit remains muted until the high gain signal circuitry settles. The
muting circuit will also mute the output if it senses non-signal related disturbances such
as a quickly dropped stylus or large static discharge. The auto-muting mode is indicated
by a yellow colored indicator light. After a few second delay the indicator will return to
green and the music will resume.
The layout
The circuit layout, execution and fine-tuning of the Voyager’s circuitry is the results of
many years of investigation and experimentation. The grounding and supply networks
have been implemented through careful consideration of both the circuit biasing and
signal return currents, much like the voicing during the creation of a fine musical
instrument. The operating points of the active devices have been fine tuned for their
“sweet spots “. We believe the musical results speak for themselves.
Construction:
The PCB uses a 4-layer design. The circuit components include all 1% metal film
resistors and polypropylene film capacitors. Equalization components are screened for
tight tolerances. The electrolytic capacitors are high frequency and high temperature

rated. Active devices include: Linear Systems JFETS and Fairchild low-noise small signal
and power transistors; The Voyager is proudly made in America using all American
sourced parts.
Important Safety Instructions
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE THE COVER. NO
USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE
PERSONNEL.
1. Read instructions: Please read all the safety and operating instructions before
operating your preamp, and retain them for future reference.
2. Follow instructions: Follow all operating and use instructions.
3. Cleaning: Unplug the preamp from the wall outlet prior to cleaning. Use a damp
cloth. Clean only the outside of the product.
4. Water and moisture: Do not use this product near water or leave it outdoors. Do
not place under a plant or place a plant upon it.
5. Product placement: Don’t place the preamp on an unstable table or stand; it may
fall and become damaged. Move it with care.
6. Power sources: Operate the preamp only from the type of power source indicated
in the instructions. The preamp is equipped with a three-prong grounding plug,
which will only fit into a grounding power outlet. If you’re unable to insert the plug
into the outlet, contact your electrician to replace the obsolete outlet. Don’t defeat
the safety purpose of the grounding plug.

7. Overloading: Don’t overload wall outlets or extension cords, which can result in fire
or electric shock.
8. Power Cord Protection: Power cords and interconnect cables should be routed so
they will not be tripped over or pinched by items placed next to or upon them.
9. Electrical storms: unplug the preamp from the wall outlet for added protection from
lightning, or when left unused or unattended for extended periods of time.
10.Servicing: Do not attempt to repair this product yourself. Please contact us for
guidance. Unplug the preamp from the wall if the power cord or plug is damaged,
if liquid has been spilled into it or it has otherwise been exposed to rain or water, if
the product doesn’t operate normally when you follow the operating instructions, if
it’s been dropped, or if you notice a distinct degradation in performance.
11.Heat: It’s important that you place the preamp away from heat sources, such as
your amplifier, a radiator or other product that produces heat.
Let’s play music!
Unpacking the Voyager
Carefully remove your Voyager from its shipping carton and locate the enclosed
accessories:
* Power Cord
* 2 RCA Shorting Jacks.
Inspect the Voyager carefully for any sign of shipping damage and contact us immediately
should you find any. We recommend that you save the box and its packing material to
protect it if you need to move or ship it.

Placement guidelines
•Do not place preamp near higher power components such as power amplifiers or
Turntable motor speed controllers. Due to the magnetic hum fields emitted by
these devices audible 60/120 Hz may be present in the audible output of the
system. If this occurs move offending component to a different location.
•Place it on a shelf adequate to support its weight.
•Use input and output cables long enough to leave some slack in them for moving
the preamp to check or change connections.
•Place the Voyager where you can route input and output cables as far as possible
from any AC cords.
Ventilation:
•Always position the Voyager horizontally.
•Don’t place the Voyager above a power amplifier, the heat from which will age its
components faster.
•Do not install the Voyager in an unventilated cabinet or confined space to avoid
stagnant hot air.
•Allow at least 1.5” of clearance on all sides of the Voyager if placed in a cabinet, if
in a confined cabinet place only on shelf by itself.
Connecting your Voyager:
Always disconnect the AC cords to your Voyager and power amplifier before making or
changing any input or output connections. Connecting or disconnecting an input or output

cable with the preamp or power amp on can result in a blast of sound that can damage
your speakers. Make sure there is no strain or tension on any cables that could cause
them to pull loose.
Audio input connections:
Connect your turntable’s signal cables to the Voyager’s input jacks. The turntable’s
ground wire attaches to the Voyager’s ground terminal, located between the two sets of
inputs.
Important Note on electromagnetic fields: Turntables and phono preamps are very
sensitive to electromagnetic fields that can produce an audible hum. To minimize any
hum:
Place your turntable and turntable signal cables as far as possible from power
amps or power line conditioners. Don’t run the turntable signal cables parallel with
any AC cords. If they must cross AC wires, the should cross at a 90° angle.
It might be necessary to experiment with the exact positioning of the turntable
signal cables to minimize hum.
Audio Output Connections:
The Voyager’s output jacks connect to the input jacks on your line level preamp. The
Voyager has 1 set of output jacks, unbalanced.
The Voyager does not invert polarity.
Power connections:
AC power cord: The standard AC cord supplied with your Voyager is an audiophile-grade
component. Please connect it directly to an AC wall outlet or power conditioner that is
always “live”. If possible, plus connect it into the same AC outlet that your preamplifier is