THIEAUDIO Voyager 14

Thieaudio Voyager 14

3… 2… 1… LIFT OFF!

Named after the famed Voyager 14 deep space probe, we designed our flagship in ear monitor with the aim of stretching the boundaries to what professional monitoring devices can and should be capable of. The designing process alone took close to a year as we strove to research and implement driver configurations that would achieve an unparalleled level of resolution and dynamic range. Our final product has surpassed even our wildest dreams of what we hoped to accomplish, and we absolutely cannot wait to release the Voyager 14 into the world. The Voyager 14 is our team’s finest and proudest accomplishment, and we are sure that it’ll take you on a whole new musical adventure.

Into the Unknown

The extremely wide dynamic range we shot for required he newest of ultra-high frequency and subwoofer balanced armature drivers from Knowles and Sonion. But we also did not want to sacrifice on the timbre, and getting a full, comprehensive, textured sound meant increasing the driver numbers per channel. After many combinations, we settled on 14 BA drivers per unit as the ideal for both our technical and musical goals.
The most difficult technical aspect came with the implementation of all of these drivers to prevent phase-crossing. While many other IEM companies may overlook this essential aspect, our zero-tolerance to sound quality compromise meant months in the lab, trying out different configurations and arrangements to resolve phase issues. Our compensation procedure ended up utilizing not two, not three, not even four, but five independent crossover systems, assisted by four sound bores.

Breaking it Down

Ultra-High Frequency:

The 2 Knowles SWFK-31736 Dual Balanced Armature drivers, lays out gorgeous instrument overtones and resonance. We channeled these drivers to make for a wide soundstage, unabashedly mimicking atmosphere of the renown Beijing Concert Hall. The voice is ethereal and hallowed, smooth without lacking vitality.

High frequency:

The 2 Knowles ED-29689 Driver units were tuned to maximize the sweetness of vocals and timbre of instruments. Our intricate crossover calculation makes for extremely accurate instrument positioning and imaging. We split this channel with the mids and ultra-high frequencies and focused on a full treble range that livens instruments and vocals without piercing the ears. Several rounds of testing and adjustments ensured an engaging, yet fully comfortable listening experience.

Mid-Frequency:

The 2 Sonion 28UPA01 Dual Balanced Armatures units were selected and implemented focusing on projection and warmth. By doubling this driver per unit, we achieved fuller and richer male vocals. When we tested for soundstage and imaging, we wanted the mids to project into the auditorium. We particularly envisioned our experiences listening to viola and cello solo recitals at the Beijing Concert Hall, and tried to capture the confidence, firmness, and warmth of these instruments. Believe us, you’ll find it hard to want to take these sets out of your ears!

Low-frequency:

The 2 Sonion 38AJ007 Balanced Armatures were selected as one of the newest offerings by Sonion. After trying other models and bass, we knew we had to pay the extra expenses to go with the 38AJ007. The drivers themselves are extremely fast and full of power, and sure to make your ears rumble. Then, utilizing our crossover and low-pass filter, we made a clear separation between the sub-bass, bass, and mids to reduce bleeding and make for an ultra-clean bass line. Hard-hitting, fast, impactful (it really rumbles!), and deep. What more could you ask for from bass? Dynamic driver who?

Houston, we have a solution!

We understand that musical preference is one of the widest spectrums you can find in any field. This means there is also a wide spectrum to what kind of tuning styles are enjoyed – in short, there is no such thing as an “ideal tuning”. We did not want to lie to ourselves or to our customers by coming forth and saying, “we have achieved the ideal tuning”. So instead, we let you decide!

Our decision to utilize a five-way crossover system lent us a unique opportunity to implement a tuning switch to increase or decrease the level of certain channels. This independent circuit mechanism means that the phase is not altered even as you utilize the switch, which ultimately means no worrying about bass bleeds or mid scooping. Our standard tuning on the Voyager reflects a true-referencing tuning for professional monitoring. The two tuning switches (we decided on two rather than three or four as more does not necessarily indicate proper implementation) allows for four different tuning arrangement going from the standard reference tuning so that the listener can select their desired sound based on their musical preference.

By giving the user the ability to select their tuning style, and by correctly utilizing this technology on a solid technical foundation, we wanted to make the Voyager 14 the one and only IEM you will ever need. We are confident that our belief in quality, sustainability, and excellence is reflected in the apex of our work – the Voyager 14.

Fits Like a Glove

How do you fit 14 drivers into an object that will go inside your ears? Well…it’s not easy. Believe us.

We have a huge pile of failed shell designs that we like to look at as a reminder of our process. Some were too big. Some were too narrow. Some couldn’t even fit all of the drivers inside! We went through the work of personally making hundreds of ear impressions to figure out how we can engineer a universal set that both meets the technical standards as well as a comfortable fit. Oh, and don’t even mention the sound bores…With so many drivers, the crossover, individual sound tubes hooked up to the drivers, and acoustic chambers, creating the shell was an engineering feat, if not a miracle. We also tried several brands of medical grade resins to test for durability and see how they would stand up to the test of time (yellowing IEM’s…we see you!).

We ended up going with a premium 385nm UV resin from Germany that is often used for medical prosthetic devices. Again, it was an extra to our expenses, but we want our beloved Voyager 14 to be something you will cherish for a long long time.

Our engineering team has worked hard to create the final housing design and each unit is handmade and hand polished to make sure your listening experience is as comfortable as possible. We redefined professional audiophile sound with the Voyager 14, but we also like to think we are redefining what bespoke is.

One Giant Leap for Audiophile-kind

Voyager 14. It is our beloved baby. So many months were put into research, design, and production and we could not be any prouder. We hope the Voyager 14 will bring the same smile to your face as it did to us when we first tried the final prototype in our labs. Enough of this. We’ll let Voyager 14 speak for itself.