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Stock Voyager GaN amp (350/600) Contrasted with my EVS1200 (600/1200)

The Voyager (V) I received is well broken in, and as the title says, it is stock. An upgraded version will come later.


I let the V warm up for ~ 24 hours while I listened to my beloved EVS 1200 (~$2300) playing a wide variety of Redbook CDs; The Judds, Chris Issak Heart Shaped World, Leonard Cohen remastered collection, Willie Nelson Across the Borderline, the Eagles Hell Freezes Over, and Jennifer Nettles Playing with Fire (love the music, but the mastering has a few ear bleed cuts- or does it???). I capped the session off with Roger Waters Amused to Death SACD, a huge, occasionally very dynamic, and intentionally phasey recording. While I enjoyed the hell out this listening session, but afixed in my mind was reading others reporting on their not fully broken in V amps frequently mentioning detail/clarity, the music via the EVS 1200 wasn't as focused as I felt it should, but have accepted for 2 years, as it easily outperformed my PS Audio M700s (MSRP $4000), FYI, their M1200s are based on the same IceEdge AS1200 modules as my EVS 1200, but untouched. They simply added their own tube input stage (MSRP $7000), and Audio Alchemys DPA-1 ($2000), wish I could have tried the monos ($4000), but...


Could  the lack of focus be elsewhere, like the Wire World Electra 7 Power Conditioning cord ($240), connected to my Audio Alchemy DDP-1 + PS 5, which is IMO, my weakest PC, all the others are $700+, or my $150 Pangea XL coax cable? How would the V stack up?  Im thinking it can't be THAT much better, and what about the huge power disparity in my ~ 26 x 38 X 12 lively room with lots of glass and open beam ceilings, which adds up to brightness?


I connected the V, but didn't want to start with any of the same discs, just in case the V needed to see some signal before being ready for the comparison, so I chose Getz/Gilberto Jobim and Astrud Gilberto SACD as a nice way to ease into the Voyager. I haven't listened to this disc in months, so no recent memory to taint hearing it now. Did I say 'ease'. Silly me.


I'll cut to the chase hear/here, from the first note, it was obvious that this is a special amp, but at $3500 MSRP? OMG: What a steal!!! The focus reminds me of how much sharper and with greater depth of field pictures taken with Leica camera lens are, compared to all other cameras and lenses. GaNs magic is the equivalent of Tesla EV motor speed- immediate: The V grabbed me from the first note.


More  to come after I go through the Redbook CDs that I started with, but I already know it's a moot point. And wilder, still, LSA has already made a few tweaks, like the internal wiring for an additional $175.


Ric Schultz was right when he said expensive amps will be boat anchors
tweak1
ricevs
1,543 posts
 
Phil,
Do you have some better than stock feet underneath?  The stock feet are rubbery sounding.  Yes, the Voyager plus mods plus good feet equal some very, very nice sound.....of course, you want a great power cord, as well.
cascadesphil
231 posts
 
Ric - you should know better.  The (good) Mad Scientist feet are underneath and a 25 pound weight on top.  I'm the one with the bad feet.  Any recommendation other than my orthotics and Hoka Bondi 7s?:)  OK - the rest of me doesn't look so great either:)

I will be posting more about what we listened on both amps to and perhaps more.  The EVS 1200 is going to a secondary system (Selah Audio SA-2s and a Rel Strata III sub) and I am waiting on a used Teac UD-503 (which I will use with a mini fanless PC and JRiver) as the Teac has volume control and an analog input (so I can have fun with my modded Carver C-9 Sonic Hologram Generator unit being fed by an Oppo 103D, which is connected to my network).  Canada Post is estimating delivery on October 27 as of right now.  In addition, since my friend comes over most weeks, I've been helping him with recommendations for his system.  At one point quite a while back, I brought over my Teac UD-501 (which I don't own any longer) to compare to his Schiit Audio Multibit DAC.  He got rid of that his separate Schitt Audio headphone amp and bought a used Teac UD-503 (which he indicated smoked his old stuff and I made some cables for him to get rid of his Blue Jeans ones someone recommended to him) and now has an Apollon Audio IcePower amp in a shallow depth case (which he needed).  So this will also allow him to hear things on similar electronics as he will likely be eventually building speakers with the help of a friend of his.

Note that I'm only posting in this thread (vs. the others) and observation between the two amps.  As some of you aware, there may be an uneducated individual (or perhaps more than one) who just don't want to understand that Class D now is not the same as it was a few years ago.  There are those that have had relatioships in the audio industry who just want to protect those who may be selling things at retail which may cost (e.g 2-4 times) more vs. commenting from actual experience of using the product (and one really can't comment on what another hears or does not hear - well I guess one can comment but in some cases we know why).

I have also discussed with Tweak1 about potential bringing down the modded Voyager (he's a hair more than 2.5 hours south of me) after he gets and breaks in new speakers.  As with any evaluation of sound in one's system, the user will generally select recordings of their choosing (my friend who came over last night and wanted one additional song added to the list I made up last week which he was fine with) which they are familiar with in order to evaluate the system.  Some feel the need to comment on the music selection as if it is a diner meny and they can order what they want.  For those and for those that fit in that category or of the prior paragraph, you may have a future as a back seat driver.  Please visit indeed dot com and best of luck with the job search:)

cascadesphil
231 posts
 
Anyway - this is to follow-up a bit more.  Got too much to do to get to a video (I'm so far behind on listening to music I bought and I bought two more downloads today and won't get to them for a bit as I have a USB cable on the way as part of a tour and I'll just have a week with that) and it's not quite Halloween so we wouldn't want to scare that many people.  The modded Voyager is clearly better vs. the EVS 1200.  The only thing I would have done if I had the mod done is leave the switch in and that's just my personal situation with having an integrated AV system.  The Voyage has better soundstaging, tonality, bass, etc. On some of the recordings I heard things that were less present on the EVS.

The playlist used (we later listened to other things one the Voyager) was as follows (PCM recording were all in FLAC and anyone is free to look up the reccording chain to their satisfaction - one of the cuts was from one of my favorite record labels - Sound Liasons - https://www.soundliaison.com/index.php  and the cut used can be seen here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf_S2l3Y_lM).

1)     Private Investigations – Dire Straits 24/44.1

2)     Liberty – Anette Askvik 24/48

3)     I Remember You – Eilen Jewell 16/44.1

4)     Fistful of Swoon – Vandaveer 16/44.1

5)     Dance Me to the End of Time – Madeliene Peryoux 16/44.1

6)     A Fool for You – Carmen Gomes Inc. 24/352

7)     Tin Pan Alley – Stevie Ray Vaughan single rate dsf

8)     Eleanor McEvoy – Mercy Mercy Me single rate dsf

9)     A Case of You – Cristina Branco 16/44.1

10)   Shostakovich Symph 10 In E Min, Op.93 : 3. Allegretto – Nelsons Boston SO 24/96

11)   Libertango – Michel Camilo & Tomatito 16/44.1


The first two were used on Jay's comparisons and to get a bit of a frame of reference vs. his descriptions of the difference between the Rouge audio amp and his mystery 200W Class A monoblocks.  The next two involved artists I've seen live in my favorite small club (which is now out of business - https://www.arlnow.com/2017/09/08/breaking-iota-club-closing-this-month/).  I've listened to those cuts many times (as with most of the rest of them) and can be seen here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqu9MSfBPN8   and here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lby_GXOrNLU    since many probably have not heard those).  Tin Pan Alley is of course live.

On the Vanadeer cut for example, there was greater definition in the soundstage where the singers were standing (vs. what I heard before).  All in all it's a keeper for me and some of the more traditional (but now the ultra high end as in Jay's system) high end brands which cost more money are in for great competition for those interested in doing the comparison (vs. a brag factor that what they have costs more).
tweak1 OP
3,645 posts
 
Very cool review. Eventually I will get a modded V, but Im very happy with the stock one, especially once I lifted the chassis off the rubber feet with Nobsound springs and took the top off. It would still likely benefit from some damping material. Also, I would like to hear the stock V with the 2.8s as I am quite familiar with it


2.8s: Slight delay (I hope) to finally getting the 2.8s: quite possibly next week. For those who may not know, they are still at CDC warehouse in Miami after the truck they were shipped in was found to have BARRELS OF toxic illegal drug chemicals (the truck driver is doing time). This was just before the lock downs and January 6th, which had the CDC guy in charge quite busy
viber6
2,448 posts
 
cascadesphil,
How about midrange and HF clarity, speed, transparency from the modded Voyager vs EVS 1200 (approximately a modded Rouge Studio N10-DM)?

I am in touch with Rouge.  The Pascal modules are claimed to be superior to IceEdge for clarity/neutrality.  My Mytek Brooklyn Amp original version uses modified lower power Pascal modules.  The Mytek is a sharper, leaner sound than the Studio IceEdge Rouge, which is still neutral but fuller in bass with full dynamics, as Jay had found.  The upcoming Pascal MPRO2 module is stable to 2 ohms.  The available MPRO2 has the highest clarity with analytical quality, but it is designed for speakers with minimum load of 4 ohms.
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