LSA Voyager GAN Amplifier

yyz,
Like you, I go for quality over quantity. 95% of my favorite music is small scale, so quality wins out. Even for large dynamic music like symphonies, much of the time things are quiet and low level detail is most important. If the detail is submerged, I am not interested in banging dynamics. It’s like if a mumbling, foolish person yells at you, you shut him out. But perhaps his foolish thoughts make some sense if he speaks clearly in a low voice. An amp with grunt is often accompanied by loss of clarity for subtle sounds. So far, it appears that the AHB2 is still king. There is no rush--give the Voyager much more time to see if things change. Once you do Ric’s mods, there are no returns. This doesn’t matter because spending under $4K is worthwhile if the sound is great. I have almost zero tolerance for expensive anything.  Further, you couldn't PAY me $100K to be forced to live with the $100K amp if I am ho-hum about the sound.  I pay reasonable sums to obtain enjoyment.

With regards to hiss. This morning, I just switched to my Benchmark DAC3B from my Gustard X26 Pro. My streaming is duplicated using Sonore OpticalRendu (2 of them) from a single Ubiquiti Networks switch with 2 Fibre outputs. So an apples-to-apples switch from the Gustard to the DAC3B.

With the DAC3B the hiss levels have gone down maybe by 50% compared to the Gustard on the Voyager.

@aolmrd1241 I do not understand this hiss with the CODA. My dealer says that I should not have any. Other CODA users on A’gon have said the same thing. However, with my Thiel CS3.7 I have hiss. I am going to bring up my KEF LS50’s from downstairs today along with my super quiet Topping pre90 preamp and retest the hiss comments I made. This will replace the CODA 07x preamp and the Thiel CS3.7. The Topping pre90 replaced my Benchmark HPA4 preamp because it sounded the same and I only need a simpler and smaller preamp downstairs.

@ricevs Last night I listened for 5 hours, until 2:30AM, with my RAAL SR1a headphones. I turned off the Mitch Barnet Convolution RAAL SR1a filter to make the sound the most fatiguing and ’naked’.

Taking the RAAL-requisite SR1a Headphones To Another Level - Reviews - Audiophile Style

I was very happy with the results. The sound was huge, non-fatiguing, with room for improvement with detail but this amp is a winner already on my RAAL SR1a just for being non-fatiguing and powerful with the RAAL.

For comparison sake, on the RAAL SR1a without the Convolution filter, my Benchmark AHB2 is too bright and fatiguing with the HPA4 preamp, Topping pre90, and close to good with the CODA 07x. However, with Mitch’s filter the AHB2 was my favorite amp with the RAAL and CODA 07x. The fact that the Voyager already sounds so good without the filter makes me think this is going to be the best amp for the RAAL. Which is great because that is why it was purchased. Today, I will get the KRELL K-300i integrated back from service (replaced faceplate) and I will compare with the Voayger. The KRELL was also great without any DSP filter. BTW - I am likely going to sell this integrated (if I am smart).

@cd44123 The AHB2 is my all-time fav amp and with the CODA 07x preamp I thought it was the best sound I have ever had in my office. However, the AHB2 lacks that slam or grunt with my Thiel CS3.7, which was a real shame. Now this is not a night and day difference with anything else I have had. I think that most people on A’gon would prefer my CODA 07x + CODA #8 combo or the KRELL K-300i for a more relaxed of pleasing sound. Some may not like the starkness of the AHB2 vs the warmth of the CODA and KRELL. The CODA and KRELL were also a much better 2 Ohm match for the Thiel. Really easy to hear that extra slam and grunt.

***********************
I now have my Voyager setup again with my Thiel’s and will be listening all day while I work. This will be how I will keep it until I send the amp to Ric. I will use the KRELL as my headphone amp to see if I should not sell it and keep it in the future in my bedroom. The Voyager did not sound that great on one track this morning but I expected that from past experience with new gear. Only 12 hours so far.

Here is an old photo of my room for context. I also have a Convolution filter from Mitch for my Thiels (ROON only).
Office System - Virtual Systems (audiogon.com)

Just stating the obvious  hiss likely has nothing to do with the amplifier if it is present only with certain gear upstream. 

yyz, Just looked at your "old" system pics. Here are some tweaks that make any system better:

1. Get all cables off the floor. Way more open sound when all cables (power, interconnect, digital, speaker) are off the floor.

2. Never stack gear.....each piece should be isolated and on its own shelf.

3. Use great footers and shelving. This can be mind blowing. Every type of wood, shelving, footer will sound different. Stock equipment on thin wood or whatever......not good. My fav for each component is: inner tube with barely any air in it....then on top of that is a bamboo cutting board from Ikea and on top of that is 1.5 inches of solid maple (the two woods cancel each others vibration) and on top of that is the best footers from Mad Scientist and then the component on top of that. Sometimes it sounds best with the cover removed.....sometimes sounds best with damped weight on top of component. All the above is trial and error.

4. Use super fuses. The latest rage is Quantum Science fuses.

5. Use super contact enhancer.....the latest rage is High Fidelity cable goop.

@mapman That is not obvious given what I stated last night. Put in the AHB2 and no hiss with my CS3.7. Put the CODA #8 or Voyager in place and have hiss. All other upstream gear stayed the same. That is a pretty clear conclusion for me.

I have now put on the KEF LS50 and replaced the Thiel CS3.7. The same hiss with the right speaker a little worse. This is promising since this tells me my Thiel is fine. I tried unplugging the CODA 07x and retrying. Same thing.

I now put the super quiet Topping pre90 and took off the CODA 07x preamp, The Voyager stays along with the KEF LS50. The hiss level goes down a ton. Really need to put the ear to the speaker to hear anything. The RIGHT speaker is still a bit noisier (what the heck is that maybe the DAC).  

I replaced the 15 foot Benchmark XLR's between the preamp and amp with a second set of the same XLR. Same level of hiss.

I am going to talk with Doug Dale on the CODA 07x. I had a loose wire from shipping that I fixed to get rid of a lot of gremlins I had with this preamp. Maybe something still wrong or maybe not. It sounds great and maybe this bit of hiss is normal at the gain levels I have set (default).

************************* NEW Voyager observation ***************************
On my Thiel CS3.7, the Topping pre90 and Voyager sounds much better than the CODA #8 and Topping pre90. The Voyager sounds louder with the Topping, must be a gain thing. However, the impedance match must be better because it does not sound lifeless as with the CODA #8. So 2 different types of SS preamps sound good with the Voyager

I am not saying this sounds better than the CODA 07x and Voyager or CODA #8. It sounds more like the AHB2 with more grunt. However, the Voyager is not as super clear as the AHB2 which I think most people prefer (the Voyager).

Actually this $599 Topping preamp and Voyager sounds great. I am using the Benchmark DAC3B at the moment. Which is not a warm DAC. Wow, is my reaction to this combo. The Voyager seems to have the power needed by the Thiel CS3.7.  Non-fatiguing combo too.

Damn, I knew this Topping pre90 was great. This Voyager is also on a path to greatness for me. So nice with the RAAL and now really starting to sound great with the Thiel. I am on a BEE GEES bender at the moment but once that subsides I will start listening to my RUSH albums that I normally use to evaluate gear.