LSA Voyager GAN Amplifier

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.

BTW - I noticed the other day that one of the Stereophile reviewers is using the Topping pre90 with 2 Benchmark AHB2. Same as me in my living room. This guy, Kalman R., must know a ton more about audio gear than me. So do not let that $599 price fool you.

Only problem with the Topping and Voyager combo is that the gain between the 2 is too much. Do not care since this is going to get discounted and moved downstairs soon.

Listening to Moving Pictures by RUSH now with the Topping pre90 + Voyager + Thiel CS3.7 + DAC3B. The album I have heard more than anything else in my life. The Voyager sounds great with it. Maybe a little harshness over the CODA #8, which is also great on this album. The Voyager only has 20 hours on it.

I would like to know from other Voyager owners. Does this amp feel fast to you. Man, I am bobbing my head and tapping my toes like mad.

Keep it coming, YYZ - you have 2 amps that I've been interested in for a while (Benchmark and Coda), and possibly now a third with the LSA.   I'm considering to move to separates from my integrated.

I appreciate your feedback.  A very interesting comparison.