LSA Voyager GAN Amplifier

yyz,
As ricevs suggested, I'll chime in with a wonderful CD I just acquired, and have been using on repeat for my last 187 hours of break in listening.  It is a 2015 recording on a budget label, Naxos, of Mozart Violin Concertos 3,4,5 with soloist Henning Kraggerud and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra.  It is a very clear recording which is upfront but also spacious.  What is especially interesting is that there is a YT video of the same performers in the same hall.  You can see the position of the musicians on stage in the YT video and compare to the CD on your audio system.  The violin soloist has exceptional precision of bow technique, and the small orchestra is very sensitive and also brilliant.  For proper audio reproduction of this music and recording, CLARITY is a must, and the most important criterion to use.  On a musical level, Mozart is the most difficult composer to play, not because it is so complex, but because supreme elegance and attention to detail are required.  The slightest flaw in technique is exposed, but this performance is close to 100% flawless.  It is also improvisatory, and I am surprised that I am still enjoying it as a fresh experience after all these 187 hours of repeats, lol.

Thanks for the audiophile stuff. I will check it out on the weekend when I get to 100+ hours.

Having 187 hours on a disk and still loving it is awesome. It is after all about the music.

I did listen to some acoustic Bruce Springsteen this afternoon and it was great.

@viber6 I have not been emotionally drawn into Classical music. However, I have listened to the performance you listed and I must say it was very entertaining. I listen all the way through until 2:30AM when I was planning to go to sleep at 1:30AM.

I listened with the CODA #8 and CODA 07x preamp. No hiss on this setup on the headphones unless I manually increase the GAIN on the preamp. So I set it to the default lowest level. I need to figure out why this low hiss is present with the Thiel.

I will listen to this same performance on headphones tomorrow with the AHB2 mono and the Voyager. Though not the whole performance.

@ricevs I will listen to your suggestions on the Thiel and Voyager tomorrow.

************************* DAC3B used tonight ************************
I was doing a lot of headphone listening tonight with the RAAL SR1a and both the CODA #8 and Voyager. The CODA #8 was a very rich and meaty sound on the RAAL. Listening to some Bobby Womack now on this setup and it is brilliant. This is the very best combo I have had with the RAAL and I have tried a lot of excellent gear with them.

The Voyager did not sound as good on the headphones as the CODA #8. It was a bit drier on the RAAL vs the CODA #8’s juicier steak. However, even now with limited hours, it is the second or third best sound on the RAAL SR1a. I think it is better than the KRELL K-300i on the RAAL. FedEx did not deliver the KRELL today but I am going on memory.

I think I am going to change up my plans with regards to amplification of my gear. I am going to use the CODA #8 on the RAAL and the Voyager on the Thiel CS3.7. Both driven by the CODA 07x preamp. The Voyager has more than enough power for the Thiel (and also RAAL) . I am already a fan of the Voyager and Thiel combo and it should get even better.

IMPE, classical rarely sounded good, but over the decades as my system improved, so did my classical appreciation

yyz,
Glad you like the Mozart CD I recommended.  It is great that you enjoy it even if classical music is not your first love.  Great performances can enable you to enjoy the music as you gain familiarity.  Musically, it is the best version of these pieces I have heard.  I have played and performed them as a solo violinist, and the soloist on this CD is a magical wizard.  There is a YT video of him coaching a talented 16 year old girl violinist.  She plays "correctly" but he has great imagination and artistry and offers inspiration to her.

Take this music in small doses.  Each movement (section) is only about 7 min.  From an audio point of view, early in the first track of Concerto 3, see if you can hear in the right channel several times when the soloist SNIFFS to give a cue to the orchestra.  This is different from hearing the breath of a wind player from the mouth.  The AHB2 is the amp most likely to best reveal the subtleties of the sniff.  HF detail is needed to appreciate this.  

I like the 40 lb dumbbells on the right side in one of your system pictures.  Stay in great shape!