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
Tweak1,
Sorry, I couldn't find the Technics review in TAS online.  Do you have a link?  What is the full name of the Technics amp so I can try searching for it?  Thanks.
Last night I listened to Jackson Brown Solos Acoustics Vol 1 and Janis Ian Breaking Silence Both have been played hundreds of times, with Janis having been played on lots of different systems over the decades. I also saw her live in a tiny Musicians Exchange venue in Ft Lauderdale back in the 80s. Both were spooky real, sounding live. Never heard either sounding so alive


Viber, another guy asked the same q. He and I both searched, but could not find a link. Looks like you will need to buy the issue if it’s important to you
FYI, I replaced 2 sets of springs with the devices I provided the link to a few replies below

They really work, and are stable unlike the springs. I'll be buying more for my XOs, Oppo 105 and speakers

hth
Last night I played my absolute worst torture test cd Wilson Philips Greatest Hits, and for the first time I was able to listen without earsplitting pain, but the music IMHO SUCKS.

I ordered 5 more sets of the iso devices
Absence of earsplitting pain suggests that the Voyager softens the bad music even just a little.  My Rouge IceEdge is quite neutral, whereas the V may be slightly warmer, according to the comments of most V users.  I suppose Ric's mods retain the neutrality and further enhance the clarity, but......

If Ric's mods warm the stock IceEdge a bit, this might correlate with your finding that the V has more clarity.  Strange.