2. amps-preamps
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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
tweak1 OP
3,562 posts
 
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
viber6
2,442 posts
 
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.
yyzsantabarbara
4,573 posts
 
The Voyager is slightly warm on top, Not so much that it hides some details. It is actually very detailed.
viber6
2,442 posts
 
It's all a matter of degree of warmth.  Warmth is most obvious for HF, but the rest of the freq range is affected as well.  The most clarity/detail is enabled by neutrality.  With a reasonably efficient speaker and music that doesn't demand very loud SPL's, the AHB2 is the best for clarity/detail.  No risk if someone doesn't like it--return before 30 days to either Benchmark or a retailer.  But the V has a 15% restocking fee.
tweak1 OP
3,562 posts
 
Having recently upgraded my machina dynamica springs reveals that the V is a chameleon. My V has 4 sorbothane devices glued onto the V, and as can be expected, the overall sound was slightly slow and muffled, which immediately opened up the V.


Each replacement was followed by listening to the same few songs (in this case Rickie Lee Jones Naked Songs. Next under the DDPA-1 pre/dac. Both were revealing more clarity, so I ordered 3 more sets. First, I strategically placed 2 of them directly under the Oppo laser and the upgraded LPM toroid. Again a major improvement, then under the PS 5 outboard PS for the DDP-1. And lastly, under the 2 outboard XOs. At $26/set of 4, this is an absolute bargain. I also have 2 more sets coming which will allow me to take my EP 3.4s off the Harbor Freight dollys, which will lower the 12" concentric driver to better meet my ear level from the chair.

After all were placed I then slightly increased the volume on the powered subs plate amps (some 10+ years old) to hear what impact that would have on the bass. Doing so was a mixed bag. Better would be to have a quality active XO.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MT1R4KZ?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

hth
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