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
art_boston
45 posts
 
@tweak1:
switching speed is a BFD
 Then how do you explain AGD's Audion at only 400kHz - at least the first gen? Granted, it's now at 800kHz in its second gen but the first gen is universally praised for SQ.
I've said it in other threads: Alberto has an inside track on this technology and is way ahead of the game. Sure, other manufacturers will "brute force" it with higher speeds and even George's holy grail of 1.5MHz. But, Alberto's TOTAL design is smarter and superior to others and it shows in SQ.
A telling comparison would be between Technics SE-R1 and the Audion.
viber6
2,448 posts
 
Merrill W. in his Element GaN's, told me that LOWER switching speed is actually better.  This is because dead time is a fixed constant for the particular transistor, so if there is lower switching speed, there is a longer time before switching needs to occur, or that the fraction of time spent doing the switching is lower with a lower freq of switching.  His GaN's use a switching speed of 400 kHz.

That aside, I agree with art_boston who implies that the overall design is far more important than any 1 factor, such as switching speed.
tweak1 OP
3,668 posts
 
@art_boston
I think you confused what I meant. All I meant is higher switching speeds is/are a big deal

tweak1 OP
3,668 posts
 
In case you're not following the LSA thread: posted by Mark from Corepower clearing the air on the Voyager design...

Just felt that as this point I needed to send along a few points.

Not here in any way to argue or attempt to interpret anything about the Voyager as said by others. I will however mention a few points as it relates to us.

There were two of us involved from the very beginning of POC and Module Testing from the very beginning. That would be Doug Goldberg and myself beginning in 2015 (yes... you read that right)

Post these early tests which included some AMAZING higher power modules... my friends Peter Madnick, EJ Sarmento and later, Dr Viet Nguyen contributed to findings and feedback. This is especially true for EJ and Peter. We have all tested and participated in DIRECT FEEDBACK with the maker. I have known this incredible guy I've known for well over 30 years.

There were several suggestions made during the dev process on the lower power version of this module. This one was the 200 watt version. Walter ultimately decided that he wanted to go with the Higher Power Version which did slow us a bit.

There were many (read please MANY) revs of the original module. If memory serves - 5 in total, and a huge amount of man-hours testing and listening. I personally have probably near to 300 hours in test and listening to the 200 watt version and then over 100 more with the current module.

The team that developed these modules and SMPS are some of the brightest super-power Engineers known (to me or otherwise). A real Dream Team.

Lots of decisions were made along to way productizing The Voyager GaN 350. I'm proud of the product, and I know our team is as well. This is a very special amplifier. Walter stuck to the program and our end users are reporting some fine results.

Best wishes,

Mark
art_boston
45 posts
 
I think you confused what I meant. All I meant is higher switching speeds is/are a big deal

No, I understood what you mean. I am saying it's NOT a big deal if the rest of the design is "optimal". AGD is closest to optimal, so far. Obviously, there's was more to be had from the 1st gen (400) as their 2nd gen is up in SF (800). Does this increase result in dramatic improvement in SQ? I don't hink so, just incremental.
What's the Voyager's SF?

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