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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
viber6
2,448 posts
 
cascadesphil,
How about midrange and HF clarity, speed, transparency from the modded Voyager vs EVS 1200 (approximately a modded Rouge Studio N10-DM)?

I am in touch with Rouge.  The Pascal modules are claimed to be superior to IceEdge for clarity/neutrality.  My Mytek Brooklyn Amp original version uses modified lower power Pascal modules.  The Mytek is a sharper, leaner sound than the Studio IceEdge Rouge, which is still neutral but fuller in bass with full dynamics, as Jay had found.  The upcoming Pascal MPRO2 module is stable to 2 ohms.  The available MPRO2 has the highest clarity with analytical quality, but it is designed for speakers with minimum load of 4 ohms.
cascadesphil
231 posts
 
All those things are better on the modded Voyager.  It is just in another league.  My friend thought I was crazy when I told him I'm buying it as my system sounded so good.  Keeping the EVS though.  Now in a secondary system.  At some point (waiting on roofing issues), the main system will be apart for a bit until painting gets done and I'll be using the secondary system as my main audio system for a bit.

I don't know how the Rouge sounds (or what they use for everything internally).  All I can say is I had a Mivera SE, (with the one half inch thick front and rear panels which were not made throughout the run of SE amps and he stopped making those) and everything possible upgraded, including two Synergistic Research Blue fuses (I added later) and the EVS was in a totally different league.  Others heard it as well over my place.  The (modded) Voyager is yet in another league.

I broke the EVS in using a secondary system (and for a drop before I got the EVS I tried the Mivera in there and the Mivera was in that system for well over a year and I sold the Mivera a bit over a month ago) and the Mivera which imaged nicely, sounded flat vs. the EVS.  So while I haven't heard the Rouge, which obviously did well in Jay's comparison (was it something like 43% thought it was better?  And yes I understand the internet can't capture what is in the room), I'd think the EVS would have done better as besides upgrades to the internals, the modules themselves were modded (by the mad professor).  There are others that Ric sold the amp to and compared it to the stock Mivera (I believe one of Ric's customers had a couple of Mivera amps and used them in mono to compare the to EVS).

Yyz, who sold me the modded Voyager informed me  he offered it to Jay and I'm not sure how much time elapsed, but when I bought it I don't believe Jay got back to him.  It was also noted in Jay's thread (by ricevs on October 7)  " What would be really cool is if Phil would bring over his EVS1200 and the modded Voyager he is about to receive to Jay’s place and they could do a four way shoot out with the stock Rouge and the Block Monos (make sure you use good footers under the class D amps....not the stock feet). You could do this in a few hours and then make a video where you both comment on the differences.....none of this silly 3 minute song A/Bs of unknown amps please. Just tell us what you hear. We trust you. You could then play a minute or two of the best of the three versus the Block....for reference. This would be very informational for many."  I also noted on that day (in Jay's thread) " So as far as any shootouts that Jay wants to do, that is up to Jay."  I'd guess I'm under 3 hours from Jay (and noted that)

So I guess we'll really never know the answer.  I appreciated what Jay did.  What it showed to me is that the Rouge performed very well and how much additional money got things to another level.  Jay also noted that everything before the amps contributed to the sound and it is the same in my place.  I use a Lumin U1 music server and an EMM Labs DAC 2X (version 2) along with a Modwright LS36.5DM.  I currently have the EVS in a system with a Sherbourn Pre-1 and a Teac UD-503 DAC.  Those just aren't in the same league as what is in the main system.
viber6
2,448 posts
 
Thanks.
cascadesphil
231 posts
 
Viber - btw - the link to the Purifi mods (which I suspect would be similar if not identical) and review of them are on the EVS website - http://tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/Purifi_amp_mods.html   Ric also does mods to IcePower amps, including the Rouge - http://tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/IceEdge_amp_mods.html   

I believe when I talked to him last (probably about almost a couple of months back), he had done mods to other IcePower amp brands (e.g. Mivera) to essentially do to them what he did with the EVS 1200.

Everyone's priorities are different when it comes to upgrades.  Some may not want to keep an amp or not touch it until the warranty is over.  Others may want to upgrade what they perceive to be more important weak links in their system (or in the case of crazy me - systems) whether those are electronics (e.g. preamp, amp, DAC), cables or other tweaks (e.g. footers, fuses).

Everyone has different priorities and budgets (not everyone is named Jay and can do what he does).  A case in point is my friend who comes over most Thursday nights. We usually listen to music on the main system.  Once in a bit, we'll do a movie or we'll listen to music on a secondary system.  I'll also from time to time go over his place to let him hear something.  I did that with my Mivera SE amp (which I sold about a month and a half back) and he needed a case with shallow depth for his set-up and he ended up with an Apollon IcePower stereo amp like this one -https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/apollon-audio-as1200-review-stereo-power-...    I've also brought over tweaks and things like USB cables I've had in secondary system.  He was blown away last Thursday by the one I have on a tour now (Hapa Audio AerO) which blew away a very nice cable of another brand (which is now in the system with the EVS 1200 going from a small fanless PC to my DAC) and I have one of the cables I auditioned on order.

If I get over to Tweak1's at some point (he is waiting on new speakers), I'm sure there will be additional comments he can offer between the EVS 1200, stock Voyager and modded Voyager.  If he still has the stock one in his possession at that point, I can hear that as well.  The purpose of threads like this (and that's why I posted here vs. the others) is to give feedback on actual hands on experience with details about the music and components in play.  To me it is of no value to listen to someone rant why something is no good based on some theory they believe (and they are free to believe anything) vs. having real experience with a product.


tweak1 OP
3,645 posts
 
I doubt I will have both a stock and moded V, as I suspect the stock one will be sent elsewhere and another delay, which could easily be weeks. While I am most anxious, my EP 3.4s + 2 SVS powered subs ain't exactly meh. Hell, if my room was smaller, the 3.4s by themselves would be killer
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