GaN amps: Peachtree or LSA Voyager?

@whitefishpoint1175  Rogue RP-7 NOS

@markmuse interesting. Have you tried different tubes?

@markmuse I did not want to sell the CODA #8 which I was using as a headphone amp for my RAAL SR1a. However, today I put in an order for the RAAL VM-1a. That is a $7K after tax amp and I needed to sell the CODA #8 to raise the funds. The VM-1a is the very best amp for the SR1a. It is of course purposefully built ONLY for the SR1a. I consider the SR1a the equal to my 2-channel system. Its that good, especially for my late night listening.

That used KRELL 300XD is a screaming deal given that the new one is $12K after the recent price increase. The XD lineup is big and ugly but it sounds so fine. Tonight I am going to put my Benchmark LA4 preamp in place of the CODA 07x preamp with the KRELL XD175. This is for my speakers. Now that I am getting the RAAL VM-1a amp I do not need the dual XLR outputs of the CODA 07x for a 2-channel amp for headphones (the CODA #8). I also like the pairing of the CODA 07x with my Benchmark AHB2 amp which I have connected to KEF LS50’s in my Livingroom..

I sold the Voyager (after the EVS mods) because it sounded a lot like the AHB2. The Voyager was more powerful but still not powerful enough for my Thiel CS3.7’s. The Voyager also did not sound good on my RAAL SR1a headphones (very surprising). The AHB2 did sound good with my SR1a headphones and even though it is underpowered for my Thiel CS3.7, on certain music I love the AHB2 the most on the Thiel CS3.7. So the modified Voyager had a similar sound to my AHB2 and I did not need the duplication of that sound.

The AHB2 will also be in the house long term. It is my favorite amp.

BTW - the KRELL XD and Benchmark AHB2 are on 2 opposite ends of the sound spectrum. I think both are great.

@markmuse I though I would add one more post since you once owned the Benchmark LA4 preamp. I am now listening to the LA4 connected to my KRELL 175XD and into my RAAL SR1a headphones. These phones are brutal if the signal is bad. Well what I am hearing is not brutal but incredible. Just so much more bite to the music and more details over the CODA 07x preamp. I was using the CODA 07x preamp as a tone control in the past,, mainly to eliminate fatigue. With the LA4 I am not getting fatigue either, just better sound. Wow, what a great amp and preamp combo.

This combo will also be great with my speakers, I will listen to that in the morning.

Anyone looking for a CODA 07x preamp?

@yyzsantabarbara Thanks for that update. What speakers? What efficiency? Please let me know how that combo works for you with speakers. 

My thinking is to approach it from the other direction: Pre with NOS tubes and a GaN based amp (though I could reverse that with the combo you have). I wish there was a good GaN amp with a tube input stage.

Was it the Coda 7 pre you used with the AHB2? What are you using with it now? I would think something with a bit of warmth and liquidity (tubes) would be the right direction.