LSA Voyager GAN Amplifier

@ricevs Ric what do you think of the Voyager in stock form? 

@tweak1 I was using Audience Au24 SE balanced XLR + Wywire Balanced XLR from my sources to my CODA and the 15 foot Benchmark XLR to my CODA #8 amp. I tried this setup with the CODA #8, Voyager, and AHB2. The CODA #8 had the most bass followed by the Voyager. The AHB2 was further behind. 

I now run Audience Au24 SE RCA from my DACs to the CODA 07x to see if it can be quieter (it is not). However, the bass sounded the same as the XLR with the CODA #8 and Voyager.

The KRELL K-300i seems to have the most bass of all the amps I have in the house.

@viber I do not disagree on anything you wrote. However, I would say that the KRELL would be preferred by the majority of people. The AHB2 is disliked by people that like some warmth (I like both). I sold my 3rd AHB2 to a guy who only kept it for 2 days. He hated it. While I was sorry I sold it that sale did lead to the Voyager.

The stock Voyager is very good however I had a similar feeling.

I was not moved

The Voyager is not as good being colored as my CODA and KRELL, which both sound great. Going the other way to make it sound super clear and naked would be a great choice. 

The LSA Voyager 350 that @ricevs is modding for me can definitely drive my difficult to drive Thiel  CS3.7's. Now I did not crank the music to very loud levels but other amps were lacking on these speakers at the moderate levels I listen too.

I really like my CODA 07x preamp but it does not sound like "straight wire with gain" which I think most would appreciate. However, for me I was missing that "straight wire..." on some recordings so I ordered the Benchmark LA4 preamp to add to my office.

I will test the modded Voyager with both preamps but likely focus on the LA4 which will let me hear the Voyager and sources without the preamp adding anything.

@stereo5 I modded my LSA Voyager because of my experience with the SONY SCD-1. There are a lot of reviews on the Vaccum State mods that I also did on the SONY. The SONY had great bones, a 60 pound SACD player with SONY's best efforts 20 years ago. It cost $5K then but likely $10K-$20K for a smaller company to do the same level of work. In short the mods transformed the unit from great (lot of reviews on this unmodded player) to one that I will never sell, a masterpiece. Even today it is still one of my best digital sources. It is much better than stock and actually some stock features are removed or disabled.

Since you guys are all talking about musicians I will add that a musician who recently heard my SONY wanted to buy it. He could not believe how good it was with SACD's. He owns a lot of DACs and other gear.

So mods are not something I will dismiss because you can buy something better for more money.

I am not dismissing mods but if the item is so great, why does it need to be modded, especially during the warranty period? I had the SCD777ES which was the same as the SCD1 without the balanced output and potted transformer @$3500.00. It’s now a boat anchor and could never compete with my Esoteric X3 SACD player.

The mods I had eliminated the RCA section of the SCD-1. The balanced part was the best part of the unit and that was made way better with the mods. The RCA only SCD77ES was not at the level of the stock SCD-1.

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I spoke to Ric today about the mods on the Voyager. His listening sessions with my stock Voyager yielded similar observations as me. He says the improvements he made will be easy for me to hear. They also sound like what I was hoping would improve.

I am looking for more clarity and detail. A bit quieter would be nice, but the new LA4 preamp I am getting may solve that issue. More musical engagement or the wow factor would be the best improvement. I have that with the CODA #8 on my Thiel CS3.7 and the KRELL K-300i on my RAAL SR1a. So the modded Voyager has a high bar to clear.

I should get the amp back next week once a final part is delivered to Ric.

@kuribo You are making conclusions about something you have not heard. So you really do not know anything about this specific amp or mods. 

When I say wow factor I do have a subjective baseline. It is my CODA #8 amp. I preferred it to the stock Voyager. It is very easy for me to do comparisons of these 2 amps using ROON streaming, an apples-to-apples comparison. If I did not have the CODA as comparison I would likely have been happy with the stock Voyager.

The Voyager has a bit more detail and clarity over the CODA #8 but I still found the CODA to forcing me to stop and listen. For example, I do remember saying to myself wow I never knew that Jimi Hendrix song was this good, etc.. when played with the CODA (along with a lot more music). I have had this type of reaction with my AHB2's but not when paired with my Thiel CS3.7 floorstanders. The CODA and AHB2 do not sound anything alike.

The king of detail and clarity in my systems is the Benchmark AHB2. So I have another subjective benchmark (lowercase b). The stock Voyager does not reach the levels of the AHB2 on those attributes. Now if after the mods the more powerful Voyager reaches the levels of clarity and detail of my AHB2's. I will have a considerably useful amp for my difficult to drive speakers. Again this "difficult to drive" is a subjective opinion since I am not measuring anything, just listening.

BTW - I am expecting the modded Voyager to not sound like the CODA #8 more like the AHB2. However, that is just a guess.

Funny the Benchmark is the one with the most clarity. It is also the one with the lowest distortion. Imagine that!

No kidding. My Benchmark AHB2 monos are connected to a Topping pre90 and a Topping D90se DAC. Do I need to tell you what type of sound I am after on this system? My living room system.

I really do not understand what you are trying to communicate here. You do not like mods and think they are a waste of time. Great! However, I do not think that way and I have an example of where mods took a ground breaking audio piece, Sony SCD-1, to much greater levels of audio bliss. If this is to become a religious argument, so be it. I am a believer.

Just read some of the other posts here about not fixing anything that is not broke. Please do not do that to your gear and get your stomach tied up in knots. I understand that the precious warranty must be preserved until the very end. 

Let others who are curious waste their money, total the warranty and do what they please. If it ain't hurting you why do you care? 

I need to get back to work and not waste more time in this type of conversation.

I now have back in the house my favorite preamp, the Benchmark LA4. I sold the Benchmark HPA4 (same as LA4 + headphone amp) thinking the CODA 07x alone will make me happy. I also sold  the HPA4 for more than I paid so not that big a deal in this change of plans.

The LA4 preamp has no noise, unlike the CODA 07x. It is not soft on the music compared to the 07x. It is also dead dead silent. So nice not to have to hear the hiss that was driving me batty on some quiet music with the 07x. If the CODA 07x did not sound so good I would have sold it long ago because I find it a real pain to use. However, at this time, I plan on keeping it since it sounds great on most music. Different than the LA4.

I am really interested in hearing the modified Voyager with the Benchmark LA4 preamp because I will be able to hear only the amp and not this extra sound from the preamp.

The Voyager and CODA #8 had hiss with the CODA 07x without music playing. As I test the LA4 now, it is almost silent with the CODA #8. I expect the same with the modified Voyager. The LA4 is dead silent with the Benchmark AHB2.

@twoleftears I spoke with a few owners by DM, I emailed Doug Dale at CODA, and read some other posts. The bleed through issue is a known issue, maybe considered a feature and not a bug :). However, now that I have the LA4 I may send the 07x unit in for a look.

There was an issue with the 07x when I first received it. It was acting all haywire and I worked with Doug remotely to identify a loose wire on the volume control. Ever since that was fixed the unit has not gone haywire, just the bleed and some hiss.

The hiss is considered a whisper hiss, but I am really annoyed by it on quiet music. I sit 8-9 feet away and have been spoilt by my old all Benchmark stack which was noiseless.

I tolerate all of this because the unit does make magic with a lot of music. It was also essential with my RAAL SR1a headphones until I decided to use only the KRELL K-300i integrated with it.

The LA4 does not have the lushness to the sound that the 07x has but I now have options when I get annoyed by the 07x. It is easy to flip the XLR’s from one preamp to the amp.

@viber You are correct. I will use the CODA 07x when I compare the mods. I have also invited the person that heard the amp on my system before the mods to my house to hear the amp when it is ready. He said he will be excited to hear it. Hopefully we get it before early next week because there is a time component to what we are doing.

@viber correct about remembering how each sounded a few weeks ago. However, we do have a relative gauge of which amp was preferred with the CODA 07x preamp.

For me (on floorstanders) :
1) CODA #8 (more powerful and engaging)
2) Voyager

For my friend (on floorstanders):
1) Voyager (more detailed, less mushy)
2) CODA #8

On the RAAL SR1a headphones, both of us I think went this way.

1) KRELL K-300i by a landslide
2) CODA #8
3) Voyager

My tests are going to be with the 3 amps. I wlll try to get the AHB2 upstairs to compare with the Voyager.

BTW - the day I know my son won’t damage the CODA 07x is the day I move it downstairs to pair with my AHB2 monos. That is a killer combo.

I really like the following.

• CODA 07x + CODA #8
• CODA 07x + Benchmark AHB2
• Benchmark LA4 + CODA #8 (blissfully silent)
  
• Benchmark LA4 + AHB2 (a leaner sound)

Listening to Led Zeppelin - In Through the Out Door on both preamps. The LA4 is electric with this album the CODA 07x seems a little duller in comparison (an apples-to-apples comparison).

Along with the 07x, I will be also using the LA4 in evaluating the Voyager. The difference between my 2 preamps is so easy to hear with various recordings. Each is never really bad with any of the music I have been playing, but when some music works well, it is great. 

I posted long ago that the Voyager did not work at all with the Topping pre90 that sounds a lot like the LA4.  The gain was all messed up and not a useable combo. I have a feeling the LA4 will not have the same problems with the Voyager.

While I wait for the modded LSA Voyager to get back to me I am doing some comparisons with the Benchmark LA4 preamp and CODA 07x preamp connected to the CODA #8 amp and sourced by the Gustard X26 Pro DAC via XLR.

I love the LA4. The fact that it's sound is so clean and quiet and really lets you hear the source and amp. I was enjoying a lot of hard rock with it the last couple of days. It also took a few days to really open up (it is brand new). Just love this preamp.

I am now playing the brilliant Michael Kiwanuka - KIWANUKA album. On this album it is not even close the CODA 07x is brilliant and better than the LA4. I know the CODA is adding flavor to the sound but it is a tasty flavor. A shame for me since I was hoping to sell the 07x and help pay for the tuner upgrade I just did. The 07x is staying long term as is the LA4.

BTW - if I sell the Voyager it is to pay for my tuner upgrade.

@viber I cannot sell the KRELL because it is unmatched in sonic quality with the RAAL. Just the very best of a lot of gear I have tried on the RAAL, including using DSP with some of them. I am not using DSP with the KRELL. As I type this, I am listening to Lux Prima - by Karen O + Danger Mouse on the KRELL + RAAL and I have goosebumps.

You need to hear the RAAL to appreciate what I am talking about, It is not an easy piece of gear to get sounding great, but when you do I cannot recall many systems that sounded better. Next time the CanJam show goes up to NYC area try and have a listen.

NYC 2022 | CanJam (canjamglobal.com)

I spent today trying to find a reason to keep the CODA 07x. As I mentioned in a prior post. There are some tunes that just are incredible on the CODA 07x, much better than the LA4. So the CODA 07x has to stay, irritants and all.

I am not sure why the LA4 works for me on a lot of rock music. Could just be how I hear things. Whatever the case, reconfiguring  my gear today with wiring changes, I can see how everything I have purchased stays. It will actually be rather flexible and easy to use everything the way I am setting it all up now. 

The Voyager also has a switch on the back to toggle the RCA and XLR inputs. My memory on this was refreshed today by a fellow poster here. I remembered that I had planned on using that feature with both preamps connected at the same time. Though Ric may get rid of that switch with his mods.

I posted earlier on the thread as I had more hours. I believe it was at 150+ where I started to here the best of the unit.

Some people were asking me what the status of the modded Voyager. Ric sent it out last Thursday from the Bay Area, CA to be sent to me in Santa Barbara.CA. That is just a straight line 300 mile drive. FedEx has set the deliver date for Wednesday. Unbelievable.

I really hope the Voyager works like magic on my RAAL SR1a or Thiel CS3.7 in the office. I have new plans of getting the new RAAL lower end SR2a  headphone for my bedroom listening. This will work nicely (without needing to buy a headphone amp) if the Voyager works with the RAAL SR1a or Thiel.

FedEx is the worst. They delayed my shipment of Ric's modded Voyager again and now say this Thursday by the end of the day. I hope so because I am off to Texas this Friday morning. 

So the way this stands for me now is that if the amp is delivered on Thursday I will try to have something setup to play the amp 24 hours a day until Sunday when I get back home. I will listen on Monday.

I have upgraded my FM tuner this month. The new one arrives on Monday and I now need to pay for it (always the tough part). I was thinking of selling the Voyager to do so but I am not going to do that immediately. I need to make a longer range decision whether I keep the CODA 07x preamp and Voyager or sell both to pay for the tuner and buy new RAAL tube amp for the SR1a and SR2a headphones. I believe FedEx or US customs destroyed this new RAAL tube amp that I went to hear (someone dropped it).  So I now have to wait until November to hear it.

So keep that in mind when I give my feedback on the Voyager next week.

One thing that the pre-modded Voyager was lacking compared to the CODA was the bass. I will compare that next week, though I do not seem bothered by this today.

Again with the toe tapping, I seem to do this the most with the Voyager, even before the mods.

I like to play "When the Levee Breaks" by Zeppelin to evaluate gear. I am not sure I have heard it any better than on this modded Voyager. An AHB2 on steroids? Maybe.

I just got my @ricevs hot rodded LSA Voyager 350 GAN. First thing to notice is that the ON/OFF switch is no more. I forgot about that and now I need to juggle a bit to see how I can use the amp. My CODA 07x preamp is ALWAYS on and it also does not have an ON/OFF switch.

I have been playing Michael Kiwanuka - KIWANUKA everyday for the past few days because I like it a lot. The best sound I have had on this album was with the CODA 07x and CODA #8. There was a lushness and body to the sound that really drew me in. The Benchmark LA4 preamp  and CODA #8 did not draw me in as the 07x, it was leaner sounding in comparison. This was the only album where I preferred the 07x over the LA4 in the past few days of listening. However, I was playing more hard rock these days which is great with the LA4.

So my next statement is of the Voyager cold out of the box and into my system replacing the CODA #8. I also changed the speaker cables to my inferior Audience Cionductor SE over the Audience FrontRpw. The FrontRow will not fit into the Voyager because it has SpeakON terminations. So I was listening to music in the past with the FrontRow.

I played the 4th song "This Kind of Love" first. There is some incredible clarity coming out of the Voyager. It seems more clear than the CODA #8. I need to test this out later but it seems like it. The clarity of the amp is definitely more than before the mods. I know that for certain. One of my complaints on the Voyager before the mod was a bit of a veiled sound compared to my AHB2 and CODA. The Voyager now seems to sound like the AHB2 with power. The CODA is maybe a bit more lush sounding but the Voyager is certainly not sounding dry.

I would not be surprised if my CODA #8 became the RAAL SR1a headphone amp in my office and the Voyager the Thiel CS3.7 amp.  Earlier today, I moved the KRELL K-300i to my bedroom to be the headphone amp for the RAAL SR1a.

Prior to the mods, the Voyager was not that good with the RAAL SR1a compared to the CODA #8 and KRELL K-300i. I will test the RAAL out with the Voyager next week. Along with the LA4 preamp and Voyager.

THIS IS REALLY SOUNDING GREAT TO ME. I will get back to doing some comparisons next week when I get back home. Congrats @ricevs this is fantastic.

Got back from my trip to Texas and started playing the modded Voyager on my RAAL SR1a headphones. The Voyager was playing constantly while I was gone,  my estimate is 72 hours of post mod burn-in.

In the past, my comments on the Voyager with the RAAL was that it was not a great combo, just OK. Something seemed off compared to the CODA #8, KRELL K-300i,  and the Benchmark AHB2 (this required a SR1a specific Convolution filter running on ROON Core).

Today, I am running the Voyager without any Convolution filter to my CODA 07x preamp and RAAL SR1a. The sound is like the AHB2 but I do not need the Convolution filter to tame the highs. Just brilliant sound. Amongst the best sounding RAAL amps now, along with the CODA #8, KRELL K-300i, and AHB2 (with filter). There is less bass than with the KRELL but similar levels as the AHB2 and CODA #8.

I have not played the modded Voyager on my floor standers since I got back from my trip but based on my comments last Thursday I expect greatness (maybe more). I cannot test this now since the family is sleeping.

The fact that the Voyager sounds so goods with the RAAL and Thiel CS3.7 (on Thursday) is the best possible outcome. I can use either of the amps on either speaker and have great sound. This was not the case prior to the mod.

There were some posters earlier on this thread that were saying mods do not work and the comments by people like me are confirmation bias on the money spent. In my case, I have a few amps that I am comparing the mod with and I think I have a good baseline of where the pre-modded amp stood with respect to my other amps.

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On Monday, I am taking a drive to the dealer that sold me the CODA 07x preamp and I will figure out once and for all if my preamp has an issue with hiss.

The modded Voyager takes away some of the graininess of the stock Voyager. There is great clarity to the sound now. Sound seems to jump out of my speakers now. If you do not care for the warranty the mod is RECOMMENDED. 

I drove 3 hours total to my CODA dealer in Los Angeles to finally get to the bottom of my CODA 07x issues. The dealer had another CODA 07x preamp hooked up to a CODA #16 amp in a nice recording studio. His 07x preamp was very silent. Not as silent as the LA4 but very close. When we put my 07x preamp in place of the dealers preamp it was obvious mine has some noise issues. I left my preamp at the dealer and they will get it resolved for me. So I no longer have the CODA 07x preamp to test with the Voyager.

I did manage to listen to the CODA #16 amp and that was pretty killer, a desert island amp. The dealer will likely give me 100% for my CODA #8 if I upgrade to the #16.  There is a lot less graininess on the #16. The #16 sounds like an amalgamation of the Voyager, AHB2, and KRELL K-300i. The #16 has the first 100 watts in Class A. I got no money to upgrade now but that will be in the cards in the future.

The #16 is a great amp, better than the Voyager. The Voyager is  comparable to the CODA #8. The CODA #8 is a little less clear but warmer than the Voyager. The Voyager is closer in clarity to the AHB2 but definitely warmer than the AHB2.

I am listening to the modded Voyager and LA4 now and it is excellent. A slightly warm but very clear sound. The Voyager and CODA #8 are competitors from what I am hearing but with a slightly different tone.

I listened to the song Piano Joint (This Kind of Love) (intro) and This Kind of Love (on KIWANUKA) on the CODA #8 + LA4 vs the CODA 07x and CODA #16 and there is a big difference. The #16 is so much smoother with more detail. I think the CODA #16 + the LA4 would also be a nice combo.

The 2 best amps I have now heard for my tastes are the AHB2 and CODA #16. With the KRELL, Voyager, and CODA #8 slightly behind. Though the AHB2 does not work that well with my Thiel CS3.7.

BTW - with the proper speaker power match for the AHB2 the amp is perfectly dynamic.

@viber I did find the modded Voyager slightly less grainy than the CODA #8 and the stock Voyager. The CODA #8 has more power and better bass and is also warmer. The modded Voyager is closer to the AHB2 but the Voyager can drive my Thiel CS3.7.

I am not sure if the modded Voyager has the same amount of clarity as the AHB2. I have not hooked up the AHB2’s yet, and I am rather busy with work. However, I think my memory tells me the AHB2 had a bit more clarity. I will try to put the AHB2 into the system soon.

I just checked the hiss level with my Voyager and the LA4. In this combo there is a tiny bit of hiss at similar levels as the dealers CODA 07x + CODA #16. I am a little surprised that the Voyager + LA4 has this bit of hiss. I had to put my ear to the speaker to hear it. With the AHB2 + LA4 you hear nothing.

BTW - I sent Jay an email offering up the Voyager for his shootout against your amp.

@aolmrd1241 It was guys like you who made me realize there was a problem, so thanks. Talking with CODA and even the dealer over the phone was a a little difficult for me to make my case. Going to the dealer in person was what I figured would resolve everything one way or the other. I was very happy to see the problem show up immediately on the dealer system.

I would not say the CODA 07x is dead silent. Not compared to the LA4, however, it is very quiet and even my one sounded great when the volume was high. I cannot wait to get a new one or a fix for my one.

My comment on graininess is in comparison to the modded Voyager. 

Both the #8 and pre-modded Voyager (and likely the modded Voyager, still need to compare this) seem to be grainy to me compared to the AHB2. However, there are things the AHB2 cannot do that the Voyager and CODA #8 excel at (like power).

My CODA #8 in comparison to the CODA #16 is also not as clear.

Saying all of this, all the amps I have sound rather good and it is only when you really nitpick do you realize the slight differences. Well, except for the #16 (do not own) which is rather easy to hear the improvement.

Like I said I was comparing it to my AHB2. Everything else I own sounds a little more grainy than the AHB2.

The difference in the Voyager mod vs stock is like the comparison I did yesterday with the CODA #8 and the CODA #16 (with respect to a grainy sound). When you hear the #16 you can tell what the #8 is adding. Even previously, I knew the #8 was adding something because I had compared it to my AHB2. The pre-modded Voyager was also not as clean sounding as the AHB2. I think the modded Voyager is now closer to the AHB2, though I have not compared.

When you get the mod done on the Voyager it becomes clearer sounding. However, take what I have wrote today with some skepticism because I have decided to sell the Voyager today to buy the amp in this photo. The amp in the far right.

Raal Ribbon Headphones - SRH1A | Page 302 | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org

I have not heard this amp yet, will do so relatively soon. However, after speaking with the amp builder today, I was convinced to go with this tube amp. I have heard his older model, which was excellent, but this new one is supposed to be much better.

The Voyager was going to be my headphone amp since it is not as good as the CODA #16

Maybe my audiophile terms are not correct. When I say grainy, you can consider the analogy of a window. With the CODA #8 and pre-modded Voyager I felt that the window was a little dirty, the view had some obstruction.

With the AHB2 I think the window is crystal clean. I think the CODA #16 is also like that but I need more time with it at home to be certain it is at that level. The modded Voyager was  more cleaner window than the pre-modded Voyager and CODA #8. It is not as good as the CODA #16 in a few ways, bass, clarity, and the size of the soundstage. The modded Voyager is comparable to the 2x more expensive CODA #8. Each as some positives over the other.

The CODA #16 overall seems to be the best amp I would own (if I get the money). I can see that as my last amp, though the price is back breaking.

Since the modded V has more clarity than stock, is it also less warm than stock?

No, do not think so.

Today, I am no longer relevant on this discussion. I sold the modded Voyager to a person in the East Coast and shipped it off. So he can chime in with new ears once he gets it next week.

I loved the modded Voyager but I want to get that RAAL - Requisite headphone amp for my SR1a headphones (maybe also buy the new SR2a headphones for bed). So getting the CODA #16 + RAAL amp = no place for the Voyager. The CODA #16 is also better than the modded Voyager.

I am now listening to the LA4 + CODA #8 + Thiel CS3.7 . It is s great combo. Similar to the modded Voyager + my damaged CODA 07x preamp. Every combination of Benchmark preamps and AHB2 amp with CODA 07x preamp and #8 amp have been excellent. Just perfect pairings.

Why talk microns when we can go down to the atomic level instead? I will get back to you on that.

The CODA #16 is definitely warmer than the AHB2 but it seemed to have the similar levels of clarity. The #16 is also very powerful and can likely drive any speaker out there. I will use the AHB2 + CODA 07x + Convolution filter with my RAAL SR1a until I get the funds for the new RAAL headphone amp. Notice that I am going to use the Convolution filter here and did not need it with the Voyager + RAAL SR1a. The Voyager was a bit warmer than the AHB2.

@jaymark I was also thinking it was a little less warm after the mods. It could be the increased clarity that made it seem a little less warm. For me the mod was a nice improvement in the sound.

I talk about the AHB2 monos and the Voyager on a lot of posts on this thread. Stock and EVS modded Voyager,

BTW - The Voyager is a very good amp and the measurements from ASR does not change my opinion on thata.

The biggest sin, IMO, with the Voyager GAN amp is one of omission not commission.  It does not plumb the depths of the low frequencies with the grunt, heft and impact of your best Class A amps.  If you had a powered subwoofer of good quality that would probably be a band aid of good quality.

Totally agree with this comment. I sold the modded Voyager and kept my CODA #8 because I liked the low freq better on the CODA. The modded Voyager was better on top over the CODA. The stock Voyager was about the same as the CODA (if I remember correctly).

 

@kuribo What did you think of the amp?