AudioCircle

Industry Circles => Audio by Van Alstine => Topic started by: avahifi on 19 Sep 2013, 08:32 pm

Title: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: avahifi on 19 Sep 2013, 08:32 pm
Two new preamplifiers for your perusal.

Here are the web links to them.

Transcendence Nine.  http://www.avahifi.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70&Itemid=206

Fet Valve CF

http://www.avahifi.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=265&Itemid=249

We are shipping both right now.

Frank Van Alstine
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: Wayner on 19 Sep 2013, 08:52 pm
Does the remote volume control come standard on the Transcendence 9, as there doesn't seem to be an adder for this function? The CF version has it as an option......Just wondering.

Wayner
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: avahifi on 19 Sep 2013, 08:55 pm
Whoops, we forgot to show the remote option on the T9.  Thanks for the heads up on this.  I will fix the page in the morning.

The remote control option is $299 on either unit.

On upgrades the original remote control is recycled at no extra cost.

Frank
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: WGH on 19 Sep 2013, 09:10 pm
Looks like the Fet Valve CF replaces the Fet Valve Hybrid.... and at a lower price too.  :thumb:

Wayne
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: modular747 on 20 Sep 2013, 04:26 pm
Congrats on yet more brilliant designs!
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: murf on 23 Sep 2013, 05:32 pm
Gosh...
  I've had my T8+ for less than a year now & Frank is already making life difficult! 
IMHO, the T8+ is an amazing sounding pre, but the upgrade price to a T9 is...reasonable.  The write-up on the AVA site looks great.  I'm on my third FV amp upgrade (each worth every penny x2) with a 400R now.  Can anyone compare the two (T8+ vs T9) & try to convince me that the T9 upgrade will yield similar joy on my part?
Do you have a turnaround time presently, pls?

Murf 
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: martyo on 23 Sep 2013, 05:59 pm
Gosh...
  I've had my T8+ for less than a year now & Frank is already making life difficult! 
IMHO, the T8+ is an amazing sounding pre, but the upgrade price to a T9 is...reasonable.  The write-up on the AVA site sounds great.  I'm on my third FV amp upgrade (each worth every penny x2) with a 400R now.  Can anyone compare the two (T8+ vs T9) & try to convince me that the T9 upgrade will yield similar joy on my part?
Do you have a turnaround time presently, pls?

Murf

I've had my T8+ for 6 years now and I'm really jonesing for the Fet Valve CF.  :drool:
I REALLY like the looks with the new faceplate but I'd sure save quite a few bucks having the T8 upgraded. I need to find out what a T8 trade in would be worth.

I don't think there are any T9's out in the public yet.

Good luck with your decision. 8)

Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: Vulcan00 on 23 Sep 2013, 07:04 pm
martyo:

I agree with you on the looks of the T9 faceplate silver.

I think I would be better off selling (giving it away) my ultra pre and applying to the fet CF
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: avahifi on 23 Sep 2013, 07:13 pm
Essentially we are allowing a $500 credit for the old wired and working chassis when we install a new mother board in your existing 17" wide AVA preamplifier.  This is because the new mother boards are pretty much a drop in fit and reuse the existing controls, jacks, power transformer, and most of the existing wiring.

If you want to sell your existing older AVA preamp or have us broker it, obviously the newer models will bring more than $500 on the used market.  In general, current generation products will bring about 60 percent of new price.  Remember that used buyers are buying used equipment because they don't want to pay anything near new price. Remember too that the market for great used audio equipment is depressed now due to the long running recession.  Not our fault!

Note that we can't install silver faceplates on units over a couple of years old.  It took revisions to the inner sheet metal on the chassis to accommodate the new switch, LED, hidden fastener hardware, and headphone jack locations. 

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: Vulcan00 on 23 Sep 2013, 07:21 pm
Thanks Mr. Van Alstine,

My pre is the Ultra Fet with just the tube height modification. That's several models back now, so I guess that would be considered in the $500 range. But five hundred for my pre would be a steal in my opinion.
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: avahifi on 23 Sep 2013, 07:47 pm
Tell me a bit more about your unit, including the serial number and tube type used and model name from the back panel and I can give you a better idea of a reasonable selling price.

Frank
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: Vulcan00 on 23 Sep 2013, 08:01 pm
I get that info tonight and pm to you tomorrow thanks
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: murf on 23 Sep 2013, 08:04 pm
So for me with an 8 month old T8+ the arithmetic would be:

$1399. + $299. + $50. (T9 + remote & HT bypass) = $1748. - $xx.xx for the sale of the T8+ (w/remote & HT bypass) < $899. for the upgrade (both black faced)?  Meaning the T8+ would get > $849. + $50. shipping = $899.?  Or is my Alzheimer's showing?
Wait; I have to breath & calm down....  :drool:

Murf
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: Kwebb on 26 Sep 2013, 05:41 pm
Frank,

How do i go about upgrading my FET Valve Hybrid Preamp to the New FET Valve CF configuration?

Kyle
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: avahifi on 26 Sep 2013, 10:46 pm
Simply send in the Fet Valve preamp and we do a complete new mother board transplant.  The price is $1399 plus $249 for the phono option.

You will like it!  Easily worth the cost.

Frank
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: murf on 28 Sep 2013, 02:09 pm
Hi Frank & AVA Folks,
  Can anyone over there compare the sound of the new T9 with the sound of the great T8+, pls?  Sort of like wot you did when the "R" amps came out?

TIA!    Murf
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=87661)
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: WireNut on 4 Oct 2013, 01:09 am
Frank,

Does the Transcendence Nine or Fet Valve CF have one or two sets of preamp outputs?
If two sets, are they connected in parallel?

I bi-amp and currently use two sets of outputs.


Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: martyo on 4 Oct 2013, 09:27 am
Frank,

Does the Transcendence Nine or Fet Valve CF have one or two sets of preamp outputs?
If two sets, are they connected in parallel?

I bi-amp and currently use two sets of outputs.




Yes they do.
Quote from the website:

Quote
You will immediately notice a new modern design that includes upgraded funtions like six line level inputs, a tape input, a tape/CD recorder output, dual line level outputs, and a low gain and high/low filter to tame aggressive source material or speakers.

I have a T8 and am using the 2nd Line Out for a subwoofer. I think all Franks preamps have 2 line outs.
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: WireNut on 4 Oct 2013, 09:30 am
Thank you so much  :D

Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: I.Greyhound Fan on 4 Oct 2013, 11:23 pm
I briefly got to hear the 2 new Preamps at Franks house yesterday.  I had brought over my Ultra Plus preamp to have it checked out.  I was able to A-B my preamp with the T-9 and Fet.  Both sounded better than mine.  They had a smoother sound with a little more detail and were a little more musical.  I would have liked to spend more  time with both, but I came away impressed and I am considering selling mine or having it upgraded.
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: WireNut on 5 Oct 2013, 02:40 am
I briefly got to hear the 2 new Preamps at Franks house yesterday.  I had brought over my Ultra Plus preamp to have it checked out.  I was able to A-B my preamp with the T-9 and Fet.  Both sounded better than mine.  They had a smoother sound with a little more detail and were a little more musical.  I would have liked to spend more  time with both, but I came away impressed and I am considering selling mine or having it upgraded.


Did you have a preference for the T-9 or Fet and can you describe why?

   


Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: I.Greyhound Fan on 5 Oct 2013, 12:16 pm

Did you have a preference for the T-9 or Fet and can you describe why?

 

I preferred the Fet as it was slightly smoother, a little more musical and detailed but the overall tone and sound was similar between the two.  But bear in mind I only heard them for 3-5 minutes. Both sounded better than my Ultra plus preamp with all the mods.  If I had the money I would go for the FET but I could be perfectly happy with the T-9.  In fact, I just bought a  Pass X250 amp to replace my Parasound A21 and am contemplating selling or upgrading my preamp to the T-9 or FET to get the added detail.
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: Listens2tubes on 26 Oct 2013, 10:07 pm
So what phono section is in the T9?
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: avahifi on 26 Oct 2013, 10:27 pm
This phono preamp is built into the new mother boards as a $249 option.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=119692.0

It is VERY dynaminc and pure.

Frank
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: Listens2tubes on 28 Oct 2013, 12:20 am
And so the Vision is the next step up from the Insight?
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: avahifi on 28 Oct 2013, 11:29 pm
Our new Vision solid state split passive EQ phono section is the standard option ($249) on all new AVA preamplifiers now.  It is also available as a upgrade to most older AVA preamplifiers @ $349.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=119692.0\

It is day and night better than our old active EQ solid state phono section.  I spent three months this summer developing it.  You can't believe how many sample PC card layouts of various designs were tried and discarded.

The Insight+ preamp line sections remain the same, outstanding current buffered select OPA627 designs.

Frank Van Alstine
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: skinzy on 23 Nov 2013, 10:07 pm
I am new to AVA products but not high end audio.  When my Audio Research amp blew a few months ago I decided to give the 600R and new FET Valve CF try.  I'm very glad I did.  I will offer this quick review. Whenever I introduce a new component into one of my two audio systems (once every decade or so) my sole measure of success is if it makes listening more enjoyable. In some cases the improvement has been small. In this case I have been blown away with both the quality and scale of improvement. I find myself rediscovering music I haven't played in years. They are driving my B&W Nautilus 802's which sound like different speakers.  Improved dynamics, speed, openness, and black field come to mind. Extremely happy customer.
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: NIGHTFALL1970 on 10 Jun 2015, 03:18 pm
Frank,
is there any chance of an all "class A" version of the Fet Valve CF Preamp?
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: Tom Alverson on 10 Jun 2015, 06:16 pm
Frank,
is there any chance of an all "class A" version of the Fet Valve CF Preamp?

The high level stage is already all "class A".  The new phono section uses op-amps and solid state buffers and it turned out sounding better than a previous all tube ("class A") version of this new passive-EQ phono preamp design.  That all tube phono stage was too large to fit in the same chassis as the high level stage and was in it's own separate box. 
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: NIGHTFALL1970 on 11 Jun 2015, 10:01 am
Thanks for the info Tom.
Title: Re: New, the AVA T9 and Fet Valve CF vacuum tube preamplifiers
Post by: gadfly on 14 Jul 2015, 03:29 pm
Just finished listenting to some McCoy Tyner 96Hz/24bit downloads.  My HT3s powered
by a FetValve CF pre and Fet Valve 600r are smooth detailed and authoritative.  Nice
air around instruments and not a whiff of that dreaded dac digititis.  I've owned AVA
gear for a yr. + and if my house burns down I would buy it again.

gad-