Yea well that's my thing. I don't have a lot of dough. So I always do bang for buck with everything. Even if it means I have to spend more then I want too, to get it. But I'm not willing to go that extra grand to get a 2% difference. I'll go most money for most performance, until there's a big jump to that next step.
And that's what interested me in AVA. It's definitely not cheap when it's new. Not like Chinese crap cheap anyway, and it's definitely not McIntosh either. Instead it's as close to McIntosh as you can get for like a quarter of the price. Now that's my style for sure. But I really didn't want to get my hopes up. So I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised how good this is.
I'm a tube guy who's hoping to put together a rock and roll/metal system that will pound the bass, and have decently extended treble that that type of music demands without just sounding like every other receiver I've heard for SQ, and that can do the midrange the right way too.
I'm looking for decent clarity, somewhat decent treble, although I'm fine with early roll off, and pounding bass of course. I want great dynamics, separation, and a smooth delivery. I realize that's a lot to ask on my budget, and it wouldn't surprise me if this experiment didn't work. But if seems to have in this case.
Which just goes to show that everything I've read about AVA is true. This amp punches way above it's price point for sure. Just like everyone says they do. I'm very impressed. In fact I hooked it up just to check it and had other stuff to do around the house. That's gone by the wayside now, and I'm trying to re-listen to all sorts of heavy songs I haven't listened to in a while, because my tube amps just don't do that type of music justice like this amp does.
I'm certainly not saying this amp is the end all, be all amplifier for every type of music. But it certainly seems to do everything pretty well, and rock and roll very well. So as I can only imagine what AVA tube amps sound like. And now I really want to try one.
I've been a shopping around looking at better tube amps than I have, and didn't really much consider AVA for that. This has changed my thinking on that. I'm now thinking I need to save up for an AVA tube amp. I don't know what there is out there by them right now. But I certainly going to find out. Because if an old SS by them sounds this good. I can only imagine what their tube units sound like.
And I have a line on an old Super PAS 3 preamp from them that I was on the fence about. I'm no longer on that fence. I'm going to try to get it for this system for sure. I can't imagine it sounding bad.
I also have to say how funny I find it when I see people saying stuff like all amps are the same. Or that speakers are 90% of the sound. That is such BS it's not even funny. I've had these Pinnacle speakers on many different amps/receivers and they sound night and day different on them. Like totally different speakers even. The tweeters on these especially respond completely different depending on the amplification they are on. And these are just an old kick around pair of speakers I paid $60 for. They're the speakers I use when I'm worried about using my good ones.
Anyone who says that obviously has zero experience with different HiFi gear, and needs to pull up their skirt because their ignorance is showing! Lol
