Announcing the AvaStar preamplifier, our new star of musical reality.
The AvaStar is a completely new and unique engineering approach to our goal of perfect music playback. It offers features and functions we have never done before, all to improve your musical enjoyment and system compatibility.
New and Unique - - - The AVA AvaStar preamplifier uses a never before done combination of active devices and circuits to allow a vacuum tube hybrid preamplifier to reach much further into the music and bring it to the rest of your system, and to your ears, completely transparently and unrestrained. The main line amplification tubes are 6CG7 types followed by a unique current buffer inside the feedback loop. The tube does no work, the buffer circuit has less than .0003 percent THD. It is an unequaled combination. Of course it continues our leading edge power supply design, with an independent high voltage, analog, high speed, high current regulator for each plate of each tube. There are eleven power supply regulators in a fully optioned unit. The entire active circuit set, options and all, are done on a new double sided full ground plane gold plated circuit board. It is the most complex circuit board I have ever designed, and by far the best.
System compatibility - - - The AvaStar preamplifier has six sets of line level inputs (one used for the RIAA phono circuits if so optioned) done with gold plated RCA jacks, It also has optional balanced line output and balanced line input capabilities, done with XLR jacks. It has an astonishing headphone amplifier. switched and fused AC outlets, dual tape inputs and outputs, dual audio outputs, and of course gold contact switches. A motor driven precision volume control is available too. The AvaStar preamp has a time delay output relay to protect your amplifier and speakers from on or off transients from equipment upstream.
Musical enjoyment - - - The sound is just involving and alluring. The image is huge and the music reaches for your heart and draws you in. Live attacks, live dynamics, live reach into the artist. You listen not to the tunes, not to the notes, not to the instruments, but to the emotional output of the performers. I can't explain it in words any better than this. For us, it is a unique and new experience. For you, we expect it will be the same.
The base price is $1799.00 plus $30 shipping in the continental USA.
Lots of Great Options.
RIAA Phono Circuits. These are the best RIAA phono circuits we have yet designed, and when combined with the hybrid line stage, provides simply wonderful phono playback. For cartridges of 1.5 mV or higher output. Price $199.00
Buffered Tape Output Circuits. Absolutely necessary if you use analog tape recorders or signal processors connected to the tape loops. These circuits isolate your sources from whatever is connected to the tape outputs and drive any connected load. Price $199.00
Phase Inverter Circuits. These circuits allow you to connect the AVA AvaStar preamp to two stereo amplifiers for direct bridged mode very high power output. These are available at the Line 2 output jacks if ordered. Includes a second set of output protect circuits, one for the normal outputs, one for the inverted outputs. Price $199
Motor Driven Remote Control Volume and Mute Functions. Complete with sender. Price $299
Balanced Line Outputs with XLR output connections. You want balanced line out, you got balanced line out. Price $250
Balanced Line Inputs (one source only). If you need balanced line in too, one set of inputs can be provided with this capability, again accessed by XLR connectors. Price $250
Upgrades to 17" wide chassis older AVA tube and hybrid SL preamplifiers are possible. This is accomplished by recycling your finished chassis. Note that recycled chassis will not allow the balanced line in and balanced line output options as we had to redesign our chassis to provide these functions that many have requested. You save $500 when we install the complete new AvaStar circuit set in your older AVA chassis.
The AVA AvaStar preamp is available right now. All options are available right now too, except the balanced line in and outs which still await some new hardware. These options will be available in about six weeks. Available factory wired only, 17" wide, 12" deep, 3.5" high, 15 pounds.
The AvaStar circuit does not support tone controls. The improved Ultra EC+ preamplifier remains in production for those demanding this function.
Listen and you will hear. We think the AvaStar preamp, the star of Frank Van Alstine and friends engineering efforts, dedicated to the most musical audio reproduction possible, has been realized here with the best sound you have ever experienced. Our normal three year parts and labor warranty and 30 day satisfaction guarantee on new equipment applies of course. Our three year warranty applies to upgrades too, but not the satisfaction guarantee.
By the Way: The Ultra EC and T-8 preamps remain in production, but each with a nice upgrade at no increase in cost. These units are now shipping as "+" versions, using the much more musical sounding 6CG7 tubes. This took some real work to fit these taller tubes in the chassis.
The new Insight SL and EC preamplifiers will remain in production as is. They are great more economically priced all solid state units with awesome performance and will remain available for a long time.
We have lots of outstanding choices for you. Call us at 651-330-9871 for more help.
Frank Van Alstine
