[trackball02]

Nice looking silver faceplates, are the front screws gone? How do these units look next to the Ultravalve?

Will the top and side cover remain black, or is it silver as well?

I like the change in the labels for the inputs on the preamp, to just numbers instead of CD, Tuner, etc.

Do you have any trade-in deals? I would love to trade up from my Avastar, since there is no longer an upgrade pathway for this unit.

[Minn Mark]

Yes, the new case fronts look really nice !! 

Just curious, but is this the first time AVA equipment (along with the Ultravalve) has been cased with fronts other than black anodized??  (Not to include Dynaco, etc other chassis that were houses for AVA circuits).

Excited to see more about the new products, Frank.

M

[Wayner]

Nice looking silver faceplates, are the front screws gone? How do these units look next to the Ultravalve?

Will the top and side cover remain black, or is it silver as well?

I like the change in the labels for the inputs on the preamp, to just numbers instead of CD, Tuner, etc.

Do you have any trade-in deals? I would love to trade up from my Avastar, since there is no longer an upgrade pathway for this unit.

The cover and chassis will probably stay black, unless Frank has an urge.

The inputs are now labeled Input 1,2,3 and so on.

Front panel screws are gone!!!!

Lighted switch is gone. Cool blue LED now indicates power on.

W

[plaf26]

Hey!  Where are you guys finding the pictures of the new face plates?

[WC]

Hey!  Where are you guys finding the pictures of the new face plates?

Look at post #52 for a link. 

[SJ David]

Quote from Frank in a different thread discussing the new amps.

Thanks (WC too) for the clarification. That's a lot of build time but at least I wasn't left suspecting there was a change in philosophy in terms of cost/value coming out of the new look.

[avahifi]

Here again is a link to the pictures of the new face plates.

http://www.avguide.com/article/brand-new-audio-van-alstine-the-fet-valve-series

Note that these are drawings from the industrial designer who worked on the graphics.

We just got the finished faceplates in from the metal finisher this morning and have installed them on the six prototype units; 2 DACS, 2 preamps, and 2 power amps.  They look even better in real life than the drawings show!   

Thanks much to Wayne Nielson who did the complete new original faceplate metal design, carrying that all the way to the .dxf files the metal fabricator needed.  His work is perfect to the smallest detail.  We did hire an industrial designer for the graphics and artwork and he provided us with several versions, unfortunately most not practical for us to proceed with.  He had one design that was a very interesting take off on what Apple uses, but we had neither the time or the money to carry that further then concept drawings as it required black glass and many custom made cosmetic parts. We actually proceeded with text and graphics very similar to what was there before, a great suggestion from Dean Kayser.  Still, the designer was valuable helping us distill the ideas down to doable reality and providing all the drawings the metal finisher needed to complete the work. 

Hope to see you at RMAF Room 1107

Frank Van Alstine

[pardales]

Here again is a link to the pictures of the new face plates.

http://www.avguide.com/article/brand-new-audio-van-alstine-the-fet-valve-series

Note that these are drawings from the industrial designer who worked on the graphics.

We just got the finished faceplates in from the metal finisher this morning and have installed them on the six prototype units; 2 DACS, 2 preamps, and 2 power amps.  They look even better in real life than the drawings show!   

Thanks much to Wayne Nielson who did the complete new original faceplate metal design, carrying that all the way to the .dxf files the metal fabricator needed.  His work is perfect to the smallest detail.  We did hire an industrial designer for the graphics and artwork and he provided us with several versions, unfortunately most not practical for us to proceed with.  He had one design that was a very interesting take off on what Apple uses, but we had neither the time or the money to carry that further then concept drawings as it required black glass and many custom made cosmetic parts. We actually proceeded with text and graphics very similar to what was there before, a great suggestion from Dean Kayser.  Still, the designer was valuable helping us distill the ideas down to doable reality and providing all the drawings the metal finisher needed to complete the work. 

Hope to see you at RMAF Room 1107

Frank Van Alstine

A new day dawns at AVA, here's to a great showing at RMAF.   

[plaf26]

Great!  The Fet-Valve Silver Series!

[Tone Depth]

The new look for the FET Valve line will undoubtedly widen the appeal to include those who are also at least somewhat concerned about how the equipment looks. I like the look!

[gregmav]

Hey Frank.  Are you going to offer the option of upgraded faceplates on older equipment?  I saw the new silver faceplate and imagined how good that would look on the Insight+EC preamp.   

[trebejo]

I think Frank already explained that there were no options to change the look of the older equipment, seems like a whole lot of work to transfer stuff out of one and into the other.

I like the new look, but what can I say, I like the no-nonsense old school black with impossibly-loud-orange power button look (specially if it saves $$). 

[DustyC]

Yes, the new case fronts look really nice !! 

Just curious, but is this the first time AVA equipment (along with the Ultravalve) has been cased with fronts other than black anodized??  (Not to include Dynaco, etc other chassis that were houses for AVA circuits).

Excited to see more about the new products, Frank.

M

At a previous show AVA demo equipment sported gold colored faceplaces with black knobs. Sadly, they never saw production. I thought they looked great! But the resemblance to c-j line was probably what killed it (my guess only). 

[Wayner]

The new Fet Valve product line for the preamp, DAC and power amp has required a major change to the steel chassis. If you will notice on the preamp, DAC and amp, the old lighted power switch is gone, replaced by a new on/off switch with a LED as a power "on" indicator. The chassis requires lots of new holes and configurations to accomplish this, and would be impractical or almost impossible to drill/grind/saw in existing sheet metal.

Also, all of the external panel fasteners have been removed from this line for cosmetics, that also requires changes to the steel chassis.

The new Fet Valve line is not a line that replaces anything, it is an addition to the existing lines. Older products can't be turned into Fet Valves (at least having the new thick faceplate and new switch), but new Fet Valves can be put into older chassis. Kind of like a diode, it goes one way, but not the other.

There will not be an "EC" version preamp in the new Fet Valve line either as the tone controls are not possible with the Broskie/Kayser circuits.

Wayner

[avahifi]

Note that only older AVA hybrid amps in our own chassis can be upgraded to newest Fet Valve amps, but the cosmetices cannot be upgraded, that would require a chassis change.

Frank

[metier]

Does the new preamp have home theater bypass?

Pat

[Wayner]

Yep.

[guest1632]

The new no feedback preamp and DAC circuits my associate Dean Kayser has developed over the past two years finally came together a few months ago incorporating some of the Aikido design work as being simply more "natural" sounding than the best we had previously done.

I designed new PC cards for these circuits and then have had them on the shelf trying to figure out when to announce them.

At the same time, I really wanted better faceplates on our best equipment.  At the last Rocky Mountain Audio Fest I realized that our equipment was simply vanishing into the shadows of the dark room and nobody seemed to notice what was driving the Salk speakers.  Even this year I have noticed that in circles discussing the upcoming RMAF, people have been talking about going to the "Salk Room" as if it was magically and mystically being run by no name invisible electronics. At the recent California Show, Sterephile said that the Salk room had the best bass at the show.  Gee whiz, how do they do that without a power amplifier.  Amazing!

I decided enough was enough and started the process to develop new faceplates you can actually see in dim light and also decided that this was a good time to introduce the new Fet Valve preamp and DAC too, using the new faceplates.

The Vision Hybrid DAC and Avastar preamp still remain great sounding, but they will be in a less expensve second place in our product line.  There is no point discontinuing them as long as you want them. The tooling is paid for and all the parts to build them are in stock.

I hate to kind of obsolete good customers, and I don't intend this to be another iPhone game.  The Fet Valve preamp and DAC are the best we know how to do right now. Decide depending upon what you can afford and what you really like.

Come to RMAF and listen to our best at room 1107 in the tower.  Its a three room wide display this room, big enough to let the music breathe.

One other thing, we are realizing that our equipment sounds much better with diffuse blue LED on lamps than with red neon lamps.  I think we need to try audiophake grade fuses next. 

Best regards,

Frank Van Alstine

Hi Frank,

Any idea of a ballpark price for each of these unit?

Also, you might because you used the name before in an older Series, put the word Natural in the Title. Or like someone else suggested, put a II in the title. That will at least separate one from the other.

Frank, my hat's off to you. It really shows a lot of class when you can admit that another designer can best what you have now, and not have a big ego to go with it. Being a blind person, I personally don't care what color lights you use. Turn 'em off if you wish. lol.

Ray Bronk

[strat95]

So we have new no feedback Broskie/Kayser designs for Preamp and DAC.  Will there be a similar design for an Amp, which will better the 400R/600R?  Has it even been considered?

I'm on the upgrade fence!!

TV

[Lefty052347]

Ray

More information regarding the new AVA Fet Valve products.

Prices: All new Fet Valve units will have the new silver three dimensional faceplates only.

Note that new Fet Valve 600R and 400R amps will be shipping with black faceplates at the old prices until the new faceplates are available in production quantities (6-8 weeks from now).  The Fet Valve preamp and Fet Valve DAC will not be available until then too when we have finished production faceplates available.

Fet Valve 600R  $3499

Fet Valve 400R  $2999

Fet Valve Preamp  $2499  (many options available - options at existing prices)

Fet Valve DAC  $2499  (USB input optional, price TBD)

Fet Valve 400R or 600R upgrade to all earlier AVA chassis hybrid amplifier  $1999  (only available with black faceplate) (300 or 350 to 400R, 500 or 550 to 600R)

No upgrades possible to Fet Valve preamp or DAC from other models.

Avastar preamp and Vision Hybrid DAC and T8+ vacuum tube preamp all remain in  production at current prices, as do all Insight+ products.  These products will have our existing black faceplates available only.

If you would really, really rather have the black faceplates on a new 400R or 600R to match your existing AVA equipment, talk to us about it, there may be some savings possible.

Again, come visit us at the RMAF in Denver next weekend (room 1107).  We will have two complete all Fet Valve systems playing.  One with Salk Soundscape 12 speakers, the other with Songtowers, and maybe with an Ultravalve too.

Best regards,

Frank Van Alstine

Regards,
Dean