Hi I've never started a thread before, but I did want to report on a recent experience I had with one of Frank Van Alstine's amplifiers. As many of you know, the HT3 speaker is not the most sensitive design out there, and can tax some amplifiers that were designed primarily for fairly sensitive speakers that present minimum loads in the 6-ohm area. I own one of those amps, and despite its impressive specs and premium price, it could not handle the HT3 when I played demanding program material like Wagner at appropriately high volume. I couldn't afford to buy another expensive amp (or even a second HT3), so I've been a little frustrated when I tried to demo the HT3 or compare it with more sensitive designs at similar volume. I recently found the solution, and posted on the Van Alstine AudioCircle site. Here's the post. I can certainly recommend the new Insight amp for use with the HT3:
"Hello Everyone. I'm new to this circle and wanted to be perhaps the first owner to report on the Insight power amp. I think I'm the first to receive one. I design speaker crossovers for individuals and for Jim Salk. Although I don't accept payment for any of that work, several years ago someone insisted on sending me a Hafler amp in appreciation for crossover work I had done. It was a Van Alstine rebuild, and has spent many reliable hours doing subwoofer duty in my HT setup. I often have people stop by to listen to one of my speaker designs, and I've always used a big-name (and expensive) amp in the music system just so no one would claim that I was cheaping out in the electronics department. It sounded fine on most speakers, but really couldn't deliver the goods driving the Salk HT3 speaker, which is a very low-sensitivity design. It would often just give up and head for protection mode when I played Wagner at full cry. Very frustrating. Anyhow, Frank learned that I had one of his old Haflers, and very sternly admonished me to send it in for a redo. I wasn't sure what that involved, but Frank is not to be ignored, and I finally shipped it to Minnesota. Back it came a couple of weeks ago with the complete Insight upgrade. I got it into my music system a few days ago to test out a new 3-way design in comparison with the HT3. (I have a volume compensated A-B comparison preamp that allows for valid comparisons between designs of widely differing sensitivity.) After a few preliminary tracks, I gingerly placed my Wagner disc in the player, ramped up the volume, and waited for the HT3 to cut out. But--all I heard was the best sound I've ever experienced with the HT3. I stayed up way later than I should have Monday night listening and to and enjoying Frank's handiwork. Can I say that the Insight sounds better than other amps on less demanding loads and at lower volume? No, because I haven't conducted a valid controlled experiment, and those are the only kinds of results that count in my book. But I can say that the pricey big-name unit is now driving subwoofers, and the Insight isn't even breaking a sweat delivering the goods to my HT3. Thanks Frank!"
