[avahifi_lj]

Hi All (this is a bit long):

I just finished a few hour listening session with my new Audio by Van Alstine Ultimate 70 amplifier.  As you all know I work for Frank, and this review is definitely pro AVA.  With that disclaimer out of the way, here are my observations on the new U70 amplifier:

My amp started out as all do, as a Dynaco ST-70 amplifier.  Back in the fall of 2003 I upgraded the amplifier to the then offered AVA Super 70i.  That design had been around for many years, with lots and lots sold as kits and as factory conversions.  The 70i was a definite upgrade to the original ST-70, but it still lacked the definition of the modern AVA equipment (OmegaStar, and FetValve amps).  The 70i had a nice warm sound, but lacked in upper end detail and bass.

A couple of weeks ago I converted the Super 70i into the U70.  Tonight was the first time I had time to actually sit and listen to the amp in my system for an extended period of time.  For the record, my system includes the Transcendence DAC, the Transcendence 7 preamp, a FetValve 550EXR and Alon II speakers.

I started by listening to a few reference tracks on the FetValve amp just to refresh my memory.  After getting a handle on the sound, I switched to for the U70.  My initial response was WOW!!!  The amp had clarity, extension and detail not possible with the 70i (or the ST-70).

My first track was the love theme from the Titanic movie soundtrack.  The U70 played the CD with all the detail I was used to.  The definition was extremely good, with accurate highs and ample lows.  Celine Dion’s voice was fantastic and engaging.  Her voice was controlled and properly placed in the soundstage – something we don’t always experience when listening to this track.

Next it was time for bit of Jazz:  The first track of Lee Ritenour’s Color Rit CD (“Bahia Funk”) really showed what the U70 can do.  The lows were far better than I had expected.  The guitar had an accuracy that was right on the money, and the highs were crisp and accurate.  Better still was “something” that was just right with the soundstage, and the clarity.

I recently picked up a CD titled “Putumyo Presents French Caribbean” that has some very interesting music, and is fairly well recorded.  Track 6, “Man Biswenw” has a wonderful male vocal that was reproduced extremely well.  Now all I need is some rum…

Wanting to hear how well the U70 could reproduce lows, I played Shawn Colvin’s “Steady On” (title track).  This track has an abundance of lows.  Played with a FetValve amp, the lows will shake the room with listening at a moderate volume level.  The U70, while not having near the low extension of the FetValve, does a very fine job – there is not doubt that the U70 has the ability to reproduce low bass notes.

Wanting to see how the amp reproduced highly “processed” music I popped in the new Hope 7 CD and played several tracks.  While not an audiophile CD, the U70 presented a nice bit of character to the music, or I should say, it presented the music without any coloration.

After many other CDs I finished with the “E ALA E CD from Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole (IZ).  If you are not familiar IZ he was a BIG Hawaiian who played the ukulele and had a wonderful voice.  The U70 brought out every bit of the emotion contained in IZ’s music.  The U70 simply drew me into the music, making me wish I were back on Maui.

Every CD I played on the U70 brought me into the music.  The music had an emotion that is very hard to explain, other than to say, it has the accuracy found in solid state equipment and the warmth and detail found in tube amps.  I found the music bringing out an emotion that I rarely find when listening to music.  Some systems kind of wear on you after time, not the U70 – The  U70 was NOT fatiguing at all!  

Naturally people will ask who the U70 compares to the FetValve amplifier:  The FetValve it the ultimate in detail, openness and dynamics.  The lows are better, and the highs reach beyond the U70.  The FetValve also has a LOT more power than the U70.  The U70, on the other hand, has the ability to add a unique emotion, has very very good lows and highs, and has dynamics and openness that are extraordinary.  The U70 is not a “party” amp; rather, it’s a fine piece of audio equipment designed to reproduce music accurately with no added coloration (excessive tube sound), on moderately efficient speakers.

I think I will keep the U70 in my system for a while.  I really like the detail, dynamics and emotion I experience with the U70.  The amp is a real joy to listen to!  I also like looking over and seeing the tubes glowing.

When you consider the price of upgrading (factory or kit) a stock Dynaco ST-70 you would be hard pressed to find a better value if you have a Dyna ST-70 sitting around!!

Larry

[sica]

Thank you for your review, its very interesting.     I got some questions.  Did you use your T7 as the pre to the U70?  What tubes do you use in the T7, the 550EXR and the U70?  
Looks like the best design would combine the transparency, detail, power of the Fetvalve amps with the emotion of  the U70 amps, is such a design possible?

[audiojerry]

I think Larry did a nice job of depicting why the U70 would appeal to those of us who prefer tubes, and why it wouldn't appeal to those who prefer SS or hybrid. Yes, there are some compromises that a tubeophile is willing to accept because the tradeoff is for a closer connection to the music and less awareness of "electronics" while listening.

I've taken several stabs at digital audio, but so far no version has been able to provide me with the connection to the music. Good SS impresses me with performance, but the connection isn't there either.
   
I just wish AVA had a demo model U70 that potential buyers could audition.

[avahifi]

Read Dave Ellis's fresh comments on the Ultimate 70 amplifier in the Ellis Audio circle here.

With this kind of unanimous approval so far, a "demo model" is redundant.  Trust us, its awesome.

Frank Van Alstine

[avahifi_lj]

Hi Sith:

I was using the T7 (actually the T7R) as the preamp driving the U70.  The tubes in all of the equipment are JJ/Tesla, with the exception of the rectifier tube in the U70 (I don’t remember what brand the rectifier is).

In regards to combining the transparency of the FetValve with the emotion of the U70 into an amp: The 70 is actually VERY much closer to the FetValve amplifiers than it is to the older tube amps.  The transparency and detail are astonishing.  The FetValve amps have more detail, better lows, and higher extension.  Both amps, however, draw you into the music and make you feel like you are part of it – something not all amps do.

I had an AVA system many years before I started working for Frank.  Back in 1996 when I was looking for a system, I talked with the AVA folks and was told that AVA’s goal is to design hi-fi equipment that reproduces the sound as accurately as possible.  Designing a circuit to sound warm (what some people call tube sound), bright, or any other way is not right.  The equipment should accurately reproduce what’s on the source and not impart anything that is not there.

Having said that, however, there are limitations on what can be done with types of circuits and the types of components (tubes, transistors, etc.).  What we have done with the U70 is methodically analyze what was right with the AVA Super 70i, upgrade the circuits based on new ideas and new parts, and incorporate the circuits with the original Dyna 70 transformers and chassis.  The result is a 40 year old amplifier design that has been sonically updated WELL beyond what the original Dynaco ST-70 was.

Thanks for your interest in AVA products!

Larry

[audiojerry]

Read Dave Ellis's fresh comments on the Ultimate 70 amplifier in the Ellis Audio circle here.
With this kind of unanimous approval so far, a "demo model" is redundant.  Trust us, its awesome.
Frank Van Alstine

Dear Frank,
I respect your position, and that you sincerely believe in the quality of your work, but to require a prospective customer to commit to a purchase on blind faith is a pretty rigid position. From my own perspective, I would be very serious about evaluating the U70 to see if it could be a suitable replacement for m far more expensive Audio Research amp. I've heard the EX550 and was very impressed, but I'm partial to the quality that tubes bring to the music, and that's why I'd consider the U70.

But I'm not going to try hunt down a used Dynaco, buy it, then ship it to AVA and pay for modifications without having any idea what it will sound like.

It's odd that you offer a 30 day return policy on your new components, yet you won't let someone audition a component that's never been heard.
But, it's your company and you can set whatever policies you choose.

[David Ellis]

Jerry,

Your point is somewhat valid, and these decisions are difficult.  I might offer some insight in to this matter.  

First, subjectively, I think your Audio Research unit is a pretty high zoot unit (@10k$).  ... It was either you or Marbles that had a high zoot amplifier.  As such, I have not heard this amplifier, and cannot offer any valid a/b advice for your situation.

Second, Frank is not a commercial retailer.  He doesn't have the profit margin/time to putz-around with fickle customers returning amplifiers built in 1960.  NOT offering a return policy for an AVA Ultimate 70 requires the customer to be committed and do HARD research before the decision rather than cloud Frank with return issues.  Not offering a return policy also allows Frank to keep costs down.  Do you realize the standard acceptable hifi commercial markup is 100%?  Do you know why this is 100%?  If you need me to explain this need, I can.  I generally assume most folks are smart enough to realize that salesmen and storefronts aren't free.  Customers DO pay for the convenience of being able to audition and return audio equipment.  

Third, Frank does not have a "supply" of ST70 amplifiers, and many customers are particular about having THEIR amplifier modified.

Fourth, I suppose Frank could launch a new product, but this is... expensive.  I suspect a "NEW" Ultimate 70 would cost about $1500 initially with a target price of $2k after reputation warrants.  At this price point, a return policy would be viable.  

Fifth, Frank lives in a very modest home.  He ain't rich, and he ain't gonna' be rich.  He is a very bright  & hard working old German.  Who is... underpaid.  Given his intelligence, experience, and effort, the Ultimate 70 is a gift.  

I can offer that the Ultimate 70 simply beats the pants off the Stock Jolida 302b, and the Golden Tube SE40SE.  It's also marginally better than the AKSA Nirvana + IMO.  Given the cost of the Ultimate 70, I suggest you get on ebay, and buy an old ST70 and a modest soldering iron     Or... you could wait for a more "commercially priced" version of the Ultimate 70 with the option of return.

I thought the Ultimate 70 might be something "different" due to the tube rectifier and power supply choke.  I was sorely wrong.  The Ultimate 70 is significantly more.

Ya' can't have your cake and eat it too.  

I sincerely hope this isn't too much of a rant.  I suppose I take the time to offer this because the Ultimate 70 really is that good.  And... I am from the government and here to help  .

[Rocket]

hi dave,  

how much does an st70 sell for on ebay?

regards  rod

[avahifi]

Hey Jerry, I did offer to bring a U70 to a Wisc audiophile meeting but was turned down in favor of something that evidently deteriorated into a puzzle of cables and power conditioners and room tweeks and was never about the music at all.  As I understand it, the group then broke up.  Amazing politics, not amazing music.  

Rebuild kits for Dyna Pas preamps and St-70 amps have been a useful part of our business for years and years.  The "hard nosed" approach that we cannot offer a satisfaction guarantee on a rebuild kit or in house rebuild because we cannot cost effectively "unrebuild" a unit has not bothered our thousands of customers who have taken a chance on us and have not been disappointed.

I do not have spare St-70 chassis to just send out for prospective listening sessions.  We do offer a 30 day satisfaciton guarantee on new AVA chassis equipment, and would offer the same satisfaction guarantee on a complete U70 amplifier if we had spare chassis available (but they have all been snapped up already).

Given the universal very positive reaction to the U70 so far, and its very low cost, how much of a risk is it anyway?

A used St-70 amp in working order goes for about $300 - $400 on the web.  Make sure it has original Dyna output transformers or Magnaquest replacements.  The rebuild it is $449, or a complete factory rebuild here is $749 including all new tubes and our new jack set.  I suspect you have paid a lot more than that for some cables and power cords.

We feel that the Ultimate 70 is the vacuum tube amplifier you all have been looking for but never really found before and its priced at a tiny fraction of the price of most of the pretenders out there.  Maybe I should gold plate it and add 150 pounds of lead weights in the bottom and charge $15000 for it.  Would that make you feel better about the "risk" of trying one?

We sell devices that will allow you to come closer to the experience of listening music for the sake of the music.  We do not sell foo-foo dust or snake oil or grossly overpriced worthless accessories.  We regret that really good engineering is really hard to understand and appreciate.

If you can't take the chance on a U70, then keep on spending a lot more money on things that don't work as well.  We will still be here when you get it figured out.

Frank Van Alstine

[audiojerry]

I understand your viewpoints, Frank and Dave. I'm not a businessman, but if it were me, I'd have one or two "audition" units available for interested parties. I might even have a policy of paying a nominal audition fee of say $25 - $50, as well as a written agreement to return the unit undamaged.  I'd even offer to apply the audition fee towards the purchase of U70.

I would think you could potentially sell a lot more units if it were available to audition first. Buyers like to feel confident that there is little or no risk involved in their purchase.

Another approach might be an offer to buy the U70 back from the buyer less a restocking fee. If the U70 is as good as you say it is, you would have no trouble re-selling it to another customer who'd rather buy a completed U70 rather than trying to find a used chassis on Ebay.

800 to a 1000 thousand bucks is still a lot of money to me to risk on blind faith. I may have a few expensive components, but I've never bought anything that I couldn't get my money back on.

I guess I've becomed spoiled by merchants and vendors who place the customer first and go the extra mile to make the buyer feel at ease about his purchase.

Frank may or may not be a rich man, but I seem to recall reading about this car he was driving that made me drool. What kind of car was that, Frank?  

[WEEZ]

It seems as though audiojerry doesn't make the distinction between the AVA gear ( FET/Valve, for example ) and the 'modification' of a "classic"  ( i.e., the U70 ).

The distinction is perfectly clear to me.

Now, if AVA decided to offer a tubed amp "from scratch" ( a cool idea, IMHO ) I would imagine that a 30 day trial period would be likely as with the other AVA gear.

I've made the drive from Milwaukee to the Twin Cities when I lived up there years ago. As I recall, it took 5 hours. No big deal.  

whatever...

WEEZ

[parker16]

I've had my Ultimate 70 about three weeks. WOW! AVA built mine up from a Super 70, a real nice amp, but the Ultimate 70 is just amazing. I'm using a T7 SLR preamp and B&W CM2 speakers (circa 1989), decent speakers, but nothing special by today's standards. The first thing I noticed was extended bass that was much tighter and better defined. As I continued to listen, I was aware of much more of a musical "presence". The U-70 reveals the subtle voice inflections and sound pressure changes (on instruments) that the best musicians use so masterfully to give "soul" to their best performances. I'm sorry, but I'm struggling a bit here to find words to descibe what I hear. This amp has the "natural" sound of live music. It has the warmth associated with tube amps, but none of the overly "bloomy" sound of some tube gear. Surprisingly, it also has the impact and definition one usually hears from good solid state amps, but no sharp edges--listener fatigue is non existent, you can listen for hours (and I have) and you just want to keep listening. It has noticeably more power than the Super 70. My listening room is about 18x20 with a vaulted ceiling and is open to a 12x15 foyer and 12x12 loft. With the volume knob on the T-7 set at 9 o'clock the sound fills the room, foyer, and loft. Setting the volume knob to 10-11 o'clock is louder than I care to listen except for brief periods. During a recent visit to AVA, Frank played several selections using the big Fet-Valve hybrid amp. It will play very loud, with transient and dynamic impact and realism that is close to live, as might be expected given its power output. If you like (or need) to listen to music played at those levels, and have speakers that can play cleanly at those levels, the Fet-Valve may be the amp for you. Having heard both, IMO, the U-70 performs very well, creating a very convincing, involving, sound stage that draws you into the performance, allowing you to listen to the music and forget the electronics. That this has been acomplished using a 40-year old chassis is a tribute to the knowledge and skill of AVA and Frank's dedication to produce very good products at rational price points for his customers--thanks Frank!

[EMM801]

What kind of car Frank drives is nobody's business but Frank's. The question is inappropriate, the undertone of sarcasm even more so. Do you know how hard it is to make a living selling high quality audio in today's home-theatre-in-a-box world? Try it. The owner of one of Baltimore's two remaining hi-end shops told me that if he had to depend on two channel audio, he'd be out of business. Based on the enjoyment I have gotten from AVA equipment over the last 21 years, I hope FVA gets chauffered to work in a stretch Escalade.

If you read AVA policies, you will find that you DO have a return privilege  (with a restock fee) IF you buy a complete new AVA built unit when available. One other possible option is listed in the AVA catalog: GET ON A PLANE and go to Minnesota and listen to it. If you have enough money to consider the purchase of a +/- $1K tube power amp (What kind of car do YOU drive btw), you have enough to cover a budget plane ticket. I would respectfully suggest rethinking your attitude first.

[EMM801]

Another note of sarcasm I just had to respond to:

I guess I've becomed spoiled by merchants and vendors who place the customer first and go the extra mile to make the buyer feel at ease about his purchase.

Obviously you have never done business with AVA. Let me tell a story:
Years ago I owned a AVA Delta power amp. Shortly after the warranty ended, the amp developed an intermittent mechanical hum that could be heard across the room. I sent it to AVA. They could not reproduce the problem, but replaced the power transformer anyway at no charge.
How many mfr's do you know that would do that???!!?! Most will tell you "It's out of warranty, so... That'll be $$$ parts and $$$$ labor." Now, mind you, I am not promising free out-of-warranty service on behalf of AVA, just pointing out that there is probably NOBODY in audio that will "go the extra mile" more than these guys, including some of the "deep end" manufacturers.

[audiojerry]

What kind of car Frank drives is nobody's business but Frank's. The question is inappropriate, the undertone of sarcasm even more so. Do you know how hard it is to make a living selling high quality audio in today's home-theatre-in-a-box world? Try it. The owner of one of Baltimore's two remaining hi-end shops told me that if he had to depend on two channel audio, he'd be out of business. Based on the enjoyment I have gotten from AVA equipment over the last 21 years, I hope FVA gets chauffered to work in a  ...

My, my,  admonishment from an overly protective disciple of the society of Frank? (sarcasm intended)  

Quote from Frank himself on this forum:

Do you question the brand of electronic parts used in an airliner before you take off, or in your BMW or Mercedes? The only thing I question about the parts brand in my Audi S6 is the radio, a manditory Bose system, it sucks, but oh well, all car radios suck.

I think Frank is quite capable of defending himself.

BTW, the S6 is an awesome car, I lust it, and kudo's to Frank for his excellent choice of cars.

[EMM801]

If I were AVA, I'd be praying that you settle on some other product from some other company. You seem like a real jerk.

"Everyone brings happiness- some by arriving, others by leaving." -Sign in local auto parts store

[orthobiz]

I have a T7 and a 550EXR, loving both of them. I got my T7 because I originally sent in a Dynakit PAT-5, had it modified by Frank, decided to upgrade to the T7 shortly thereafter as I wanted to match the tube-hybrid 550; Frank gave me full credit towards the T7! No questions asked, no problem. So he is willing to go the extra mile even though he's under no obligation to do so.

Just another story of Franks honesty, credibility and excellent customer service above and beyond the call of duty.

So what if you "take a chance" on the Stereo 70 upgrade?

biz

[budyog]

You don't take Frank home and have to listen to him, but take his superb products for a test try and that is what Frank speaks through. His products! And I know he has been doing so for at least 30+ years and he speaks loud and clear! Once you hear his products, I am sure you will l agree that it is very hard to argue anything with Frank.

[Tweaker]

I don't think "taking a chance" with Frank's stuff is really taking a chance. Read all the reviews, and posts on the various forums and review sites and you may run across some criticism about Frank himself (he's opinionated, but who isn't) but the overwhelming number of said reviews and posts about his gear are nothing but positive. I own two of his solid state amps and they are extraordinary. I would guess that if you decided you did not like the amp that you could easily sell it at a very minimal loss. Maybe even someone here at the circle might want to make that offer to you before you buy.

[WEEZ]

Hey parker16,

Very nice write-up. Too bad it got lost in the bantering and other 'stuff'.

Welcome to AC  

WEEZ