[avahifi]

Hi Ron,

No the SET 400 or 120 circuits won’t fit in a Dyna or Hafler chassis.

Frank

[PeterCapo]

Is it possible to describe the amount of heat the Vision SET 400 radiates vs. the Fet Valve 400R?  How about compared with another, average solid state power amp (if there is such a thing)?  I would think the heat output will vary with how hard the amps are working, but what I am asking about is a relative comparison given similar operating conditions.

Thank you.
Peter

[NIGHTFALL1970]

Frank,
Have you done an A/B comparison between the SET 400 and the DVA 4/2? I’d like to know the differences.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Is it possible to describe the amount of heat the Vision SET 400 radiates vs. the Fet Valve 400R?  How about compared with another, average solid state power amp (if there is such a thing)?  I would think the heat output will vary with how hard the amps are working, but what I am asking about is a relative comparison given similar operating conditions.

Thank you.
Peter

Hi Peter and Nightfall- the SET just got slightly warm playing moderately loud for 1 hour in my system driving my Magnepan 1.6's.

NF- I had the DVA 700  and reviewed it..  The SET has a better mid range and is more organic and natural sounding.  The  DVA has more air and transparency with a wider sound stage.  The DVA 700 is a great amp as is the SET 400.  Vocals with the SET are pushed slightly back in the sound stage (not in a bad way, just a different flavor) and cymbals are more forward just the opposite of my Pass amp.   I don't believe that vocals were pushed back with the DVA.  Of course a lot will depend upon your preamp and music source.

Not sure if this helps,

Larry

[PeterCapo]

Thanks.  Wondering if the Fet Valve 400R gets as warm as the SET 400?  More?  Less?

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Thanks.  Wondering if the Fet Valve 400R gets as warm as the SET 400?  More?  Less?

I believe it gets warmer due to the tubes.  The SET is SS.  I had a 600R for review and it got warm but I would not call it hot and certainly not like my Pass that gets up to 120F or my BAT preamp with 8 tubes that is a space heater.  The SET got luke warm.

[NIGHTFALL1970]

Thanks Larry!

[birbygdad]

I just received my Vision SET 400. I know it is really brand new but my impressions are all super positive. I listened to a recording that I’ve known since I was in high school, Brubeck’s Take Five. Simply terrific. Very good synergy with my Salk Song 3s. Plus the thing looks great.

[birbygdad]

Hey folks. Let me add a little something to my previous post on the SET 400. My younger son is a very good acoustic guitar player. When he was playing at school I was naturally in his corner. When the judges talked about his playing they would say his musicality set him apart. It seems to me that this is a chief characteristic of this amplifier. It draws the listener into what’s going on on the record. It’s a beaut!

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Hey folks. Let me add a little something to my previous post on the SET 400. My younger son is a very good acoustic guitar player. When he was playing at school I was naturally in his corner. When the judges talked about his playing they would say his musicality set him apart. It seems to me that this is a chief characteristic of this amplifier. It draws the listener into what’s going on on the record. It’s a beaut!

I am glad to see that your experience mirrors my review

[smargo]

Frank loaned me this amp so I could write a review and compare it to my Pass Labs X250 amp.  I have had it hooked up for 2 days now and I am very impressed. 

cant tell you how many times in the past that i thought the sound of an amp after 2 or 3 or 4 days sounded incredible - only to be disappointed after a month - please dont call this a review - its very deceiving

not saying this amp isnt incredible - i love franks products in general

be a little bit more responsible - before posting so called reviews

[I.Greyhound Fan]

cant tell you how many times in the past that i thought the sound of an amp after 2 or 3 or 4 days sounded incredible - only to be disappointed after a month - please dont call this a review - its very deceiving

not saying this amp isnt incredible - i love franks products in general

be a little bit more responsible - before posting so called reviews

This definitely was a review.  I don't need to have a piece of gear in my system for weeks to decide if I like it or not or to be sure of what I am hearing unless the gear  is not broken in or I am unfamiliar with a piece of music.  The amp was fully broken in and I used music that I was very familiar with and like.  I can usually tell in the first few minutes of a song as to whether or not I like a piece of gear.  In addition, I have my reference system as a point of reference.  And if you have read all my reviews of Frank's gear, I am always comparing it to my gear which costs thousands more.  It is not hard for me to tell whether the amp has the same musicality, detail, resolution, sound stage, separation between instruments, tone, bloom, bass, treble, brightness, warmth, PRAT as my reference gear.

I loved the sound of the SET 400.  It's mid range was much better than my Pass. However, I felt the amount of separation between instruments was better with the Pass.  The sound stage was also wider and deeper.  I could tell this after just a few songs.

People can take my reviews with a grain of salt as every review should be, especially from the Pro reviewers that rely of income from the ads that the audio companies take out in their magazines.  In addition, you never know how a piece of gear will sound in your own home with its own acoustics and how it will match up with your own gear.

I think that most people that have read my reviews and bought that piece have agreed with my reviews from the private emails that I have received.

I can certainly see your point about having a piece of gear in your system for a month or two and you find out that you may not like it as much.  I have only had that problem with my Parasound A21 amp which I found fatiguing with some types of music.  But that is why I don't like bright sounding gear.  I reviewed the 600R amp and it has many attributes that I like but it was a little bright sounding in my system and I posted it.  I have 2 friends that have that amp and  it certainly is not bright in theirs.   I knew right away that that amp was not for me and keeping it in my system for a month would not have changed my opinion.  Same goes for the Spatial Audio speakers that I had on loan.  My Maggies were better plain and simple from the first song.

You don't have to read my reviews and you are not giving the people that read them enough credit to see the review for what it is.
People on this forum are very knowledgeable.

One other thing to note with my reviews, I usually try and have a few audiophile friends over to listen to the gear and get their opinion.  For the SET review my 27 year old budding audiophile son reviewed it with me and agreed with every thing I heard.

There's my 2 cents and I won't respond any further.

Best Regards,

Larry

[Pryso]

There can be a caution with long term reviews.  I've been in this hobby for decades and while generalized, this has been a pretty consistent observation for me.

When I insert component B into my system in place of component A I can immediately notice many of the sonic changes.  Then as I progress through a few more of my standard evaluation recordings I can pick out more differences.  Sometimes these changes are for the better, sometimes worse.  This process can continue for a couple of days.

However if I leave component B in my system for several days my brain seems to acclimate to this new "normal" sonic experience.  If I think back on the sonic differences from A I certainly remember the major ones, but my system no longer sounds so different as it did initially.  The ear/brain has substituted and I accept this new sound. 

Perhaps this is just a longer-winded version of what Larry said. 

Note this assumes component B is broken in when initially installed.  I do believe in burn in for speakers, capacitors, cartridges, etc. and changes can continue beyond just a few days.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Stay tuned for a review on the SET 120 amp that I had for about 2 weeks. 

[Goosepond]

Stay tuned for a review on the SET 120 amp that I had for about 2 weeks.

Now we're talking!!! 

Gene

[PSB Guy]

Stay tuned for a review on the SET 120 amp that I had for about 2 weeks.

Looking forward to this, I'm really interested in the SET 120. Keep those reviews coming.

Cornelis

[smargo]

There's my 2 cents and I won't respond any further.

Best Regards,

Larry

 What you wrote is misleading and irresponsible - reviews after 3 days are not based in reality - you giving yourself 2 cents is aiming too high

[charmerci]

What you wrote is misleading and irresponsible - reviews after 3 days are not based in reality - you giving yourself 2 cents is aiming too high

Seriously, leave it alone. He clearly said he listened to it for 2 days. Nothing misleading about that. Plus, you're insulting.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

There can be a caution with long term reviews.  I've been in this hobby for decades and while generalized, this has been a pretty consistent observation for me.

When I insert component B into my system in place of component A I can immediately notice many of the sonic changes.  Then as I progress through a few more of my standard evaluation recordings I can pick out more differences.  Sometimes these changes are for the better, sometimes worse.  This process can continue for a couple of days.

However if I leave component B in my system for several days my brain seems to acclimate to this new "normal" sonic experience.  If I think back on the sonic differences from A I certainly remember the major ones, but my system no longer sounds so different as it did initially.  The ear/brain has substituted and I accept this new sound. 

Perhaps this is just a longer-winded version of what Larry said. 

Note this assumes component B is broken in when initially installed.  I do believe in burn in for speakers, capacitors, cartridges, etc. and changes can continue beyond just a few days.

Thanks, I have had the same observations when evaluating a new piece of gear.  You can clearly tell the differences in the short term but audio memory can be short and it can get a little muddled after time trying to remember the attributes of your reference system or gear.

I am always upfront about how long I have listened to a piece of gear.  In relation to the SET 400, I listened to it for roughly 7-8 hours and my son listened for at least 5 hours and had the same thoughts about the SET.  But as ususal YMMV.

I said that I would not respond to Smargo but some one who recently bought the amp emailed me and said my review was spot on.

Nuff said on that!

I will post the review on the SET 120 sometime within the next 5 days when I have time to further discuss the amp with my son who used the amp for 2 weeks comparing it to his Parasound A21 amp.

[PeterCapo]

IMO, I.Greyhound Fan explains his methodology satisfactorily.  Anyone is then free to interpret accordingly.  IMO, lively debate is desirable but hopefully in a civil manner.