[Mountain-ear]

Hello fellow AVA fans -

I decided to send my Insight Double Die 580+ (the one of a kind amp with the 1KW transformer) in for the Synergy upgrade.  I figured I ought to take advantage of the big summer sale, after all. 

I was hoping that the new design would be a bit more efficient so Frank could rebrand it as a Synergy 600.  That name sounds so much better than Synergy 580, and that he did.  I'm sure the actual sound will be better, too.

It just arrived today, so more notes to come.  But if you want a really big solid state amp, Frank apparently can build you one!

Steve

[aln]

Please give us your description on the sound before and after.  I'm sure you will be very happy.  Now if only Frank had a Christmas sale, maybe I could talk to Santa.

[Mountain-ear]

I am incredibly impressed with the Synergy upgrade.  I don't know if there's an engineering explanation for it, but I am getting deeper and more realistic bass than I got from the Insight+ amp, and I thought that amp was very good.  I also appreciate Frank's observation that this amp is smoother and more musical than any solid state amp previously available from AVA.  On my system (T8+ preamp with Mazda 6CG7 tubes, Vision EC DAC, Theta Data Basic Transport, and custom Salk speakers with Heil Air Motion Transformers), there were times when some instruments seemed a bit edgy.  I'd notice it in particular on something like a soprano sax or a clarinet when stretching for a high note.  The Heil AMT's are probably contributing something to the harshness, but it is much less apparent with the Synergy amp.

I already had a very wide soundstage due to the bi-polar design of the Heils, but the soundstage seems a bit deeper somehow.  That might be my imagination, and it is difficult to do an objective comparison when the original amp was out of commission for three weeks while being upgraded.  All I can say is that I am satisfied that it was money well spent.

My thanks to Frank and company at AVA!

[JerryM]

I am incredibly impressed with the Synergy upgrade.  I don't know if there's an engineering explanation for it, but I am getting deeper and more realistic bass than I got from the Insight+ amp, and I thought that amp was very good.  I also appreciate Frank's observation that this amp is smoother and more musical than any solid state amp previously available from AVA.  On my system (T8+ preamp with Mazda 6CG7 tubes, Vision EC DAC, Theta Data Basic Transport, and custom Salk speakers with Heil Air Motion Transformers), there were times when some instruments seemed a bit edgy.  I'd notice it in particular on something like a soprano sax or a clarinet when stretching for a high note.  The Heil AMT's are probably contributing something to the harshness, but it is much less apparent with the Synergy amp.

I already had a very wide soundstage due to the bi-polar design of the Heils, but the soundstage seems a bit deeper somehow.  That might be my imagination, and it is difficult to do an objective comparison when the original amp was out of commission for three weeks while being upgraded.  All I can say is that I am satisfied that it was money well spent.

My thanks to Frank and company at AVA!

Sweet!

Thanks for posting your impressions, Mountain. 

Have fun,

Jerry