[Alexdad54]

I'm interested in trying out an AVA amp for my SongTowers (non-RT) within a limited budget <$1000. I have looked at AVA's comparison grid and I could either get an Insight+ 240 or a used Omega III 440HC from the AVA website for within that budget. Another potential option is a used Insight 260 here on AC.
All suggestions gratefully accepted.

[avahifi]

Within your budget requirements, the Insight+ 240 amp is far and away your best choice.  It has plenty of power for your great new speakers, and is the cleanest and most musical involving solid state amp we have ever done.  We are very happy with its performance combined with the Songtowers, and you will be too.

Thanks much for thinking about our products.

Frank Van Alstine

[floresjc]

Alexdad -

I would add a vote for the 240+. I don't have the "plus" upgrade but my 240 is less than a year old and it sounds fabulous with my SongTowers (dome version). There are certainly more expensive options out there, but the 240 has plenty of power for SongTowers and musicality in spades. I don't think you'd be disappointed.

[Alexdad54]

Thanks Frank and floresjc. Another question - would the "double-die"option provide any advantage with the ST's?
I should add that it will be going through a Mapletree Audio Ultra 4SE tube pre.

[avahifi]

There would be no real musical advantage for the Double Die option with Songtowers.

However, for future use capability, for example playing two sets of speakers at the same time or later going to a lower impedance or low efficiency speakers, the $88 extra cost of the double die option is pretty inexpensive "insurance".  This allows safe operation into very low impedance loads and overall less individual stress on each mos-fet output device as there are twice as many of them to share the load.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

[Alexdad54]

Thank you Frank, I think I understand it better now and I agree that for the cost it seems to be a no-brainer.
BTW, would adding in a sub to the current speaker set-up count as "additional speakers"?

[jtwrace]

the $88 extra cost of the double die option is pretty inexpensive "insurance".  Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

For that reason and cost, I think it's worth asking why wouldn't you do it? 

[coke]

BTW, would adding in a sub to the current speaker set-up count as "additional speakers"?

Not if it had its own amp.

[Alexdad54]

  ...flying my "newbie" colors again...I should have thought of that, especially as I'm looking at getting an active Rythmik sub somewhere down the line....

[floresjc]

I have double die (and the compact chassis), and for 88 bucks, why not? I imagine my SongTowers will be there a *long* time, but just in case you know?

[Bigload]

I have a set of SongTower domes driven by a standard AVA Insight 240+ and I think the AVA 240 amp does a marvelous job.  It is a great combo with the Songs.  Could not be more pleased.  I am also using a Vision DAC/Preamp as well.

[Alexdad54]

I have double die (and the compact chassis), and for 88 bucks, why not? I imagine my SongTowers will be there a *long* time, but just in case you know?

Agreed but is there any disadvantage to having the compact chassis? Maybe I'm reading between the lines but in the comments I've read by Frank he seems to give it a sort of "if you must then it's OK" approval. Having the full size would not be a problem, for me but the compact chassis does look nicely streamlined. (You can see I'm already past the "what about the sound" stage.....). Does having better heat dissipation help the 240's longevity or sound or is it not powerful enough to really matter?

[floresjc]

Well I ordered the compact chassis because I thought it looked slick, and at the time, I had the amps out where people could see them so I was going for as little face real estate as I could get.

I don't think there's any sort of longevity issue, Frank simply wouldn't sell a product he didn't stand behind. What it will effect, is probably my upgradeability, if he comes out with something after the Insight series in say 10 years, I may not be able to stuff it into that particular chassis. The other negative is that is does get quite warm, ie hot. I have mine just sitting on the top shelf in a closet under my steps, so its got plenty of air, and it never gets close to killing itself, but it is noticeably warmer than it would be if I had the big chassis.

Since I have a hidden install now, I wish I had gone with the big chassis, since looks won't matter and the big chassis will fit anything coming down the pike. For someone looking to make a sexy little 2 channel setup in a room, a small amp, small dac, and small preamp all look quite good together. Your call really.

[floresjc]

Now that you got me thinking, I may have to ask Frank what it would cost for me to switch to the big chassis. I think its like $200 for me to go from Insight to Insight+ but at the same time, maybe I can pay more and trade in for more upgradeability in the future.

I have the Insight preamp, DAC and a 440 for my HT2-TL's in my living room, and even the big chassis looks good in the rack. So I wouldn't worry about the aesthetics so much.

[Kinger]

I got my 240 used in the compact chassis (Thanks mchuckp!) and it sounds great while taking up very little room on my TV stand.  However, if I was buying new and had the space I'd go for the larger chassis.

[avahifi]

My test durability setup for the small chassis is a 2005 integrated amp used by a friend for his "garage system".  It resides in a huge 4 car garage driving four inexpensive 8 ohm big bookshelf speakers (two per channel) from a country music FM radio station nearly 24 hours a day for the past five years.  This unit is in our first generation really compact chassis (12 inches wide) with the same plus and minus power supply rails and heat sinks and power mosfet output capacity as current models.  It has the original Hitachi outputs instead of the newer and much better Exicons, and an earlier circuit design, but is subject to the same thermal loads, actually even worse as the chassis is smaller yet.

It has been running flawlessly for years now and is giving us a pretty good durability and thermal capability ongoing test, passing with flying colors.

We are not worried about the service life of our compact chassis Insight+ 240 amp or Integrated amp.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

[nunhgrader]

I love stories like this ^^

Makes me smile

[floresjc]

Good Lord that's a lot of country music. I'd go nuts.

[Alexdad54]

thanks for the info Frank, I guess if it has lasted through that "torture test" with no issues then the only remaining issue for me is how well it will play with my Mapletree Audio Ultra 4SE tube pre but I will call and discuss it directly with you.
Thanks again!