New review, AVA DVA SET 600 monoblocks!

avahifi · « **on:** 17 Oct 2018, 06:06 pm »

http://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2018/10/13/audio-by-van-alstine-dva-set-600-mono-block-amplifier

Available right now, $4998 a pair.

Frank

avahifi · « **Reply #1 on:** 17 Oct 2018, 06:43 pm »

Note that this is the second reviewer that has purchased the review samples.

Note too that Audiophilia normally reviews only very high end, very expensive equipment.

Note too that I have never advertised with this publication.

Finally, note that the DVA SET 600 amps were reviewed using $15,000 a pair Alta Audio Celesta FRM-2 loudspeakers.

Frank

rollo · « **Reply #2 on:** 17 Oct 2018, 06:46 pm »

Great review Frank. Maggie owners get your check book out.

charles

Tone Depth · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 Oct 2018, 11:21 pm »

Reviewer missed that the output jacks are 5-way, but is probably oriented to using speaker wire lugs for his connections. Will the link to this review be posted on the AVA website?

avahifi · « **Reply #4 on:** 18 Oct 2018, 01:08 am »

Yes, we will post a link to this review at our web site, www.avahifi.com

Frank

retnuh · « **Reply #5 on:** 30 Oct 2018, 06:35 pm »

With these new power amps having XLR inputs what are the chances we'll see a new preamp with XLR outs?

I have a few devices with XLR outs and I'm currently manually switching (switch box) between home theater preamp for surround decode down to 2 channel for movies/tv and all pure music inputs going through a transcendence 10 RB (there was a nice big difference adding this) all going out to a synergy 240. I'd sure be tempted to get some mono blocks if you had a preamp that would handle unbalanced to balanced conversion and had a pure passthrough input that bypassed volume for home theater. I'm stuck using unbalanced connections and maybe I wouldn't see much difference getting all the pieces I can through balanced connections but it is just sitting there being unused.

Side question for anyone, how much difference is there moving to a balanced chain? My cable runs are pretty short.

Hydro · « **Reply #6 on:** 30 Oct 2018, 11:00 pm »

If you don't have any noise when you don't have anything playing then the main difference will be the amount of gain from the input. Here is a good explanation of balanced.

https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/95803/what-makes-a-balanced-audio-signal

JerryM · « **Reply #7 on:** 31 Oct 2018, 02:56 am »

Here's what Frank had to say about a fully-balanced system when he first published some 10 years ago:

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=54139.msg483007#msg483007

Any thoughts of an updated differential system with the new monoblocks, Frank?

avahifi · « **Reply #8 on:** 31 Oct 2018, 06:20 pm »

The DVA SET 600 mono amps are available with switchable XLR and RCA inputs. The option is $150.

You could then directly drive them with your T10 RB preamp.

Frank

dB Cooper · « **Reply #9 on:** 1 Nov 2018, 03:15 am »

I don't believe those units mentioned in the thread linked by JerryM went into production.... am I wrong?

Tone Depth · « **Reply #10 on:** 1 Nov 2018, 08:27 pm »

They identified remaining residual distortion in their Insight line, and then found that when using the improved Insight circuits in a full differential configuration, minimal additional improvement was achieved. They concluded that full differential wasn't cost effective. At the same time DAC chip manufacturers were rapidly developing new chips, faster than AVA could design and develop circuits to keep up with the pace.
See reply #70: https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=54139.60

Quote from: dB Cooper on 1 Nov 2018, 03:15 am

I don't believe those units mentioned in the thread linked by JerryM went into production.... am I wrong?

avahifi · « **Reply #11 on:** 2 Nov 2018, 02:46 pm »

Info above is correct. We never put that older generation of balanced circuits into production because of extra cost and minimal musical value when we made major circuit upgrades to our products.

The DVA SET 600 was done for a different reason: to offer very high power bridged mode amplifiers to those with balanced output preamps and or preamp/DACs a direct balanced connection to their speakers.

The DVA SET 600 has XLR inputs standard and switchable XLR/RCA inputs as an option.

Using direct balanced audio circuits from a pair of DVA SET 600 amplifiers does provide a "oh wow" musical experience in our own reference system, more than we had anticipated. Of course we were starting with our newest SET 400 technology, which is an "oh wow" experience in its own right.

Frank

retnuh · « **Reply #12 on:** 21 Nov 2018, 11:52 pm »

Congrats on making the product of the year list!

hicr49 · « **Reply #13 on:** 14 Jan 2021, 05:38 am »

Frank,

May I ask how does the XLR/RCA switch circuitry work? I meant will using the RCA input option provide lesser result (or at least less ideal) on the DVA SET 600 than if using direct balanced audio input? Unfortunately, my current system is unbalanced only.

Thanks

Quote from: avahifi on 2 Nov 2018, 02:46 pm

Using direct balanced audio circuits from a pair of DVA SET 600 amplifiers does provide a "oh wow" musical experience in our own reference system, more than we had anticipated. Of course we were starting with our newest SET 400 technology, which is an "oh wow" experience in its own right.

avahifi · « **Reply #14 on:** 14 Jan 2021, 08:21 pm »

Using balanced line inputs into a stereo (2 channel) amplifier is less then ideal. The plus and minus input signals have to be summed into single ended signals to drive the two stereo channels. This requires active devices of some sort or matching transformers. In either case the signal is not a pure as from a pure differential amplifier drive by pure balanced source.

The method we use to accomplish this is probably as good as it gets (using the differential inputs on a very high quality op-amp to generate the single ended signal needed). But no interviening active circuit can't help to be the best choice.

Our advice, if you want balanced inputs, select our mono balanced input amplifiers with XLR inputs. if you want single ended stereo performance, select one of our two channel stereo amplifiers with RCA inputs. Each provides a most minimal approach to great sound.

Frank

Stercom · « **Reply #15 on:** 14 Jan 2021, 10:14 pm »

Frank, I think you are one of the most honest guys in the business so I’m going to ask: did you give this reviewer a discount if he bought the review pair? It happens a lot in the audio industry so wouldn’t be surprised if you did. However, I also wouldn’t be surprised if he asked and you refused. Thanks and congrats on the awesome review!

avahifi · « **Reply #16 on:** 14 Jan 2021, 10:20 pm »

Recent reviewers have not asked and were not offered discounts. Their decisions to keep our equipment was based on its high value merits only.

Frank

Stercom · « **Reply #17 on:** 14 Jan 2021, 10:34 pm »

Good for you Frank! Very respectable IMO.

hicr49 · « **Reply #18 on:** 18 Jan 2021, 04:05 pm »

Frank, thanks for your insight. One more question, if only using full balance XLR connections on the SET 600, will a SET 600 unit with XLR/RCA switch options work just as well as a SET 600 unit w/ XLR connection only? Or another word, with the RCA input option switches off on a SET 600 and using XLR only, will there still be any impact to the signal path just because the RCA option is there (but turned off)?
I ask since I'm using RCA input currently but will eventually like to move onto a fully balanced setup in the future.
Many thanks!

bkatbamna · « **Reply #19 on:** 18 Jan 2021, 08:23 pm »

Very nice review.