AudioCircle
Industry Circles => Audio by Van Alstine => Topic started by: avahifi on 7 Dec 2010, 03:17 pm
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Hot flash, our amazing Ultravalve purist vacuum tube amplifier was just rated a "Product of the Year 2010" by The Absolute Sound in the now mailing issue 209, January 20111.
We are in there with more highly favorable comments, among the $10,000 and up crowd.
Not too shabby for so called "mid-fi" equipment.
Note too that our 15% off sale continues until January 15th, so the cost for a new Ultravalve right now is just $1444.15 plus $40 shipping.
Best regards,
Frank Van Alstine
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This is great news! I'm really happy for you.
Congratulations, Frank! :thumb:
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Nice frank.
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Hard work does pay off. Congratulations.
charles
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Hot flash, our amazing Ultravalve purist vacuum tube amplifier was just rated a "Product of the Year 2010" by The Absolute Sound in the now mailing issue 209, January 20111.
We are in there with more highly favorable comments, among the $10,000 and up crowd.
Not too shabby for so called "mid-fi" equipment.
Just think how much higher they'd have rated it if it had an IEC receptacle for the power cord. :thumb:
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Just think how much higher they'd have rated it if it had an IEC receptacle for the power cord. :thumb:
Maybe not. They're pretty picky about sound and if they had the chance to compare, may have preferred the sonics with a directly soldered power cord versus having a second AC plug to socket interface.
Steve
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Maybe not. They're pretty picky about sound and if they had the chance to compare, may have preferred the sonics with a directly soldered power cord versus having a second AC plug to socket interface.
They'll never admit to that. Kester doesn't advertise in audiophile magazines; cyro'ed $5000 power cord suppliers do.
Brett
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Hot flash, our amazing Ultravalve purist vacuum tube amplifier was just rated a "Product of the Year 2010" by The Absolute Sound in the now mailing issue 209, January 20111.
We are in there with more highly favorable comments, among the $10,000 and up crowd.
Not too shabby for so called "mid-fi" equipment.
Fantastic! I have to admit, the U70 with choke mod has pretty well convinced me that you can get accurate and neutral performance from a pure tube amp. 2 years ago I wouldn't have believed it, and I have heard *lots and lots* of "salon" tube amps. It's an amazing achievement.
One might imagine the same engineering principles applied to a new-design amp using 6550s - Ultravalve 120? Although you might do better with bridged U70s.
Brett
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Congratulations!
One day - may be one day - I'll get over the idea of captive cord and get Ultra Valve ...
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One might imagine the same engineering principles applied to a new-design amp using 6550s - Ultravalve 120? Although you might do better with bridged U70s.
I've always thought that the best thing about the St-70 was that David Hafler designed the transformers. Is there anyone left that could do as well for a new design?
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Hot flash, our amazing Ultravalve purist vacuum tube amplifier was just rated a "Product of the Year 2010" by The Absolute Sound in the now mailing issue 209, January 20111.
We are in there with more highly favorable comments, among the $10,000 and up crowd.
Not too shabby for so called "mid-fi" equipment.
Note too that our 15% off sale continues until January 15th, so the cost for a new Ultravalve right now is just $1444.15 plus $40 shipping.
Best regards,
Frank Van Alstine
Congrats Frank! :thumb:
I'm happy that you're happy with the same people that like expensive power cords and IEC connections like your amp. Yet, you totally disagree with that and you like when they speak highly of your amp. Hmm.
I must say though, the Ultravavle is my favorite product that you make. Maybe one day I'll give it a try. :thumb:
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Maybe not. They're pretty picky about sound and if they had the chance to compare, may have preferred the sonics with a directly soldered power cord versus having a second AC plug to socket interface.
IEC receptacles add 33 picoseconds of Lamarckian Phase Latency. What you really have to do is clip the leads on your power transformer as short as possible and then ultrasonically weld the power cord to the leads. You have to do this in the presence of nobility to avoid contamination from bad gas. (Noble gas is ok.)
Solder joints are no good for this, because the electrons get all confused when they are forced to travel through solder. It's simple quantum physics and the technical term for it is that the electrons get "crazed."
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Congratulations to Mr.Van Alstine and his team.
Wonder how the Ultravalve would do with the TAS "Cost-no-object Floorstanding Loudspeaker of the Year" the Wilson Sasha.
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Solder joints are no good for this, because the electrons get all confused when they are forced to travel through solder. It's simple quantum physics and the technical term for it is that the electrons get "crazed."
Uh, you are joking but I have heard and seen people make exactly that argument about solder, and that you should therefore connect all your components point-to-point using silver wire and silver solder - not the silver-bearing solder you can melt with a soldering iron, honest-to-goodness silver braze you have apply with a torch.
Presumably, too, you should only connect it to a domestic power supply that uses silver wire in the generators at the power plant and silver wire to get it from the Hoover dam to your house.
Brett
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Wonder how the Ultravalve would do with the TAS "Cost-no-object Floorstanding Loudspeaker of the Year" the Wilson Sasha.
The slick magazine's love affair with Wilson's speakers are one reason why I don't find their reviews useful.
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The slick magazine's love affair with Wilson's speakers are one reason why I don't find their reviews useful.
Have you by any chance heard the Sashas or the Sophia 3s?
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Mid-Fi my @$$ :nono:
It's as Hi-Fi as anything else out there, regardless of price!
Thank you Frank for a great product, and especially from those of us who like to sling solder!! :thumb:
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Presumably, too, you should only connect it to a domestic power supply that uses silver wire in the generators at the power plant and silver wire to get it from the Hoover dam to your house.
That's why they stopped making US coins out of silver in the '60s. They needed all they could get for the electric utilities. That's also why Frank stopped working on power lines; he has werewolf blood from his mother's father's mother's family, and the silver gave him a rash.
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Have you by any chance heard the Sashas or the Sophia 3s?
Me puking > :drool:
I cringe everytime I hear those speakers. I've yet to hear them (any Wilson) and think they were nice. Just horrible!
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Have you by any chance heard the Sashas or the Sophia 3s?
Sasha yes, Sophia 3 no. I once heard the original Sophia and it sounded about the same as the rest of the Wilson speakers.
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Me puking > :drool:
I cringe everytime I hear those speakers. I've yet to hear them (any Wilson) and think they were nice. Just horrible!
That sums it up pretty well.
But I'm sure he'll tell us that we just haven't heard them setup properly, or with the right amps, or at the right phase of the moon.
Getting back to the topic of the thread...
Congrats Frank, I'm glad you're getting good press.
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That sums it up pretty well.
But I'm sure he'll tell us that we just haven't heard them setup properly, or with the right amps, or at the right phase of the moon.
You're both entitled to your opinion.
Have a nice day. 8)
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Yahoo!
Congratulations Frank!!
This makes my Ultravalve sound even better than before !! :thumb:
Its a sweet amp, and its really, really GOOD!!
All the best
Alex
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You're both entitled to your opinion.
I'm pretty sure that TONEPUB doesn't like them too and he's heard and owned many high dollar speakers. Oh and I'm sure he can get a nice discount but yet still no Wilson speakers in his room. Says something to me...
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Me puking > :drool:
I cringe everytime I hear those speakers. I've yet to hear them (any Wilson) and think they were nice. Just horrible!
A friend has the Sashas and I think he has a very nice sounding system.
In my opinion, you can debate whether the Sahsa's are a good value or worth their cost, but I do believe that it is a high performing and good sounding speaker.
George
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I'm pretty sure that TONEPUB doesn't like them too and he's heard and owned many high dollar speakers. Oh and I'm sure he can get a nice discount but yet still no Wilson speakers in his room. Says something to me...
Sure, it says he doesn't like them.
Well, I do (at least the Sasha's and Sophia 2's).
Personally, I don't think they are worth what they cost, but if I take that out of the equation, I certainly wouldn't say they are bad sounding speakers - in fact, I would say they sound pretty darn good.
Back to your regularly scheduled broadcast...
George
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Hot flash, our amazing Ultravalve purist vacuum tube amplifier was just rated a "Product of the Year 2010" by The Absolute Sound in the now mailing issue 209, January 20111.
We are in there with more highly favorable comments, among the $10,000 and up crowd.
Not too shabby for so called "mid-fi" equipment.
Note too that our 15% off sale continues until January 15th, so the cost for a new Ultravalve right now is just $1444.15 plus $40 shipping.
Best regards,
Frank Van Alstine
Congratulations.
P.S. Any reason for the delay in publication? I don't think I can wait till 20111. 8)
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Note too that our 15% off sale continues until January 15th, so the cost for a new Ultravalve right now is just $1444.15 plus $40 shipping.
When you factor in the 30-day satisfaction-guarantee warranty (to take care of concerns about too few watts), and the ability to talk to the designer/builder/CEO before and after, this has to be one of the very very very best deals in the history of hifi, midfi or whatever you want to call it.
Congratulations Frank and crew! All I can say is that I really really really like my U70. My first tube amp, I think I did alright. :thumb:
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A friend has the Sashas and I think he has a very nice sounding system.
In my opinion, you can debate whether the Sahsa's are a good value or worth their cost, but I do believe that it is a high performing and good sounding speaker.
George
Cost aside I'll take any Vandy over a Wilson anyday. As a 5a owner, I'm shocked that you would even think a Wilson sounds good. The 5a's are pretty darn awesome!
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Congratulations, Frank ! :thumb:
Mark
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Ya, not bad for mid-fi :lol:.
:smoke:
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Let's stay on topic, folks.
Paul
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Let's stay on topic, folks.
Paul
BRILLIANT!!!!!
charles
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:notworthy: This is long deserved by AVA. :thumb: Now send them a T8+ with Insight phonostage to really knock their socks off.
Get ready to build some Ultravalves in 2011! :beer:
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An interesting thing about our TAS Product of the Year award, we share one page with another vacuum tube amplifier of slightly less rated power and we got the bigger photo and more space.
The other amplifier costs about $140,000! The Ultravalve costs about $1700. What is TAS trying to tell you?
Remember that an Ultravalve is only $1444.15 while our holiday sale is going on until January 15th.
I wonder if the other amp company offers a satisfaction guarantee as we do?
Regards,
Frank Van Alstine
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The other amplifier costs about $140,000! The Ultravalve costs about $1700. What is TAS trying to tell you?
I would interpret it as saying a factor of 100 doesn't buy you anything better. But that's just me.
Brett
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I wonder if the other amp company offers a satisfaction guarantee as we do?
Yes, they guarantee that they're satisfied (for at least the next 30 days) to be selling an amp for $140K.
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...and the consumer that spends $140k on that amp would never purchase your no matter what the sound is.
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...and the consumer that spends $140k on that amp would never purchase your no matter what the sound is.
There's the special Max UltraValve FVA Edition. It's $141K, has a gold-plated chassis and transformer end bells, and is signed by Frank with a special imported marking pen. Frank comes to your house and installs it, makes sure it's operating properly, and rolls you some tubes. (Only in certain states, and requires a doctor's prescription.) (You can can also select the FVA Signature Bong if you prefer. It's made by hand out of a Dyna Mk III.)
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My (last) Jan issue arrived finally. :D Glad to go out with a bang. Will be carrying this one around for a while. :thumb: I really only enjoy TAS when AVA is recognized for it's genius and value. So I'll be back to cherry picking whenever Frank lets us know there'll be something worth reading. 8)
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I'm not seeing the need to renew my TAS subscription either. Although, I am very happy for Frank and the great press in TAS. It helps to validate my AVA acquisitions. I'm extremely satisfied with all of my AVA gear. Let the fools with with disposable income waste there G's on what they think sounds good.
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The only time I found the magazines useful in terms of Frank's gear was at the very beginning when I didn't know who he was or whether or not I should risk sending a check off to Minnesota.
I saw Frank talking sense and Harry Pearson talking nonsense, so score one for Frank. Then there were a number of reviews of Jensen's equipment in The $ensible Sound, and overall I found that I agreed with them in terms of other equipment they reviewed that I had heard for myself. So, I decided to take the plunge and I've been annoying Frank ever since. :icon_lol:
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Wow! it is great to get the award but the magazine sucks??? and we read it :o
Everyone else out there is just plan cookoo ...
I am this close to taking a plunge and try the ultravalve but ... I guess I am not sure ... seems like everything else is soo wrong ... wow!
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saisunil,
Don't forget the 30 day satisfaction guarantee. What can ya lose? Listen for yourself !
Mark
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Wow! it is great to get the award but the magazine sucks??? and we read it :o
Everyone else out there is just plan cookoo ...
I don't read TAS anymore. I stopped many years ago, and then tried a year recently when they offered it to me for $12. I tried to get a refund after the first issue, but they wouldn't respond to e-mail and when I called they'd put me on hold as soon as they found out I wanted a refund. Then they'd let me sit there until I got tired and hung up.
I am this close to taking a plunge and try the ultravalve but ... I guess I am not sure ... seems like everything else is soo wrong ... wow!
Why base your decision on whether or not TAS likes something? There are plenty of people here that own UltraValves or the Ultimate 70. Talk to them and see what they think. Even better, as Minn Mark noted, there's a 30 day satisfaction guarantee, so you can try it out for yourself in your own home.
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10 points for the underdog. It's so nice to hear that a small company like Frank's can get some economic pump up. Increased sales can only help with Frank's ability to continue to offer high value products and service. We need guys like Frank to be economically stable. The rest of you fans need to recommend AVA products to your friends. Go out and push your love for Hi-Fi into more peoples lives. The world will be better for it.
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A couple of questions then ...
1. Does the amp respond to tube rolling - input and power - though electrically (almost) all tubes are of same type are supposed to be technically / electrically have same characteristics ... I have limited experience with tube amps - have owned only a few (Cayin, Tube Audio Design and Response audio modified Jolida)
2. If yes, is there a "highly" recommended tube combo - some amps just shine with certain tubes - and no I did not like the sound of EH tubes ... when I tried them ...
3. I am going to ask anyway - even though the answer is no - is there an IEC option - as in my experience removing CRL power chord was akin to losing the "magic" in my system and yes I have heard difference in IC - made from copper, silver and palladium - with A/B/C test ... and yes I have heard difference in burn-in ... with almost every audio gear I can think of ...
So my issue is - buying a product from a company, along with its customers, who do not believe in most / all of the above experiences I mentioned above.
One thing I do believe in is that the above mentioned "tweeks" are no substitute for a properly designed and engineered product ... but then if it is properly designed and engineered then why would it not respond to the above -- unless it is already fully tweaked :scratch: ...
At the same time I do respect Frank's no nonsense, straight on "frank" approach and high value proposition ... hence the desire to "try" it out for myself ...
So I am on the fence ...
Cheers
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Sorry, there is no three pin IEC power cord connection on the Ultravalve amplifier.
Actually there really is no place to put one along with the then necessary ground lift switch. Not enough room either internally or on the back panel. It would take a chassis redesign to do this.
Inasmuch as the amp is already rated the best dollars you could ever spend on audio equipment by The Absolute Sound, I really really doubt that the lack of a plug in power cord is a significant issue with the unit. Its already the best, we hope that will be adequate for you.
Tube rolling? Try whatever you want to. It won't make great differences, the electronic circuit design is the secret to the amplifier's performance, not the parts selection.
Regards,
Frank Van Alstine
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Its built to a price point . All in all the circuit design is the critical part. As a complete amp for a price it won an award. So on its own merrits not with NOS tubes or powercords.
As a believer in ICs and cables in general, in this case IMO as is its all you need. Try it for 30 days that is the only way to find out if it mates with your system.
Really think about this. Mr. Van alstine does not play the audio game. yet this piece won "product of the Year" . With all the gear with IECs, fancy parts and so on his amp won.
As Mr. Van Alstine says it is the circuit NOT the parts. Parts can only enhance a design if implemented properly. So far so good don't ya think.
charles
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Do you loose the 30 day trial if you purchase with the 15% discount?
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Where can I audition it in NYC?
I just went through painful process of auditioning another "good" audio gear that was good for a price point - even though people raved and called it the "answer" to all audio madness ...
I just miss tubes :? otherwise I am happy with my TRL amp ... I wish I had not sold my modded jolida for nothing ...
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Where can I audition it in NYC?
No idea, but wouldn't it be better to audition it at home where you can actually stand a chance of finding out how it sounds in your system?
I just went through painful process of auditioning another "good" audio gear that was good for a price point - even though people raved and called it the "answer" to all audio madness ...
TAS gave it a Product of the Year award. Not a "Product of the Year Only at Its Price Point."
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I've not heard the Ultravalve myself (I'm an Insight man, for now).
I appreciate this string begging the question, though: has anyone read or 'heard' negative remarks about the Ultravalve?
I'm looking for honest estimations of the musical performance, not just bitchin' that there's no IEC receptacle, wrong color scheme for my audio den, is built in too cold a climate for that 'warm' tube sound etc , etc.
Would be interested to heard what detractions anybody has noted as regards the audible character.
Mark
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Mark,
I think the Ultravalve doesn't really have any bad traits, that is why it won the award. I have had the original prototype for about 2 years now (project actually started about 5 years ago) and back then I knew the amp was something special. I now have the original prototype and one of the first builds, and the amp simply performs.
I am a vinyl geek and the thrill is everytime I put on some LP. I simply get into the music, forgetting the electronics. The amp has plenty of muscle to give the listener plenty of dynamics, freedom of colorations or tube flatness, and the low end is simply amazing for it's lowly 33 watts (RMS) per channel. Piano, cymbal crashes, vocals are all real as it can get.
I drive mine with an Insight+ EC preamp, loaded of course, and the tube driven by SS preamp is totally wonderful, tho I'd like to hear it pushed by the Ultra or T8.
Wayner
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Mark,
I had the opportunity to hear it at AKfest 2010 earlier this year with a pair of Salk Songtowers. Show conditions are usually very challenging and good gear can often sound mediocre. This was simply not the case with the Ultravalve and Songtower combination.
The Ultravalve sounded as good or better than much of the gear I heard at the show. Some of the gear I am describing was much more money.
I am incredibly picky when it comes to tube amplifiers. Frank and AVA have an excellent sounding piece of gear. The fact that is affordable is just a bonus for value conscientious audiophiles.
Below were my comments from my AKfest show report regarding the Ultravalve.
Salk Sound and Audio by Van Alstine: This room is one that I always look forward to because they both just seem to get better and better. Jim Salk and Frank Van Alstine are two very unique individuals that make an audio match made in heaven. I feel lucky to be able to listen to their fine equipment each year at AK Fest.
The Salk Sound and AVA room was one of the largest hotel rooms at the AK Fest. It was large enough to have two separate systems with their own unique large seating areas.
The first time I visited the Salk AVA room on Saturday I had the opportunity to hear the Salk Songtowers and the Audio by Van Alstine Ulimate 70 tube amplifier paired with AVA preamp and dac. The sound of this combination had some of the best synergy I heard at the show. The music was flowing in an effortless manner and sounded natural and dynamic. It was one of the best sounds and certainly one of the best values with both products having real world pricing.
I knew how good the Salk Songtowers are before the show. The AVA Ulimate 70 tube amp is amazing. If you are in the market for a new tube amp anywhere near the price of the AVA Ultimate 70 run don't walk to the phone/computer to order one from Frank. Check this out.
I also had the chance to hear the Salk Archos open baffle speakers with the AVA Ultimate 70. This is another winning combination. I am a big fan of open baffle speakers and the Archos did not dissapoint. This version with the ribbon tweeter was very musical and provided the enveloping sound that only ob speakers provide. I do not think it would be possible to go wrong with either the Songtower or Archos with the AVA Ultimate 70
See link below if you want to see a link to the thread that the above comments came from as well as some pics.
The AVA and Salk photos are in the bottom half of page one.
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=80847.0
Hope this helps.
-Nick
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The Ultravalve and one channel of the "other amplifier"
(http://)
AVA Ultravalve Lamm ML3(mono)
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The Ultravalve works well, has no real bad traits, some folks have rolled tubes and the results are well all good...but the EH tubes, the Sovtek etc sound marvelous. In this design the sum of the whole is superlative.
If this design delivers the goods, why mess with perfection...you can roll tubes etc and if you think its better sounding etc great...but the way it is build and delivered...man it doesnt get any better to me in my system and room.
I would not hesitate to make this purchase again. I am driving it with a AVA Insight + Preamp with Salk SongTowers and it is indeed a marraige made in heaven and yes this means it sounds really really good too!!
lol
All the Best
Alex
:D :D :D
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I can think of a negative - Not enough power to drive the Salk SoundScapes!!
:green:
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I can think of a negative - Not enough power to drive the Salk SoundScapes!!
:green:
well, if you can get the SoundScapes then you can get 2 UltraValves and bridge them! I can only imagine the result...
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well, if you can get the SoundScapes then you can get 2 UltraValves and bridge them! I can only imagine the result...
If you can afford the SoundScapes and a couple of UltraValves, you could get a pair of GedLee Abbeys and some subs and one UltraValve and I bet you'd have a better system and still save money. :)
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If you can afford the SoundScapes and a couple of UltraValves, you could get a pair of GedLee Abbeys and some subs and one UltraValve and I bet you'd have a better system and still save money. :)
You are halirious. Gimme some compression drivers. You're downright silly sometimes. Of course YMMV.
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You are halirious. Gimme some compression drivers. You're downright silly sometimes. Of course YMMV.
I think you'd be amazed at how good a compression driver on a waveguide can sound. I sure was.
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Ooh, yeah, Klipschorns and Ultravalves. Anybody want to send me donations for this experiment? C'mon, its Christmas !
:D
M
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Ooh, yeah, Klipschorns and Ultravalves. Anybody want to send me donations for this experiment? C'mon, its Christmas !
Earl's speakers have all the dynamics of K-horns, but none of that typical horn sound. They're better than any other speakers I've heard, regardless of price. (The Salk speakers I heard weren't horrible, but they seemed to be overly polite and the highs were kind of tinkly. They definitely didn't even come close to the Orions, which were the best I had heard prior to hearing the GedLee Nathans.)
I like Jim and Dennis seems to be a really nice guy too. Jim is giving people pretty good value, based on what he puts into his speakers (in terms of material costs and effort). His cabinet work is excellent, although I can't say that I care for the shapes of some of his speakers (for instance, the HT1, HT3, and SoundScape all look awkward).
If I were looking for well-done mundane speakers (what Aczel called monkey coffins) that looked like fine furniture, I'd be calling Jim right away. However, I don't buy speakers to look at, I buy them to listen to.
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If you can afford the SoundScapes and a couple of UltraValves, you could get a pair of GedLee Abbeys and some subs and one UltraValve and I bet you'd have a better system and still save money. :)
Wasn't he the singer from Rush?
A waveguide is not the same thing as a horn, although they are similar. Waveguides normally do not have the hard corners of horns (everything is rounded off). The waveguides in the GedLee speakers are round, but you can make a rectangular waveguide (looks like a horn but with all corners rounded). I think the main objective with horns was originally maximum efficiency, whereas the waveguide designers are mostly looking for "controlled directivity" where the response off the sides of speaker have a uniform falloff vs. frequency.
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Tom,
+1 :lol:
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Wasn't he the singer from Rush?
Not quite.
A waveguide is not the same thing as a horn, although they are similar.
Earl came up with the name and the equations to describe them. http://www.gedlee.com/Earl_resume.htm
Waveguides normally do not have the hard corners of horns (everything is rounded off). The waveguides in the GedLee speakers are round, but you can make a rectangular waveguide (looks like a horn but with all corners rounded).
You can make a waveguide in whatever shape you want, and it doesn't have to be rounded off. It just depends upon what you want it to do.
I think the main objective with horns was originally maximum efficiency,
Essentially, yes. Horns were needed because amplifiers didn't have much power, and the drivers available couldn't handle much power anyway.
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I think you'd be amazed at how good a compression driver on a waveguide can sound. I sure was.
That's certainly possible. I'd bet the dispersion is marvelous. You were expressing your opinion so I did the same. Through our private communications and reading your posts, I'm convinced you and I hear quite differently. Even in this thread, your comments on the highs of the Salks, we hear it way different. Now with the RAAL tweeter, they are even better. But I guess it makes sense with your choice of speakers. I don't mean that as a dig, it makes sense. Hey, a Fostex driver with a wizzer cone doesn't float my boat either. Or....... 8)
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I thought this was a Van Alstine Ultravalve thread. . .when did it become a GedLee promotional opportunity?
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Yea, typical self serving yap. The moderator needs to step in. This is a freaking STICKY on AVA for gods sake. :duh:
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Yea, typical self serving yap. The moderator needs to step in. This is a freaking STICKY on AVA for gods sake. :duh:
How is it any more or less self-serving than what anyone else posts on AC?
I didn't realize that this was a sticky, but Frank is free to delete my posts.
BTW, I still think the UltraValve would work well with the GedLee speakers. So there. ;)
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BTW, I still think the UltraValve would work well with the GedLee speakers. So there. ;)
Now that's an appropriate comment!!! :green:
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Me puking > :drool:
I cringe everytime I hear those speakers. I've yet to hear them (any Wilson) and think they were nice. Just horrible!
Hi There,
I have heard most of the Wilson lineup - The Sasha (Innovative Sound, NYC and CSA Audio), along with Wilson Sophia 2 and the Alexandria X2 Series 2. I thought they sounded pretty good. They were setup in a well-treated room with powered by Spectral, Ayre MX-R and Mark Levinson (I forget the model but they look like awesome stand-alone heaters...model 53?), respectively. I thought they sounded very well-balanced. For reference, I currently own Gedlee Abbey 12a. I also used to own Linkwitz Orion ++, and in my setup at home, the Sashas and Orions had more in common than different. Keep in mind I had the Orion setup in MY own living room powered by Integra Research RDA-7 and AVA Transcendence 7 Preamp at the time.
Happy listening and congrats, Frank!
Ian
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Hi There,
I have heard most of the Wilson lineup - The Sasha (Innovative Sound, NYC and CSA Audio), along with Wilson Sophia 2 and the Alexandria X2 Series 2. I thought they sounded pretty good. They were setup in a well-treated room with powered by Spectral, Ayre MX-R and Mark Levinson (I forget the model but they look like awesome stand-alone heaters...model 53?), respectively. I thought they sounded very well-balanced. For reference, I currently own Gedlee Abbey 12a. I also used to own Linkwitz Orion ++, and in my setup at home, the Sashas and Orions had more in common than different. Keep in mind I had the Orion setup in MY own living room powered by Integra Research RDA-7 and AVA Transcendence 7 Preamp at the time.
Happy listening and congrats, Frank!
Ian
It scares me that you own the Abbeys and like the Wilson's. :scratch: I'm going to audition the Abbeys this weekend.
See this thread http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=86403.0
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Why does that scare you? I think the Wilsons are overpriced, but I don't think they're horrible. I thought the Sonus Faber Stradivari was pretty good, too - I heard them powered up with McIntosh 500 watters. I can't afford them, either but they're much nicer looking than the Wilsons, IMHO.
Don't be scared - different speakers, different strengths. Some measure and sound better than others. Not to mention the biases of the listener.
I own the Harper and have heard the Nathans as well.
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What Frank said about tube rolling has been my experience with the Ultimate 70. I've decided that I liked this or that brand, but then when I've switched back to something I had in earlier it has sounded just as great. JJs, EHs, it's all good. Strong reliable tubes are the ticket, not NOS. His circuit doesn't seem to really care which brand of power tube it is.
Which is a very good indication that, among other things, the feedback is doing what it is supposed to do. The less feedback, or the more screwed up it is, the more "funnies" happen when you switch tubes.
Brett
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I guess this is yet another good place to state that I LOVE my U70!
I am using it to drive a pair of Infinity IM 4.1 so the 850 watt sub amps take over at 80 hz. I get a huge bubble of sound coming from the front of the room, the dimensionality and cymbal splashes have to be heard to be believed.
i think this would be a great amp for any speaker with a powered subwoofer section like the Mythos or the Golden Ear Triton with the heil type tweeter.
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Any one have any thoughts about how the Ultravalve would jive with an Insight+ AVA pre with Vision phono and Salk STRT's? Is it a good idea to have tube amp coupled with a solid state pre?
TIA
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I have had my Ultravalve for 6 years and I can personally attest that it mates well both solid state and tube AVA preamps. I don't know any amp that mates with the Songtowers any better than the Ultravalve.
If you decide to get one I recommend trying both the 4 ohm and 8 ohm taps to see which gives you the best match. My somewhat limited experience with Songtowers suggest the 4 ohm taps will work the best.
Regards,
Dean
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Thanks for the feedback, Dean!
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Has anyone hear this amp driving a pair of KEF LS50s? Mine are fairly nearfield (6-7' from the chair) in a 12 x 15 room. I know the KEFs drop slightly under 4 ohms in the upper bass region. A problem?
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I, too, would be very interested in the answer to this question. I'm using an AVA tube preamp and Synergy SS amp right now with my LS50's, and that's sounding pretty darn good. But I'm imagining a pure tube power amp would sound even better.
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The Ultravalve should work great with your KEF LS50 speakers.
Use the four ohm taps.
My Ultravalve is wonderful driving either my Janszen electrostatics or Phllharmonic 3 speakers, both about 84 db 4 ohm loads. The combo is not going to break windows, but at rational listening levels, the music is just engaging and spellbinding.
Frank
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Does anyone have any experience using a passive preamp with an Ultravalve? The passive I built has a 50k ohm potentiometer. I'm happy to build one with a different value if that's what's needed to mate with an Ultravalve. Thank you.
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The Ultravalve has a high (470K ohm) impedance so it won't load down your passive volume control.
However, its voltage gain is 15 (about 23 dB) while most solid state power amps are in the 25V (28 dB) range.
This means you will need to turn the volume control higher for equal sonic output from the Ultravalve. The Ultravalve swings about plus and minus 24V peak. Thus you need 24 divided by 15 = 1.6 volt peak from your volume control to drive the Ultravalve to full power.
If you are using the equipment in a larger room with relatively inefficient speakers (86 dB or less) then you probably won't be able to play loud enough with the Ultravalve, especially if the output voltage level from your music sources is also on the low side. This is not a power issue, just voltage gain.
This is where an outstanding active preamp such as our T10RB vacuum tube preamp or Vision SL solid state preamp (bass price on both is $899) would be very useful.
Frank
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By the way, the Ultravalve received another Editors Choice award from The Absolute Sound for 2017, along with the Fet Valve CF tube preamp, the Fet Valve 600R hybrid tube power amp, and the Vision solid state phono preamplifier. It is still very hard to beat AVA products overall.
Frank
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Great to hear that about the passive preamp impedance matching. Thank you, Frank. My Theta DAC has an 8 db gain over a typical DAC, so the volume shouldn't be a problem at all. In my experience, an impedance mismatch with a passive preamp can rob a lot more than just volume, although it might be a little hard to quantify the difference. Either way, this should be great to hear! Thank you again.