THEY'RE HERE
I am not able to write up a professional review and relate to many technical details like others here, but I would like to tell my experience the best I can.
First, I have to start off with customer service. What a pleasure. I have been corresponding with Frank Van Alstine once in a blue moon for some thirteen years. He was always so generous with his answers about my questions and never made me feel like I was a bother - or even giving me the feeling that well, purchase something already. Just the opposite. My inquiries were always welcome and related to in detail.
So when I did finally order the new mono blocks together with the Fet Valve CFR amp, everything happened so fast. Mary was always prompt and super helpful with any issues arising, especially concerning the 220 currency in my country, and helping me with the adapter for the DVA R2X. As well as other issues that came up. Generous, prompt, and efficient.
The amps were done and shipped in one week. SInce I live overseas they arrived on November 23. One month from beginning to end. That's quick service.
Came home at night to open up the boxes and start setting up together with a good friend who builds amps and speakers himself. Turned everything on, sat down, picked a song by Dianna Krall to start things off and then..........
WOW!
The magic started. I never thought my Salk HT2TL speakers could get any better. Boy was I wrong. Both of us were amazed as was the wife. My friend turns to me and says - you did good. I realized that I just moved up the high end ladder.
What a presence, a sense of reality of the musicians, wonderful clear separation between instruments, vocals sounding as if they were in the room. And as my wife said, just a bit of softness as compared to before - a softness that made everythiing sound so much more true to the source of the music.
I love listening to jazz and acoustic music. Howe Gelb sounds like he is sitting in my living room. Patricia Barber - A Fortnight in France - a live performance - I felt like I was at the concert listening.
My biggest surprise though came with classical music. I believe this is the frist time ever I have been able to hear a proper presence of the different instrument sections as opposed to a cloud of sound that I heard without these amps on the same speakers. For all of these years I was sure that the Salk HT2TL's were not capable of handling large symphonies distinctly enough. I was wrong - I just needed the proper amps and the Van Alstine amps have really changed that and pleasantly surprised me.
So I can't stop listening to music. I love what has happened to my system with this new equipment.
I just want to say thanks to everyone here for sharing their questions and impressions of these amps, and for being so helpful when I had a query.
My cudos to you Frank and Mary and everyone at Van Alstine. Thanks so so much. You really made me one happy camper in my old age.