[jaw5279]

I just got my new AVA gear hooked up with my SongTowers and am very impressed with the results.  Even my wife, who rarely listens, was using terms like more open, more defined, more real. If she notices, then there is definitely a difference. 

My setup is now:

SongTowers (dome) => AVA Ultravalve amp => AVA AvaStar preamp => CIAudio Dac => Logitech Duet playing FLAC files.

(The amp and preamp are replacing a Musical Fidelity A3.5 integrated.) 

First impressions of the new SongTowers with the new amp/preamp combination:

-  Higher clarity/definition.  Seems like I can hear more of the subtle things going on
-  More openness. The music sounds a bit more real, more live.
-  The bass is more defined, a bit "rounder" if you will.

It just sounds better! 

Needless to say, I am a happy camper and can give a two thumbs up to the combination. 

John.

[Wayner]

Glad that you are happy John! As the tubes settle in (one of the few actual "break-ins), you will perhaps hear an even more refined presentation. Vinyl is certainly incredible as well, but enjoy your 0's and 1's.

Wayner 

[ArthurDent]

Congrats John, sweet setup.  Am looking forward to an UltraValve when budget allows.

Oh yes, and watch out for that Wayner guy, he'll lead you down the garden vinyl path. 

[adydula]

So Cool!

Welcome to the Ultravalve Salk Club!

Its a really neat little gem of an amp that really puts out sweet sounds!

I really enjoy the overall soundstage and imaging, really very much 3D like or transaprent.
I also have a Logitech Touch that I am playing around with using differnt power supplies.

Congratualtions and now you get to re-discover your music collection all over again!

All the best
Alex
 

[Nuance]

Congrats, John - that's too cool.  Happy listening!

[Wayner]

Here is a question for the new Ultravalve owner. Did you notice that you wanted to change the toe-in (or out) of your speakers when you changed to the Ultravalve, or are the speakers in the same relative position?

Wayner

[adydula]

Well I am a fairly new Ultravalve owner and I never thought I would need to adjust toe-in at all. As I have said in many posts I noticed a really dramatic 'improvement' in the soundstage...and imaging, or ease of being able to detect where the instruments 'were'...compared to the AVR.

Many recordings at times feel like I have the 6.1 setup on, my wife asked many times are you sure that the LR's are the only speakers on?

Amazing...Maybe I will play with this tonight, at least it will keep me off the streets!

 
Alex

[Wayner]

I am not implying that there is a "neeeeed" to change speaker toe-in. I have noticed in the past that different amps seem to have different "spacial" qualities to them, and required a smidge of adjusting. I'm also not implying that this is good or bad, either.

A further explanation: I have found in my studio, that changing amps with my favorite speakers (Dynaco A25XL mods) that the sound stage that I have become used to alters. This happened when I got my new Ultravalve. It has also happened going from different solid state amps. Perhaps my listening room is unique in that I listen in near field, and perhaps more musically involved in the sound stage (because I'm closer) then others who may be at the usual 10-12 foot setback.

This may also be negated by the fact that the Songtowers have a great off-axis response as apposed to my Dynas, tho they are pretty good. I have zero room for a pair of Songtowers, but have drooled over them several times.

Wayner

[adydula]

Yup, thats what I thought too after I replied! No neeeeed but maybe yes, maybe no...

My SongTowers are 8 ft apart center line and 12 feet from my listening spot. They are toed in to a point that intersects just behind by big fat head, although its a nice fat head!! 

I find that in my reclining listening chair (Not a Lazy Boy) that I lean way back and its sounds one way and when I sit on the edge of my chair and lean a little forward it sounds different again from a soundstage perspective.

I often lean forward and backward like a prarie dog looking for its hole!! You know I just had a thought how about a motorized platform to put our speakers on to adjust toe-in and even side to side and back to front placement!!

Hook this up to a Oscilliscope and or computer to plot real time plots and frewq curves so we can get it right!!

Please dont take this seriously!! 

Alex!

PS: I remember those Dynacos!! and those JBL Century 100's with the neat cube shaped grills!! And those old Advents!! ooops showing my age!.

[Wayner]

You might want to take some masking tape and mark out on the floor where your 2 front corners for each speaker is now, before you start screwing around with speaker positioning, so you can return to their original positions. It's like leaving breadcrumbs, so to speak. I do this with my MartinLogan speakers when I get the itch to move them, because their position is so critical.

It might be fun to try them about 6 to 7 feet apart, 3-4 feet away from your recliner. Not any fun for anyone else, but from this position, you maybe able to crawl right into the music.

Wayner 

[jaw5279]

Here is a question for the new Ultravalve owner. Did you notice that you wanted to change the toe-in (or out) of your speakers when you changed to the Ultravalve, or are the speakers in the same relative position?

Wayner

Wayner,

So far, I have not had any desire to change toe-in.  However, I have a rather odd setup with everything jammed into a bedroom and not a lot of distance between the speakers and the main listening position. 

Now that you bring it up I may try to vary it somewhat in a day or two (after I get some more time on the Ultravalve) to see what happens.  Right now I am still in bliss, getting a kick out of listening to old favorites and hearing new wonderful things.  I was just listening to the old James Taylor album "Sweet Baby James" and heard things with the bass (kind of a freaky slap echo) that I had never heard in years of previous listening.....wow! 

I'll let you know what I find out.

John

[GhostintheToast]

Sorry in advance for the onslaught of newbie questions that is going to follow, but could you tell me a bit more about what you feel the advantages and disadvantages of tube amps are?   Are they better fitted to a certain type of music or playback style? 

Do you feel like the ultravalve could power a pair of TL2s?  I tend to listen to some pretty bass-heavy stuff, but split the signal to a custom Salk-Rhythmik 15" at 60hz.

Cool to see another digital audiophile in the forum   Right now I use a custom built HTPC, M-Audio Revolution card, J.River media center w ASIO4ALL codec into a Sherwood Newcastle 965 receiver.  Thanks for your input!

[jaw5279]

Sorry in advance for the onslaught of newbie questions that is going to follow, but could you tell me a bit more about what you feel the advantages and disadvantages of tube amps are?   Are they better fitted to a certain type of music or playback style? 

Do you feel like the ultravalve could power a pair of TL2s?  I tend to listen to some pretty bass-heavy stuff, but split the signal to a custom Salk-Rhythmik 15" at 60hz.

Cool to see another digital audiophile in the forum   Right now I use a custom built HTPC, M-Audio Revolution card, J.River media center w ASIO4ALL codec into a Sherwood Newcastle 965 receiver.  Thanks for your input!

Ghost,

I'm probably not the best person to try to answer your first question as this is my first tube amplifier.  I decided to try it based on the Absolute Sound review and some other folks experience.  So far I have noticed that the Ultravalve is smoother and more open than the Musical Fidelity A3.5 solid state integrated amp that I was using before.  The Ultravalve makes the SongTowers sound better, a subtle harshness is gone and everything seems to be clearer, cleaner and smoother.  It sounded good before.  Now it sounds better.  I haven't seem any cons yet other than eventually, I will need to replace the tubes. 

Also, please remember that I am also using the new AVA AvaStar hybrid preamp as well.  It is also contributing to my sound improvements. 

As far as matching the Ultravalve to HT2-TL's, I will have to take Frank Van Alstine's word on that.  He wrote about the match up, "My 35W/ch Ultravalve tube amp has plenty of power for the HT2s, and the match is as much "made in audio heaven" (as reported in the current issue of The Absolute Sound) as with the Songtowers, but with an even better sound stage and bass extension."  You can read the entire thread  in  " http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=83536.0 ", (Frank's HT2-TL (RAAL version) in ribbon).

Hope this helps,

John
 

[GhostintheToast]

John, thanks for the input and heads up on that thread, I had missed it.  Wow, sounds like it would be a stellar upgrade from a receiver.  Someday....

[adydula]

Oh yeah!

For a year and a half I basically used an Onkyo SR805  AVR and it was wonderful.

The Upgrade with the AVA Preamp took it over the top.

You can call and speak to Frank at AVA who has a set of HT2 TL's I believe and hear it from the horses mouth...so to speak.

I never used a sub with the 2 ch setup (AVR) and always thought I was missing the bottom end somewhat.

With the new Ultravalve, I really dont feel like I am missing anythng at all for the music I listen to, in the room I have.

Good luck with your choices!

All the Best
Alex