[Bosh]

This is a great machine.

Mind you, I can't claim to have listened at any great length to the world's "finest" phono amps.  But I can say I've listend to a lot...and I'm glad I took the good counsel of someone at Audio Asylum and purchased this uint.

Knowing the famously pragmatic Mr. VA would not approve, I'll also say that I rolled the stock EH 12AX7's for a pair of Telefunken OS with great results.  I went back and rolled the EH's back in, then followed with a pair of Phillips Army/Navy NOS.

The TKF's were by far the quietest, most refined tubes and in they stay (but I'd love to try the Mazdas).  

I also replaced the stock, rubber feet with Mapleshade Conepoints.

AVA is a great, high-value company that I hope gains more recognition in the audiophile community.  The customer service is supurb and the "wait" is explained with hand-made reality in mind...but in my case beat the promise by well over a week.

"High value" still ain't cheap, by any measure.  That said, I'd bitch just a little about the RCA jacks.  $700.00 for a phono stage and I would have liked a little more "WBT" style heft to the plugs.  And sooner or later, Mr. VA should consider letting go of the fixed AC cord thing.

One last thing:  If you're going this route, listen to the man and spend the extra thirty bucks for an internal tranny:  that way you have options in the low-output cartridge zone.

I started with the AVA T-6 using a Shure M97xE Moving Magnet and have since graduated to a Dynavector DV20X High-Output Moving Coil.  The AVA T-6 delivers flawlesly with the high output DV.   But the internal power option, for the price of a good chunk of Stilton, is something I regret passing on (PS:  They're Minnesotan's, so they can't bring themselves to really "push" anything, as that would be too, well,  pushy.  Hell, I lived there so I can say so).

Have fun.

-bosh

[avahifi]

Thanks for your kind comments.  Tube choice is of course your option, but it should not make huge differences as the tubes are buffered and thus run at their best linearity and have no loads to drive.

I am a bit puzzled about your mention of a $30 internal transformer option.  All new AVA preamps include a built in power supply (with shielded toroid power transistors on all the amps and tube and hybrid preamps).  Am I missing something?

Frank Van Alstine

[Bosh]

Then I must be messing-up the termonology.  I'm about as far away from an engineering major as possible.

At the time of my purchase, I recall being offered, for a very reasonable price, an internal "option" that would allow the T-6 to be turned into a full-function pre amp in the future, if so desired.

My addled brain telles me this was a power transformer of some kind, and my limited grasp of all things technical decided that this also allowed the unit to (better) power low output Movice Coil carts.

Now Class...what do we do when we "AssUMe"?"

And yes, I did see the little transformer in there when I swapped out the tubes (several times, as noted in original post).  And on that topic...

I'm not a tweakfreak.  I trust my ears and do not own any magic stones or pebbles (and if I did, I would use them for things more important than even audio:  like improved health or unscrewing the Democratic Party).

The (slight) nearfield hum I experienced with the T-6 faded back considerably with the TFK's, got worse (than the stock) with the Phillips Army/Navy.  I repeated this roll several times and the results were always the same and verified by the fearsome Mrs. Bosh, who does not suffer audiophile nonsense gladly

Thanks again for a terrific product.  And one question about that tranny:  is there a reason why the center bolt is so loose?  I tightened it by hand but didn't want to bring a tool into the picture, as I (here I go assuming again) assumed it was this way for a reason.

-bosh

[avahifi]

Hardware for the toroid power transformer should NOT have been loose.  Looks like LockTight needed here in production.

Regarding the option you mentioned, I have not a clue.  The only options would be adding the line stage, full preamp switching, and full preamp faceplate and jacks ($250.00) and the buffered tape output board ($129).  FVA