New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia

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ArthurDent

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Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #1 on: 14 Sep 2018, 07:39 pm »
Well done sir.   :thumb: Great review. Appears Larry isn't the only one suitably impressed with this offering. Off to the attic to find the 550's box I guess.

JD

JerryM

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Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #2 on: 14 Sep 2018, 07:44 pm »
Very cool. Congrats, AVA!  :beer:

timind

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Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #3 on: 14 Sep 2018, 08:47 pm »
Very nice review. Frank, for those of us who don't need 225w, would you say the SET 120 has a similar sound?

I.Greyhound Fan

Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #4 on: 14 Sep 2018, 09:05 pm »
Cograt's Frank.  It truly is a great amp and a great bargain.

Larry

RPM123

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Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #5 on: 15 Sep 2018, 01:48 am »
Would have helped to list the associated equipment!

JackD

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Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #6 on: 15 Sep 2018, 02:14 am »
Unless he's changed recently he was using Alta Audio Celesta FRM-2 speakers.

Pryso

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Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #7 on: 15 Sep 2018, 05:56 pm »
OK, no disrespect to the SET 400 but I can't agree this was such a great review.  Yes it was impressive that it stood up well to a pair of much more expensive mono amps, but how many readers are familiar with those amps?  And yes, familiar or not, it might have been helpful to list the other associated components.  Thanks to JackD we learn the speakers might have been Alta Audio models, but again, not a particularly well known example.  At least I've never seen nor heard them.  So what is their efficiency and frequency response?

The product description was lifted straight from the AVA website.  It told us nothing more, other than a 200 hour burn-in was done.  I don't know why Frank and staff are reluctant to quote 4 ohm power ratings but that could be helpful to many different speaker owners.  The review did nothing to enlighten that point.

The sonic descriptions did sound encouraging.  But for me it would have been more helpful had he listed some of the more common recordings used in the review.

Now I'll admit this all might have been more helpful to me had I read several of his previous reviews which might have answered some of my questions.  But this was my first time to read him, so it wasn't.  In spite of all my quibbling it is an amp I could be interested in auditioning.

avahifi

Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #8 on: 15 Sep 2018, 08:27 pm »
Power rating into 4 ohms is double 8 ohm power up to the 6 amp max recommended speaker fuse size.

Overfusing will blow speakers instead of fuses.   Note that SET 400 cannot put DC into your speakers.   Very safe to use.

Frank
« Last Edit: 16 Sep 2018, 12:30 am by avahifi »

Pryso

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Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #9 on: 15 Sep 2018, 08:44 pm »
Thanks Frank, very good to learn that.

danielgk

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Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #10 on: 16 Sep 2018, 01:26 pm »
Talk is cheap, but when a reviewer actually BUYS the product under review and makes it part of his reference system then that's a review you can truly believe in.


Dan

Pryso

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Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #11 on: 16 Sep 2018, 04:35 pm »
Hi Dan,

OK, he loved it enough to make it part of his reference system.  But did he offer information in the review that was helpful to me in learning about the amp?  Since I don't know his system or his tastes, not really, and that was my point.

Still, I admit there is nothing like an audition in our own system to determine if it suits our particular tastes and needs or not.  So I will likely give a SET 400 my own trial when I'm ready to buy another amp.

avahifi

Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #12 on: 17 Sep 2018, 02:07 pm »
Timind, the SET 120 ($899) has identical audio circuits and identical musicality as the SET 400, just lower power.

It drives my 83 dB Philharmonic 3 speakers just fine.

If you have a reasonably efficient speaker (87dB or better) it will be the best improvement to your system you have ever made.

In theory, I have a review coming in The Absolute Sound for the SET 120 and Transcendence 10 RB combination ($899 each).  No date for the review yet. We sent the reviewer the two units the end of May.

Frank

simon wagstaff

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Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #13 on: 27 Nov 2018, 10:04 pm »
I can confirm that the SET 120 sounds very nice. I am currently comparing in my system to a well known amp, that I really like, that costs 3X the price. The SET 120 is more incisive. Not sure which one I will keep in my main system. I should point out that the amp is crossed over at 250hz so the power is not that important.

2bigears

Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #14 on: 28 Nov 2018, 12:31 am »
 :D sounds like a bargain,, both.  But is it not true ,, headroom is a Blessing to the sound ?  :D

AvsFan

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Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #15 on: 7 Dec 2018, 07:38 pm »
Timind, the SET 120 ($899) has identical audio circuits and identical musicality as the SET 400, just lower power.

It drives my 83 dB Philharmonic 3 speakers just fine.

If you have a reasonably efficient speaker (87dB or better) it will be the best improvement to your system you have ever made.

In theory, I have a review coming in The Absolute Sound for the SET 120 and Transcendence 10 RB combination ($899 each).  No date for the review yet. We sent the reviewer the two units the end of May.

Frank

So I would assume if 87db speakers would come to life with your SET120, my ZU Audio 97db efficient speakers would catapult my system into the next galaxy! 

AvsFan

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Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #16 on: 7 Dec 2018, 07:48 pm »
I can confirm that the SET 120 sounds very nice. I am currently comparing in my system to a well known amp, that I really like, that costs 3X the price. The SET 120 is more incisive. Not sure which one I will keep in my main system. I should point out that the amp is crossed over at 250hz so the power is not that important.

Can you elaborate a little more? What kind of amp are you comparing the 120 to? You don't have to name it, just what is it? A/B, Class A SET? What kind of power? And if the SET 120 is more "incisive" well that' sexactly the kind of amp I am looking for. I don't want bloom or warm syrupy sound. I like fast, articulate punchy well defining amps. Harsh or bright sounding, of course not, but I like attack and decay! 

It says a lot for the AVA if you can't decide between a $900 amp and a $2700 amp!

simon wagstaff

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Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #17 on: 16 Jan 2019, 07:34 am »
Odyssey Kismet in Khartago case. Stereo, not monoblock.Its an easy 165 watts per channel and a very fine amp.  Incisive is the word I keep coming back to in comparison. They both sound superb. In my situation I am crossing over at 250hz, not a standard application.

avahifi

Re: New AVA Vision SET 400 review in Audiophilia
« Reply #18 on: 16 Jan 2019, 07:52 pm »
The review of our Vision SET 120 amplifier and Transcendence 10 RB preamp is now available in the January issue of The Absolute Sound.

Frank