[tonyptony]

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstube&1218404742

I have nothing to do with either the unit or the owner.

[avahifi]

This unit is priced way too low.  I wonder why?  I have no info on the unit because I cannot find the zip code in my data base, probably because I changed bookkeeping systems a year ago and don't have the find command in the new one totally figured out yet. 

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

[bpape]

Looks like someone else thought so too.  Sale pending already.

Bryan

[Cacophonix]

Both seem to have found buyers.

[avahifi]

This appears to be a scam.  The listing is not by anyone in our customer data base so it is likely that the seller is not the original owner as claimed.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

[gjs_cds]

Maybe the guy had to relocate?  (i.e., change zip codes?)

[avahifi]

A potential buyer e-mailed me with the seller's name, never heard of him before.

Frank

[nicksgem10s]

While I am not accusing anyone of anything.....

I had purchased a "very similar" AVA Ultra 550 from the 2nd owner at the beginning of this year and really enjoyed my time using it in my system.

When I sold it I definitely did not say I was the original owner.

If you look at the listed feedback for the seller there is a recent one involving an AVA amplifier.  I am not claiming this is the same amp but his username looked familiar and I did leave feedback on the same model recently.

Don't know if this clears anything up for everyone who is concerned.

-Nick

[Dan Kolton]

How much money did you get for your 550 Ultra?  That might be of some interest.

[rlee8394]

Seller's ZIP is located in Timonium, Maryland, just north of Baltimore. It's about a 40 minute drive from my location. Checking his feedback he seems to have bought it used, therefore he would not be the original owner. Here is an excerpt from his feedback:

[Big Red Machine]

Serial numbers?

[rlee8394]

My original reply got truncated some how. Here it is in it's entirety.

Seller's ZIP is located in Timonium, Maryland, just north of Baltimore. It's about a 40 minute drive from my location. Checking his feedback he seems to have bought it used, therefore he would not be the original owner. Here is an excerpt from his feedback:

"Great buyer who worked out all the details in orderly fashion and paid promptly. Thanks for the excellent transaction. Enjoy your AVA amplifier.
  Positive by  Seller Nicksgem10s (309) on 02-16-08  re: Amplifier "

If anyone is seriously interested in the unit, I could contact the seller and arrange a visit in order to alleviate any concerns. I don't mind. Ironically, yesterday I was laid-off from my job of over fifteen years. Luckily, I had 220 hrs of vacation accrued and they offered me 90 days of severance pay on top of that. Financially, that should get me through October. Since I am an IT professional with a Top Secret SCI clearance with a Full Scope Lifestyle polygraph, I shouldn't have any problem getting a new gig. Therefore I have plenty of free time for such a mission. Anyway, I also have several AVA pieces that I want to sell, originally to raise cash to get the new AVA stuff. Now I have a bit more motivation in selling the equipment. Now if I land a new job relatively soon, I'll be flush with extra $$ for the new AVA equipment. If anyone is interested in my AVA equipment, the pieces are:

(1) Fet-Valve SL Preamp
(1) Fet-Valve Phase Inverter
(1) Omega IV DAC
(1) Super Pas Three with new custom black face plate and knob set, ceramic selector switch, Noble vol and bal controls, and ground plane jack set.
(2) Super 70i stuffed boards, hand matched channel to channel and boar to board. I have these left over after upgrading to the U70 boards.
(2) Ultimate 70 amps with AVA jack set and new power transformers from Triode Electronics. New EH 6CA7 tubes. Again, parts hand matched channel to channel and board to board. (Not sure I want to part with these as my original intention was to use these U70's bridged with the new differential units. But hell, I had fun building them, I can build another pair if necessary.)
(2) Dyna MKIII with the SDS Labs power supply board and the Triode Electronics audio boards with dual bias supply pots. I also repainted the chassis and trannies on these pieces. (Not AVA eq, but I'm raising cash for AVA stuff.)

For those who may worry that I don't have any decent equipment to listen to in the mean time, I am keeping a second Super Pas Three that I just completed, as well as a custom built EL84 amp using Shannon Parks ST-35 board. It won't drive my reworked B&W 801FS speakers, but I have a pair of B&W 601S3 that I can get by with for the time being.

Based on any interest generated for these units, I'll post asking prices and photos as well as AVA serial numbers for the Fet-Valve and OmegaIV units in the next day or so.

Sorry for the long post, but I'd figure I would give you folks the first right of refusal on these items before posting them on e-Bay or Audiogon.

Thanks,

Ron

[rockadanny]

Ron - You have a PM.

[rlee8394]

Dan,
I've sent you a PM reply.

Ron.

[avahifi]

I have been able to trace the history of the amplifier in questions now.

The seller on Audiogon lies.  He is the second owner.  Thus the warranty does not further transfer.

Inasmuch as I will not tolerate our equipment being misrepresented on Audiogon or E-bay, I have contacted Audiogon about this.

I operate on the assumption that if this seller lied about being the original owner, he will lie about other equipment being offered too,  Avoid him.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

[martyo]

Thanks for the heads-up Frank.