Has anyone ever had this amp? I was wondering. I read so many good thing about this Van Alstine amps and none bad. What comparason is there for this amps quality. I mean I have read people that had krell, macs, levinson, and finaly decided to stick to Van Alstine. Are this amps really so good as every one tells?
I wouldn't buy it because it's more amp than I need. I would naturally want to have it upgraded at some point, and it's going to be more expensive to do so than with a smaller AVA amp.
But it's still a very good amp and it has great gobs of power. But it won't be like some big amps that don't have any subtlety.
I'm sure there are people who say bad things about AVA products. But you're not that likely to find them here in the AVA circle.
People who own expensive amps like you mention and then hear an AVA amp realize that you don't get better sound for your money with the other brands. Most people want the best value for their money, so they become loyal AVA customers.
I'm not going to tell you that this AVA amp you're thinking about is the best in the world, but it was very good indeed when it was new. You might want to look at:
http://www.avahifi.com/root/review/t250_audio.htm This is a review of a lesser amp from the same series, and it's in a major magazine. There are plenty of other reviews of AVA equipment listed at:
http://www.avahifi.com/root/review/index.htmAll I can say is that I've been a customer of Frank's for around 20 years, and I won't buy anything else. I also recommend AVA to my friends.
It sounds like this amp at $450 will be a major purchase for you. Maybe your comfort level demands that you buy something else, maybe something that your friends recommend? You can always explore AVA products at a later date.
You really should try giving Frank a call and asking him for a recommendation. Maybe he can suggest an alternative. Or maybe he'll think this is the best amp for you and your budget. He won't lie to you. You can trust Frank and _that's_ the bottom line for me.
