Frank interview in hifizine

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trebejo

Frank interview in hifizine
« on: 22 Mar 2012, 09:22 am »
I haven't seen this interview mentioned here, it's pretty good!

http://www.hifizine.com/2011/06/ava-hifi-ultravalve/

There's even a banana in there for a mystery member of this circle.  :banana piano:

rcag_ils

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Re: Frank interview in hifizine
« Reply #1 on: 22 Mar 2012, 12:08 pm »
I like the "time machine" part, just image hundreds of thousands of Ultravalves were being sold in the market place. However, when HiFi was young, all amps had similar power supply design, so it might not have made too much difference.

johzel

Re: Frank interview in hifizine
« Reply #2 on: 22 Mar 2012, 01:51 pm »
Speaking of "time" - I have a bit of a Frank Van Alstine story. Many years ago - early 70's - when I was in college at UW Stout and had more interest in audio than money my roommate and I drove over to the Twin Cities and visited a "guy" who was modding Hafler and Dynakits (we had heard he had quite an audiophile following and wanted to see what could be better than our Radio Shack equipment  :lol: :oops:) - I remember going down some steps in a house where the "shop" was operating.  Of course, we couldn't afford anything but had a great experience totally enamored by what we saw.  This past fall when I was looking for an amp I contacted Frank by email (thanks to reading so many positive things about AVA here on AudioCircle) and was able to pick up a used Insight Double 240 amplifier in a Dyna ST-150 chassis and had Frank upgrade it to a Insight +.  Of all the equipment I own this is clearly one of my favorite pieces.  When I mentioned my 1970's visit to Mr. Van Alstine he confirmed that it was very likely his shop that I had visited . . . so, it only took me a bit more than 35 years from that first visit to finally own one of Frank's amps -  better late than never!! :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: 

TONEPUB

Re: Frank interview in hifizine
« Reply #3 on: 22 Mar 2012, 03:09 pm »
"all other vacuum tube amps I am aware of – has hopelessly inadequate power supplies. A simple RC network, no matter how big or how outrageously priced the parts are, no matter what the outlandish claims for their wonderful sounding parts, simply fails in real world use conditions."

A little full of ourselves here, I think...

Devil Doc

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Re: Frank interview in hifizine
« Reply #4 on: 22 Mar 2012, 04:14 pm »
After I left the Navy, I went to work for a newspaper. The one thing I learned from that experience is that publishers are a lot like Admirals. I never liked Admirals.

Doc.

trebejo

Re: Frank interview in hifizine
« Reply #5 on: 22 Mar 2012, 04:43 pm »
"all other vacuum tube amps I am aware of – has hopelessly inadequate power supplies. A simple RC network, no matter how big or how outrageously priced the parts are, no matter what the outlandish claims for their wonderful sounding parts, simply fails in real world use conditions."

A little full of ourselves here, I think...

"Our"? So you are including yourself and... who else?

You know, a guy who knows a lot about this stuff and who is clearly not about the greed or BS of this stuff goes to the trouble of telling you more or less precisely how he went about making some significant strides where others have not--thus, more or less inviting the rest of the industry to "cancel his advantage"--and all you can do with that gesture is take a swipe at him.

That's all you got from the interview? Really? Why would you bother to read it?

Ok... since you clearly have a specific example of a tube amp with a power supply that contradicts the quoted statement, please cite it. We can all learn from it. And if you do NOT, please just admit that actually, no, you don't actually know it--I have certainly learned over time that it's not the end of the world to just admit that "Frank was right" (alas, it was the end of many of my Franklins).

If you do have that example, please, cite it, I at least am genuinely interested in learning of it.

pjchappy

Re: Frank interview in hifizine
« Reply #6 on: 22 Mar 2012, 06:10 pm »
Take it easy, guys.


Paul

rcag_ils

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Re: Frank interview in hifizine
« Reply #7 on: 22 Mar 2012, 06:31 pm »
Frank occasionally mentions his designing secret, it wouldn't surprised me that other companies will start copying Frank's design and call it their own.

r1seals

Re: Frank interview in hifizine
« Reply #8 on: 22 Mar 2012, 06:47 pm »
Frank occasionally mentions his designing secret, it wouldn't surprised me that other companies will start copying Frank's design and call it their own.

 I think this has already happen with BK  not a good thing.  :nono:

avahifi

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Re: Frank interview in hifizine
« Reply #9 on: 22 Mar 2012, 06:56 pm »
Yah, the B&K 140.  And then there was the Dyna Pat-5 Bifet and the Dyna 416.  Oh well.

Frank

avahifi

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Re: Frank interview in hifizine
« Reply #10 on: 22 Mar 2012, 06:59 pm »
New, hot off the press, a current interview in Dagogo.  Here is the link.

http://www.dagogo.com/home.asp

Frank

murf

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Re: Frank interview in hifizine
« Reply #11 on: 26 Mar 2012, 02:05 pm »
Both of these interviews are very nice, and it's great to see Frank & crew getting the recognition they deserve (& who knew they were all so cute?).   :P

I think Frank is rightfully proud of his latest (I have a 400r), and can't be faulted for a little braggadocio.  After all, Frank seems to spend very little on traditional advertizing, thus saving us (his customers) big money.  I don't know what % of the price tag is normally spent on advertizing in the audio industry, but in other industries it can & often does top 25%.  Personally, I appreciate the savings!   :thumb:

Murf  8)