The AVA summer sale is ending soon and I have been thinking of an upgrade. I have been using the AVA Insight+ gear with my big beautiful mesquite HT2-TL's and have been happy but I am gutting and
remodeling an old house so getting new electronics for the new living room makes sense to me.
I am guessing not many people have heard both amps on the HT2-TL's. I have heard the FET Valve amps with the Soundscape speakers but that was under show conditions so no sound judgement could be
made.
Frank has made a few comments but these were regarding the HT3's and the Soundscapes, both speakers have a mid-range unit while the HT2-TL does not:
"I am using Salk HT3s here as my main test speakers, often with a Synergy 450 amplifier. It is an outstanding combination, a bit more laid back than with a Fet Valve hybrid amp, but really musical
and natural sounding, and with plenty of power."
"At AKFest we used both the Fet Valve 600R and the new Synergy 450 amplifier on all of Jims speakers there.
My opinion was that the Soundscape 8s were voiced a very tiny bit lean and very sightly hot, although amazingly well resolving.
The big new Synergy amplifier actually sounds like huge effortless vacuum tube amplifier - - - slightly warm and with a big powerful bass response. I agree that it matched the Soundscape 8s better, bringing out more bass energy and a more balanced overall sound from the system. The Fet Valve 600R does have significantly deeper clean bass reach and is slightly more transparent with slightly better controlled and more transient energy overall, but no speaker is the perfect match for any given amplifier.
Here I use both Salk HT3s and older B&W 801 speakers side by side. I like the Fet Valve 600R slightly better on the 801s, and the Synergy 450 slightly better on the Salks."
Who else is running these amps with the HT2-TL's? I can upgrade my Insight 440 for less than a grand while the FET Valve will cost me $2549 but the price difference is not the determining factor right now.
Wayne
