[avahifi]

The new Secrets of Home Theater and High Fideliy has just rated our Fet Valve CF preamplifier the best value vacuum tube preamplifier for 2014.  Read the review here:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/preamplifiers/preamplifiers-reviews/audio-by-van-alstine-fet-valve-cf-vacuum-tube-preamplifier-review.html

Frank Van Alstine

[Kwebb]

Frank,

Congratulation, another independent validation of what some of us have known all along!

Keep up the great work.

Kyle

[ASCTLC]

Well deserved.

I still lust to experience one with my Synergy 450 and Legacy Signatures. 

Maybe some day I'll make the trade up from my Insight+ EC but wonder if I'm could actually tell the difference in sound.  Not a question of the Fet Valve being better than the Insight+ but whether I have ears sophisticated enough to tell when all I have and play is redbook.

Andy

[aln]

Tell Santa he can drop one off at my house!  Happy Holidays!

[ArthurDent]

Well deserved.

I still lust to experience one with my Synergy 450 and Legacy Signatures. 

Maybe some day I'll make the trade up from my Insight+ EC but wonder if I'm could actually tell the difference in sound.  Not a question of the Fet Valve being better than the Insight+ but whether I have ears sophisticated enough to tell when all I have and play is redbook.

Andy

I think you would. A good friend with much better ears than mine was very (to say the least) impressed with the change from my old Utra EC to the CF. As was I, and my ears aint' what they used to be.     Good on ya Frank & crew.

[eventhorizon]

Well deserved.

I still lust to experience one with my Synergy 450 and Legacy Signatures. 

Maybe some day I'll make the trade up from my Insight+ EC but wonder if I'm could actually tell the difference in sound.  Not a question of the Fet Valve being better than the Insight+ but whether I have ears sophisticated enough to tell when all I have and play is redbook.

Andy

Per my discussions with Frank the tubed pre's will just have a different presentation and not necessarily all that much better if at all depending on the set-up as you say, but who doesn't love tubes

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Congrats Frank!

[JerryM]

Very cool. Congrats Frank and AVA!! 

[dlparker]

...snip..snip..snip..
my ears aint' what they used to be.
...snip..snip..snip..

'..they used to be my feet!' - Goon Show, BBC, 195?

I'm sorry, I can't help it. It's Friday night and I'm hobbling around the house like an old man (which I definately am NOT, only 68!)
listening to music when I should be out playing it..

[gadfly]

A beautifull piece.  I purchased the CF pre and 600R almost a yr. ago.  After a lengthy period
of dialing in speaker placement and source adjustments the elusive wow factor emerged.
I have stopped by my local Hifi dealer and listened to their megabuck B&W/McIntosh systems.
Is my relatively modest Salk/Ava combo better than the Abbey Lane Studio System?
In my living room, to my mind, yes.

gad-whose mind is finally blown

[a.wayne]

Congratulations FVA ,  really nice piece ......

[mresseguie]

Geez. This sort of praise just makes me wonder what I'm missing out on with my 'humble' T8 preamp. Money is a bit tight now....

[SJ David]

Audio enthusiast angst no doubt at play!!

I purchased a new T-8 back in late 2012 and I too have been reading about the top model in the press and on this site. It does open up some concerns on "what I am missing out on"?

I usually calm those mental outbursts when I remember that I bought the T8 because it brought most of what I needed for the amount invested. Sometimes it's nice to know you have the best available. Most times it's nice to know you are almost there for a lot less money. What the T8 can do for less is, after all, a real kick.