[opnly bafld]

While the SET 400 might not be the optimal choice I don't think its a bad one.

Actually it is probably a very good choice. 

[avahifi]

Outsider, your SET 400 shipped to you today via insured UPS.

Thanks much for your order.

Let us know what you think after enjoying it for a few days.

Frank

[WGH]

In the meantime, just ordered a SET 400.

 

You will soon discover as I have, after listening to the SET 400 for a while, you're done. The Tucson Audiophile Club has a dozen members, a dozen different amps and a dozen different speakers. Everything from the aforementioned PS Audio BHK Signature Stereo 250 Power Amplifier, Odyssey Kismet, Line Magnetic, C-J, Linn Audio’s 530 active speakers with Exakt Preamp, Rogue, Mivera Purepower SE Class D, and a restored Dynaco ST-70 to name just a few. The SET 400 is the equal of all these amps, they all have slightly different tonal qualities but as a group they are all are excellent (although the Minerva was not my cup of tea).

The sound of the SET 400 is very, very close to the Dynaco ST-70 at low volumes but turn up the volume and it is obvious that there is more there there with the SET 400, quiet, more dynamic, clear highs, holographic mids, tight, fast, subterranean bass and of course as loud as you would ever want to go without even hinting of running out of gas. The Dynaco ST-70 was much more musical than a chip amp. I had a Hypex Ncore NC400 amp on loan for a month and it was clean, dynamic, absolutely quiet but no magic. We traded that amp around in different systems in different houses and no matter what we did it left us cold.

[RDavidson]

Outsider10, you're 100% right. I don't think you made a bad choice whatsoever. Aside from physical and electrical parameters to consider in a system, ultimately everyone's listening tastes, habits, and needs can vary a lot. It sounds like you've given about as much consideration as you can for your situation. Enjoy your new amp! Report back to us after you've had a chance to play with it. I'm sure it will serve your needs with top notch reliability...even if it's overkill for the wife.

[JackD]

Great choice outsider10

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Great choice over the PSA.  I did a review on the SET 400 for Frank.  It is a great sounding amp.  My son bought a pair of PSA S700 mono's and they are great sounding with a lot of air and transparency.  The SET has it beat in the midrange and musicality.  My son had all sorts of ground loop issues and he could not use his DAC which was not galvanically isolated so caused a hum.  He eventually returned it and stuck with his Parasound A21.  Other people have had issues with ground loops with the PSA's.

Congrats and Enjoy!

Post a review on the amp after it is broken in.

[charmerci]

From my post above: "Will be used with a refurbished Yamaha C4 pre-amp for now, but eventually want to move to a tube-based pre...Sources are Marantz TT15 turntable and FLAC > Schitt MODI 3 DAC. (Mostly vinyl.) I don't necessarily listen at high volumes very much, but system is set up in a largish 'great' room."

I do understand that the Modi is pretty much a bottom of the line DAC. It'll get upgraded at some point. As you note, "money money"...
 

I have older pretty high end Audio by Van Alstine (Ultra) DAC and have a Schiit Modi 3 and though it doesn't have the depth/soundstage of the AVA and not quite the ultimate low bass and extended highs, it sounds comparatively nice.
I've bought many AVA amps for decades. That amp will let your speakers get plenty loud.

[maty]

From my post above: "Will be used with a refurbished Yamaha C4 pre-amp for now, but eventually want to move to a tube-based pre...Sources are Marantz TT15 turntable and FLAC > Schitt MODI 3 DAC. (Mostly vinyl.) I don't necessarily listen at high volumes very much, but system is set up in a largish 'great' room."

Ouch!

https://www.ukaudiomart.com/details/649424817-preamplifier-yamaha-c4/images/1832235/

https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/yamaha/c-4.shtml (1979-1981)

[outsider10]

Outsider, your SET 400 shipped to you today via insured UPS.

Thanks much for your order.

Let us know what you think after enjoying it for a few days.

Frank

I will do that. I'm pretty excited, since I hardly ever get new audio gear.

The only problem- and one familiar to many here I bet- is that the SET 400 will probably outclass my pre-amp and sources by a fair margin, indicating I should probably also upgrade those as funds allow..

[charmerci]

Ouch!

https://www.ukaudiomart.com/details/649424817-preamplifier-yamaha-c4/images/1832235/

https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/yamaha/c-4.shtml (1979-1981)

Maty,
He said it was refurbished so all those old capacitors and such that repel you so much, should  all be gone.

It's a great looking pre. Just wait first before even thinking about a new one.

[maty]

I was only interested in seeing inside. I always or almost put the original link.

Off topic

I am thinking of a new improvement of my second loudspeakers, without modifying the crossover for now. And then, after Summer, maybe a DIY with the PURIFI 1ET400A module + Neurochrome Universal Buffer + DIY SMPS by Cresnet. And the famous RME DAC (with volume and headphone amp). All balanced. Step by step.

-> https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=167210.msg1775101#msg1775101

And thanks for caring!

[outsider10]

Maty,
He said it was refurbished so all those old capacitors and such that repel you so much, should  all be gone.

It's a great looking pre. Just wait first before even thinking about a new one.

I had a tech who specializes in Yamaha gear that I found via audiokarma go through it in 2013. I asked him to make it "as new", based on his professional judgment. He replaced some things, not sure if it was a full recap, also installed LED lamps. I think it was about $45 in parts, $150 labor at that time. He also swapped in a newly painted top panel from another unit, for my scratched up one.

As we all know, "refurbished" doesn't necessarily mean "fully restored", which in my book means pretty much a full recap on anything this old. The tech was a bit circumspect about what exactly he did, seemed pretty busy and not a "chatty" guy. He had a good reputation for getting old Yammie stuff sounding really good, and I got the impression he was holding onto trade secrets a bit. Regardless, I thought it sounded really good, much better than before the work.

I ran it for awhile with a Sumo Polaris amp, before that started having issues, then swapped in a fully restored Sansui AU-D11 II, which I ran until recently when it too started going south. So the C4 pre sat in storage for about 5 years. I just had my local tech go through it, he cleaned up the controls and said it sounded "great". Picking it up soon. I'm hoping to get the new amp/pre combo up and running within a week or so.

To your point RE getting something newer- yes it will be awhile, simply due to $$ considerations. If I'm super happy with the sound, all the better, I have plenty of other calls on my budget. But I'm pretty much over my "vintage audio" phase and expect that at some point, I'll want something modern and more reliable. One of Frank's tube-based pre's perhaps...

[toocool4]

The only problem- and one familiar to many here I bet- is that the SET 400 will probably outclass my pre-amp and sources by a fair margin, indicating I should probably also upgrade those as funds allow..

This is the beauty of separates, you don’t need to do everything all in one go.

[Charles Calkins]

       I see AVA products for sale once in a great while on USA or Audiogon. I see a lot of PS audio audio gear for sale on USA
       and Audiogon.  I have an AVA preamp everything in my sysetem sounds much better since I bought it over a year ago.

         AVA and PSaudio gives you 30 day trial period. If you don't like it send it back.