The AVA amps are low in price but they compete with amps costing twice as much. If you are looking for fancy chassis then look elsewhere. They certainly make my Parasound A21 sound mifi in comparison.
The R series amps are worth a look as well. I can't say whether the R or SET amps are better than the other. They just sound different. The SET just has a beautiful midrange and tone.
Although system synergy certainly plays a most important role.
There is no risk buying an AVA amp due to a great return policy.
@I.Greyhound Fan,
For sure. Function first for me, and frequently recommend it this way to colleagues looking for best value sound. I much prefer not paying too much for a fancy faceplate, and in this case if it means nice sounding gear can be obtained for 1/2 price with no middleman sales layer to pay, makes it accessible to more audiophiles. And, CNC machining a fancy bling billet anodized faceplate is an option if someone or a DIY'er really wanted to add it later themselves, fwiw. I actually like the simple stealth look of the stock faceplates myself.
I'm working on possibly demoing some other JFET/MOSFET amps next year. Just finished with a John Curl Parasound "+" series amp, nice amp, yet not a standout synergy in my setup. I suspect the AVA SET amps would be closer, maybe. If a local friend buys one, I'll try it. Past four years I've been trying and testing various amplifiers with my custom designed speakers to figure out which have the best synergy.
Did you end up keeping any of the AVA "SET" or "R" amps for yourself or further evaluation? Any chance to try again with AVA preamp?
@hilde45,
thanks, just having fun.