[jedgar]

I picked this used 2016 unit up from AVA a few weeks ago.  Paired with AVA Synergy 240 (SS), driving Tannoy DC 4000s.  Also an Onix Rocket 12 sub.

Replaced an adequate Parasound SS preamp.  I've tried a friend's older AVA tube preamp in past and did not hear a significant overall improvement but kept my eyes open for a used, full-featured tube preamp for some time.  Then this showed up at AVA HQ and I took it home for my 30 day trial.

I was first surprised to hear a big big improvement when sourced with MacBook digital recordings to a cheap bluetooth receiver to the T-10 - sound stage and definition much improved. Not my usual source. (Listening to Sonny Rollins GO WEST Contemporary digital redos right now and they are wonderful!)

The differences are more subtle with Arcam CD player and Thorens/Dynavector sources.  I will say that all poorly recorded material reveals more of its inadequacies with this setup and well-recorded and excellent material sounds very very good. Well that's a price one pays for good equipment.

This differs from the Transendence RB (Real Basic) as follows.

This has built-in phono preamp that handles the moving coil output very well.  There is a mono switch that I have not tested enough with mono sources to find any difference.  There is an attenuation switch that I use because of the high sensitivity of the Tannoys. I've used my Massdrop/Sennheiser HD 6XX headphones  with the headphone circuit a few times only and they sound fine. There is a filter switch (unused) to dampen high and low frequency defects in source.  There is a source/tape monitor switch that I do not use.  Happy to have the mute/volume control remote at hand. With phono/cd1/cd2/tuner/blue tooth all plugged in, there is room for one more input.

And I don't care that the case is not black like the AVA Synergy case. 

PS - My friend Brian took and created the jazzed-up photo below and I can point you to him if you are interested in getting a copy (or a similar one with a trombone.)

[G E]

Nice find and nice write up!

I’ve always been curious about this preamp but ended up taking a different path

What tubes came with it?

My personal experience tube rolling can make a big difference and sometimes a vast improvement.

I love my NOS tubes and current faves are pre 1956 Mullards. 12AU7 and 12AX7.

I also have a set of RCA black plates going back to late 1940’s early 1950’s.

The tubes are in a phono preamp.

These two sets couldn’t be more sonically different. The RCA’s are “chunky” and match well with rock and roll music.

The Mullards provide a much more sophisticated play. Oodles  of detail, decay goes on forever, soundstage so big it orbits the globe and shows up on the other side of the room. Well, I exaggerate some here. Violin , female voice, piano are voicing that benefit greatly

Funny, in an earlier phono preamp Amperex Bugle Boys were hands down winners and the Mullards sat unplayed. Bugle boys had a way of presenting female voice in that earlier phono section that sent shivers down my spine.  In my current phono they were not a good match. Shrill. Tipped up unpleasantly.

Grado “woodie” carts in play with a Well Tempered Amadeus table.

Anyway , worth a try at rolling tubes with NOS. I wouldn’t waste time or money rolling modern tubes.

My two cents.

[jedgar]

The stock tubes are 6922/ECC88.  My first venture in "valves" and I suspect I will wait till these deteriorate before trying others.  Frank avers these are the best for this preamp.  Glad to read your comments. 

[Chazz5]

I have the RB10 without phono preamp; stock tubes. I feed it from a DAC; works great.

[jandrews]

I also have the RB10 with remote , no phono
It’s a sophisticated yet elegantly simple line stage that sounds great on the pre-outs and the headphone outs.
I’ve run the new JJ 6DJ8’s along with old Bugle Boy’s and RCA 6cg7’s

[Chazz5]

I reported earlier that the RB10 with stock tubes worked great between an RME ADI FS-2 DAC and the power amplifier (a FirstWatt F8).

Eventually I heard a hiss from the speakers, although only when nothing was playing and I had my ear about 8 inches from the speaker. The hiss was louder on one speaker than the other. I guess the tubes were in their senile stage.

I put in matched Genalex Gold Lion 6922 tubes instead of stock EH 6922's. (Apparently, all these tubes come from Electro Harmonix's Sovtek factory supplier in Russia.) It really improved the realism of full notes and distinct instruments. I did not have new stock 6922's for a fair comparison, but I don't recall the setup ever having sounded better than it does now.

[FatsoJoe]

Nice to see someone picked up on AVA preamplifiers. I think this is the best kept secret in the audio world. I purchased a new Vision SLR pre less than a year ago and am very happy with it. And the optional phono stage is no slouch either. Sorry no tubes, but after 34 years of tubes I cried UNCLE. I now appreciate a system that always sounds consistent with virtually no required warm-up. Oh yea...the remote is a pleasure too. All for a song. No...I have no affiliation to AVA. Just a repeat customer who pays full price.