I picked up a new Ultra SL preamp last Thursday from Frank and have been putting it through its' paces.
First, some background. During the mid-90's I was a devout AVA fan owning Omega and 70i power amps, a Fet-Valve preamp, and possibly a few other pieces that escape me. I then "left the fold" to pursue the "high end" trekking through Acoustic Research, Balanced Audio Technologies, Plinius, Rowland, the newer McIntosh tube gear, Herron Audio, Lamm, and Joule Electra electronics (possibly missed a few here as well). I similarly plowed through a number of speaker sets before settling in on the Merlin VSM-Ms that I now own (B&W, Audio Physic, Magnaplanar, and to name a few). During much of this period I lived near Washington DC so many high end salons in the area were perused.
I was (am?) pretty much settled on my sytem anchored by the Merlin speakers, Joule Electra amps, and Wadia GNS CD player. I was searching for a matching Joule Electra preamp for the final piece (I buy most of this gear on AudioGon to eliminate the first 50% or so of the cost of ownership). I also was looking for an "everyday amp" as the Joule Electras, while producing great sound, act as space heaters even in a fairly good size room (and are costly to run, each amp having a compliment of seven tubes). I ran across a year old AVA Fet-Valve 550 EXR amp on A'gon and purchased it to solve this need. I was very impressed - it was far better than I expected (but not up to the glorious sound of the Joule's, then again, nothing I have heard brings the level of emotion these heaters can!). It was enough to focus me once again on AVA.
Back to the pre-amp (the reason for this tale). I read with interest about the new T8 tube amp so I stopped by Frank's Place for a listen. Frank auditioned the unit, then suggested I listen to the new Fet-Valve derivative, the Ultra. I did, and it produced a bit more dynamics than the T8, and since Frank suggested this was his finest, I ordered one in the old style SL form factor (the new faceplates are, by the way, are very, very nice - I had the opportunity to see a built up unit when I picked up the Ultra SL).
My most recent preamps have been the Lamm LL2 and Herron Audio VSTP 1A/166, both highly reviewed units (Stereophile Class A, Absolute Audio "Upstairs", many best of show awards and other international press) AND priced in the $5,000 range. These two pre-amps were very nice- different from one another, but each fabulous in it's own way. The Herron could reproduce the most subtle musical shadings in a manner that would, at times, make my jaw drop for the shear beauty of tone I was hearing. It was, however, a bit polite in the dynamics department. The Lamm, on the other hand, much more dynamic, a bit fuller sounding, but still very capable in musical shadings. Either would be a welcome unit in anyone's system.
The Ultra SL is more like the Lamm than the Herron - very dynamic, very musical, very capable of competing with the best. In fact, I'd be willing to bet good money that I couldn't tell the difference between these two in a blind test. The Ultra is a very, very special pre-amp that gives up nothing to these exalted brethren.
This is probably a boring dissertation and certainly not filled with the kind of details most audio gear reviews present, but the purpose is to convey a comparion of the new AVA gear to widely recognized industry leaders. Many compare AVA equipment to mid-price gear which does not do Frank's designs justice. The Ultra pre is every bit as good as the best out there.
If you are considering an upgrade to an older Fet-Valve unit, or if in the market for a new pre-amp, RUN DON'T WALK to the phone and place an order for the Ultra. It is one of the finest preamps I've heard at any price!
PS : the Lamm is gone and the Herron on the way out. My pre-amp of choice is now the Van Alstine Ultra (and I may just have to upgrade the amp as well!)
