[Tyson]

The beauty of tubes combined with the power of solid state - how can you go wrong?  I'm only selling my 550exr6 because I'm going w/tube monoblocks and a 500w SS amp on bass with an active crossover. 

[gjs_cds]

First off--I love this thread.

I had sold mid-fi and car-audio in college, and got bit by the bug then.  And while in Master's, I had tricked my wife into letting me acquire some Acoustat 2+2s... .  The Rotel 980bx amp that I had at the time did fine, but I thought I could do better.

So I was interested in a Sunfire power amp at the time, and I read the 440HC vs. Sunfire review from (Sensible Sound?)  And the article made a huge amount of sense.  Same (if not better) performance for hundreds (thousand?) less.  So then I checked out his site.  His site's content made even more sense.  So I got turned onto his AudioBasics newsletter... Read them all from cover to cover.  And his no nonsense audioflake-counter-culture attitude really appealed to me.  (Especially since I had started a PhD program in speech science at the time.)  He just made *too* much sense for me to not give him a chance.  I was interested in an OmegaStar III 440HC from Audiogon, but I remember reading about calling AvaHiFi before buying used.  So I called.  And boy was I stunned when Frank picked up the phone!  (Like Bob Carver would have ever...)  He gave the amp his blessing, the transaction was made... and I was STUNNED at the improvement.  I thought the Rotel was good (Stereo-pile Class B), but after putting in the 440HC, it felt like I had gained at least an octave on the high-end.  (Let alone improved bass, definition, transients, and "punch".)

Anyone that could produce these kinds of results deserved my attention.  He talked a lot--but he backed it up 100%.  So I picked up an OmegaStar SL pre-amp (used) direct from Frank.  I didn't expect much--because how important could pre-amps really be?  (So sayeth myself in my ignorant youth.)  Again--I was stunned at the improvement in clarity, definition, transience, and "punch".  Every component made it feel like an entirely new system.

Now--a decade later--I cannot wait to treat myself to the Insight upgrade!  Tenure (and the subsequent pay raise) cannot come soon enough.

And if there's ever a problem,  I know it will be resolved.  His audio, engineering, marketing and business philosophies suit my values to a "T".  I see absolutely no reason to even consider looking elsewhere.  He's proven himself to be right 100% of the time.  I find it impossible to believe that similarly priced products (with similar customer service) could be any better.

Quality.  Service.  Value.  

[oneinthepipe]

1) Hand-built components; 2) with rock-solid construction; 3) and great sound; 4) and upgradability; 5) made in the U.S.A.; 6) and sold for reasonable prices; 7) with a customer satisfaction guarantee and a great warranty; 8 ) that are designed by a trusted and innovative audio legend; 9) who provides personal service to his customers both before and after the sale.

What made me pick AVA above the rest?  Who and where are the rest?

[JerryM]

I picked AVA above the rest after months and months of research. I knew that I wanted an all new two channel system, and just started reading everything I could. This research took me through a maze of choices, wherein one would find tons of prose and wonderful thoughts, but if you Google "XYZ stereo sucks", you find the opposite opinions nearly instantly.

I finally ended up on EBay and found a nice Hafler. I looked up Hafler and found AVA rebuilding them. I called my best friend and asked "Do you remember Van Alstine gear from high school?" We both did.

From there, I read all of the old Audio Basics. Pretty nice publications for someone looking to buy a whole new system from the ground up. Just about everything you can possibly have in a system is addressed in no nonsense terms and backed with sound engineering principle.

Next, was this forum. There is just so much information here. There are just so many posts of how nice Franks gear makes the music sound. So many 'Thank you's' to Frank. And Frank's posts, right there in the mix trying like hell to make folks understand what he has been trying to get across for quite some time.

Finally, when I called AVA to place my order, Frank answered the phone. I told him that I was surprised to hear him answer. He said "This is the fun part." How cool is that?

Lastly, try to find a bad review of AVA or the Van Alstine name. It simply does not exist. That, in and of itself to me, speaks volumes of of the man, his gear, and his long term dedication to the audiophile community.

Thanks, Frank!
Jerry

BTW - The music sounds just stunning here 

[EV-MAN]

Got hooked in the 70's and bought a Dynaco Pat -4 and Dyna ST-150 amp and built the kits and built my own speaker cabinets. Got married had kids and in the early 80's sorta lost interest. About 5 years ago I went to a old friends house heard his system and got the bug again. My friend made a suggestion to look at the new stuff out there. I started searching the web and came across AVA and what intriged me was he upgrades on the old Dyna gear which I already had. I have talked to Frank on the phone several times the last few years and he is a very nice man and try to guide you in the right direction. So I pulled the triger this Oct. and sent my Dyna Pat-5 and Dyna ST-150 for a Insight rebuild. I could not wait so I sprung for a Insight DAC also. Got my NEW Insight 240 amp a couple of weeks ago and it sounds great. The Insight Pat-5 and Insight DAC are on the way. And another thing that helped me to buy AVA was I bought a Dyna Pat-4 Omega 2 preamp on ebay that was done in 1986 and it still sounds great. When I looked inside the workmanship is outstanding. Signed Adicted Again Bill

[turkey]

I picked Jensen's because of Frank, Aado, and Dave. (Darlene was always really nice to me too.)

When I finally opened my eyes and ears and got into what you might call the "high end," I read a lot of articles in various places.

Karl Nehring of the $ensible Sound thought very highly of Jensen's products, and they seemed to offer a lot of value for money. I got some more info on Jensen's and found that they were one of the few companies that offered rational explanations of what they were offering and why it worked well.

I read some issues of AB, called on the phone and talked to them a number of times (I swear Frank, Aado, and Dave all sounded the same to a non-Minnesotan. I never knew who I was speaking to - not that it really mattered since all three were very knowledgeable.)

I bought a used PAS locally and a SuperPAS kit from Frank. I like building kits, and it seemed like a very good place to start. I still have it, and use it occasionally when my main preamp is off to AVA for an upgrade.

I've been a customer ever since.
 

[turkey]

Lastly, try to find a bad review of AVA or the Van Alstine name. It simply does not exist.

I have seen at least one review that was very disparaging of AVA and one of their products.

That review has some slight truth to it, but I think it's mainly the product of an insecure little man that loves to savage others (other than his favorites who can do no wrong). The person who published this review seems to worship at the alter of his technical guru - the reviewer in this case.

[OldCoder]

When I originally met Frank about 30 years ago, I was just shopping all of the local hifi suppliers.  I spent a lot more time listening and "tire kicking" than I did buying back in those days.  Every time I visited Frank, he not only taught me about what sounded good, he took the time to teach me WHY it sounded good.  He shared his love of music, and his vast engineering knowledge of audio equipment.  I came to count on being able to talk to Frank "engineer to engineer" about design issues without any of the marketing BS that I found everywhere else.

Eventually, I pulled together the money to upgrade my system, and as others here have stated, Frank's gear simply sounded better than anything else I could afford.  It sounded much better than many thing I could not hope to afford.  So I built a new system with his help, and used it to instill a love of music in my kids.

When my kids graduated from college 18 years later, I was ready for "Dad's graduation present", a long postponed system upgrade.  In all that time, the only problem I had encountered was a power switch that welded itself open due to my fondness for The Who.   Frank's gear was still running perfectly (other than the one switch), and still sounding better than most of what I could find. 

The only gear I could find that sounded clearly better, and that I could afford, was Frank's latest gear, the T7 preamp and various amps.   By now, I wasn't doing business with a dealer, I was working with an old friend who knew more than I could ever hope to learn.  As I told him earlier this year, one of my great pleasures in life has become writing checks to him.  They are among the best investments I have made in my life, and I look forward to more opportunities to do so.

[avahifi]

Thanks all of you for the kind comments and good memories.

My toughest sale ever was with the guy who came in for a demo bringing a record of him playing his violin.   He seemed pretty happy with the performance of the AVA  system but then asked if he could make one more comparison.  I said sure.  So he went back to his car and came back in with -- the violin!

Now that was a tough A-B   

We passed.  Did good enough that he became a customer.

Talk about no excuses possible or thoughts of what kind of sound he wanted! 

Regards,

Frank

[MarkD]

I was stationed in Japan in the 70s, and electronics  were cheap.  So I bought a lot of different stuff, and was not really satisfied.  A buddy suggested I try a pair of the original Advent speakers, and they were much better than the latest 6 way, 15 inch woofered whatever.  I  ended up with a Phase Linear preamp, a 4000 if I remember the model correctly, a Sony V-FET amp, the Advents, and a Dual Turntable, and a wife...

Then I came into a few bucks and bought a pair of Legacy Signature III speakers.  Wow, recorded music had highs and lows. 

Many years later, the preamp died.  I was looking around and saw a review of the FET Valve preamp and talked my wife into letting me get it for Christmas. I can only afford to buy a big ticket item once, so I figured, based on the review, I'm getting a preamp that is just as good as a $2000 CJ for half the price.  No piece of electronics can really be worth it, but it's a deal.  Well, then I heard it.  Talk about blind faith being rewarded.  This thing wasn't good, it was amazing.

Then my amp went, and I bought a used Pass Aleph 30, because amps are amps, and this thing would drive my low impedance speakers and there was no suitable AVA amp on audiogon at the time and I couldn't afford a new one.  Well, it still sounded good, but CDs were still kind of harsh.  After replacing the tubes in the preamp, there was still something not right about a lot of my CDs.  I figured it was time to start looking for a new CD player, but I was reluctant to spend a large amount of money on a mechanical device that was basically just a cheap CD reader.  I remembered the DAC from my old AVA catalog, so I looked online.  The Ultra was way too expensive, but I could afford the solid state model.  I really hesitated based on the older review in the Sensible Sound that summed up the improvement as subtle.  Then Frank came out with the Insight line and I figured this was the time.  After all, I could return it if I wasn't satisfied.  (I don't think I've ever returned anything in my life, but the guarantee was there.)  Anyway, the improvement was major and the DAC is a keeper. 

There would need to be some major reason to make me look elsewhere than AVA. 


 

[avahifi]

Hey there nice people with all your kind comments.  Do any of you mind if I link to this thread from my AVA website? 

Please let me know if this violates any AudioCircle rules or your sensibilities.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

[MarkD]

I can only speak for myself, but I wouldn't post anything I wouldn't say in public.  Feel free to use my comments as you like.  (I received no compensation of any sort for what I wrote.) 

I can only hope somebody else who loves music finds this inspiration enough to try AVA, and that they feel as good about anything they buy as I do.   

[martyo]

No problem Frank, good idea to link it.

[Minn Mark]

Growing up in SD there was only so much decent equipment a guy could listen to. I was reading the pop mags of the day (Stereo Review, and Audio, mainly), and got into David Hafler. I woulnd up buying his kits for DH-200 and FM tuner.  I found an SAE pre-amp at a local store in SD, and that was my first experience with separates (running into ESS PS-8 spkrs). One day in the mail I received Frank's newsletter. Kept him and AVA in mind for many years, 'til 1998 (?) when I got serious about upgrading. I called Frank thinking to get some advise over the phone...I was suprised when he answered my call. He invitied me and my wife to Burnsville for some listening. I was impressed with the sound, and more so with his design and business philosophies.  Then living in Rochester, MN I was looking for a 'local' opportunity to support, and felt the Twin Cities' big operations (Audio Research, etc) were a) way too expensive and  b) way too expensive  .  I purchased a longhorn cartridge, pre-amp DAC and amp, buying in stages as my budget would allow. The gear had always been rock solid, and I eventually moved to MAggies as speakers.  This autumn, when my amp developed a bit of niose in one channel, I called Frank and he very quickly identified the problem. After discussing the new Insight components, I visited AVA in November for a listen. Again, I am impressed by Frank's gentle demeanor, great advice, and the new circuits were fabulous. I upgraded to Insight pre-amp, amp and DAC adn should get the new pieces next week. I can hardly wait.  I am afan and recommend AVA at every opportunity. I gave up reading a lot of the audiophlake press, but still pick the occasional Absoluts SOund or Stersophile to catch some music reviews, and get get a look at what's out there for equipment (can you say Arab Oil Sheik bank account ?? ) Amazing the prices !  That's my story,and I'm sticking to it.   Merry Christmas to all.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Frank twisted my arm and made me do it!

I have been interested in looking at tube equipment for some time and I found out about VA on the audioreview forum.  I live 3 minutes from Frank and he graciously let me audition his equipment on several occasions.  I found his preamps and dac's to have a more natural open airy sound then anything that I have heard before.  I ended up buying an Ultra Preamp and DAC and selling my Cambridge Audio 840c CDP.

Thanks again Frank for your hospitality and putting up with me.

Larry

[Opus Flatus]

I discovered Audio Van Alstine through research on the net and discovery of this forum. During my deployment in 2003, I had an epiphany. (War will do that to you especially when you’re a Reservist plucked from your civilian life) – I’m not bitching I swore an oath. I decided I wanted to enjoy my life when I returned to the rat race of civilian life. Upon my return, besides fishing whenever possible, another story, I began my journey for good sound.
I’m not a fool with money, generally. I prefer to save and invest. I had a Rotel integrated and always wondered why it just sounded …blah. I was hoping it wasn’t because it was “mid fi”. The culprit was the Bose speakers connected to it. (You know what PT Barnum says – it applies here). I purchased a pair of Ascend Accoustic monitors and was shocked and pissed at the difference. Like most budding “audiophiles”, I wanted accurate and involving sound so I continued my search. After a few months of research it looked like DIY would offer the best bang for the buck. In addition to DIYing, I made a few purchases as well through Agon and ebay. One purchase was an AVA Omega Star II in an old Dyna 150 chassis. The sound was great and it’s still in the family. (A very generous birthday present to my brother). My next AVA piece was an old SuperPas with the Jenson’s sticker. Again I really liked the sound. So along the way I picked up an Ultra in the small chassis; another keeper that I still have. I built a few kits, both tube and solid state also during this time. They where good but not perfect and troubleshooting problems is laborious and time consuming and puts a damper on the fun factor.
I picked up a modded ST-70 and really liked the sound. I then started reading about the Ultimate 70 and was intrigued. It took me a while before I finally had time to complete the rebuild– it was well worth the wait and I enjoy it to this day. This is one of the best amps I have ever heard. This is also the time my brother became the fortunate owner of the Omega II. I think it was from this point that I became a customer for life. I next purchased the Omega Star DAC and don’t feel a pressing need to upgrade to the Insight circuits, although I would like to. Very recently I had a PAT-5 upgraded to Insight. I also purchased the Insight 240 amp. The edge in sonics goes to the Insight set up – it is really magical. When I listen to my music through my AVA rigs, I am just amazed how good it sounds. I really enjoy hearing new nuances and sounds in familiar recordings. That and the clarity and liveliness of the music played through them. I am very happy with my AVA gear and will be for quite a long time I suspect. Besides I hate to spend my money on products that strengthen the economies of potential future military adversaries.

PS: The Jenson's SuperPas has been upgraded to a SuperPas3 and yes I will be keeping it.

[jhm731]

The AVA 30 day satisfaction guarantee. 

[gjs_cds]

I purchased a pair of Ascend Accoustic monitors and was shocked and pissed at the difference.

By far--the best quote of the week.  Well done, sir!

[dlherman]

Lets see...this goes back a few years.

I guess it started somewhere around the late nineties when I was tinkering with
old Dynaco tubed gear. A co-worker of mine caught the tube bug from me and then he
bought a Dyna PAS mod from Van Alstine and told me how great it was. So...around
2000 or 2001 I looked at Frank's Super PAS 4i kit and eventually bought it. But before I did
I called Frank to ask him a few questions.

Now, I didn't know Frank or his philosophy,  and here I was coming from the world of silver
plated teflon insulated hook up wire, polypropylene capacitors and metal film resistors <ulp!>.

So, I asked him what kind of hookup wire and capacitors he used. To my bewilderment he said (and I'm paraphrasing
somewhat here), "Sometimes we use green wire and sometimes we use red wire. It all depends on what the pixies prefer."

My mind started the Ralph Cramden thing (Ummma....Ummma....Ummma!). I felt very embarrassed and didn't know
what to say!

Anyway, I managed to get over it and bought the kit, and I really liked it. The instructions were clear, it worked
perfectly from the get-go, and it was a solidly built and an outstanding performer.

About three years later I sold the 4i to my brother (who is still enjoying it) and upgraded to a T7. My, oh my.
I really should have been wearing brown pants when I fired that one up because it was unlike anything I had
owned before - just wonderful.

Now about that time I had the Bryston power amplifier bug and really thought they were better than sex. In fact,
they are a good amplifier relatively speaking - relative to any I had owned previously. But then Frank came out with
his Ultra power amplifiers, so I gave him a call.

Despite my enthusiasm for Bryston products, Frank said rather nonchalantly that they are "...just another solid state
amplifier", and was confident that I would be pleased with an Ultra.

It was no longer a leap of faith to purchase Van Alstine equipment unheard, so I ordered the Ultra 550. It absolutely tromped
the Bryston 4BST that I owned. The difference was not subtle. In comparison the Bryston was flat and unmusical. I suppose
this characteristic of Bryston is what the Absolute Sound and others refer to as "neutrality", whatever that's supposed to mean.
They may like it but to me it doesn't sound much like music.

Since then I've upgraded to an Ultra SL and purchased an Ultra DAC, and I am a very satisfied customer.

Van Alstine gear not only achieves sonic excellence, it is also a tremendous value. Kudos to Frank and all at AVA.


Doug

[dlherman]

L