Control Amplifier

dvb · « **on:** 18 Sep 2003, 01:43 am »

Frank,

Your "control amplifier" looks like a great product, but I'm surprised that, with all the great preamps you build, you have made this integrated without a preamp stage. I noticed the design goals you have set for your pre-amps in your post to Tyson below, and how they generally aren't achieved using passives. So, now I'm confused. Doesn't the control amplifier use a passive? Not trying to be cute or smart, just wondering if I'm missing something.

Thanks.

JoshK · « **Reply #1 on:** 18 Sep 2003, 01:12 pm »

Can't answer the rest, but I think the Control Amplifier is discontinued.

dvb · « **Reply #2 on:** 19 Sep 2003, 01:07 am »

Here's a link to the current web site, which still seems to provide that product.

I have a Bryston B60, and have been thinking of buying a separate preamp to patch into its highly regarded amp stage. I have recently picked up an LT-FW1 "Little Wonder" passive pre and installed it yesterday. So far, I'm very pleased, but I am still wondering about the advantages of a T7.

http://www.avahifi.com/root/equipment/control_amplifier/index.htm

aln · « **Reply #3 on:** 19 Sep 2003, 12:50 pm »

As an integrated product, I am sure that it sound's great. If you need a receiver-than this is the one to buy. Frank's amp's can drive just about anything! Of course, greater performance can be had by using seperates-I just don't think that's the market this product is aimed at. Do you have any AVA gear?

avahifi_lj · « **Reply #4 on:** 19 Sep 2003, 04:34 pm »

Hi:

The Control Amp has been discontinued. There are two reasons that we decided to discontinue the product (along with the HTS amp). The first is that it was a fairly complex unit to build requiring special modification to the SL chassis and a special heatsink assembly. Secondly when we lowered the price of the OmegaStar 240 it made the Control Amp harder to justify in the product mix.

The Control Amp (CA) did not have a passive input section as some define it (transformers, etc.); rather, it was a modified OmegaStar power amplifier circuit that had additional gain. The additional gain allowed the CA to take a source level and amplify it to output levels. The modified OmegaStar amplifier was then packaged with the input functions of the SL preamps.

As Frank has stated, one of the benefits of a preamp is to tame sources and provide the power amplifier with a cleaner signal which results in a better sound. The OmegaStar circuits are very forgiving, dynamic and fast so the CA deals with sources very well. In the CA, however, the source directly drives power amplifier, thus the sound you end up with is more dependent on the quality of the input signal than a preaamp/power amp would be.

Thanks for you interest in AVA products!

Larry Jenkins

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #5 on:** 20 Sep 2003, 01:25 am »

You still may be able to find a used one; not sure how many were sold.

dvb · « **Reply #6 on:** 22 Sep 2003, 03:36 pm »

That helps me understand the "control amplifier" concept as it relates to a "passive" type of pre-amp and active pre-amps, and how an passive concept might work well integrated into a particular amplifier.