Owner Impressions, Delivery Times and Things to Do While You Wait

mathgeek97 · « **Reply #280 on:** 8 Oct 2009, 03:54 pm »

Bob,

This is very exciting! And don't sweat the shipping too much. As rough as FedEx was on mine, the cabinets were completely intact (one of the drivers wasn't as lucky, of course). Jim and crew really do a great job of packing everything up.

vintagebob · « **Reply #281 on:** 8 Oct 2009, 04:13 pm »

What, me worry?

"Let me know when they arrive and how they fared in shipping." -Jim
"Lets pray that the courier who delivers them doesn't rape them." -Nuance
"And don't sweat the shipping too much." -mathgeek97

GULP!

sedah · « **Reply #282 on:** 8 Oct 2009, 04:32 pm »

Grats! That's fantastic news!

We expect pictures when they arrive!!!

vintagebob · « **Reply #283 on:** 9 Oct 2009, 07:23 pm »

Perfect Storm...or collusion?!

My AVA stuff is set to arrive the day after my Salks.

vintagebob · « **Reply #284 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 04:28 pm »

Perfect storm indeed. A massive storm is blowing into the Bay Area today with plenty of rain and wind. I hope the FedEx truck doesn't get blown over.

I've spent the last few days studying speaker placement and I'm just about worn out. If I hear "Ballad of the Runaway Horse" one more time...
Hopefully the HT2-TLs will be happy where the Swans sound good. I narrowed it down to a semi-pure Cardas placement or a 1/5 ratio placement with the nod right now to the 1/5 ratio position because of the soundstage presentation and the room aesthetics. In either case the speakers end up well into the room.

I'm not sure how others get away with it. I guess that is why folks like K shep (Kirk) get banished to the attic. ; )

I'm also trying to plan out where to put the additional AVA equipment and how best to provide power to all of this STUFF.

Can you stack the preamp and DAC on top of the amp? I know they have a picture like that on the AVA website but it just doesn't seem appropriate to put things close to your power amp like that.

My test playlist:
Ballad of the Runaway Horse - Jennifer Warnes
I Don't Know Enough About You - Diana Krall
Good Time - Alan Jackson
Let Me Touch You for Awhile - Alison Krauss
Choctaw Hayride - Alison Krauss and Union Station
Don't Touch My Hat - Lyle Lovett
Everybody's Somebody's Fool - Sierra Hull
Duke's on Sunday - Jimmy Buffett
Key's in the Conch Shell - Kenny Chesney
Come Away With Me - Norah Jones
Vivaldi: Concerto for 2 Trumpets - Wyton Marsalis
Yesterday (Mono Master) - Beatles

Suggestions for tracks to use for speaker placement gladly accepted...

srb · « **Reply #285 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 04:40 pm »

Quote from: vintagebob on 13 Oct 2009, 04:28 pm

Can you stack the preamp and DAC on top of the amp? I know they have a picture like that on the AVA website but it just doesn't seem appropriate to put things close to your power amp like that.

Of course it depends on the amp and the amount of heat it produces, but in all cases, if I were to do that (I have done it in the past), I would (and did) add some intermediary spacer feet to give a total minimum clearance space of 1-1/2".

But if I could find someplace else to put the DAC and preamp, I would do that.

Steve

mathgeek97 · « **Reply #286 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 04:49 pm »

Quote from: vintagebob on 13 Oct 2009, 04:28 pm

Suggestions for tracks to use for speaker placement gladly accepted...

I'll add
SMV - "Lil' Victa"
It's a jazz bass trio. The bass response changes dramatically with placement (at least with my HT2-TLs in my untreated room).

oneinthepipe · « **Reply #287 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 04:49 pm »

Hey hey. Today is the day.

Regarding the AVA gear, I don't think that the DAC should be too close to the amp. I stack my preamp on the amp, and if I also needed to stack the DAC, I would stack the DAC on top of the preamp, unless the preamp were a tube preamp, and then I wouldn't stack anything on top.

vintagebob · « **Reply #288 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 05:52 pm »

srb & OITP
I think I have it figured out. I REALLY didn't want anything on the amp. Thanks for the input.

mathgeek97
Got it!

Nuance · « **Reply #289 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 06:52 pm »

vintagebob,

Sounds like you're ready to go. Good call on the preliminary planning concerning placement, but don't over-exhaust yourself. Get everything set up, listen, then take measurements if you don't like what you hear. Heck, take measurements anyway. That way you'll know for sure (using your ears and science).

floresjc · « **Reply #290 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 08:11 pm »

vintagebob -

I have the Insight preamp, DAC and a double 440 on their own shelves in my rack. The DAC and Preamp would have no problem stacking together, and if I was really in a pinch, I could put that stack on top of the 440, but I didn't want anything near my amp. My amp does not generate a lot of heat so I have less worries than I did before I saw it in action, but I still want to keep them separate. The preamp and dac never even get noticeably warm so its not an issue with just those two.

oneinthepipe · « **Reply #291 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 08:15 pm »

I believe that the issue with the DAC is not primarily heat but rather interference from the other components.

srb · « **Reply #292 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 08:28 pm »

Quote from: oneinthepipe on 13 Oct 2009, 08:15 pm

I believe that the issue with the DAC is not primarily heat but rather interference from the other components.

There are a number of high-end integrated amplifiers with internal DACs in the same enclosure.

I would doubt that, in most cases, any difference could be heard with a separate DAC in it's own metal enclosure either close to or away from an amplifier (I would be referring to analog power supplies, I wouldn't necessarily be comfortable in making this blanket statement in regard to switching power supplies).

Although my own experience is far from conclusive, I have heard no difference experimenting with several different DACs and several different class A/B power amplifiers with analog power supplies.

Steve

stc4life · « **Reply #293 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 08:42 pm »

Congrats vintagebob!

Jim tells me my STRTs are done and ready to ship. ~~Unfortunately~~ Fortunately, I an on vacation in Paris, so they will arrive in NYC shortly after me, early next week. Sheesh it is hard to type on this french keyboard. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Wayner · « **Reply #294 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 09:05 pm »

It's always a good practice to keep line level DACs and preamps away from power amps in general. Power amps have large toroidal transformers and like to give off heat from the heat sinks in the back, just as a good general rule. Amps need room to breathe. Heat is the enemy and the cooler you can have things run, the better.

Wayner

vintagebob · « **Reply #295 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 09:37 pm »

Quote from: stc4life on 13 Oct 2009, 08:42 pm

Congrats vintagebob!

Jim tells me my STRTs are done and ready to ship. ~~Unfortunately~~ Fortunately, I an on vacation in Paris, so they will arrive in NYC shortly after me, early next week. Sheesh it is hard to type on this french keyboard. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

YES!

Enjoy Paris and then enjoy your SongTower RTs when you get back.

avahifi · « **Reply #296 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 09:42 pm »

If the DAC and the preamp are both solid state, they can stack in either order. If either one is tube or hybrid, that unit must be on top.

Do not stack the small signal electronics directly on top of the big power amplifiers.

You can stack the Insight 240 in the compact chassis on top of the solid state preamp and/or DAC.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

vintagebob · « **Reply #297 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 09:50 pm »

Quote from: avahifi on 13 Oct 2009, 09:42 pm

If the DAC and the preamp are both solid state, they can stack in either order. If either one is tube or hybrid, that unit must be on top.

Do not stack the small signal electronics directly on top of the big power amplifiers.

You can stack the Insight 240 in the compact chassis on top of the solid state preamp and/or DAC.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

Frank, can I stack an OPPO Blu-Ray player on top of the AVA preamp/DAC combo? Away from the amp! ; )

oneinthepipe · « **Reply #298 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 10:12 pm »

Quote from: avahifi on 13 Oct 2009, 09:42 pm

Do not stack the small signal electronics directly on top of the big power amplifiers.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

Oopsie, need to find a new spot for the preamp.

vintagebob · « **Reply #299 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 10:19 pm »

Quote from: oneinthepipe on 13 Oct 2009, 10:12 pm

Quote from: avahifi on 13 Oct 2009, 09:42 pm
Do not stack the small signal electronics directly on top of the big power amplifiers.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

Oopsie, need to find a new spot for the preamp.

LOL!

If things get bad for me, I have a nice solid A/V equipment rack in the garage holding car cleaning stuff.