[WGH]

Most everyone's aural memory is not very good and writing a review about the new + upgrade for the AVA Insight amps can be problematic because the old amp is sent to Minnesota and the upgraded amp returns 3-4 weeks later. I recently wrote a review of an Insight 440 that was upgraded to a Double + and thought the sound was a definite improvement, but was it? Without a direct comparison I would never know for sure.

Tone Depth was also curious about the + upgrade so yesterday he drove to Tucson with his Insight 440H Double for a direct comparison with my 440 Double+, though not a exact match because his has the high current option I think it is close enough. TD also brought his Insight+ EC pre-amp with the build in phono section to compare to the Hagerman Cornet2 phono pre-amp, more on that comparison later.

My system is pretty much the same as stated in Tone Depth's original review except for the addition of a few Felix power filters. We started with vinyl to compare phono pre-amps then moved to CD's to compare amps. I played the tracks in groups of three, first using the Insight+ amp then switching amps and played the three tracks again in reverse order.

The music:

Chet Atkins & Les Paul, Chester & Lester - It's Been a Long Time (vinyl)
Steve Tibbets, Exploded View - Name Everything (vinyl)
Ron Carter, Piccolo - Saguaro (vinyl)

Miles_Gurtu - Golden Rust (CD)
Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band - Sing Sang Sung (CD)
Dean Peer - Mars (CD)

Lunch break at Barrio Brewing Company

Jennifer Warnes, The Hunter - Way Down Deep (CD)
Eliane Elias, Fantasia - The Girl from Ipanema (CD)
Diana Krall, Best Of Diana Krall - Peel Me a Grape (CD)

Natalie Cole, Unforgettable - The Very Thought of You (vinyl)
Ella Fitzgerald Sings Count Bassie Plays - Honeysuckle Rose (vinyl)
Getz/Gilberto - The Girl from Ipanema (vinyl)

The results of the comparison was unanimous, the + upgrade is an improvement but as Frank stated "The upgrades are not earthshaking, but are obviously nicer overall musical improvements in all our solid state and hybrid power amps.  You will quickly notice better bass definition and impact, a "sweeter" top end, and better transparency overall." I think subtle would best describe the upgrade. Most of the music I choose has deep bass, I thought the + amp went deeper, Tone Depth thought the 440H was deeper so the results are mixed, my feeling is the bass of the 440+ Double is deeper and more controlled with less overlap into the lower midrange than my original 440.

The highs are a little controversial. Tonyptony felt the highs are less airy in his FetValve Double + review. Tone Depth and I also heard a difference when the 440's were compared. This difference took a while to sort out. The original amps appear to have more high end energy but that is an illusion. The + upgrade cleans up the upper mid-range and highs, once again the effect is subtle but what it does do is make music more listenable. I find I can play music louder without it sounding loud, a sign of even less distortion.

The two amps sound more alike than different, it took 5 hours of careful listening to come to any definite conclusions. The enhancements of the + upgrade are only truly revealed after an extended listening. It doesn't get much better than this.

The AVA Phono vs. Hagerman Cornet2

I have always been curious how different well designed phono pre-amps sound. The solid state AVA phono section is an upgrade option for their pre-amps while the Hagerman Cornet2 is a separate tube based phono pre-amp. The price advantage goes to AVA, the RIAA Phono Circuits are $199 while the Cornet2 cost me $850 and I had to put it together myself.

At first listen I was impressed. The AVA phono has great solid bass, a nice solid center image, and clear highs. I would describe the sound as precise and accurate, just like their pre-amps and amps, this may be all the phono pre-amp you would ever need. An AVA pre-amp with a phono section is a perfect combination for anyone thinking of getting back into vinyl.

The Cornet2 added a little tube magic into vinyl. Of course with a tube amp the flavor of the sound can be changed to reflect personal taste and system synergy. I picked a rectifier tube that has great bass, so while the AVA accurately played the notes, the Cornet2 added the body of the instrument, bass was deeper with a roundness to the notes. Midrange had that tube magic, also the AVA was tonally little thinner. The Ella and Bassie album sounded slightly anemic using the AVA, but only in comparison. The Cornet2 has fabulous highs, this isn't a rolled off tubey sounding amp. The addition of the Russian FT-3 caps added sparkle and detail that surpasses even the excellent highs of the AVA phono section.

Only in comparison does the Cornet2 surpass the AVA's first class sound. The AVA phono is an outstanding upgrade, it is always musical and at $199 it's a steal.

Wayne

[Tone Depth]

It has certainly been a unique and enjoyable experience to be able to readily compare an upgrade to the prior configuration, as WGH previously stated.  How significantly an upgrade improves the sound, has been a lingering question in my mind, through a number of subsequent AVA upgrades to equipment purchases beginning in the early 1970s, and eventually replacements with newer/current generation units.  That's a limitation of our transient aural memory.

Yesterday, WGH and I proved to ourselves that Frank's description of the + upgrade to the Insight amplifier is both an accurate and a reliable description.  WGH is happy with his upgrade, and I intend to also get the + upgrade to my amplifier when I am able to budget for it.

Likewise, the Insight+ RIAA phono circuits in my EC preamp were proven to my ears to be well worth the $199 cost, in comparison with WGH's standalone tube phono preamp at over four times the cost.  We heard wonderful music from vinyl through his Coronet2, it does great things in his system.  This was my first chance to hear the phono upgrade from my previous Omega III phono circuits, since I don't currently have a suitable turntable in my stereo system.  Based on what I heard, I expect to be very satisfied listening to my vinyl collection once again sometime in the future.

Spending time listening to great music with a fellow enthusiast and friend is part of what makes this hobby/obsession so enriching.  What a great way to spend a day!

[martyo]

Great write up guys. 

Sounds like a cool day....

[tonyptony]

Wayne, many thanks for a careful and thoughtful comparison of these two amps. I appreciate that you noted how the Insights did in the area I remarked on in my own Double+ review...

The highs are a little controversial. Tonyptony felt the highs are less airy in his FetValve Double + review. Tone Depth and I also heard a difference when the 440's were compared. This difference took a while to sort out. The original amps appear to have more high end energy but that is an illusion. The + upgrade cleans up the upper mid-range and highs, once again the effect is subtle but what it does do is make music more listenable. I find I can play music louder without it sounding loud, a sign of even less distortion.

I think I understand. In my own way I was fishing around for the same sort of description, but I was less precise.

All have moments where in the past the high end excursions would seem as though they were gently launching themselves upwards and were extending to the ceiling. Right now, like I said, the energy seems to be there in spades but (if I had to guess) it's like the resolving tails are being truncated. It's equally possible that the improvements in the low end presence are just shifting the balance psychologically... to where everything just sounds “meatier” than it used to (that’s the best word I can use).

Maybe I should have said "lower end presence". I will ask you, though, did you get any definitive sense of whether you thought there was as much or less of an "effortlessness" in the high end between the two?

[WGH]

er[/u] end presence". I will ask you, though, did you get any definitive sense of whether you thought there was as much or less of an "effortlessness" in the high end between the two?

The "older" Double 440H has more of a edge or bite to the highs. On many recordings this is not a bad thing and the effect does add some liveliness to the music. The + version makes everything sound just right, I like the way low level detail at the back of the soundstage is clearer too. I do find myself playing music louder now because it is so effortless.

I think the double die's have more energy all around, one reason I went for the upgrade was in my system I thought the highs were a little subdued with the original 440.

Wayne

[ArthurDent]

Thoughtful, well written, and informative comparison. Thanks guys for posting. 

[tonyptony]

I think the double die's have more energy all around, one reason I went for the upgrade was in my system I thought the highs were a little subdued with the original 440.

It may be a matter of degrees then. In my system, with the right tubes, the Ultra 550 had a glorious, extended, spacious high end. How many hours are on the two amps used in your listening session?

[WGH]

The 440H is almost 1-1/2 years old, my 440 is older but the double dies have maybe 200 hours on them. I feel the sound didn't change after a couple of days, AVA electronics don't need much break in.

I have never heard an Ultra, comparing it to an Insight+ amp would be interesting. The highs on my double+ are no longer subdued. I just signed up to receive Social Security payments so my days of hearing a glorious, extended, spacious high end are numbered which is why I got the upgrade sooner than later.

I want to emphasize the + upgrade is subtle. This is not a "must have" upgrade, the heavens don't part with angels singing but their trumpets do sound just a little bit nicer. The $300 ($200 plus shipping) might be better spent on another area that is weak, if you don't like the way your system sounds the + upgrade won't fix it.

Wayne