[Rocket]

Hi Alex,

I thought I'd let you know that I really enjoy your posts on Audiocircle.  You are so enthusiastic.

Last year I bought a very expensive amplifier that I imported to Australia from the US.  I had all sorts of problems getting the damn thing to work because there was a problem with the power supply (we use 240v 50hz) and finally after 8 months I have it working in my system.

I sure wish that I had gone with the ultravalve amplifier which I was considering at the time.

Good luck with your purchase.

Regards

Rod

[adydula]

Hi Rocket!

Thanks for the kind words!

Life is too short not to be happy and enjoy the small things in life to the fullest!
I am 61 years young this past June, and I want to listen to great music as long as my ears will allow me to!!

$1699 is to me a lot of money, maybe not as much at those $3k - $5K Tube amps, but its a classic design by a vetern thats been doing this for a long time now.

I really did some soul seaching and before I lost my previous job I was seriously thinking of ugrading the a pair of HT2-TL's...who knows this may still happen someday!

But the really neat thing is this amp has allowed me to hear wonderful music via the SongTowers that I was missing before its acquistion.

The concern about only 35 watts is gone, the concern about the heat etc is gone, and it looks so cool!!

Maybe you can sell the amp you have if its running ok and get an ultravalve ??

I hope what you have works ok...

All the best
Alex

[billmcc]

Hey Alex,

Have you had a chance to use the HT Bypass feature? I am curious as to how it works with the AVA preamp. Does the preamp have to be powered up to use your HT system? Do you have to switch the preamp for HT use everytime? I am curious as to the ease of use as my Parasound 2100 preamp is very easy as it does not have to be powered up for HT use.

Thanks, Bill

[adydula]

Hi Bill,

Hi Bill,

I have tried it but not for long and I dont have it hooked up yet. I just got the amp and pre working for several days to make sure that all is well and it really is very nice in dedicated 2 ch mode.

I had to rearrange stuff in my 'stand' to allow good air flow for the Ultravalve amp and the tube heat.

I have the Oppp BD 83SE  2CH analog outs hooked up into the CD inputs, the L/R Multichannel Oppo Outs (so i can compare the dacs in the Oppo) and the Squeezebox Touch 2 ch analogs going into the pre.

I am using 2 sets of speaker cables now,  one set is hooked to the AVR L/R outs the other set is hooked up to the Ultravalve outs and if i play 2 ch i use these, movies i unhook theses speaker cables and use the others.

I did use the HT Bypass switch. The preamp does not have to be on. When its in Bypass position whatever input u have selected is shunted to the outs...
The one thing I found out is NOT to flip this switch if you have any other sources running in 2 ch mode..I had the oppo playing 2 ch mode HT bypass OFF and flipped the switch to HT mode and the oppp immediately goes out to the amp and you have the digital volume on the oppo on 100%...instant LOUD sounds from the speakers..not good. BE Careful

You need to make sure that the in the HT mode you do just that, watch a movie with the selector on the input you have the AVR L/R pre outs hooked to on the preamp. So you have a volume control in the circuit in this case the AVR's volume control.

To use this switch, place it down (HT mode) select the input from the receiver. Pre amp is off.
turn the AVR, and Amp on. Turn on the Oppo, insert movie etc...to go back power all off. Flip switch, power the stuff back on less the AVR back in 2 ch mode. Its easier than it sounds.

OR just dont use it and swap speaker cables!!

I will hook the Bypass up in a week or so and calibrate the the LR channels...to see how the Ultravalve sounds with movies. I think the power from this amp will not be an issue the little thing can play the SongTowers really LOUD!! More than I care to.

I have been messing around with external power supplies for the Touch and I am thru with this so I will hook up the HT next week...

All the best
Alex

[billmcc]

Alex,

Thanks so much for your thoughts . So in other words if you left the HT Bypass switch on none of other inputs on the preamp would work? Unfortunately if this is the case then it would not work well in my system. It would be nice if when you used the HT Bypass switch that it only activated the Bypass on the selected input. In other words that it could be left on at all times but still have use of the other inputs. But to be honest the Insight SL is a 2CH preamp but with the addition of the HT Bypass makes it much more flexible.

Thanks again, Bill

[Rocket]

Hi Alex,

I'm done at the moment importing hifi equipment to Australia.  Almost half the time I seem to experience problems with electronics possibly due to shipping.  It's a headache trying to get them fixed if something goes wrong.

It took me 8 months to get my latest amps fixed and talk about anticlimax.  They sound pretty good but I keep thinking that whilst they are pretty transparent they lack a bit of soul that perhaps a nice tube amplifier like the ultravalve would bring to the music.

Btw from what I've read the songtowers are a really great sounding speaker.  Any of Jim and Dennis' speakers are simply brilliant.  I did a LOT of research and I couldn't find a speaker that offered as much as Salk Sound speakers did.

Regards

Rod

[jaw5279]

Hi Alex,

I'm done at the moment importing hifi equipment to Australia.  Almost half the time I seem to experience problems with electronics possibly due to shipping.  It's a headache trying to get them fixed if something goes wrong.

It took me 8 months to get my latest amps fixed and talk about anticlimax.  They sound pretty good but I keep thinking that whilst they are pretty transparent they lack a bit of soul that perhaps a nice tube amplifier like the ultravalve would bring to the music.

Btw from what I've read the songtowers are a really great sounding speaker.  Any of Jim and Dennis' speakers are simply brilliant.  I did a LOT of research and I couldn't find a speaker that offered as much as Salk Sound speakers did.

Regards

Rod

Rod,

I can second Alex's experience with SongTowers and the Ultravalve.  I just got mine and hooked it up last night with an AvaStar preamp.  First impressions make me very happy with this setup.  The Songtowers sound even better than before, which is saying quite a lot since they sounded pretty good to begin with. 

John

PS.  Whereabouts in Australia are you?  I lived in Melbourne for three years in the early sixties while growing up. 

[avahifi]

The HT bypass switch (when in the bypass position) will route whatever source is selected by the selector switch directly to the audio output jacks, bypassing the controls and line circuits.

The preamp does not need to be turned on while in the bypass mode unless the optional line/tape output buffer circuits are installed.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

[adydula]

Bill,

Like Frank said. The Preamp doesnt need to be on. When the HT Bypass switch is on any of the inputs will be outputed directly by the selector switch. If you had a cd deck connected to an input, and the switch ON the cds signal by passed to the outs of the preamp.

Normally you would not bypass a device like a CD deck (my Oppo) if you do this and the Oppo digital volume is 100% with the Bypass switch ON then the 100% drive out from the Oppo would go directly to the amp and it would be VERY loud and possible damaging to your speakers!! You need an attenuator in there somewhere..in normal 2 ch listening the volume control in the preamp is inline for this.

I have the HT bypass hooked up and calibrated and it works just fine! Just remember to turn it OFF when selecting other sources you want to listen to...The reason you have the preamp in first place is or preamplification and drive control to your amp....

All the best
Alex

PS: I tried going back to the AVR for 2 ch etc...I cant do it..its so below what the new standard is now....sweet!