RMAF 2010

Listens2tubes · « **on:** 22 Sep 2010, 10:19 pm »

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=85997.0 Coming up fast on the horizon!

Who's going?

What are you bringing Frank?

avahifi · « **Reply #1 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 03:22 pm »

We will be sharing a display room with SalkSound again. Room 2000 in the tower. Its kind of a double room this year, with a small 6' x 12' entry room so I don't yet know how we will set it up.

We will have the Vision DAC, AvaStar preamp, Ultra+ amps, Vision DAC/Preamp, Ultravalve amp, Insight+ equipment, and more, including the premier of a brand new hybrid DAC.

We will be equipped to play back high bit rate digital material.

See you there.

Dean Barnell will be making the trip with me.

Best regards,

Frank Van Alstine

martyo · « **Reply #2 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 03:35 pm »

Quote

including the premier of a brand new hybrid DAC.

Hmmmmm.........

trebejo · « **Reply #3 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 06:07 pm »

Quote from: martyo on 23 Sep 2010, 03:35 pm

Hmmmmm.........

Denver just got a little bit closer, didn't it?

martyo · « **Reply #4 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 06:56 pm »

Quote from: trebejo on 23 Sep 2010, 06:07 pm

Denver just got a little bit closer, didn't it?

I haven't heard the Vision DAC, and I'm sure it is excellent, but I'm more comfortable with a glowing glass circuit somewhere in the box.

ArthurDent · « **Reply #5 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 06:59 pm »

Quote from: martyo on 23 Sep 2010, 06:56 pm

I haven't heard the Vision DAC, and I'm sure it is excellent, but I'm more comfortable with a glowing glass circuit somewhere in the box.

ditto

turkey · « **Reply #6 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 07:12 pm »

Quote from: avahifi on 23 Sep 2010, 03:22 pm

Ultravalve amp, Insight+ equipment, and more, including the premier of a brand

Just in case you base official announcements or advertising on this...

It's actually "premiere."

You might describe it as the premier DAC at the RMAF, but the first time you show it there will be its premiere.

It's always interesting how engineers can remember verbatim something like Kirchhoff's Law, but stumble over written English. (Actually Frank's writing is heads and tails over that of many engineers. I'm just yanking his chain a bit.)

(BTW, this one is kind of confusing because premier can be first or oldest, but typically first as in first performance or first showing is premiere. It depends on whether you're looking for a noun or an adjective.)

Listens2tubes · « **Reply #7 on:** 25 Sep 2010, 10:03 pm »

This is gonna be good!

turkey · « **Reply #8 on:** 27 Sep 2010, 03:48 pm »

Quote from: Listens2tubes on 25 Sep 2010, 10:03 pm

This is gonna be good!

I've enjoyed the people at various audio shows, but I have always found most of the rest of the show to be rather disappointing.

In fact, I think the best exhibits I've seen were static ones where they had time to talk to you about the product instead of trying to get everyone in the crowd to hear the product under what can only be lousy conditions.

taoggniklat · « **Reply #9 on:** 29 Sep 2010, 05:38 pm »

I will be there!

2gumby2 · « **Reply #10 on:** 30 Sep 2010, 02:29 pm »

I'll be there and bringing my wife. She enjoys RMAF as much as I do.

avahifi · « **Reply #11 on:** 2 Oct 2010, 03:59 pm »

The first production piece of our newest creation, the Vision Hybrid DAC, is up and running this morning. Sorry vinyl guys, you are now finally obsolete. $1999 complete with four switchable digital inputs, two optical, two coax. Uses two 6CG7 tubes, Wolfson 8742 DAC chip, our patented transimpedance amplifier filter/amplifier, and major new design innovations including use of Exicon power mos-fets in the analog filters, and eleven regulated power supplies. Hearing is the proof. We will have it in room 2000 at the RMAF, listen to it there.

Unfortunately it will not be used on Salk's big new expensive Soundscapes. Jim decided to display them in a large first floor room along with a bunch of the very high priced stuff. I suppose $15,000 speakers need $20,000 amplifiers and so on. We shall see.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

trebejo · « **Reply #12 on:** 4 Oct 2010, 02:31 am »

Jeez, so quiet here.

Frank, your tubular DAC is back!

One of these days, you'll give us a comparison on the designs of your current pair of DACs, tubed and non-tubed? Yes?

Of the three pieces in the usual chain "dac-preamp-amp", I imagine (as in, heck if I know) the dac to be the one that can most afford to go tube-free, simply because, being a dac, it's gotta have some serious silicon in it anyway. But there's no denying, your oldie-but-goodie Ultradac sure sounds sweet and now you've gone and brought it up another N notches. Congrats!

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #13 on:** 4 Oct 2010, 02:57 am »

Frank-ie V! All the best this year. You've had some good press of late which guys who have been around for awhile knew already but you've been keeping up with the times, I have read. Were I attending, I wouldn't miss your room. Think everybody who is value conscious shouldn't either.

Art_Chicago · « **Reply #14 on:** 4 Oct 2010, 11:13 pm »

Quote from: avahifi on 2 Oct 2010, 03:59 pm

Unfortunately it will not be used on Salk's big new expensive Soundscapes. Jim decided to display them in a large first floor room along with a bunch of the very high priced stuff. I suppose $15,000 speakers need $20,000 amplifiers and so on. We shall see.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

Frank, are you going to bring a spare Double Ultra+ amp just in case if a 20K amp fails to drive them?

Good luck with the show!

trebejo · « **Reply #15 on:** 4 Oct 2010, 11:18 pm »

Quote from: Art_Chicago on 4 Oct 2010, 11:13 pm

Frank, are you going to bring a spare Double Ultra+ amp just in case if a 20K amp fails to drive them?
Good luck with the show!

Maybe he can bring "the plumbers" for a 3 AM double-blind test session.

avahifi · « **Reply #16 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 06:34 pm »

Jim Salk tells me that with any luck at all he will have a set of Soundscape 10 speakers available for our joint room (#2000) at the RMAF.

Lets hope for the best.

I will have my Oppo/Atlona player and brand new Vision Hybrid EC DAC there and will be able to play high res CDs for you.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

gregmav · « **Reply #17 on:** 9 Oct 2010, 08:36 pm »

Quote from: avahifi on 5 Oct 2010, 06:34 pm

Jim Salk tells me that with any luck at all he will have a set of Soundscape 10 speakers available for our joint room (#2000) at the RMAF.

Lets hope for the best.

I will have my Oppo/Atlona player and brand new Vision Hybrid EC DAC there and will be able to play high res CDs for you.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

Frank,

Does this mean you can play DVD-Audio and SACD through not only your new Vision Hybrid EC DAC, but also you Vision EC DAC as well?

gregmav · « **Reply #18 on:** 9 Oct 2010, 09:07 pm »

Frank,

My other question is, can you use any "universal" player/transport and (in the case of the player with internal DAC) bypass the built in DAC and feed it through the Atlona de-embedder and into your Vision EC DAC and be able to play hi-res SACD and DVD-Audio, along with standard red book CD's?

gregmav · « **Reply #19 on:** 9 Oct 2010, 09:11 pm »

Frank,

One other question. What is the bit resolution of your new Vision EC DAC? Is it 24 bit? Thanks in advance.

Greg