[Listens2tubes]

Just trolling as usual and found this http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260749521166&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT It is just like the one I loved til my T8+ landed. Keep thinking I'll sell the little gem, but .... lazy...

[Kinger]

So rare to find used T8's for sale.  Think I've seen one in the past year.......  What's the difference between this and the T8+?  This looks like it is in a small chassis.

[rcag_ils]

Not sure how would this compare to the T-8 with bigger chassis.

[Art_Chicago]

my only concern is the username: buy_my_horn and one (positive) feedback 

[dB Cooper]

Mine is: "12AU7 tubes in line amp section." Is that correct/proper? Seems to me I only remember AX7s and AT7s in AVA gear (until these new things he is using these days.)

[avahifi]

The small chassis T8 is supposed to use 12AT7 tubes in the line stage, not 12AU7s.  I have no idea how it will perform with 12AU7 tubes.

This unit on e-bay is an upgraded earlier AVA product.  The layout allowed only one high voltage regulated power supply.  It is a nice unit and looks ok from the outside.  What is really inside I can't tell without better photos.

Frank Van Alstine

[Listens2tubes]

I emailed the seller. He used 12au7's to attenuate the output of the T8 due to his highly efficient speakers. I think he should list it as spec'd and ad "Van Alstine" to his listing for better search results. Also said he'd listed it before, only getting bites up to 200 dollars.  Which brings the question: How much should I expect to get for my Super Pas 4i turned T8? I was hoping to see by watching his auction.

[Brett Buck]

I emailed the seller. He used 12au7's to attenuate the output of the T8 due to his highly efficient speakers.

   That's MUCH easier than turning the volume control! Brilliant.

   The good thing is that 12AU7s should have caused no permanent damage, so it should be entirely reversible - unless he did something else to "improve" it.

   Brett

   p.s. I note that he listed it as "manufacturer refurbished" and implies that it has been blessed by Frank...

     

[Alexdad54]

I could be interested in bidding on it but has it truly been recently refurbished by Frank?.......

[avahifi]

Without the seller's name, it is hard to track this preamp down in our records.

I cannot find a record for servicing the headphone section in a small chassis T8 preamp in recent times.  This does not mean for sure that we did not work on it, but I cannot find any records of it here.  If someone can provide me with the seller's name I can be more exact.

By the way using 12AU7 tubes to cut down on the gain is a really bad idea.  The only way the tube could cut down on the gain is if the tube is very very low gain.  The gain of the preamp is fixed by the feedback network.  The tube would have to have lower open loop gain than the closed loop gain parameters of the circuit to actually lower the output gain, and that would be accompanied by a huge increase in distortion as then the feedback loop would then not be working at all.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

[Anji12305]

This preamp is mine, and still for sale.

This was upgraded in 2008 from a SuperPas 3i.
It was my inexperience with the AVA upgrade path that lead to the construction of this older design.

I merrily trod this path, without the benefit of an audition or deep inquiry - on the AVA reputation, chiefly.

Had I known that it would be built as a second-tier component (competing directly with the most current version), I would not have gone to the expense of upgrading.  Given the rapid rate of product development with AVA, older designs have seen steep depreciations in value.

I rarely listen to music at higher volumes, as it disturbs my wife and excites my young sons - neither of which leads to peace in the household at bedtime.  I do not use the phono section, which relegates this preamp to the role of attenuator.  This preamp has pronounced thermionic noise, and has repeatedly blown left channel line stage tubes.

When I originally inquired by telephone in December of 2008, it was suggested that I go through all the methods recommended to ferret out interference, and allow the preamp to "break in".  Given that I listen to music perhaps 10 hours in a week, that entailed a full year of background noise.  This was followed by three left channel line stage tubes failing, including the original JJ AT7.


The last failure (the third) took the entire left channel out.  This was repaired under warranty (15422) and determined to be due to a faulty headphone amp.  This component may well have contributed to the veiled, and noisy performance of this preamp from my first use to the final failure.

It is interesting to hear from the proprietor now, with an explanation of the gain imbalance in tube substitution.
The home office was too busy, preparing new products and going to shows to explain this, when I asked.


Presuming that the AVA name would lead to price stability, I purchased the upgrade anticipating strong resale interest.
In three attempts to sell, no offer has approached half of my costs.  The last offer was less than the price of the donor SuperPas 3i.

Top offer at the last auction? Three hundred and five US dollars.
From $1200 to $305 in less than two years. 
My 401k has slid less.


This was my first purchase from AVA.


http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=88338.msg866906#msg866906
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=76106.msg716221#msg716221
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=60673.msg541629#msg541629

[Art_Chicago]

Hey Anji12305,

Sorry to know about all these problems you had with the unit.
So, is the preamp in good working condition now? Any noise issue after the repair with original tubes?
Are you planning to sell it through AC or A'gon?
Thanks

[avahifi]

I was finally able to trace the history on this preamp down.  Inasmuch as the client has not contacted me directly about it, it took a bit of work to find it in my records.

This was a used Super Pas Three 3i the client acquired on the open market.  He had us upgrade it to a small chassis Transcendence Eight in October, 2008.  Evidently he was not happy with it as it appears it was up for sale by him within two weeks after it was first returned to him.  He never contacted us at that time.

It came back here in December, 2010 with a noise issue on one channel.  Again, the client first reported the issue here on AC rather than contacting us directly.  Not the best way to get prompt service in my opinion.  Anyway, the problem was a blown plug-in IC in the headphone circuit for that channel.  We replaced the part under warranty, even though it was an original part, not related to the T8 upgrade.

We have not heard from the client since.  No communication regarding short tube life or whatever.  We certainly never advise clients to worry about "break in or burn in time" on any of our products.

The market for used equipment has taken a big hit as had the market for lots of other stuff during this enduring recession.

I could suggest that using non-specified tube types by the client may have lead to other short tube life issues, or possibly causing other issues with the unit.

The unit still is in warranty (the October, 2008 upgrade included a three year parts and labor warranty extension).  Perhaps the owner would like to send the unit in again for a thorough checkout here rather than just complaining about it on AC.

I do regret that the e-bay adv. for the unit advised that we had "just replaced the headphone section" of the unit.  All that was done was to replace one 8-pin buffer IC.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

[charmerci]

Top offer at the last auction? Three hundred and five US dollars.
From $1200 to $305 in less than two years. 

Then don't sell it on e-bay. It is an auction. People try to buy stuff as cheap as they can on e-bay.

[rcag_ils]

Anji12305,

I have quite a few pieces of AVA equipment, all bought used. At least four of them haven't been gone through by Frank, four of them I used for awhile, then upgraded by Frank. Other than replacing the weak tubes myself, they all worked fine. Believe me, if they were bad, I'd know it. I've never had any problem with them, and I don't "modify" them either, if I needed to replace a part, I used the OEM parts.

Your case is rare. Can ICs go bad, and transistors get noisy, yes, they can. Since IC has been replaced, and if noise still exists, without further investigation by Frank, it's hard for anyone to know where does the noise come from.

I don't like to blame the used audio market on the recession, since many pieces of more expensive equipment are consistently being sold on Audiogon. For the same reason, I don't think people are looking for cheap stuff on Ebay either. We simply don't have enough statistical data to determine what people are looking for in audio, I guess right equipment in the right place at the right time has a lot to do with it.

[Wayner]

People on eBay are looking for any item that they can spend the most money on.

NOT.

[trebejo]

Then don't sell it on e-bay. It is an auction. People try to buy stuff as cheap as they can on e-bay.

An ad on audiocircle, price and all, can work wonders, I'm sure. If it's still under warranty... much better than ebay, I would expect.

[Listens2tubes]

Well I did it. http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?preatube&1305852791&/Audio-By-Van-Alstine-Transcendence-Eight Ya this one is mine. It's boxed up and waiting to fly. I hope the system that gets it likes it as much as mine did.

[Listens2tubes]

Also here http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=92726.new#new