Well, some of you guys actually look at our web site (
www.avahifi.com) once in a while after all.
Yes the conversion to IEC connectors took a chassis redesign and retool for all the new AVA products (including the Ultravalve vacuum tube amplifier - it too now has a removeable power cord).
We also added a back panel "ground lift" switch to all new chassis. Because a mix of three conductor and two conductor units in your audio system can sometimes lead to ground loop induced hum (more than one ground path between units - one through the signal cable grounds, the other through the AC chassis grounds) we also decided to do something about this.
The Chassis Ground switch connects or disconnects the third wire ground connection from three wire AC power cable. When the Chassis Ground is open (off position) the AC power is identical to a standard two conductor polarized power cord. This may be useful to eliminate ground loop hum issues. When the Chassis Ground switch is closed (on position) then the unit's chassis is grounded to earth ground through the third wire connection of the power cord as expected.
BE VERY CAREFUL to use (if you must) only after market power cords you have thoroughly tested to make sure they are wired with the correct polarity. Of course you can simply use the power cord we supply with the units, but if you really need to spend more on the power cord than the equipment cost in the first place, have at it.
We also have now provided an external back panel mounted main power supply fuse holder for all units. No need to remove the cover to check or replace the main fuse. Note that some units still have additional internal B+ and B- power supply fuses. Please read the owner's manuals supplied carefully.
Unfortunately, these chassis revisions mean that we had to eliminate the extra convenience AC outlets on the units. Each new unit now will need to be plugged into an AC outlet or into an appropriate AC power strip. We still advise plugging large amplifiers directly into an AC wall outlet to provide isolation from all the small signal equipment.
This change was made of course only because of user demand. When the first question I get regarding the possible purchase of an Ultravalve amp was "does it have a removeable power cord," I finally figured the handwriting was on the wall and initiated the redesign process.
So now all you guys that claimed that only the power cord issue was holding you back, that issue is gone. Lets hear from you with your orders.
One more thing, the IEC outlet "feature" is not retrofittable into older AVA chassis. Not unless you would like to pay for the time of an individual sheet metal craftsman to machine and file and fit the necessary holes while filling in and moving other holes and fittings, all while not disturbing the internal parts and then doing a nice repaint of the finished work.
Best regards,
Frank Van Alstine
