AVA gear on the web

Minn Mark · « **on:** 23 Aug 2011, 07:10 pm »

Just saw at the HiFi Sound website, consignment of the following"

AVA Omega III DAC ($200)
Van Alstine "Amp" 100 w/ch ($250)

Some Dyna gear, too: PAT 5 ($89) pre amp, FM 5 ($69) tuner.

Maybe worth a look to someone in the Twin Cities area.

http://www.hifi-sound.com/closeout.php

Mark

avahifi · « **Reply #1 on:** 23 Aug 2011, 09:02 pm »

We will check our records for the history of used AVA equipment if you can provide us with the name of the original owner.

Sorry, on second or third hand equipment, we can't help you other than to check and verify that the adv. for the unit appears to be reasonable.

There is no charge for this service. Please provide us with the web site selling the used AVA gear.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

plaf26 · « **Reply #2 on:** 24 Aug 2011, 01:34 am »

Hmm. If the FM-5 has a "Modified by Frank Van Alstine" sticker on the face plate, it's probably mine. If so, it was working fine when I put it on consignment.

Funnehaha · « **Reply #3 on:** 24 Aug 2011, 01:13 pm »

Thanks for the heads-up. It's been awhile since I visited the shop. The consigned Delta 120 I bought there a couple years ago is still working fine. It's great to actually hear what you're buying before you write the check.

rcag_ils · « **Reply #4 on:** 24 Aug 2011, 01:48 pm »

This is probably the only hifi shop left in the Twin Cities, I have not been there for years, last time I was there (in the early 90s) they were transitioning from a audio store to AV store, a real sad thing.

Funnehaha · « **Reply #5 on:** 24 Aug 2011, 02:36 pm »

Really? I never got that impression, and I've been going there for 30+ years. Sure they've got some got some big screens, but an "AV store"? Nah..

They did lose their lease on the Harmon Place location and moved to an address on Glenwood, but it's still great. You should google more of the local stereo stores. I can think of three others off-hand.

Minn Mark · « **Reply #6 on:** 24 Aug 2011, 03:21 pm »

I'm thinking Audio Perfection is still open in Edina. Thats where I got my Magneplanars a few years ago.

Of course, AVA is the best, true 'stereo only' shop around...

Funnehaha · « **Reply #7 on:** 24 Aug 2011, 04:15 pm »

Audio Perfection is in Richfield. I've been buying from Mark since "Audio Perfection" was in his basement...bought and built a Hafler DH-101 and a DH-200.

Mark shows up about every Wednesday on the West Bank for the Hippienanny, where his friend plays guitar. He may be blind, but he still drinks beer...'nuff said.

rcag_ils · « **Reply #8 on:** 24 Aug 2011, 04:24 pm »

Quote

They did lose their lease on the Harmon Place location and moved to an address on Glenwood

I didn't even know they've moved, Harmon Place was how I remember HiFi sound. There used to be an old guy running a store in Hopkin years ago, not sure if it's still there, forgot it's name.

Funnehaha · « **Reply #9 on:** 24 Aug 2011, 04:49 pm »

That was "Hi-End Audio". The store was originally on 50th and Penn, next to the Baskin Robbins. Then he moved to that place in Hopkins, then he closed that and ran it out of his house on 50th and Morgan. Then he retired.

Hi Fi Sound is now on Glenwood just about across the street from the old Munsingwear building.

rcag_ils · « **Reply #10 on:** 24 Aug 2011, 06:09 pm »

Whatever happened to "the house of high fidelity' on Snelling? I know that they closed it years ago, but then the owner was running it through mail order for awhile...

Also this one guy running his business in his house by the U of M area, his slogan was "where beethoven would have shopped". I went there once, then he's gone.

Funnehaha · « **Reply #11 on:** 24 Aug 2011, 06:26 pm »

Yep, that's what happened to HOHF. I picked up my TC-50s and a used SOTA Sapphire there. Those guys were a bit too full of themselves, probably exactly the kinds of guys Frank hates.

The guy near the U of M could be this guy who still shows up at the VFW Record Shows and will clean records for you. Never went to his place, though I had his business card for awhile.

plaf26 · « **Reply #12 on:** 24 Aug 2011, 09:22 pm »

When the HOHF guys disappeared from Snelling Ave., they disappeared with my Stax headphones I had with them on consignment. Boy, would I like to get my hands on them!

rcag_ils · « **Reply #13 on:** 24 Aug 2011, 10:44 pm »

Sorry about your headphone.....I remember they had quite a selection on consignment at the HOHF, Dynaco 70 for $200.00, Mac for $699. I bought a Pro-ject 9.1 there with a weak motor that wouldn't start, they tried to tell me it was designed in such way that I would have to hand turn it to start it, audiophile preferred it that way......what a bunch of BS.

I've heard the bald headed tall guy got a job at the Needle Doctor after HOHF closed it's door. I remember this head banger selling used records in the basement there too, always came up to the showroom floor to admire the turntables there.

The U of M guy used to sell VPI and Well Tempered tables, and ProAc speakers. Never been to VFW Record Show, is it the one at the Lydale VFW?

moboman · « **Reply #14 on:** 24 Aug 2011, 10:55 pm »

Anybody recognize this piece of ava gear?

Says it's an omega II phase converter. Definitely no attention to detail the way the sticker is stuck on.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250879852824&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123

rcag_ils · « **Reply #15 on:** 24 Aug 2011, 11:16 pm »

I've seen these kind of versa kit before, missing where the sticker goes does not reflect the kit builder's skill, this kind of sticker once it goes on, it won't come off easily without breaking.

Funnehaha · « **Reply #16 on:** 25 Aug 2011, 01:10 pm »

There was one guy at HOHF who had one adjective in his vocabulary when it came to how something sounded; everything was "...stunning..." [!] I ran into him at the Cabooze once at a Robert Gordon/Chris Spedding gig, and asked him how stunning he thought the sound mix was...he probably didn't recognize me, and for sure he didn't get the joke...

Earl Root, the head banger in the basement, opened his own LP and phono shop up Snelling about 6-7 blocks north of University and called it Root Cellar Records. He died a few years ago, sadly.

Yep, that address for that record Show at that VFW.

I bought a Dokorder 8140 at a stereo store on the corner of 3rd Avenue South and Lake Street back in the mid-'70s. [A tape that I recorded on that machine was put on a double CD years later and is still selling okay on CDBaby to this day..thank you very much] Does anybody remember the name of that store, and more importantly, know what that company turned into that still exists today?

rcag_ils · « **Reply #17 on:** 25 Aug 2011, 02:43 pm »

The only stereo (repair, and some sale) on Lake St. is called Duo Sonic, but it's not at where you'd mentioned. Back in the days, that part of Lake Street was kind of the redlight district of the city, very similar to the University and Dale in St. Paul.

Funnehaha · « **Reply #18 on:** 25 Aug 2011, 03:49 pm »

Nah. I know where DuoSonic was, or is, and that isn't the place I was alluding to.
This is mid-'70s, and the place was the first store for a company that changed its name
and became something quite different than what it started out as.

Yeah, this is a quiz question, and depending on how old you are and how familiar you are with south Minneapolis, the answer might surprise you. Anyone know?

To connect this up with Frank's site, I brought that CD [that I had mixed on AVA electronics] to an Audio Society of Minnesota meeting where Frank was speaking and played it on Frank's latest gear on his friend Nate's own brand of speakers, and it still sounded pretty good.

plaf26 · « **Reply #19 on:** 25 Aug 2011, 10:45 pm »

Quote

I bought a Dokorder 8140 at a stereo store on the corner of 3rd Avenue South and Lake Street back in the mid-'70s.

Are you talking about Audio King, which became Ultimate Electronics? They started out on Lake Street in the early to mid-60's I think, but a few blocks West of Hennepin. Bought a Sony portable open reel tape recorder there which got me through college and well beyond grad school. Traded it in on an Advent cassette tape deck on the night Nixon resigned.