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Why Not More Conversation about VAC?

As I browse Audiogon's posts...I'm constantly amazed at the lack of attention, questions, remarks about VAC, (Valve Amplification Company).
First and foremost, I'm thinking that most if not all of us are music lovers--and I'm not aware, subjectively, of course, of more, just out and out, musical sounding electronics. And, I don't mean that in a perjorative, 'colored' sense...I mean that in the most flattering sense.
The lack of comments may mean nothing, but it just strikes me as 'absent' from good discussions.
Second, and beyond the stellar sound, if you want great gear, and a great person to buy it from, who better in terms of accommodation, knowledge and service than Kevin Hayes. Like the Bobster (Palkovic) his reputation for building first rate stuff and then backing it to the hilt is unsurpassed.

Kevin is also a great guy AND music lover of the first order...a friend too, but I'm not shilling here, just seriously wondering why VAC isn't further up the discussion ladder.

Kinda like reading Motor Trend Magazine, in which they 'Test Drive' a Mustang in EVERY ISSUE!!!

Just wondering.

Larry
lrsky
islandmandan
848 posts
 
Just my 2 cents worth, I bought an old VAC PA 35.35 a while back, and while I liked it, it wasn't as good sounding as I thought it might be, so I set about getting new tubes in it. It had EH EL 34's, and 12AU7's,and 12AT7's. In went NOS Telefunken 12AU7's, 12AT7's, and Mullard re-issue EL 34's, and I'm floored at how this amp sounds now. It's a keeper.

Enjoy,
Dan
mapman's avatar
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mapman
15,679 posts
 
The VAC gear I've heard has all been top notch but too expensive and I am not one to dabble with maintaining tube gear if not needed.

I had a crush on the VAC Phi Beta integrated at one point.

Then the Jolida fx10 was in my league and stole my heart.....
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drubin
3,240 posts
 
I've always wanted to try a Renaissance 30/30 amp. Someday...
andr
109 posts
 
To the OP, answer is not enough exposure on VAC and very pricy equipment. I would add a limited distribution in terms of dealers and maybe a very specific kind of sound that will not please everybody.

I have a VAC Standard LE and disagree with some comments here. I must say before I got this unit, I tried a Calypso, a VTL 5.5 in my system and ended up with the VAC. I will admit the Standard will need close tube rolling before one gets it right for his taste. As for the rest, it will pinpoint like none of the above do, is quite transparent with very good detail and very dynamic. I still have it, even if I got a CJ Premier 16 MK2 along the way because I simply can't figure why I should get rid of the VAC.
dearing
48 posts
 
Drubin: The Renaissance 30/30 is thought by many knowledgeable audiophiles to be the best amp VAC ever made - a real finesse amp that is extremely transparent and musical. It also plays a lot bigger than 30 watts/channel and will drive pretty much any speaker (although it's obviously not always going to be the right choice, i.e., inefficient speakers in big rooms with big music). The 70/70, as it has twice the number of ouput devices and thus a more complex circuit, is not quite as good, but is still excellent and is far more practical - its 65 watts/channel, which are coming from an amp with really stiff power supplies and superb output transformers, are usually enough.

Islandmandan: Because the circuit of a tube amp is the tubes, tube quality will dramatically affect results.
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