I bought a used VAC Standard here last year.
It is being used as a lowly (but important by my standards) as a glorified tube buffer between my DAC and Bryston BP-26.
I have opened it up and can say it is a nice hand wired (point to point wiring on a board) tube preamp with a separate power supply.
It is IMO not worth the retail money it sold for.
(Especially compared to the current swarm off low cost Chinese tube stuff coming in.
The reason i was able to buy it was the person i got it from bought it, and it was damaged in transit to him from the prior owner. So the person i bought it from sent it to VAC to be repaired and some upgrades.
The wait for his preamp became too long? and he found a preamp he liked in the meantime. So when he finally got the VAC Standard back, he liked his 'newer' preamp more, and thus sold the VAC Standard, to me for $1,500.
I like it as it makes the digital 'tolerable'.
So this tepid review/history is all i have on VAC.
I would buy it again at the price i paid. It does have a nice sound. (not as transparent as my Audio Research Sp-15, nor the Bryston BP-26.
It is being used as a lowly (but important by my standards) as a glorified tube buffer between my DAC and Bryston BP-26.
I have opened it up and can say it is a nice hand wired (point to point wiring on a board) tube preamp with a separate power supply.
It is IMO not worth the retail money it sold for.
(Especially compared to the current swarm off low cost Chinese tube stuff coming in.
The reason i was able to buy it was the person i got it from bought it, and it was damaged in transit to him from the prior owner. So the person i bought it from sent it to VAC to be repaired and some upgrades.
The wait for his preamp became too long? and he found a preamp he liked in the meantime. So when he finally got the VAC Standard back, he liked his 'newer' preamp more, and thus sold the VAC Standard, to me for $1,500.
I like it as it makes the digital 'tolerable'.
So this tepid review/history is all i have on VAC.
I would buy it again at the price i paid. It does have a nice sound. (not as transparent as my Audio Research Sp-15, nor the Bryston BP-26.