Vac Avatar or Cary SLI-80

I have owned two VAC Avatars: An SE and a Super. They both sounded wonderful and were biukt like tanks. I paired them with JMLab Mini Utopias (8 ohms) with very good results. Im my experience, all VAC gear is top notch. My only experience with Cary is the V12 amp. Nice unit, but it doesn't have the VAC magic.

Good luck with what ever you decide upon.

i demoed each of these products, and the VAC integrated simply crushed the Cary one. no contest. i heard the cary amp with a pair of B&W 805's, and the VAC product with a pair of Audio Physic Spark III's. Cary sounded OK, but uninspired and kind of flat. the VAC integrated was alive, 3-D and musical. simply stunning.

hi Skuras,

How can you be sure the differences you heard were not due to the different speakers ?

Larry

Cary V12 uninspired? Flat? I don't think so. It has Cary "magic". Can't speak about the VAC, as I have not heard any, but Cary has every bit of magic that I am looking for. The way it sounds you can't go wrong with Cary or VAC.
Good luck and happy listening
Jeff