SteelerFan Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 Past time to upgrade my old Yamaha DSP-A1000. Has anyone heard or read about and formed any opinions on the following amps: Audio by Van Alstine Odyssey audio Don't be afraid to put in your $.02, anything you may have heard good or bad will be fine. I can't listen to these locally, I'd have to buy over the net and go thru the hassle of returning them if I don't like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn_male42 Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 audio by van alstine makes some very nice amps.... the FET amps are hybrids - tube input sections with mosfet amplification..... supposedly great sound!.... this amp was high on my list before i bought my carver professional ZR1000 digital amp.... the only "negative" might be the fact that are not very pretty.... frank does not put much money into cosmetics..... additionally, the power cord is hardwired into the chassis.... do unless you do the modification yourself, you won't be able to use that expensive aftermarket power cord...... http://www.avahifi.com/ Fet Valve 550EXR Amplifier Price: $2199.00 Circuits: Fet Valve Chassis: AVA Amplifier Options: International Transformer $55.00 For anyone loving real acoustic alive music, our just upgraded hybrid vacuum tube design is the best possible choice. We have spent the past two years analyzing amplifier performance and the Fet Valve 350EXR and 550EXR are the result of our engineering and listening evaluations. They can only be compared with live, and unless the live is very good (and performed without electronic sound reinforcement) our patented Fet Valve designs will actually give you better sound at home than you hear at the performance. The Fet Valve amplifiers are our highest expression of hybrid design, blending the best of vacuum tube and solid state technologies. All of the basic design concepts are uniquely ours - sixteen patent claims have been allowed. We designed and built these lush, wonderfully transparent, and outrageously dynamic amplifiers to satisfy those who have never been satisfied with solid state alone. The sound stage is life size and the performers are real. Our hybrid vacuum tube design sounds so real because it lets the individual gain parts each work in optimum environments. Vacuum tubes are great at manipulating voltages - you can play with 200+ volt signals where transistors would go up in smoke and flames. So, we use vacuum tubes for all voltage manipulations. Vacuum tubes, however, cannot drive difficult loads. They have very limited output current and get in big trouble trying to drive feedback loops, stray internal capacitances, and connection cables. So, we don't let our tubes see any loads at all. They operate in an idealized mode amplifying voltages only, and do it perfectly. Power MOSFETs are super current amplifiers. They can control great gobs of current without stress, and when properly selected and used, they perform without needing external compensation, thermal tracking circuits, or VI limiting and protect circuits. So we use all power MOSFETs for current amplification duties. There simply is no roughness or compression in Fet Valve amplifiers. Our power supply features a shielded toroid power transformer and separate regulated 12 volt heater supplies for each vacuum tube. The tubes see no AC ripple at all and thus have vastly extended service lives. There is a separate six stage power supply for the active circuits with isolated regulated high speed analog supply sections for each tube and hybrid section of each channel. Unlike other tube-MOSFET hybrids, our tube sections do not have to directly drive MOSFETs connected to real world loads, thus the tubes never load down as they are doubly isolated from the real world. The promise of true hybrid design is realized in your music system, not just on paper. This stunning amplifier is for those demanding musical reproduction that is not reproduction at all, but is best described as a ticket to the performance. You are going to want to dress up and be handed the program before touching the power switch (it really raises the curtains) and then watch the concertmaster rise and the conductor stride in. Close your eyes and you are there. Fet Valve 550EXR hybrid vacuum tube amplifier. 250 watts per channel 20 to 20 kHz at less than 0.01% THD. 17" wide, 13" deep, 7" high. Shipping weight 38 pounds. All new AVA designed black chassis with black anodized faceplate and high efficiency black anodized extruded rear mounted heat sinks with 12 high current TO-3 case power MOSFET output devices. For 2 ohm loads and up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelerFan Posted February 9, 2004 Author Share Posted February 9, 2004 Thanks Russ. Anyone else with any opinions on these amps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkBK Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 Can't speak to Frank's current line, but can say that he has been around for a pretty long time. Back in the 80's his Dynaco and Hafler mods were considered some of the best sounding audio products available. VanAlstine has always held strong opinions on good sound and has offered creative solutions for reasonalbe prices. He was recommending dampening speaker components like the Klipsh horns etc with modeling clay (available at Toys R'Us)- and other tweaks offered in a newsletter he use to publish. I have many friends who still run his amps and preamps and they still sound great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelerFan Posted February 10, 2004 Author Share Posted February 10, 2004 Thanks Mark. Not alot of opinions on his products out there. I read his website, he certainly has some strong opinions, and it all sounds convincing. But heck, can't really trust myself. Back in the early 90's I thought the Bose 901 was the ultimate speaker! I remember how cool they looked to me down at Sound Advice sitting next to this huge speaker with a funny name I thought was kind of ugly. That speaker was the Klipsch Chorus II. Boy did I have alot to learn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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