VAC 452 iQ review in Stereophile

[JackD201]

Sometimes the truth hurts Bossman. The takeaway is, how many “Audiophiles” and participants here on the forum are astute to the fact that they are buying & getting this “controlled distortion”, when the manufacturers and reviewers are not openly stating it or acknowledging it????

Dear Mr. Bear,

What does it matter? Like you said, we aren't here to save anybody. You did say that right?

First off all, if you really knew who you were savaging with your blanket condemnations, you would find that a big number, here especially, are NOT busy chasing the grail of zero distortion (Sorry Ked just a coincidence). If someone like Winer were here espousing, flat, flat, flat, response and telling you to go buy some Mackie pro monitors, Dump your Sadie for Protools LS LOL or what have you, I would understand your forcefulness but here? The person you called an imbecile has three systems, monitor, planar and Horn/Set and ENJOYS them all. All I'm saying is that you really shouldn't assume you are the only one who has been around the block, that you are the only one who has taken great lengths at due diligence, and most especially assume that others here aren't seasoned.

I like this forum because the members here are some of the most adventurous. This is the place where products are owned and talked about BEFORE any "yellow bus hype". So. Nobody cares if you've been in this for over three decades. Nobody cares about your Phd's, including your fellow scientists here of which there are quite a few as well. Nobody cares that you've dabbled in Mastering as many here have done more than that. When I first stumbled across your thread, I said to myself, hey this guy is really into it and has some cool stuff. He really likes to play with his toys and not just look at them like some hoarder either. This guy is having a grand time. Cool. NONE of those positive impressions came from your "credentials".

I'll be darned though. None of the members here, accomplished in their respective fields, has been as presumptuous of present company, sorry to say, as you have been.

I take that back. There was one that beat you by a mile. I'd pick you over him any day of the week but mainly because I take your view on distortion over his which is diametrically opposed to, oh man, ours. Dammit! Like I said, It wasn't what you said man, it was how.

Yes the truth does hurt.

 

[JackD201]

In all fairness, Jack hasn't heard his ULTRA 11's with 4 -452 music blocks and a Statement Line Stage. Just saying
But he does know our speakers better than most and has a lot of experience with VAC. Just boils down to preference and that's all that matters. I'm just happy we can all enjoy music to this level

B+ Detonation Phobia that's all it is. I just will not go with tubes in my main system until the time II decide to stop rocking out. I do use tubes in all other systems in one way or another though. Given that my propensity for audio violence is stress related, perhaps I shall reconsider when I retire. I already have VA200s after all

 

[Mike Lavigne]

B+ Detonation Phobia that's all it is. I just will not go with tubes in my main system until the time II decide to stop rocking out. I do use tubes in all other systems in one way or another though. Given that my propensity for audio violence is stress related, perhaps I shall reconsider when I retire. I already have VA200s after all

a man after my own heart.

 

[andromedaaudio]

So tubes cannot rock ( have limited control on a full range cone design ? )

Its time i go to a show next year with my speakerdesigns , and a lot of people gonna eat their words

Ron and ked have not even heard a fraction what they re capable of if pushed hard

I ve got enough master tape dubs from deep purple , michael jackson / thriller the doors , queen live , jimi hendrix joe cocker pink floyd Jean m. Jarre etc laying around to make it a good one

 

[morricab]

B+ Detonation Phobia that's all it is. I just will not go with tubes in my main system until the time II decide to stop rocking out. I do use tubes in all other systems in one way or another though. Given that my propensity for audio violence is stress related, perhaps I shall reconsider when I retire. I already have VA200s after all

Kr Audio VA200s?

 

[cjfrbw]

Tubes can't rock, but can they roll, that is the question.

 

[andromedaaudio]

All the best rock gitarists use a TUBE amplifier to get good sound out of their guitars afaik
Plus they play with the " amps " distortion ".
Without tubes there wasnt even rock and roll

 

[gadawg58]

I just finished reading this thread start to finish ... Wow, I haven't laughed this hard in a long, long time so thanks guys as I needed that!!

Take care and stay healthy!

George

 

[JackD201]

Kr Audio VA200s?

Yup. 2nd pair off Marek's line. I've had them with the 45 P135 for almost two years now.

 

[JackD201]

So tubes cannot rock ( have limited control on a full range cone design ? )

Its time i go to a show next year with my speakerdesigns , and a lot of people gonna eat their words

Ron and ked have not even heard a fraction what they re capable of if pushed hard

I ve got enough master tape dubs from deep purple , michael jackson / thriller the doors , queen live , jimi hendrix joe cocker pink floyd Jean m. Jarre etc laying around to make it a good one

They can. In my case though I am the one hampered. You know that feeling when you are barreling down a straight and unsure of your breaking point so you ease off the throttle way too early and feel really dumb as you start to lean in because now you hardly need any counter steer input? B+ Detonation Phobia is exactly like that LOL The Phobia keeps me too far from the actual limits.

May nobody else be cursed with the affliction LOL

 

[bonzo75]

Yup. 2nd pair off Marek's line. I've had them with the 45 P135 for almost two years now.

Have you tried them with the CH preamp?

 

[morricab]

Yup. 2nd pair off Marek's line. I've had them with the 45 P135 for almost two years now.

Yeah the P135 is a pretty nice preamp! Haven’t heard that big amp yet though...one of the few from them I didn’t get to hear as it started being made long after I was a KR dealer.

 

[bonzo75]

We compared KR 135 to various other preamps with both kronzilla and VA200. While VA200 is super impressive, preamp is KR's weak link. We preferred all other preamps tried, including a very low priced yamamoto valve preamp and grandinote SS preamp.

 

[morricab]

We compared KR 135 to various other preamps with both kronzilla and VA200. While VA200 is super impressive, preamp is KR's weak link. We preferred all other preamps tried, including a very low priced yamamoto valve preamp and grandinote SS preamp.

And yet Jack just noted he uses it with the KR and didn't mention the others...

 

[morricab]

We compared KR 135 to various other preamps with both kronzilla and VA200. While VA200 is super impressive, preamp is KR's weak link. We preferred all other preamps tried, including a very low priced yamamoto valve preamp and grandinote SS preamp.

The systems we demoed it in people were impressed with it...YMMV...

 

[bonzo75]

And yet Jack just noted he uses it with the KR and didn't mention the others...

Sorry, I was not saying Jack tried them. This was in London

 

[awsmone]

Hey, this is the first time I've been beaten up by an assailant wielding Latin as weapon of choice. You're not Boris Johnson by any chance? Lol

damn exposed

I am better from Covid, but my mind is effected, and the baby is crying a lot .....which gives me a headache

Number 10 is so H? humm, and the ad hominem attacks of the press lurching outside my door makes my head buzz....making it difficult to be analytical about my Hifi

but I am interested in DHT preamps, Ked can u expand on your experiences ?

 

[bonzo75]

damn exposed

I am better from Covid, but my mind is effected, and the baby is crying a lot .....which gives me a headache

Number 10 is so H? humm, and the ad hominem attacks of the press lurching outside my door makes my head buzz....making it difficult to be analytical about my Hifi

but I am interested in DHT preamps, Ked can u expand on your experiences ?

Hi I know very good 101d preamp made in the UK, and if not for covid I was planning to experiment with different output step down transformers and Slagle VC in it. This was already better than some other preamps like thoress (which was better than the KR 45). The 101d is very clean, transparent, detailed, and agile, kind of like a solid state valve.

Apart from that Thomas Mayer's 10y pre is very good, though never compared.

I don't like Allnic L3000, L5000, and KR 45. I don't know about Allnic L8000 and 10000, they might be better

But your amp set up with triamping is more complex so unless you are moving to SETs only amplification the mileage might be quite different

 

[awsmone]

Tubes can't rock, but can they roll, that is the question.

Whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer from solid state. The slings and arrows of seller remorse fortune.
or take up arms against purist reductionist technocratic troubles. And by opposing them end them
to dream, to distort no more and by distort we say we end. The heartache and the thousand natural shocks that audiophiles are heir to. Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished
to distort to dream,
to sleep perchance to distort , ah there’ s the rub

for in the sleep of distortion what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this audiophile coil?

 

[awsmone]

Hi I know very good 101d preamp made in the UK, and if not for covid I was planning to experiment with different output step down transformers and Slagle VC in it. This was already better than some other preamps like thoress (which was better than the KR 45). The 101d is very clean, transparent, detailed, and agile, kind of like a solid state valve.

Apart from that Thomas Mayer's 10y pre is very good, though never compared.

I don't like Allnic L3000, L5000, and KR 45. I don't know about Allnic L8000 and 10000, they might be better

But your amp set up with triamping is more complex so unless you are moving to SETs only amplification the mileage might be quite different

Interesting

I have been experimenting with a DHT preamp volume control for the upper midrange lower trouble with very Impressive results imho , so thanks for the feedback , I am trying DHT EML l 20b single valve transformer volume control pre, the 20b is known to have very low distortion and massive headroom and voltage swings , interested in trying others that don’t have small signal valves eg 12ax7 etc