Scottand365
New Member
Today, I was fortunate to come across an older (2003) preamp from VAC (Valve Amplification Company).
I first became aware of the company from their grandiose ballroom booth at Axpona in which they were jointly featured with Acora acoustics speakers. Of the overwhelming expanse of products featured at the expo, none made such an impression as did this system. I quickly found out that these very impressive amplifiers were in a class and price point that was far exceeding any rational thought of an audio budget I've had.
However, I found that older models in luxury hifi can sometimes be had for very reasonable, or even bargain prices as they are nudged from the foreground in lieu of the more recent, and ultimately more desirable pieces.
I found a semi-local listing for this VAC preamp at a price roughly 2% of comparable current offerings of the company. It was only a slight detour of my pre-planned errands so I thought it worthy of investigation. I met the gentleman and we made the deal.
After getting it home and integrating it into my system, with proper warm up and equipping with my very best tubes, I was amazed. For my tastes, this is one the most wonderful preamps I have ever heard and certainly the best I have heard in my home. The stereo image is excellent and the tone is sweeter than honey. The depth and width of the soundstage and imaging is nearly frightening. There is so much dimension and detail yet not an ounce of fatigue. Somehow this preamp extracts all the nuance yet delivers it in the most natural presentation. Nothing seems overly magnified yet it still to be found for the listener. I found myself discovering beauty and humanity in the music that was not available to me previously in this system. VAC makes truly remarkable equipment.
Have you owned or heard VAC amps?
System being referenced:
Apogee One (Audio Interface/DAC)
VAC Vintage Line Amplifier (preamp)
Audio Research D70 (amp)
Falcon Acoustics LS3/5A mini monitors (speakers)
I first became aware of the company from their grandiose ballroom booth at Axpona in which they were jointly featured with Acora acoustics speakers. Of the overwhelming expanse of products featured at the expo, none made such an impression as did this system. I quickly found out that these very impressive amplifiers were in a class and price point that was far exceeding any rational thought of an audio budget I've had.
However, I found that older models in luxury hifi can sometimes be had for very reasonable, or even bargain prices as they are nudged from the foreground in lieu of the more recent, and ultimately more desirable pieces.
I found a semi-local listing for this VAC preamp at a price roughly 2% of comparable current offerings of the company. It was only a slight detour of my pre-planned errands so I thought it worthy of investigation. I met the gentleman and we made the deal.
After getting it home and integrating it into my system, with proper warm up and equipping with my very best tubes, I was amazed. For my tastes, this is one the most wonderful preamps I have ever heard and certainly the best I have heard in my home. The stereo image is excellent and the tone is sweeter than honey. The depth and width of the soundstage and imaging is nearly frightening. There is so much dimension and detail yet not an ounce of fatigue. Somehow this preamp extracts all the nuance yet delivers it in the most natural presentation. Nothing seems overly magnified yet it still to be found for the listener. I found myself discovering beauty and humanity in the music that was not available to me previously in this system. VAC makes truly remarkable equipment.
Have you owned or heard VAC amps?
System being referenced:
Apogee One (Audio Interface/DAC)
VAC Vintage Line Amplifier (preamp)
Audio Research D70 (amp)
Falcon Acoustics LS3/5A mini monitors (speakers)
