Recent content by sofer

Thanks, George — very helpful. Which VAC amps are you running with the Gold Lion KT88s and Sophia 6SN7s? I’m running VAC Master 300 iQ monoblocks with the VAC Master preamp. I’m thinking about trying Amperex 6DJ8s in the Master preamp, which sounds similar to what you experienced with the...

Just wanted to share a quick update now that the VAC Master 300 iQ monoblocks are finally in my system. I was honestly expecting an improvement over my VAC 200 iQ monoblocks, but I was not prepared for how significant the jump would be. The first thing that struck me was the bass authority and...

I decided to pull the trigger on the original VAC Master 300 iQ monoblocks. I spoke with Kevin, and they will be able to do the upgrade in the future if I decide to go that route.

Hi all, I have an opportunity to purchase a demo pair of the original VAC Master 300 iQ monoblocks. I’m currently running a VAC Master preamp with VAC 200 iQ monoblocks driving Wilson speakers. I absolutely love the VAC sound, but I’m looking for even more authority and grip in the bass, and...

Thanks for the insight! That’s a very interesting take on the Telefunkens. My reasoning for the Telefunken Smooth Plates was to use them specifically in the V1/V2 input slots. Since I’m running a low-output MC (Hana Umami Red), I was prioritizing that legendary 'black background' and low...

Hi everyone, I recently picked up a 2022 Renaissance Triode Phono (standard version) from a dealer. He actually had an SE version in the shop too, but it sold just before I could grab it. I managed to do a quick A/B test between them and, honestly, even though I expected a big gap, I couldn't...

Hi there, I’ve been exactly where you are — I recently went through a deep dive comparing Luxman’s Class A models vs. their latest Class A/B Z-series. I ultimately chose the Luxman L-509Z and couldn’t be happier. I was originally drawn to the idea of Class A warmth (looked hard at the L-595ASE...