The VAC preamp lineup is not "clever" marketing trying to trick people into spending more. It’s true high-end gear for extreme enthusiasts who love the VAC sound and are beyond their phase of continually churning through $2K - 10K models on audiogon, doing the inevitable give-and-take sidesteps with each trade.
The Sig IIa SE is the result of a long evolution of their previous flagship preamp; the Master is a trickle-down cost reduced version of the Statement minus its over-the-top cosmetic perfection. The cost savings of the Sig IIa SE vs Master is more significant when you add in the 6-tube phono stage to each unit (28K vs. 40K), which is a beyond excellent stage - VAC’s tube MM phono sounds particularly amazing (add your choice of SUT for MC or use its built-in Lundahls), so as full function preamps their sound is hard to match or beat at any price.
The fact that the Signature preamp still lives in "IIa SE" form (first the "II" then "a" then "SE" upgrades) also gives past Signature customers an upgrade path.
I only use one source on my Master - vinyl. I have no use for the HT bypass; in fact that once got accidentally engaged and it took me an hour to figure out why there was no sound. |
Dropping gems like "absurd" and "they profit more", it sounds like you are just here to complain about not being in the target market of VAC, rather than seriously considering a VAC preamp. Have you even heard one before? VAC specifically made a decision years ago to start catering more to ultra high-end purist 2ch enthusiasts, rather than compete with the deluge of cheaper / budget Chinese-made tube amps. Yes that left some customers behind with the new lines. But they still service their old products, going back many years now, as much as possible.
There used to be a user here mdavid0 or something who would drop controversial titles like this just to stir it up. |
The Master’s retail without phono was $27 / 28K, so is it now $30K MSRP? I mean, I knew inflation was coming so I went on a buying spree this spring, including my Master. I think it took maybe 10 weeks max from order to delivery in early May...
If you have a high-end turntable, the VAC onboard phonos are a work of art and well worth it. The only reason I didn’t add one to my Master is because I already had their Renaissance SE phono, which is the same circuit & parts. But the Master’s phono is a real masterpiece, with all hand P2P wiring (the loaner I had for a while had it). |
@wrm57
The phono stages are what kept me coming back to VAC. The 6-tube MM stage is ridiculously good. The Master’s version (and the Ren SE) is tweaked and has exotic parts, but any version of their 6-tube phono is solid 24K gold for our vinyl. Even the scaled-down 3-tube phono is shockingly good. Incidentally I have a friend who’s looking to pickup a Phi Beta w/ phono, apparently they are superb.
I have a lot of cartridges in my collection, and it’s always refreshing to hear how the VAC phono lets almost any ~$2K MC cartridge transcend to the next level. I mean, it’s still best with my best cartridge (Blue Lace Diamond), but it’s crazy how much it boosts the Benzes/Shelters/Ortofons. There’s no "diminishing returns" with their phono stages - they’re well worth every penny. I putzed around with Herron / Rogue Ares / etc for a bit, and the VAC phonos cost more (even as add-ons) but they really truly BLOW AWAY those other phono stages. And now the Master line stage perfectly matches their phono’s beauty.
I would suggest experimentation with external SUTs (being very careful in choice of interconnects, which must be short and low capacitance), if occasion allows - I’m actually not a huge fan of the Lundahl amorphous core MC SUTs, and I have a SUT collection that I find preferable to them (matched per cartridge). I can see that some would consider the crystalline/detailed sound of the Lundahls to match perfectly with the warm/lush VAC MM, but then some like me like to double down on that warm/lushness and just wallow in its delights lol. EAR MC-3 or MC-4 and and Bob’s Devices Sky SUTs are warm and lush in the midrange but also very dynamic and exciting.
I have a sneaking suspicion the Alps RK27 potentiometer was my main complaint about the Renaissance V preamp - they just don’t sound very good - which of course is fully rectified in the Master with its badass custom-motorized RK50. |
@jumia
I am not good to answer that; vinyl is the only source in my main system! But, I can't see how it wouldn't help streaming too. It's such a beautiful sounding line stage now that it's settled in my system (and tube-rolled to Amperex Holland 7308!), perhaps even exceeding how strongly I feel about their phono stages.
People who want to feel like they're hearing perfect measurements & specs need not apply here - it's simply a gorgeous sounding component. |
@jjss49
I get kinda the same vibe - it's a weird thread where OP complains about VAC pricing & features, then pretends to contemplate buying one, then goes back to complaining lol. Yes, we get that OP wishes it had remote input switching - I prefer not to pay for that. Sure we wish it magically cost under $10K, but that's not feasible with its material quality, craftsmanship, service/support, and being made in USA.
VAC customers buy it for the purity of sound. Period. We believe Kevin is a voicing genius. I'm still surprised it even has an HT bypass. Half of my comments on audiophiles' high-end 2ch systems are "get that TV out of there" lol |
Aside from all the coloration VAC does it's a nice preamp.
They need to modernize their functionality. They have a home theater knob on the front of the box and yet the remote can't control input selection. I believe volume can be controlled by the Remote.
Could you better describe that "coloration" from your listening experience, or are you just echoing someone else's opinion here?
This thread keeps going, somehow. You're not in the target market for a Master: an upscale, analog purist, hand-wired 2ch audio preamp with no digital control chips or volume and absolutely minimal relay switching (just the Mute control). I'm in their target market; I bought one. I actually DON'T want a Master with "modernized" features - that's not what core VAC is all about.
A far better match for your use case is an Audio Research Reference 6 or 6SE - these too are wonderful units, and I also own a 6. But here too you complained about "too many tubes". The 6H30 is long lived and ultra reliable. The single 6550 should be replaced every 1000 hours. This is minimal maintenance IMO.
The Master has only 2 tubes because it uses Lundahl input and output transformers to handle the I/O loading. You either need to look for other tube designs using that approach (which is relatively rare), or (more likely) pivot to SS preamps.
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Surely OP is enjoying his new tube preamp by now, right?
@fthompson251 Cool, the Renaissance III preamp is sweet. I especially liked its phono stage. It was very well built, with a hand wired line stage, and I vastly prefer its aesthetic over the Renaissance V. I have a friend who still pines over the 300B Renaissance power amps and tells me how great they were. But the new Master 300 amps are just stunning; they simply blow me and my 200iQ’s away 😲
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I just searched VAC 200iQ amplifier,and see a guy buy new with $14000 and sold $7600.
I just can't put the linking into here,it might have some limitation with forums.
It is the current model,so it won't be long time.
Is that to say this products with value for money is not good?
Am I right?
That is absolutely normal and expected used pricing behavior for a $14,000 MSRP tube amp which has been out for 7 years.
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Vac amplifiers are over priced.
I recommend you use a Topping power amp with the pre-outs from an AVR receiver.
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Going back to the many skeptics and sour grape guys in 2021. Tell me.....how many companies are there where the CEO (Kevin Hayes) is highly likely to answer the phone when you contact the company??....and then he will speak with you for as long as necessary to thoroughly answer your question!! My Sig Mkii se with phono stage is an amazing piece of precision equipment that compliments my entire system. I can only dream as to "how much" the Master series could improve upon the sonic results I am so fortunate to experience.
This. And they also happily service all past products, which can't be understated. That's pride in your product.
Actually spoke to Kevin just last week. I'm having a Renaissance 3 preamp reconditioned - it's the perfect sonic match for my small office rig. In the main rig I'm now running a full VAC Master preamp + Master monoblocks stack, which far exceeds the performance of any other system version I've had. It's finally stopped the component swapping, and every single session since December has been bliss. Nowhere to go from here since I can't afford Statement, but no complaints :)
Find the right VAC to match your system, then sit back and enjoy. If you build your rig like you select car insurance, then why even bother?
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Sounds like Vac Products require lots of maintenance. What do they do to it and why is it necessary? Super inconvenient for a quality product
You come off as a troll, but just to clarify for the benefit of others:
No, they don’t need more service than other brands. My Ren 3 went in for cosmetic touch-ups needed due to a slightly careless prior owner. And when a component lasts for 15+ years, then it’s prudent to refresh any electrolytic capacitors, regardless of brand. I would wager VAC products have a much longer "usage" lifespan than average, because they still sound great 20 years later.
I have not personally had a failure with any VAC component - 15 years, 9 (I think) components.
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@kmmd
His fixation here, when he’s clearly NOT the target audience for VAC gear, is kinda weird (as is the account hopping). He mentions Dan D’ag, but we know he wouldn’t buy that gear either because "too expensive". He could also buy a used VAC Renaissance Mk 2 or Phi Beta (my friend has one - sounds great!) which DOES have remote-selectable inputs, but of course he won’t (some excuse will be invented, as necessary). Those extra relays and digital controllers DO affect the ultimate sound quality, and VAC listened to guys like me who wanted the more pure path, because WE ACTUALLY BUY VAC GEAR lol.
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Bingo regarding everything that you posted. Yes, we buy and enjoy VAC! How is your Master 300iQ amp? I’ve gotta listen to that somehow somewhere.
@kmmd They're absolutely amazing - biggest component difference I’ve ever heard in my system. Took them on loan from my dealer and wasn’t expecting to buy them, because my speakers are 96dB and the 200iQs were already quite good - but it was a huge upgrade. The Master preamp & phono are a 100% ideal match, of course. It wasn’t really responsible for me to buy them either, but I made it work somehow lol.
Time to stop messing around - main rig is now 100% VAC and will stay that way. Small rig is the "sandbox" now, and I'm trying to work some VAC magic into there too - hence the Renaissance 3.
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