VAC Renaissance Pre-amp owners - Help

Dev,

It takes one 5 x 20 mm, 4 ampere, slow blow type. Fuse holder is below the IEC on the Power Supply unit. Facing the fuse holder, the direction worked best for me is right to left.

I have 550+ hours on my preamp and broken in. I ran it 24/7 for the first 300 hours ... didn't want to begin tinkering until it's fully broken in.

I'm using ASI Liveline power cord. I replaced all SR Tesla Apex, Hologram ... in my system to ASI Livelines. My next focus is my room, component stands, isolation platforms ...

Do you mean the switch between 8416 or 6922/e88cc/7308?

Mine is set to 6922/e88cc/7308 ... rolling NOS Amperex 7308. When I need a change, I roll the stock Golden Dragon e88cc ... cheaper than changing preamps :-):-) Both are excellent but very different sound.

The Sig MKII uses 8416. The earlier Sig MKIIa uses 6922/e88cc/7308. The later Sig MKIIa has a switch (6.3 volts and 12.6 volts) where you can use 6922/e88cc/7308 or 8416.

My Sig MKIIa has the switch and stock tube is Golden Dragon e88cc. The preamp works fine and sounds FABULOUS. I don't have any 8416 to test and don't plan to roll any 8416. Kevin recommends Philip 6922/e88cc/7308 as an alternative to stock so between those 2, there's no reason to roll any 8416 even though it's also an excellent tube.

Pookie10, I suggest you contact VAC and return the unit for repair. The preamp probably got damaged during transit. I know Kevin personally test/listen to every Sig before shipping so if the 8416 was in the preamp at VAC, it was working before ship.

The Amperex NOS 7308 gold pins has a bolder and more neutral with better defined edges compare to Golden Dragon e88cc ... Golden Dragon is softer. One is not better than the other but just different. I'll probably roll some Ediswan and Mullard down the road but for now I'm very satisfy with sound.

I also ask Kevin about HiFi Tuning Gold fuses. Here's his reply

/*****

The labeling on the hifi 'tuning' fuses suggest that they may incorporate a capacitor bypass across the fuse element, which will to a small degree assist in filtering any harmonic content due to thermal tracking. Logically, this would be more of an issue with a Class AB or Class B power amplifier than with a Class A preamplifier, but I've learned not to use theory to prejudge the result.

*****/

Since I purchased the fuse after placing order for the preamp, I AB against stock while keeping everything else constant. I found HiFi Tuning sound was noticeably smoother and less hifi-ish. I heard someone @theCableCo found the fuse made no differences in his Sig MKII. I don't know his system and NOT surprise it's system dependent. With many many thousand invested in a system, $35 is worth a try.

HiFi Tuning fuse is directional. In the wrong direction, the sound is lean and constricted. I use HiFi Tuning fuses in all my components and have never found direction alters the sound so dramactically as in the VAC.

Podeschi, I flipped the Hi-Fi Supreme direction in my VAC Sig MKIIa and I think I prefer your direction now. :-):-) Sounds is not as open but image is tighter and better defined.

Podeschi, the more open sound direction is probably out of phase. Initially I prefer the correct direction but flipped it ... guess fuse was not fully broken before my experiment.

I replaced all my HiFi Gold and Supreme with Audio Magic Nano-Liquid fuses and very happy with the results. It's like replacing a high quality SS amp with a high quality Tube amp. More liquid eliminating any grain and digital glare, less congestion, bloom and beautiful tone. I didn't believe until I tried. According to Jerry at Audio Magic, it only take 24 hrs for break-in.

Snook2, I had my hearing tested and it's excellent but it helps with high quality components. Everything makes a difference and I don't debate with the skeptics ... just a waste of time :-):-)

I meant to say it sounds like the phase is reversed. Sound is more open, lighter, image is bigger and further back in the soundstage ...