Vac Renaissance preamp MKI Vs. MKII

Can anyone thell me the differences between the MKI and MKII renaissance preamp. The VAC web site isn't helping much.

duddley02-28-2004 7:27pm

dennis_the_menace Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 467 posts 02-26-2005 at 03:56pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete I just received my VAC renaissance mk 1, and it does have a source selector on the remote. I believe that there are a different number of tubes in the mk1 and mk2. The mk2 has 5 x 12ax7 (3 for the phono) and 2 x 8416, while the mk1 has 2 x 8416 and I think 2 x 12ax7 for phono. Anyway... I have no idea how the mk2 sounds, but I can tell you the mk1 is a pleasantly large jump over my Supratek Syrah w/ NOS tubes, mostly in the areas of transparency (if you can believe it! the Syrah is VERY transparent), and soundstaging (more layered and focused).
duddley OP Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 78 posts 03-03-2004 at 11:13pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Thanks, Altrock.
altrock Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 1 posts 02-29-2004 at 05:14am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete I had a chance to talk to Kevin Hayes about it during the CES in January and he said that the differences are small and mainly limited to the remote control (I believe you can now do source selection, the MKI only has remote volume control). The new model seems to have less gold plating on the face plate and fewer knobs. Kevin said they sound pretty much the same.