I would send them in ... let us know!
Can a Amp be "timeless" and compete with todays amps?
I’ve been into hi resolution audio for 20+ years, well longer than that but acquired high quality gear about that time. I veered off into other interests for 15 years but still had my system sitting idle in it’s dedicated room. I became interested in it again 6 months ago and began to update it. I still have my Rega Planar 25 table and a Dragon phono stage. I retained my CEC TL1 transport, but replaced my DAC with a Dinafrips Venus II, I also have the Hermes DDC which I feed my CEC into as well as my Cambridge Streamer. I sold my Genesis V speakers because they were having an issue with the left channel bass and since they were out of business I had no way to fix them, it was over my head. I found someone that wanted them and was willing to repair them himself. (he is very happy with them) I replaced them with some Goldenear Triton 1.r’s which I love. So here is the nostalgia part. I still have my VAC Cla 1 Mk II pre amp and my VAC Renaissance 70/70 Mk II amp. I feel they still hold up well sonically, so my thoughts are to send them both to VAC for the Mk III updates this fall of 2022, which includes replacing any necessary parts and "voicing" them back to new as intended when they were first made. I really believe these pieces are worthy of the restoration, are newer pieces today really going to make much headway? I cannot afford to replace these items with "like" items as I am retired and the discretionary income isn’t there anymore. I just feel like they are still really good and offer a very high quality sound. I mean 8- 300 B tubes can’t be all that bad can they? I’ve voiced the pre amp with with Telefunken 12AX7’s and I have a small stash of them. Tube sound is still great right?
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"My experience over the last forty years of owning top level amps… although in the past mostly solid state (but my preamps and phono stages have been tubed) is that, ten years is a significant improvement in performance… and twenty is in a completely different league.". --. ghdprentice.
I would be the other dissenter then because my experience is the same as yours. Even really great equipment 10 or 20 years out has been surpassed, even in the amp category. I also tried to upgrade a top of the line tube amp and preamp 20 years old, 15 years old by having them be rebuilt and upgraded with the latest and the greatest parts. Unfortunately I ended up selling them and buying newer high-end amps and preamps. Now the upgraded equipment was much better than the original and there were obvious sonic improvements but just not as good as the latest and greatest equipment. Even the very idea people on this form are saying you should upgrade and tweak the equipment you've got to modern day standards should tell you that modern day equipment will be better. Of course modern day equipment at the equivalent purchase price of the old equipment.
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you are a man with a plan, impressive. It's very nice to get a vintage piece back that has been properly checked over by competent people you trust. I visit a friend who lives a few miles from Audio Classics, I feel they are in my back pocket! I see your amp has 6SN7. My Cayin has 6SN7's and 6SL7's. I mixed em up by mistake, blew one. Researched, picked a matched pair from Brent Jesse, I was very surprised at how much difference in sound they made, in my case not good. I was able to send em back, try another pick, they sound equally wonderful as the ones Cayin used whatever they are. Just saying, I would ask VAC some advice about recommended 6SN7's for yours while they have it.
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@elliottbnewcombjr I still have the Golden Dragon 6sn7's and I have back up complete set of tubes for the amp (8-300 Bs and 4 6SN7 Golden Dragons), they came with it when I bought it, but I bought all new tubes for it when I got it to start out with "freshies". It was used but gently with little time on it as I remember. I am looking into some Tung Sol USA black base but trying to predict a sound signature of a tub cab be tedious. |
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