VAC 160i, any experiences

Thx, the record out sounds like a good idea. I will probably have to order the one i want. Pretty much fully loaded. I am sure they won't have one in house like i want.

The MC is a must.

Really appreciate your input.

Matt

I did not, i got rca only with mm phono stage......wishing I had asked for balanced, MC phono AND i wish instead of pre amp outs I had asked for a fixed output (to use as a record out).

Ghasley,

Did you get the balanced option. My cd player is hooked up through the balanced outs and it would be cheaper cable wise to upgrade than to buy new reference cables?

Matt

Matt,
Let me first say that the burn in time was kindof a joke. I have had plenty of gear that needed significant break in time to settle down. This amp is NOT one of those. If nothing had changed from initial plug in, i would still be quite happy so, out of the box, it was terrific! The additional hours have simply revealed a more "luxurious" presentation. My experience may not be applicable to your situation due to the fact that about 400 hours in is when I swapped in the Mullards. I do believe the amp has gotten more dynamic and snappy. The only ones I saw were silver face w/chrome knobs....mine is the black face w/gold knobs.

Ghasley,

The dealer is 2 hours away, but that is not bad. He does not have Wilson. He carries Theils which are somewhat simular. The volume remote is all I want.

All my interconnects and speaker cables are reference Transparent cables. My TT has a Cardas reference cable that i like alot. You are making me feel better about my future purchase.

I have already talked to Kevin. I just like to hear some customer input.

Now i want be able to sleep well with anticipation.

How long did it take to burn in. I will probably run it 24/7 through my Mac mini and my Tranquillity Dac to burn it in initially.

Thanks again

Matt

Good to hear you have a stocking dealer near you. Please take a picture so you can capture this rare creature in the wild while you still can: a bricks and mortar dealer who stocks excellent high end gear!

I am very impressed with the phono stage but i can not stress enough how wonderful the NOS Mullards are. One caveat I forgot to mention, the remote is for volume only....no input selection, power, mute or otherwise....it is for volume only! No big deal to me but it may be important to you. Does your dealer also have Wilson so you can hear them together? Most Wilson dealers will demo with Transparent cabling but i can't tell you how impressed i am with the Cardas Clear, depending on your budget and what you currently have.

Good luck and i hope you enjoy the demo. also, don't hesitate to call VAC directly. Kevin Hayes is one of the truly great guys in our hobby....he will actually talk to you and furthermore, he will tell you when he doesn't think something will apply for your situation.

Thanks guys,
Just what i wanted to hear.

Ghasley, Its good to hear you mention the phono stage, because i am into vinyl alot and could not find much about it.
I was reasonably sure i was going to try the sigma anyway,but wanted to hear other peoples impressions.

My local dealer has just the unit i am looking for and will probably pick one up this coming week.

Thx again for the feedback.

Matt

Mwilliams, I am the proud owner of a VAC Sigma 160i amp mated to a pair of Wilson Audio Duettes. Not Sofias but very very similar. The 160i is simply stunning. I will try to describe for you. My recent amp journey was a Naim Supernait, then to a VAC Phi 200 driven directly by a Berkeley Alpha DAC, now the Sigma.

The charcteristics of the Sigma is going to sound cliche but imagine mating the best characteristics of solid state....crisp snappy bass with the best of tubes, smooth articulate mid range with gorgeous highs. I have about 5-600 hours logged so far and it keeps getting better. This is the amp Kevin Hayes has in his home. The phono stage is terrific.

This amp is NOT bloomy at all.....it has prat, snap, excellent bass and it is very romantic sounding without going too far. I have installed NOS Mullard 12ax7's in the phono section and NOS 12au7's in the input stage, all other tubes are stock from VAC. Everyone has different value judgements but I believe this integrated is fabulous and it has ended my search. My setup is presently a REGA P5/Exact2, Playback Designs MPD-3/Mac Mini, Vac Sigma 160i, Wilson Duettes (no sub, doesn't need one in my largish room), Running Springs Jaco. cabling is Cardas Clear Light interconnects/Speaker Cables, Cardas Clear M power cables.

Seek out a demo, i believe VAC will be showing the Sigma at RMAF. Every dealer i spoke to about it prior to my purchase was quite effusive about the sound(when are they not!) yet I have to agree. good luck.

A few years back, I heard the prototype of what I beleive was called the "Alpha" Integrated and frankly, that's what brought me into the VAC camp. It was fantastically musical!

This was the version of the integrated that existed just before the current model.

Call Kevin. He will answer your questions and guide you with honesty.