VAC preamps - too expensive?

@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

VAC has a big button on front of VAC for ht bypass. Why?  No one else does this, yet they arent interested in ht users.

very strange.  Why dont you want input selection functionality? Is it all about SQ?  Maybe family wants convenience of not dealing with a very complex rack of components all the time, they are lazy like most of us.

You should buy something else instead of whining.

If that is not apparent to you it is to me.

vac makes great gear, has for decades, kevin hayes is a brilliant designer, a perfectionist (and a very nice, stand up person too) - i still own a set of his 4-chassis pa90c amps, which was one of the very small handful of original tip-top rated amps by harry pearson at the outset of the absolute sound ... that amp put the kevin and his company on the map, and the rest is history

vac prices are very high (always been), but there is clearly a market, of well heeled aficianados who value the outstanding performance, looks, engineering and build quality, and are willing to pay for it

if the price is too high for you, don’t complain and make a stink, just buy something cheaper, that fits your budget and sensibilities -- no shortage of very good performing tube gear out there priced at more ’affordable’ levels - rogue, quicksilver, primaluna, jolida, raven, dsachs and so on...

’why are porsches and mclarens soooo damned expensive, folks who make them are just arrogant jerks... i hate them...’ 😠😠😠

I have owned my VAC Cla 1 MK II for 20 years. Back then I believed to get to the end game faster, so I did. I pick it up this week after getting it upgraded to Mk III status so I am now set for the rest of my lifetime for a pre amp. I also have the VAC Renaissance 70/70 Mk II amp which I will be dropping off to them in January 2023 to get upgraded to Mk IIII status. And that will be all I need for the rest of my lifetime. I may be venturing into getting some very nice 300 B tubes for it next. Got my eye on some PSVANE ACME 300 B’s. I have to get out of my chair to change the volume on each of the volume pots, one for each channel. I don’t mind. Funny, same goes for all the vinyl enthusiast, each time they swap an LP, it’s really no big deal right? Most of my digital front end is now current and replaced with current designs in the past year as well as new speakers. I am engaged with my system each time I see those tubes glow, I just stare at them as the music flows, sounds wonderful to me still after all these years. VAC makes solid stuff and stand behind it after decades.