VAC preamps - too expensive?

Going back to the many skeptics and sour grape guys in 2021.  Tell me.....how many companies are there where the CEO (Kevin Hayes) is highly likely to answer the phone when you contact the company??....and then he will speak with you for as long as necessary to thoroughly answer your question!! My Sig Mkii se with phono stage is an amazing piece of precision equipment that compliments my entire system. I can only dream as to "how much" the Master series could improve upon the sonic results I am so fortunate to experience.

This. And they also happily service all past products, which can't be understated. That's pride in your product.

Actually spoke to Kevin just last week. I'm having a Renaissance 3 preamp reconditioned - it's the perfect sonic match for my small office rig. In the main rig I'm now running a full VAC Master preamp + Master monoblocks stack, which far exceeds the performance of any other system version I've had. It's finally stopped the component swapping, and every single session since December has been bliss. Nowhere to go from here since I can't afford Statement, but no complaints :)

Find the right VAC to match your system, then sit back and enjoy. If you build your rig like you select car insurance, then why even bother?

Sounds like Vac Products require lots of maintenance. What do they do to it and why is it necessary? Super inconvenient for a quality product

Sounds like Vac Products require lots of maintenance. What do they do to it and why is it necessary? Super inconvenient for a quality product

You come off as a troll, but just to clarify for the benefit of others:

No, they don’t need more service than other brands. My Ren 3 went in for cosmetic touch-ups needed due to a slightly careless prior owner. And when a component lasts for 15+ years, then it’s prudent to refresh any electrolytic capacitors, regardless of brand. I would wager VAC products have a much longer "usage" lifespan than average, because they still sound great 20 years later.

I have not personally had a failure with any VAC component - 15 years, 9 (I think) components.

My Phi Beta preamp has been the beating heart of my main system for 12 years, on 14-16 hours a day and requiring zero maintenance beyond changing tubes every couple years. Love it.

@mulveling 

Thank you for your great comments. My trollish rhetoric is due to the frustration I had trying to make a decision about this vac preamp, which was plan to be incorporated into a Home theater arrangement when used for stereo listening.

Unfortunately, vac does not make a remote that allows input changing despite offering a home theater button on the face of the component which is kind of weird. My family didn't like this functionality and that trumped it's performance qualities and plus it may have been located in a separate room. I did buy a different preamp at a very comparable level so everybody was happy

Why these guys don't put this type functionality on the remote is beyond me and when I spoke to a person at the company about this issue they seemed a bit arrogant which I can live with should I have chosen to buy the unit.  It wasn't the owner guy. Nevertheless who knows where I may end up and maybe Vac Will honor a spot somewhere under my roof.