VAC preamps - too expensive?

Bingo regarding everything that you posted. Yes, we buy and enjoy VAC! How is your Master 300iQ amp? I’ve gotta listen to that somehow somewhere.

@kmmd  They're absolutely amazing - biggest component difference I’ve ever heard in my system. Took them on loan from my dealer and wasn’t expecting to buy them, because my speakers are 96dB and the 200iQs were already quite good - but it was a huge upgrade. The Master preamp & phono are a 100% ideal match, of course. It wasn’t really responsible for me to buy them either, but I made it work somehow lol. 

Time to stop messing around - main rig is now 100% VAC and will stay that way. Small rig is the "sandbox" now, and I'm trying to work some VAC magic into there too - hence the Renaissance 3. 

Thanks @mulveling.  Your systems must sound absolutely amazing.  I’m not sure if my YG Acoustics speakers will play nicely with tube amps though.  YG is usually shown with SS amps, and I know their showroom uses D’Ag amps.  I still hope to listen to the VACs.  Have a great weekend!

If you like VAC, want VAC and can afford VAC, then you are in a position to own and enjoy  some of best and most prestigious museum worthy pieces out there. Go for it!  Life is too short to wait. 

Vac goes with everything. Everything

@ghdprentice

I believe most people DO hear diminishing returns, otherwise, using your $22k versus $4k streamer example, you would not have spent the additional $18k on another streamer.  Maybe we agree that diminishing incremental improvements become more and more difficult to discern, especially when we're trying to improve a less expensive piece of gear, that very likely, is already a formidable performer!....that never ending quest for getting to that next level of sonic bliss.  Diminishing return improvements are VERY expensive as you know, and only because we are passionate about our music, does even a small improvement in sonic character, justify spending 5x more for such an incremental result.