Audio Horizons TP 2.0 Preamplifier

Sure been quiet on the thread. I purchased some VAC Musicbloc amps recently and have been listening to them for a couple of weeks. I have learned something just recently that I want to pass on. I had these amps plugged into by BPT 2.5 Ultra as I have done with all of my amps in the past. I have always found the BPT helped the sound and never took away. Well, I assumed the same for these tube monoblocks, but I was wrong. Very wrong.

I liked the sound just fine, but I was finding the bass a little thick and slow. So after a week or so I decided to plug the amps right into my 20 amp outlets and much to my surprise the music flowed so much better. It was as if the amps were held back before. Goodness what a huge improvement from top to bottom.

Those of you with tube amps and any kind of power conditioner/balanced transformer may want to try the same thing. Plug your tube amps right into the wall and check out the difference. You may find a different result, but for me it was a HUGE improvement.

These VACs are very fine amps indeed. Sherod has the same amps I think and I now have even more respect for VAC. I may add that Kevin at VAC is a great guy and very helpful.

Well, while I had these amps one of my long time dream amps came up on the Gon and I had to have them. I will report on them once they come. They cost 2X as much as the VACs and I hope they are everything I anticipate.

I have been enjoying the pairing of tube amps with my TP 2.1. The VACs are more musical then my previous SS Belles Ref 350 amp. I loved the Belles amp, but it seems I was ready for a change.

My VAC amps are going to a new home soon and I am waiting on my new 70 pound monoblock 300b amps!! It will be interesting to see how well they mate with the AH preamp and my Dali speakers.

Ok, tube amp owners, have you found conditioners degrade the sound of your tube amps? This is the first time I have run into it with my BPT?

Bill

Bill,
The power supplies of the VAC amps are so good that most conditioners that I've tried to plug them into have degraded their sound, just as you found. The only thing that benefitted my VAC amps are much better power cords and an Alan Maher Power Enhancer plugged into the same outlet. I'm curious why you decided to sell your VAC amps after such a short time with them. Did your speakers need more power? Are you looking for a different sound from the 300b's? The previous owner of my VAC amps sold them to me because they weren't enough power for his big Eggleston Andras. By the way, the VAC amps are very critical of the interconnects used from the preamp outputs. Thanks for reviving this thread. For a while there, I was wondering if the thread was dying a slow death. I still have my VAC amps at the factory getting them checked out. Hopefully I'll have them back soon to start enjoying my music once again. Let us know how your new 300B amps sound in your system.

I only sold the VAC amps to pay for much more expensive amps that became available. Power was not an issue as the VAC drives my 90 db speakers with absolute ease.

I have been listening today and love these VAC amps. I wish I could have waited to compare the VAC amps to my new amps but I needed the cash badly.

Once I get the new amps in and settled I will update all. I found the VAC amps and the AH preamp to be a good match. VAC amps seem not to suffer from that traditional "old school, tube slowness or thickness". With the BPT out the highs go higher and the bass is fast and tight.

Bill

I just got my uprgraded pre-amp back too. It is a step up, for sure than the fine stock unit. The sound coming out now is really excellent and quite satisfying........Joseph Chow hits another homerun!