VAC Signature Preamplifier mkII

Kurt_tank

Thanks; I will do so when I have some free time.
Meanwhile I will share that my system consists of
EMM CDSA player
Basis 2500 TT
Clayton M-300 monoblocks
Revel Ultima Salon II's
Stereovox reference cabling (IC and SC)
Cardas Golden Ref AC cords throughout

Differences from VTL 7.5 and ARC Ref 3: More natural timbres/tonality...vocals incredibly natural.
Bass slightly more extended and "natural"
Highs about equal

Phono stage excellent and near silent.

The VAC Ren Sig mkII just makes me smile each tme I turn it on...gorgeous aesthetics and sound:)

I realize this comes at a price, but every dollar goes into quality and not advertising. Kevin Hayes is one of the very best in high end audio, extremely friendly, and an invaluable resource, no matter what your budget.

Okay, so you got me interested.
(Currently, I am using an Ayre K-1xe, with phono boards, (which I love), but I've owned it for many years, and I'm starting to get the itch, if you know what I mean.)
And, since the VAC states it is a fully balanced preamp, I am very interested, especially after my experience with the Phi 300 amplifier.

As a lover of analog, the phono stage is a most imporant aspect to me.

What phono stages have you used in the past, and how does the VAC's internal phono stage measure up?

I love the Ayre's phono boards, as they are very, very quiet, (I LOVE deep, dark black backgrounds!), and one thing that I like, is that the Ayre does use XLRs for their phono inputs. (And the terminations from my Basis 2001, with Vector M3 tone arm, have been terminated with XLRs.)

What type of inputs does the VAC have for its phono stage?

What cartridge are you using with your VAC?

I am using a low output MC cartridge, (Dynavector XV-1S, w/0.3 MV output), and I would definitely want to know that the VAC could handle that low of a phono output without any compromise to the noise floor.

Thanks for all the information so far, and I'm looking forward to the full review!
:-)

I will add, as a tangent, that during the extended absences of my Jadis JP80 for repairs in the past, my fine dealer lent me preamps from time to time to cover for the Jadis. I heard the Lamm LL2 and L2, the Klyne, the Innersound and a few more, as well as the original, Mk I version of the VAC Renaissance. The VAC was my favorite of all those units (none of which are slouches), even though I only had it for a few days. Very natural sounding, dynamic, quiet, a true pleasure to listen to. Did not listen through the phono stage, not sure if it was installed in the unit I borrowed. My only complaint about it was that it did not have a balance control (or separate volume control for each channel, as with my Jadis). I know that is done for sonic reasons, but in some instances I think a way to control the volume for each channel is almost necessary, given room interactions, variability among tubes, etc. That aside, a wonderful piece of equipment.

I have had my Ren Sig MkII for a couple of years now, and paired with monoblock Phi 300.1's I cannot imagine wanting anything more, splendid equipment and spot on description of Kevin Hayes AudioBrian, one of the great minds and true gentlemen in the industry.

The only dedicated phono preamp I have owned is the Thor TA-3000, which enjoys a fine reputation, albeit company viability issues. As I do not listen to vinyl as much as digital, I have preferred very excellent full function preamps, with fine phono stages, like the VAC Sig mkII and the Accuphase 2410 with phono module.
The integrated phono section of the VAC is as good as the Thor TA 3000, and is actually more quiet (near silent)
I use an MC Transfiguration Orpheus at 0.3 mV with absolutely no problem with adequate amplification or noise.

Only RCA inputs standard for phono I'm afraid. However, Kevin will be happy to supply an XLR input, upon request at extra cost, if this is important to you....another example of VAC's willingness to work with their customers.

Can't go wrong if you're itching for a change.

Of course if you have a favorite dedicated phono preamp, you can feed it's outputs into one of two XLR line inputs on the VAC Sig II.

I should mention that the less costly Ren MKIII offers approx 90% of what you get with the Sig, including phono stage.....IMHO the best bang for the buck in preamps available...however the Sig mkII is one step better.