Why Not More Conversation about VAC?

Why not more conversation about VAC?

Perhaps

1. little product advertising
2. limited audio reviews
3. strong competition
4. highly fragmented market
5. long delivery lead time
6. limited global representation

all play a role?

Speaking personally I tried (and failed) to buy product from directly from VAC. Kevin kept promising to get back to me but in the finish he simply never did. A big disappointment which I decided was the outcome of Kevin seemingly trying to do everything himself. Perhaps therefore we should add 7. small company?

"What I heard was a absolutely amazing jaw dropping experience no mater what music was played, and or at what volume."

mbl done right is generally that way.

I'm assuming you heard the mbl on a traditional well set up SS rig (top off the line mbl amp as a benchmark) as well?

BTW, I've heard the exact same mbl rig set up well in a showroom and less than optimally at a show. The dealer's setup was OUTSTANDING. The show was nice but forgettable.

There are a lot of things that go into maxing out mbl in addition to just amp, though certainly that is a big part.

I have owned and sold a VAC Ren (not Sig) full function pre and now have a VAC Ren 30/30 MkII amp. The pre was excellent, has fantastic looks and build quality, it's extremely versatile and has the best remote I have ever come across. It sounded fantastic (l.s. and phono). I sold it when I went to a l.o. mc and I wanted to get into an active gain stage instead of the internal step up in the VAC. My Doshi Alaap is better, but not significantly better. I could have lived with the VAC, happily ever after. I did have to send it back once for repair and to have the internal loading resistor swapped out. The repair took a while, but it was sent in just before XMAS and then of course Kevin is out at CES right after. I would say that in terms of speed of service its about what you could expect from an artisan/boutique operation. The work was done well, it was not cheap and it took a bit of time.
The amp is fantastic; I bought it used here on the 'Gon and had a couple of concerns when it arrived. I emailed Kevin late one night and got back a detailed response first thing the next morning. Over the course of the next day or 2, we exchanged 3 or 4 emails; he was never anything but helpful, gracious and generous with his time. So I would say his products are expensive and provide a level of build quality and sound quality commensurate with the price. As far as comparing the Ren series of products to the moderate priced tube gear from China- well all I can say is we are not talking apples and oranges, we are talking apples and extra-terrestrials. Also, try getting some good diagnostic advice from PrimaLuna or Consonance on a piece you bought used. And then there are the QC and dealer/customer support issues. Search Trelja's threads; it'll curl your hair!

"we are not talking apples and oranges, we are talking apples and extra-terrestrials"

That's a good one! Gotta remember that!

If you are going to make a major investment, customer support and service should be part of the value proposition.

I know many smaller companies are challenged to turn things around quickly, which does matter.

I always think about things like how to get service if needed and total cost of ownership when considering any major purchase.

Plus. I try to keep decent spare gear around in order to be able to listen if/when something has to go out for repair.

Mapman...

"Maybe there are others that can match teh sound quality taking a more budget oriented approach? It would surprise me if that were not the case, but I am not educated enough in this area to know if such an amp actually exists or not."

The old saying, there's no such thing as a free lunch applies. How COULD/WOULD they make something as good, using cheaper parts and not handwiring...that's counterintuitive to me.

Agree with just about everything you've said here though.

Good Listening.

Larry