Accuphase E-560 versus VAC Sigma 160i

Interesting comments- I had a Vac Phi Beta and Luxman 590ax in my room on Zu Definition 4 speakers. I would say the Luxman was very, very warm and smooth compared with the Vac. The Lux was like butta' and I didn't like it one bit. On the other hand, the Phi Beta to me was a tad rolled off, go figure. I rolled lots of tubes in it as well (Psvane 12ax7s, Shuguang Black Treasure KT88s, etc).

I've also had the Phi 200 in my system compared with my McIntosh 601s at the time- I felt they sounded really similar, which surprised me. Bass was not tube-like fyi. I didn't get to roll tubes in that amp, however.

Perhaps this is just a long way to say that I couldn't get Vac and Zu to work right. I heard the Sigma 160i on Tads sound spectacular at an audio show, so I'm well disposed to Vac amps.

Keithr,
Interesting that you found the Luxman 590ax to be way overly warm. I have not read that about the unit in any reviews (I know, take all reviews with a grain of salt)... Is it possible that the FETs in the amp were not broken in yet. I had a Mosfet amp once and it took quite a while to 'wake up.'
Did you have any other warm character cables or gear involved as well???
Thanks, Just trying to get a barometer going.

Jriggy- The Luxman was a demo piece that On A Higher Note circulates around the country when requested. It definitely had lots of hours on it (and I ran it continuously for 5 days- a space heater!) as the dealer and I had scheduling issues. Two other audiophiles and myself thought similarly on sonics.

Zu speakers tend to favor a slightly warm amp, so I thought it would be a perfect match. That was not the case however. I have another Class A amp (Valvet) in the system currently that sounds much better. I was told to demo the Luxman AB integrated as it's less warm, but I wasn't really interested.

The other integrated you should probably audition is the Ayre. It sounds quite good on some systems. I think Ayre, Dartzeel, and Vac would be my audition. Dart imo is the best, but at 2x the price.

Thanks Keithr. Very helpful.

I have owned the VAC Sigma 160i with built in MC phono stage for about 2 years and continue to be impressed with its sound and build quality as well as the support of Kevin Hayes and company at VAC.

I find it to have a beguiling combination of the liquidity and dimensionality people like from tubes along with the resolution, drive and bass control that people typically associate with good solid state.

For me it is the cornerstone of a high quality, but simplified system and I would highly recommend an audition for anyone in the market for a great integrated at that price point.

I have not heard the Accuphase but I have heard the Luxman Class As, Pass Class A, older ARC Vsi50, various Mcintosh, older Ayre and many others, and still preferred the VAC by a pretty good margin for my tastes (classical, jazz, blues, acoustic, some rock, etc).

The new Ayre 5 series integrated has a nice sound as well and the Vitus at a higher price point is also a good sounding integrated that would be worth consideration.