AVA equipment made a favorable impression on me years ago so I recently acquired their TOTL hybrid pre/power combo to see how modern AVA compares to my trusted Classe and VTL amps. I was not disappointed as they held their own in many ways. The AVA gear sounded good - it had finesse and was quite transparent, but ultimately could not keep up with my Classe and VTL in conveying the weight, lushness and scale of the music as effortlessly in the way I’m used to hearing. Yes, it beats Hafler, Belles and McCormack, but not VTL or Classe. Furthermore, the combo (neither pre or power amp was equipped with an earth ground) developed a faint buzz on phono. When I asked Frank Van Alstine about this, he did not give me a response. I’m not sure what to do now with the amps. Maybe I’ll sell them.
Van Alstine Synergy amps: Are they quality sound?
I ran a similar thread about a year ago, and got no feedback. I am simply curious why Van Alstine products don't receive more reviews and evaluation. Need some feedback about the sound quality and reliability of VA's "Synergy" amps and one integrated amp.