Look at the VTL TL5.5 Series II Signature Preamplifer ($8,000.00 USD, $10,500.00 USD) and tell us you don't see a betamax, you may even say SVHS, in it.
In the past, audiophiles would use these formats for music recording, given the wide bandwidth, compared to compact cassette (CC) tape, while recording engineers later would adapt these formats for digital recording (24/48, 24/96, DSD).
Today, we're talking streaming services (Pandora, Spotify) and DSDxx(x).
What we are talking about is of course, both design, and obsolesce. If you can consider yourself an audiophile, you can consider conservatively owning a component approximately 3 years, before upgrading.
We like the French company, YBA, for allowing transistors to sound like 'tubes. If you like 'tubes, why not consider VTL?
Although the noise specs aren't publicized, a channel separation of over 100 dB is very good for a tube design. For comparison, the Schitt Audio Mjolnr, a full-balanced-design (JFET, MOSFET...) is spec'd at >- 75dB in cross-talk (20 Hz-20KHz).
Let's look at one "starter system", employing the VTL TL5.5 Series II Signature Preamplifier and the VTL ST-150 Amplifier ($6,000.00 USD).
With your price system estimates,
Source: Apple iBook (Retail: $ USD)
Cable: Transparent
DAC: EMM Labs DAC2X DAC ($15,500.00 USD)
Cable: Transparent
Pre-Amplifier: VTL TL5.5 Series II Signature Preamplifier (Retail: $8,000.00 USD)
Cable: Transparent
Amplifier: VTL ST-150 Power Amplifier (Retail: $6,000.00 USD)
Cable: Transparent
Speakers: Electrocompaniet Nordic Tone Model 1 Loudspeaker (Retail: $33,500.00 USD)
consider the above.
Try assembling a row of VTL ST-150 Power Amplifiers ($6000.00 USD each) as a fireplace (gas) replacement, or just one in the fireplace, as budget will permit.
Now it's a bit odd to talk about a product incorporating vacuum tubes internally by no other than Vacuum Tube Logic (VTL), of course, and technical obsolesce in the same sentence. Vacuum Tubes were invented by 1910, were popularly used in the heyday of audio (1950), and of course up until this day by Jadis, VTL... not to mention many others.
The transistor came in in 1947, courtesy of Bell Labs (the Vacuum Tube, John Ambrose Flemming, 1907), and performed like either an Ian Flemming villain, or hero (James Bond), with the audio world, depending on your opinion.
We like the French company, YBA, for allowing transistors to sound like 'tubes. If you like 'tubes, why not consider VTL?
JP 2015/04/13
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