This was and still is one of the more coveted tube preamps in the market. Design is very straightforward with two 8416 tubes giving the preamp its beautifully lush sweet sound. Details and definition were cleanly projected without sounding too tubby like some other tube preamps. Many VAC aficionados considered this the next best thing after the Renaissance Signature and at thousands of dollars cheaper, offered tremendous bang for the buck. In fact, the Renaissance Signature had a MSRP of $17,000! This preamp has six line inputs (the 6th input, MC, was previously used as the phono input from an outboard phono preamp) and three preouts. Remote control is a simple affair with four buttons – selector, mute and volume.
Cosmetically, the setup looks good. Minor scuffs common with use but nothing major. Remote has a couple of tiny surface nicks. We have the original box and will be securely packed for safe shipping.
