Alternative Audio - Preamplifiers

This is a older piece in good condition. Just checked out and cleaned by our technician. Includes remote. No wood case.

Consignment item, sorry no trades.

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VTL 5.5 II SIGNATURE PREAMPLIFIER

List $8,500 / Sale $5,995

This is a one owner piece with the Silver finish in excellent condition. It was purchased in mid-2010 and the phono section was added in June, 2011.

Note this is the Mark II latest version with the most current circuitry and cosmetics.

From the VTL Website:

Since its introduction in 1997, the TL-5.5 has earned a reputation for outstanding performance at an economical price. Now, VTL has significantly upgraded this preamp, using many of the technological innovations derived from the flagship TL-7.5 preamplifier. The result is a modern full-featured preamplifier that outperforms in every way, making it one of the top values of any tube preamplifier in its category.

The fundamental qualities that made the original TL-5.5 special—its all-tube design, the optional retrofittable phono stage, and its superb sonic characteristics—are unchanged. What's new is the application of advanced audio technology sourced from VTL's TL-7.5 Reference and TL-6.5 Signature preamplifiers. This technology uses a simple circuit topology with low negative feedback and a high current/low impedance output stage in a low-noise microprocessor-based design. Top quality parts, fully balanced operation, and precision-regulated and shielded power supplies yield a full yet neutral sound with high resolution, transparency, speed and powerful dynamics.

Much of the engineering prowess inherent in these world-class preamps has been transferred to the new TL5.5. New fully regulated power supplies are similar to those of its bigger siblings and the unit is now fully balanced, for inputs as well as outputs. Similarly, VTL's latest thinking from our new and acclaimed TP-6.5 Signature phono stage is now applied to the optional MC phono stage, which can be easily retrofitted internally. It offers 68dB of gain and a balanced output, with a JFET/12AU7 high current MC stage (or high-grade stepup transformer), split-pole passive RIAA stage with a dual 12AX7 MM stage for maximum headroom voltage swing. Triple-precision power supply regulation and full gain and load setting with RIAA enhanced and rumble cut functions translate to a clean and quiet yet dynamic sound that brings vinyl to life!

VTL has delivered on its goal of bringing advanced engineering and modern functionality to the new TL-5.5 Series II preamplifier. With the same highly intuitive user interface of the renowned TL-7.5 and 6.5, and a full-function remote, the new TL-5.5 is a pleasure to use. A rigid, well-shielded chassis yields quiet operation while bi-directional RS-232 serial interface allows for seamless integration into any audio system. A luxurious cosmetic makeover includes a sleek and visually striking precision-milled faceplate similar to those used on its much more expensive brethren. For a well-priced, high-performance all-tube preamplifier, the TL-5.5 is a truly fine addition to any system.

Ready to demonstrate at your request, please call first so we can warm it up.

Includes box, manual, power cord and remote.

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HOVLAND HP-100 HYBRID LINESTAGE

List $5,000 / Sale $3,950

This is a silver faceplate version used line stage featuring 3 tubes in its circuit, along with a solid state power supply.
This version is one of the more recent ones produced, based on the selector switch used. It is in excellent condition.
Excerpts from the Stereophile review:
With its three smooth, gleaming, chrome-plated knobs and 3/8"-thick faceplate of aluminum plated in black nickel (the same plating process used for the sinks on the Sultan of Brunei's jets) and backed by a sheet of translucent plastic that's softly backlit blue, the HP-100 exudes tasteful luxury and authoritative simplicity. More important, the heavy-gauge, polished, anodized top and bottom plates and monocoque chassis help ensure structural integrity. If you don't like the blue glow, you can turn it off via a switch on the rear.
Hovland is big on using long interconnects from preamp to amp and short speaker cables, so the line-stage output features a cathode-follower buffer, which, I was told, reduces impedance to less than 1000 ohms. (The spec sheet claims approximately 2600 ohms.)
While its design incorporates many custom parts, the heart of the HP-100—the tubes—are readily available, relatively inexpensive Sovteks. (Hovland requests that you not try to improve on them with vintage tubes or other brands.) The 14dB-gain line section uses a pair of 12AX7s and one 12AU7.
Conclusions
This review is a love fest filled with shameless superlatives, and love is blind and can disappear in a heartbeat. But at least in my system, the Hovland HP-100 proved to be a sonic heavyweight at a relatively lightweight price. As a $5k line stage or as a $6500 full-featured preamp, its overall performance provided me with the greatest musical pleasure I've gotten from a preamp. My system sang as it never has. This came as a total surprise—I was wary of what a group of "tweakers" might come up with, sonically and otherwise.

The HP-100 is solidly built, elegantly simple, a pleasure to use, behaved flawlessly, and put on a sonic show that made me want it back in my system as soon as possible. The sound was on the romantic side, but not warm and tubey in the classic sense, and the slightly extravagant liquidity I've repeatedly called your attention to was more than offset by the unit's incredible clarity, focus, textural detail, harmonic fullness, and spatial expansiveness.

Includes box and manual.

Consignment item, sorry no trades.

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Alternative Audio Stereo Specialities
6 Hatt Street, Dundas, Ontario, Canada L9H 2E8 - Telephone 905.627.0899 - Fax 905.627.2734
Web www.alternativeaudio.com - E.mail info@alternativeaudio.com
Open Tues-Wed 10 am to 6 pm, Thurs, Fri. 11 am to 8:30 pm, Sat, 10 am to 5:00 pm, Sun., Mon. by appt. only