Group Buy '16: Dreadnought Avel Lindberg 1000VA Isolation Transformers

DrumSolo

Thanks again @vcwatkins and all who participated... oh and thank you @Mr_Hz for this awesome case!

monepolk

Received mine yesterday. Thanks to @250GTLusso for getting this round started and thanks to @vcwatkins for running with the ball.

txcoastal1

dkfreebird wrote: »

Yep laminectomy,2 thru 5

At least that's better than a Orchiectomy 1&2

msg

what about #3?

dkfreebird

At least that's better than a Orchiectomy 1&2

Those were gone when I said I Do and she said the 3 was a keeper

vcwatkins

Got in late last night from music fest (getting too old for this, hehe) and found mine at front door. I'll send a PM out and update the list today. Many thanks to @250GTLusso!

heiney9

Mine was supposed to come on Friday according to the P.O., it came Saturday at work, of course. Just got it out of the mailbox and the box has taken some abuse, with a big split in the side. I'll open it later and make sure there is no damage.

Thanks to @250GTLusso and @vcwatkins for all their work to pull this off.

H9

heiney9

Contents look fine. I wonder how they were shipped from Sri Lanka? It seems Avel was just a middleman as these are made in Sri Lanka, I wonder what role if any Avel played beyond placing the order and packing and shipping them.

Time to order the rest of what I need. It will be several weeks before I assemble.

H9

vcwatkins

heiney9 wrote: »

Contents look fine. I wonder how they were shipped from Sri Lanka? It seems Avel was just a middleman as these are made in Sri Lanka, I wonder what role if any Avel played beyond placing the order and packing and shipping them.

Time to order the rest of what I need. It will be several weeks before I assemble.

H9

Glad it made it okay. My box was in good shape. I immediately discarded the box since recyclables were picked up early this morning, so I never noticed the Sri Lanka address. Interesting.

heiney9

The Sri Lanka is a sticker on the actual transformer.

heiney9

kmeek wrote: »

Mine just came in and aside from the box being a little mangled they had the tranny wedged in with a good amount of cardboard and packing paper.

vcwatkins, look at the upper left corner of the first photo.

vcwatkins

Ahh, gotcha, thanks.

kmeek

Yes, I received mine on Saturday and had it together and completed by the end of the day. Yeh!

Thanks again @vcwatkins and @250GTLusso for putting on the group buy. Hopefully the next time we put one of these together I will own a pair of 1.2tl's that I will be in need of another dreadnought (wishful thinking).

heiney9

There's nothing wrong with them being made in Sri Lanka. I just assumed for the cost and special order they would be made in the USA at the actual Avel Lindberg plant. Maybe there is no such thing as a "US Plant".

H9

txcoastal1

Kinda explains why it takes so long to get them, probably takes a month to ship and receive through customs

kmeek

heiney9 wrote: »

There's nothing wrong with them being made in Sri Lanka. I just assumed for the cost and special order they would be made in the USA at the actual Avel Lindberg plant. Maybe there is no such thing as a "US Plant".

H9

While I am sipping on my Sumatran coffee auditioning my 2.3's through my Sri Lankan dreadnought I think I will be happy just the same...

jojo674

If anyone bought a 1000VA and does not need it. If anyone can part with one 1000VA that would be greatly appreciated. I actually have 1.2 tl's and fried the left side SDA and other drivers because my AI-1 is done. Had to start from scratch. I have owned these for 29 years. Can only afford this one time. Please help.

heiney9

Avel makes and stocks an 800vA model that performs superbly with SDA's. The 1000vA is a slight improvement.

H9

machone

So quit messing around, put them together and report your findings.

jojo674

heiney9 wrote: »

Avel makes and stocks an 800vA model that performs superbly with SDA's. The 1000vA is a slight improvement.

H9

Thank you.
Looking for the 1000VA

F1nut

jojo674 wrote: »

heiney9 wrote: »

Avel makes and stocks an 800vA model that performs superbly with SDA's. The 1000vA is a slight improvement.

H9

Thank you.
Looking for the 1000VA

You'd be very happy with the 800VA.

heiney9

jojo674 wrote: »

heiney9 wrote: »

Avel makes and stocks an 800vA model that performs superbly with SDA's. The 1000vA is a slight improvement.

H9

Thank you.
Looking for the 1000VA

Good luck, maybe someone will sell. I will sell mine for $1000. $1 per vA.

H9

nspindel

jojo674 wrote: »

heiney9 wrote: »

Avel makes and stocks an 800vA model that performs superbly with SDA's. The 1000vA is a slight improvement.

H9

Thank you.
Looking for the 1000VA

I'm actually one of the people who's owned the 800VA and the 1000VA, I upgraded in the second group buy. The improvement is there, but in terms of scale, there will be a much bigger improvement by going from the original AI-1 to the 800VA than there will be going from the 800VA to the 1000VA. Given that a group buy just finished up with about 30 of these purchased, I think it'll be a few years before there is another group buy. If I'm you, I'm repairing your 1.2's, do all the crossover upgrades possible, get yourself into RD-0198's if you haven't already, and get the 800VA tranny. The improvements you'll realize will be so huge. Listen to the others' advice and buy the 800.

jojo674

I already have all new drivers, tweeters, upgraded to Tl's. New VR3 Fortress mod with high grade posts, connectors, internal wires, & SDA cable. Trey is making that as we speak.

nspindel

jojo674 wrote: »

I already have all new drivers, tweeters, upgraded to Tl's. New VR3 Fortress mod with high grade posts, connectors, internal wires, & SDA cable. Trey is making that as we speak.

Awesome. Get on the 800VA tranny, and you will be in absolute heaven compared to where you just came from. You can always jump to the next level whenever the next group buy happens.

Stew

It's a dreadnought holiday today! I assembled and installed it last weekend but haven't had time to listen. My house is somewhat of a circus with 4 kids from 11 to 18. Wouldn't change a thing but listening time is rare these days. So ... I'm burning a vacation day and enjoying some tunes! The dreadnought lives up to the hype!

Imaging and Soundstage - Not much more to add to DK's original reviews. He described it as more crescent shaped and thicker in the middle like an "M" if I recall. That's exactly what I'm hearing. Individual instruments/voices are more distinct. They went from over there to right there. Vocals are back a little further and that's a good thing in my system. They were a little bit in your face before and now they're just right.

Bass - I expected more and it's here. I was initially concerned that more mid-bass could be boomy. DK assured me that it's not at all boomy in his system and he's spot on. There's more low bass, more mid bass, more thump in the chest bass. Somehow it's also tighter at the same time. I installed Erse Super Q SDA inductors a long time ago and this is a further improvement.

Overall - My expectations have been exceeded. What I can't adequately express is how much more enjoyable it is to listen to my system now. It went from "that sounds really good" to "wow!" Wow is not always a good thing but this is the kind of wow that makes you want to keep listening.

Thanks again @vcwatkins and @250GTLusso for putting this together! Thanks @DarqueKnight for your previous work that led to this! Hope the rest of you enjoy this as much as I am.

heiney9

Nice review!!

Got the remainder of parts today from Parts Express. I hope to build mine this weekend and get it in the system.

H9

Stew

By the way, I used the Neutrik cable to cable adapter that you found for the comparisons. Thanks for letting us know about the adapter H9!

vcwatkins

According to confirmations, 17 of 27 members have theirs so far. If anyone has received but not confirmed with me, please PM me.

Thanks and Dread On!

Craig

vcwatkins

Thanks for confirming guys! Still waiting to hear from a few folks:

@250GTLusso
@amb426amb1
@dd2753
@Goat
@Nesmith98
@Polk65
@RobbyKY
@villock

Please update me on your status when possible.

Thanks,
Craig