Thanks for occasionally focusing on these inexpensive components Steve! You are doing a valuable service and are helping to bring more people into better audio which is especially important today.
Well ... lowering the input impedance by using an AM8/12 reduces noise from the contribution of Johnson / Nyquist noise generated by the thermal agitation of the charge carriers (usually the electrons) in an electrical conductor at equilibrium, which happens regardless of any applied voltage. So 10K is sufficient unless a gain control is used, and in that case should be at least 20K, perhaps the Vista Audio Zest volume control presents at the input socket, both AM8/12 and Vista Audio Zest have volume knobs but we'd have look at the circuits to just see whether the present day is 'better audio' as you claim, Steve or Herb you know? Didn't get there already.
Looks like ... the H.H. BBC AM8/12 with one small difference: it doesn't say at what impedance its 30 watt was measured at, and in fact Steve doesn't tell us either. AM8/12 were used with the 15 ohm BBC Rogers LS3/5A and only need 0.25 volts at 10K ohm for full output. Compare that to your Vista Audio Zest of 0.7 volts at 20K ohm. Did Steve actually measure his peak input voltage? Did Steve get Herb to use a meter and determine the ideal input voltage was applied? Well if it was overloaded you know - more distortion and if input was too weak, well it wouldn't be too weak, not getting the full output.
steve-thanks for the effort and the sharing. i am a longtime appreciative subscriber. really dig how much fun you bring to the conversation. BIG thumbs up.👍
I have a Dayens Ampino power amplifier which is about the same size, same weight (a bit heavier) and also from Serbia. 50 WPC so but more power and about $200 more $$$. Nice tidy package. No features but great sound. Very nice brand and power amplifier. 🇷🇸 Shout out to Serbia
I'm an audiophile and the current amp i'm using is the Douk Audio Class D amp A100. Got it on sale for $90. Start there. It sounds incredible driving my Mirage OM9 omnidirectional speakers. I have a nice tube amp in front of it and it sounds really really nice!
The Enneagram Type 1 Personality has a strong, innate desire for fairness, accuracy, and order. They're bold advocates for the rights of others and when healthy, may challenge the status quo to make a push for reforms and equality. Wow ... in the United States such people are dubbed Liberals but may be communists, it just a question of values.
Great review…in love with the Vista simple design approach but argh! Really wish they had an option with decent remote driven Khozmo volume pot on there or something. Felt that way about the Spark when it first came out.
@@michaelgarnett1372 Well I used to tell people that Realistic Minimus-7 could be made into audiophile quality with a bit of work but after that the prices you know, just rocketed up and without any work having been done on them! We're to pay audiophile prices, because sellers now know they can be made into audiophile speakers. So that was no use because, Minimus-7 are not audiophile, they're really bad, just terrible, the worst on the market! But they are modified by American Broadcast Studios and so can be made to sound absolutely awesome with the original speakers and x-over. But you want a pair for under $10, the demand and price goes up and down.
I remember that Herb Alpert.track. It was a big deal. In fact he was a big deal in the music business in himself. If I remember correctly, “Alpert” is the “A” in A&M Records.
Steve your shirt is high decibels but what no remote ? This system seem like a true classic piece of craftmenship.. !!! Keep up the great work it's greatly appreciated !!!!
Steve I’d love for you to review a Dayens amp. Their Ampino is a great little amp comparable to this. It powers my ZU DW6 so well and sounds great. The Dayens Menuetto is another worth looking at.
Thanks for this review! Vista is a good company and great attention to detail and customer service. Are you aware of Vista Audio' Phono Preamps? I own the Vista Phono II. It has DIP switches to fine tune to both mm and mc cartridges. Very nice phono pre for well under $500.00.
Seems like a good start for folks building up a system over time using the weak link strategy. it seems like this amp would be central for a very long time.
These minimalist IC amp circuits can sound really good. It looks like they don't use a preamp/buffer, so might be fussy with sources. Input impedance is low - 20K, so beware feeding it with signals from tubes. Would be worth trying with a nice preamp behind it.
Well long ago I walked into an Audio Store and the owner sold old ... crummy used stuff really cheap! Awesome stuff in with the brand new Technics. So there was this ... 1975 year Aurex Sr-410 Direct Drive record player sitting on the shelf about waist height and wearing a ticket ... $84! So the view was that these awesome transcription deck style turntables with an arm on a wooden plinth, were Japanese trash, hence the low price! I never did forget that sight for $84, today we'd pay ten times that. But is the TT any good? Have you heard one?
Hi Steve, I would so much like to hear your opinion on Magnat Transpuls 1500, affordable speakers with 15” drivers… Is it possible you will review it someday?
Vista vs Rega? The smaller Rega is similar in price point and footprint Vista is a no frills amp. I set my volume at 9 o’clock most of the day. Serious contender..
Need a small amp for my Altec 904-8A. I'm living in an apartment so we talking about first deciwatt rather than first watt. How is this compare to the SMSL VMV A1?
I have a small Keces E40, a bit more powerful, still small but great sounding from Taiwan. Wonder how it compares? Also have a Van Alstine CA-1 and the Keces isn't embarrassed. The CA-1 is a bit better, but the Keces surprises and rounds the sound a little in comparison. Anyone else use either of the two?
Modded Steven, that is modded as in modified. Bad idea, the series resistance of your Mundorf will skew the sound out of true. You know, doing that Mundorf stuff is child's play but it probably sounded better with the original components. Mundorf are really for engineers making their own stuff. Herb spoke of modding using Black Gate but uh ... Herb ... you know, he's a self taught technician.
Why did they not put in a headphone jack?? I work out of the house and I need to go back and forth between small monitors and headphones depending on if other family members do not want to hear music.
The Schiit Mani might be a good value but it is not phenomenal, unless you love a veiled, grainy sound. I've no idea why people keep pimping that thing.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Hi Steve. That isn't the point, though, is it? The Mani is good value, like I said, but it objectively does not sound phenomenal, which is a very strong word. The iFi phono stages at a similar price point -- one costs $50 more than the Mani, the other $50 less --- sound more clear and engaging to me. The Lounge LCR costs $300 but blows all three out of the water and really does compare with much more expensive stages. Everyone's taste is slightly to very much different, but for something to be phenomenal it really needs to be a clear and obvious winner. I use something much different and far more expensive but have done a budget shootout and the Mani finished last. I was honestly baffled by the praise it gets.
Thanks for occasionally focusing on these inexpensive components Steve! You are doing a valuable service and are helping to bring more people into better audio which is especially important today.
Well ... lowering the input impedance by using an AM8/12 reduces noise from the contribution of Johnson / Nyquist noise generated by the thermal agitation of the charge carriers (usually the electrons) in an electrical conductor at equilibrium, which happens regardless of any applied voltage. So 10K is sufficient unless a gain control is used, and in that case should be at least 20K, perhaps the Vista Audio Zest volume control presents at the input socket, both AM8/12 and Vista Audio Zest have volume knobs but we'd have look at the circuits to just see whether the present day is 'better audio' as you claim, Steve or Herb you know? Didn't get there already.
Looks like a killer little amp! Love the minimalist vibe / focus on sound.
Looks like ... the H.H. BBC AM8/12 with one small difference: it doesn't say at what impedance its 30 watt was measured at, and in fact Steve doesn't tell us either. AM8/12 were used with the 15 ohm BBC Rogers LS3/5A and only need 0.25 volts at 10K ohm for full output. Compare that to your Vista Audio Zest of 0.7 volts at 20K ohm. Did Steve actually measure his peak input voltage? Did Steve get Herb to use a meter and determine the ideal input voltage was applied? Well if it was overloaded you know - more distortion and if input was too weak, well it wouldn't be too weak, not getting the full output.
Way to go Steve, bringing it to the people! Your descriptions of how components sound gets better and better.
I have the Vista Spark II and I love it. Great bang for the buck!
steve-thanks for the effort and the sharing. i am a longtime appreciative subscriber. really dig how much fun you bring to the conversation. BIG thumbs up.👍
I love the simplicity of the Vista Zest. Thanks for this review.
And Birdman was such a fantastic film (with an equally awesome soundtrack).
What a well thought out system of some old and some new.
I still have my original Spark and love it!
Same!
Another Great Vid.. Thanks Steve
I have a Dayens Ampino power amplifier which is about the same size, same weight (a bit heavier) and also from Serbia. 50 WPC so but more power and about $200 more $$$. Nice tidy package. No features but great sound.
Very nice brand and power amplifier.
🇷🇸 Shout out to Serbia
I particularly like Diana Krall's cover of Tom Waits' song "Temptation" from that album.
Sad to say, but the first album I ever bought with my own money was “Whipped Cream and Other Delights.” Why? I have no idea!
The cover art!?!
I’m guessing it’s for the same reason I bought it. Liked the band and the music. Oh, and the cover art too.
Could have been the cover art. I was 14 at the time.
They used shaving cream, the model is quite old now and she looks very wrinkly.
@ Well, I use shaving cream AND I’m old and wrinkly. Time goes by. . . .
I'm an audiophile and the current amp i'm using is the Douk Audio Class D amp A100. Got it on sale for $90. Start there. It sounds incredible driving my Mirage OM9 omnidirectional speakers. I have a nice tube amp in front of it and it sounds really really nice!
I kept looking at the Dynaco PAS behind you…
. Thank you for highlighting these high quality, relatively inexpensive alternatives to the you know whats.👍
Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊
Wow! I just realized I can like my own comment. That doesn’t seem fair.
The Enneagram Type 1 Personality has a strong, innate desire for fairness, accuracy, and order. They're bold advocates for the rights of others and when healthy, may challenge the status quo to make a push for reforms and equality. Wow ... in the United States such people are dubbed Liberals but may be communists, it just a question of values.
@ Well, that would be me, except I’m not as bold as I once was and I prefer “radical syndicalist” to “communist.”
Great review…in love with the Vista simple design approach but argh! Really wish they had an option with decent remote driven Khozmo volume pot on there or something. Felt that way about the Spark when it first came out.
This one is precisely the amp for me.
What speakers are you planning on pairing with
@@michaelgarnett1372 Well I used to tell people that Realistic Minimus-7 could be made into audiophile quality with a bit of work but after that the prices you know, just rocketed up and without any work having been done on them! We're to pay audiophile prices, because sellers now know they can be made into audiophile speakers. So that was no use because, Minimus-7 are not audiophile, they're really bad, just terrible, the worst on the market! But they are modified by American Broadcast Studios and so can be made to sound absolutely awesome with the original speakers and x-over. But you want a pair for under $10, the demand and price goes up and down.
I remember that Herb Alpert.track. It was a big deal. In fact he was a big deal in the music business in himself. If I remember correctly, “Alpert” is the “A” in A&M Records.
Steve your shirt is high decibels but what no remote ? This system seem like a true classic piece of craftmenship.. !!! Keep up the great work it's greatly appreciated !!!!
Hey Steve!, Thank you!
Steve I’d love for you to review a Dayens amp. Their Ampino is a great little amp comparable to this. It powers my ZU DW6 so well and sounds great. The Dayens Menuetto is another worth looking at.
Antonio Sanchez is such an incredible drummer… One of the best jazz drummers around
Thanks for this review! Vista is a good company and great attention to detail and customer service. Are you aware of Vista Audio' Phono Preamps? I own the Vista Phono II. It has DIP switches to fine tune to both mm and mc cartridges. Very nice phono pre for well under $500.00.
Thanks for reviewing a Herb Albert album he I fabulous!
Seems like a good start for folks building up a system over time using the weak link strategy. it seems like this amp would be central for a very long time.
My Father listened to Herb Albert. Great Albums.
May be what I need
Awesome news right here, thx
These minimalist IC amp circuits can sound really good. It looks like they don't use a preamp/buffer, so might be fussy with sources. Input impedance is low - 20K, so beware feeding it with signals from tubes. Would be worth trying with a nice preamp behind it.
You should check out his Phono stages; they seriously are amazing for the money. Better than any amp built in phono stage under 2k for sure.
Well long ago I walked into an Audio Store and the owner sold old ... crummy used stuff really cheap! Awesome stuff in with the brand new Technics. So there was this ... 1975 year Aurex Sr-410 Direct Drive record player sitting on the shelf about waist height and wearing a ticket ... $84! So the view was that these awesome transcription deck style turntables with an arm on a wooden plinth, were Japanese trash, hence the low price! I never did forget that sight for $84, today we'd pay ten times that. But is the TT any good? Have you heard one?
That’s why Herb Alpert is worth almost $1 billion
Hi Steve, long term viewer here, I'd love to watch a vid on you comparing 2 way to 3 way speakers.
thank you for the great review. has anyone used the Spark or the Zest with floor standing speakers? how does it perform?
This would have been excellent to play with the Klipsch RP600M. I suppose the ones in the review are less mulla.
Hi Steve, I would so much like to hear your opinion on Magnat Transpuls 1500, affordable speakers with 15” drivers… Is it possible you will review it someday?
Love the review. I think the US link is broken.
I think two of its direct competition is HEED AUDIO. 💡and the PS AUDIO Sprout ⚡️
PS Audio Sprout 👍🏼
Vista vs Rega? The smaller Rega is similar in price point and footprint
Vista is a no frills amp. I set my volume at 9 o’clock most of the day. Serious contender..
Need a small amp for my Altec 904-8A. I'm living in an apartment so we talking about first deciwatt rather than first watt.
How is this compare to the SMSL VMV A1?
I have a small Keces E40, a bit more powerful, still small but great sounding from Taiwan. Wonder how it compares?
Also have a Van Alstine CA-1 and the Keces isn't embarrassed. The CA-1 is a bit better, but the Keces surprises and rounds the sound a little in comparison. Anyone else use either of the two?
Wonder wot it would sound like on a pair of ogy
Hi -
Great review!
I run a molded Phase Linear 700 Series 2 Power Amp, molded w/ Mundorf EVO Caps & Spkr Protection w/ Quicksilver Tube Pre. 😊
Modded Steven, that is modded as in modified. Bad idea, the series resistance of your Mundorf will skew the sound out of true. You know, doing that Mundorf stuff is child's play but it probably sounded better with the original components. Mundorf are really for engineers making their own stuff. Herb spoke of modding using Black Gate but uh ... Herb ... you know, he's a self taught technician.
How did it work with the Zu speakers or Klipsch?
I use the Vista Spark with my Klipsch RP600M and my Heresy 4. It sounds great with a very good sound stage.
My browser won't let me load the link provided.
Marantz PM6007 any good?
Old school music only amp, somehow magical and terrible at the same time (terrible being no remote). A European rega brio
Why did they not put in a headphone jack?? I work out of the house and I need to go back and forth between small monitors and headphones depending on if other family members do not want to hear music.
This amp isn’t for you,
Inside it looks a bit like a Cyrus Amp.
The Schiit Mani might be a good value but it is not phenomenal, unless you love a veiled, grainy sound. I've no idea why people keep pimping that thing.
OK! What do you think sounds better for $149?
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Hi Steve. That isn't the point, though, is it? The Mani is good value, like I said, but it objectively does not sound phenomenal, which is a very strong word.
The iFi phono stages at a similar price point -- one costs $50 more than the Mani, the other $50 less --- sound more clear and engaging to me. The Lounge LCR costs $300 but blows all three out of the water and really does compare with much more expensive stages.
Everyone's taste is slightly to very much different, but for something to be phenomenal it really needs to be a clear and obvious winner. I use something much different and far more expensive but have done a budget shootout and the Mani finished last. I was honestly baffled by the praise it gets.
@@JLeeePit was the point but you missed ir
io in it's raw form ??
Diana Krall🔥😍🤤
Not enough inputs, no tone controls, no MC input. What a looser. Throw it in the trash as far as I am concerned.
Save UR money for something good 😮
Guess not everyone is rich like you....