FURTHER REDUCED!!!
I am offering my VAC160iSE integrated for sale. It is in 8/10 condition and works perfectly. I have owned and used it for 5 years. It has VAC's really great sounding MC phono option, but does not have the balanced option, so only RCA inputs and outputs.
This is a beautiful sounding amp, one of the best sounding integrated amps out there, and I am only selling because my new system requires multi-channel solid state amps. My guess is the VAC160iSE is perhaps only slightly behind their new IQ version, but maybe not by much. This is because the SE version which I am selling has upgraded input transformers as well as many passive parts upgraded to those used in VAC's premium Statement instruments. I can say for sure the VAC160iSE sounded meaningfully better than the VAC300.1 with separate VAC Renaissance preamp pairing that I had before the 160iSE. I bought it new directly from a local VAC dealer - Xtreme Fidelity - in the spring of 2014. I have the original box, all supplied accessories and remote.
The amp will come with the full original complement of VAC input tubes, and one quad of Russian Gold Lions used for 6 months, as well as a spare quad of VAC-supplied and tested quad of the same tubes (cost = $400). I also have some other KT88s that I will include - an unused matched quad of EAT KT88s tested by TC Tubes in Minnesota as matched but not quite upto full output as a typical new set, which I never used except to try them out (and they sounded great). Also some used VAC Shuguangs that will serve as back-ups. Which means all in all you would get output tubes of at least $800 in value of output tubes, in addition to the 6-months-used working quad of Gold Lions. I will throw in a trio of Philips E80CCs (a 12AU7 variant) that are just superb for driving this amp instead of the standard 12AU7s in that section of the amp. They add presence and power to the amps presentation of music. I checked with VAC before using them and they told me that the E80CCs with their additional output are absolutely fine and safe to use in that section of the 160iSE (although an E80CC is definitely not to be used in the pre-amp section where a single 12AU7 is required). I replaced the ground pin of the amp recently as it broke when I tightened a ground connection too hard, but that was only a very minor fix done by myself with VAC's help. VAC factory service even for used owners is among the very best out there, and you will be pleased with that if you ever need it. There are a couple of very thin and light scratches just below the VAC logo that you can make out in sunlight or with a camera flash. You can see this in the second picture taken in sunlight. I never noticed them myself when I had the amp in my rack, only just now when I was photographing it. The top part of the chassis is a kind of grainy aluminum and in this bright sunlight you will see what might appear to be light scuffs, scratches or marks etc but these are random specks, bits of lint or paper or wipe marks, but they are not permanent marks.
You will be responsible for PayPal and shipping. I'll also accept a check and ship after it clears.
Pickup would be great if you can do that.
Thanks for the interest.
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