What do others say

On this page you can read about other people who have modified there Audio Innovations amplifier.
If you want your own comment placed here, email me.
 

Name: Ad van Rooij
From: The Netherlands
Product: Audio Innovations 500 mk II
Modification: Black Gate & Tubes

My Audio Innovations 500 MKII

Since last summer I own a Audio Innovations 500 MKII. Via internet I contacted Dimitri van Hoven a very enthusiastic fan of the Audio Innovations 500. Since that time a true tube revolution took place in my head. I owned an Accuphase 207E of which I was very content. After one tone of the Audio Innovations I was sold. The Accuphase was since that time unemployed. Dimitri told me about new tubes, NOS tubes and about modifications. The AI500 I got had still the original tubes for the phono and line and relatively new JAN Philips 6DJ8 tubes as phase inverters. The EL34 tubes had no descriptions.

After a couple weeks of e-mailing with Dimitri I was convinced to update my AI 500 with new tubes and to modify my AI500 with Black Gates capacitors for the power amplifier tubes. The best person to do this is Ed de Jong. He is one of the designers of the AI 500 and knows everything about the AI 500.

When I  got the modified AI 500 back, there where 4 new power amplifier tubes (looks like GE EL34), 3 new GE JAN 6072a tubes for line and phono and Black Gates capacitors installed at the power amplifier tube pairs.

When I first listened to the “new” amplifier I was very very surprised. What a difference in sound! There was much more “space” around the instruments and I heard more details and this was when the tubes and the Black Gates played only for a couple of hours. Of course there where also new tubes installed and definitely that also makes a difference.

After some weeks of listening the sound had too much bass but after a while it became tight and in the perfect control. Also the high notes are perfect with no sharpness.

After this modification I replaced the JAN Philips 6DJ8 by Siemens E288CC and the GE JAN 6072a line by a Telefunken ECC83. Again this a big step ahead. I am also trying dampers at the phase converters and line tube. The effect of this dampers is an “easier” listening stage and a slightly better bass.

So, the story continues and will probably will never end. In a couple of years I will buy a Border Patrol, the ultimate power supply which makes the AI 500 the ultimate amplifier, so they say.

Dimitri is right about modifying the 500.  When done by a certified person who knows what he is doing, modifying the Audio Innovations 500 MKII is wearth every penny. The sound is more musical and there is much more detail.

Name: Rob Jacobs
From: The Netherlands
Product: Audio Innovations 300
Modification: Tubes