This year’s RMAF had many debut products, and this post is about one of the most impressive, the VAC Statement 450i iQ Integrated Amplifier, pictured below with Kevin Hays, owner and principal designer for VAC. It might not be quite accurate to say that this amp represents Kevin’s life’s work, but it is accurate to say that this is a design he has been working on for many years and is justifiably proud to see it come to fruition as a product he can put the VAC name on.
Once again The Audio Company of Marietta, GA, put together quite a collection of very impressive products, and once again VAC electronics were part of this collection, namely the new VAC Statement 450i iQ Integrated Amplifier that will set you back a cool $150,000. From all of the products that I saw at the show, this is without a doubt the product that I would most like to own, and it is also one that I could never afford.
The 450i iQ Integrated Amplifier is Kevin’s attempt at achieving ultimate performance that will establish a new benchmark for sound quality from an integrated amplifier. He says one of the secrets of its performance is in the vertical layout that allowed form to follow function. This was done with optimal placement of circuit elements and the purest, most direct routing of signals. I wish we had made a video of Kevin demonstrating how things were arranged from the bottom to the top to keep the components that create noise as far away as possible from those that amplify the noise. Kevin’s explanation to Becky and me was given in the hall outside of the exhibit room and without the amp being there. He has a great sense of humor, so while the explanation was very informative, it was also very comical. We missed an opportunity to get a great video.
I have not seen any photos that come even close to letting you see how magnificent the Statement 450i iQ looks. Kevin built the integrated amp based on his separate Statement components. Conceptually the 450i includes a Statement 450S iQ power amplifier, a Statement Line Stage and a Statement phono stage with multiple inputs. The adjustable loading is right there on the top plate. The power supplies are dual mono throughout, with six main power transformers for the left and right power amplifier, line stage and phono stage.
The Statement 450i IQ uses VAC’s patented iQ Continuous Stable Automatic Bias system that keeps the KT88 output tubes set at the intended operating point at all time for better sound, protection and an automatic indication of when tubes should be replaced
There were several things about this integrated amp that made it something special. First was how it sounded. At AXPONA, Becky and I spent a lot of time listening to The Audio Company’s “Ultimate System,” which we also reviewed. That system used Von Schweikert Audio’s ULTRA 11 speakers and V12XS Shockwave subwoofers with amplification from four VAC Statement 450iQ mono power amplifiers, the VAC Statement Phono Stage and their Statement Line Stage.
At RMAF 2018, the new Statement 450i iQ Integrated Amplifier was driving the Von Schweikert Audio’s new ULTRA 9 speakers. By Sunday afternoon, this system was giving the system from AXPONA a run for its money. No, it didn’t have quite the scale or power, but it was close, and this system could fit into a room much more easily.
We once again listened to the Ray Brown Trio’s Soular Energy LP. This LP sounded as good as I ever remember hearing it. The scale was still big, but not bigger than life. It simply seemed to occupy the space that a piano, bass and drum kit would in a small club. Ray’s bass had great tone with a beautifully deep and airy sound. I liked that while I could hear the fingering, I never once found it distracting. The experience of listening to this system was every bit as amazingly musical as was listening to the bigger system at AXPONA.
In fact, it made we wonder if the integrated amp had some inherent advantages over separates. There is surely one very big inherent value with the integrated amp; it eliminates two set of interconnects and three power cords. This is a significant sonic advantage, but with the cost of cables these days, it is also a significant financial savings.
Finally, I love the way the Statement 450i iQ Integrated Amplifier could clean up the looks of my system. I can just imagine one of these sitting between my speakers, and the only cables needed would be a power cable and a pair of speaker cables. I could put my turntable on the sidewall and run one set of interconnects to the amp. Man, that would look nice and sound fantastic! Well, I can dream, can’t I?
