VAC Phi 200 Tube Monoblock Amplifier Review

Perfect Storm System

The Phi 200 is a natural winner when it comes to symphonic and chamber music. The flush tonal quality of natural instruments created by the Phi 200 enlivens a score. I recently picked up James Horner’s soundtrack for The Perfect Storm, a Deadliest Catch-like account of the Andrea Gail, a long line fishing vessel doomed at sea in one of the worst meteorological disasters to hit the eastern seaboard in a century. As an aside I recommend not only the movie but also the book; so much more of the human element comes through in the painstaking recounting, including a morbid description of what likely the men onboard were undergoing as their ship foundered, sank, and they drowned. The grandeur and gruesomeness of commercial fishing off the Grand Banks is compelling to the spirit of those who labor with their hands as well as those who cheer people finding themselves on the short side of the odds.

I like to see what an amp can do with powerfully orchestrated pieces. In The Perfect Storm soundtrack, the periodic wave action flow to the music captures the vicissitudes of the sea. The Phi 200 does not drain the life from the piece, as some amps do. It is easy to be at sea, visualizing the images from the movie; with the VAC I’m not distracted by a question of how that particular horn sounds or why a drum does not seem deep enough. All is rendered with tonal correctness and proper weighting, so I can relax and immerse myself in the moment.

Especially rewarding are the tracks “The Decision To Turn Around” and “Rogue Wave”, both of which have attacks of low register horns and tympani. The Phi 200 is exemplary in capturing the surge of the symphony as it crashes in crescendo, emulating the killer waves of the ferocious hurricane. In “Rogue Wave” the last, sustained trumpet blasts speak of panic, heroism – anything that grasps at another moment of hope. The swirling strings and building wall of drums tear at the heart as one conceives the wall of watery grave about to engulf the hapless crew. Following the pounding of the vessel and its sinking an eerie silence ensues, and inevitably the ebb and flow of the ocean’s sub-surface melody is enjoined once again. The humans were no match and will not be remembered by the sea, but washed from memory. The Phi 200 captures the terrific undertow of the score, pulling the ear downward toward the depths in an overwhelmingly compelling fashion.

Ideal for any speaker

My experience with the Phi 200 is that I can be assured that no matter which loudspeaker I put into the rig I’ll get top quality sound. About two months ago another manufacturer was visiting for a couple days in order to establish a speaker for review. The VAC components were in use, so it was not surprising to me that I found out later he had enthused to a cable manufacturer that my rig was special. I hadn’t even gotten a chance to work with the speaker for weeks to dial it in. Already with the “first run” the system was charming; the VAC gear was working its magic.

I find it difficult to determine which system I prefer, the big panels or the big dynamic hybrids. The Phi 200 in mono drives them both with authority and acuity. With most amps I have to work hard to get a sustainable level of palpability, of convincingly true-to-life sound. Not with the Phi 200. In a matter of one evening I can dial it in to find a viscerally moving experience.

Here is a secret about how I build high-end systems. I do not spend weeks or months sitting around pondering their sound. If something does not sound right I act directly and immediately to make the effected repair. Consider that industry leaders head to a show and set up in a room from scratch. They do not have weeks or months to futz with sound. They must get it right as best they can, many times literally overnight. Some are definitely better than others, but most do a commendable job given the schedule and circumstances.

I have found that it’s counter-productive to waste weeks and months seeking an optimum sound when the ear senses an obvious defect. If a system doesn’t sound good to me I do not wait on it, I change something! For this reason I keep two or three types of cables on hand in order to tune rigs. There are tens of thousands of permutations available for systems. Why should I waste weeks or months of my life with a so-so sound when I can potentially improve it immediately? The longer I have been in the game the less patience I have to adopt a “wait-and-see” attitude. I have a firm grasp of my electronics collection and media collection, as well as how I demand it to sound. If it’s not where I want it to be, I’m not about to spend weeks suffering its insufficiency. Something’s getting reworked! Of course, finances can slow down the process, but if finances are not hindering and the rig doesn’t sound right, it’s not going to stay that way for long.

Imagine the number of audiophiles who sit in discontent at their rig’s sound, pining for improvement! How many hope that it will improve on its own with weeks or even months? If you don’t want to spend the majority of your time as a discontented audiophile, get to work! I spent far too many years hoping for incremental improvements, so I want to encourage those who are frustrated not to accept waiting and doing nothing. If there is an annoying aspect to the system, change a power cord or two, or try a different speaker placement, or put a pillow behind the speaker to test if room treatments might help. Your ears will tell you if you are going in the right direction, just as your eyes tell you when you see a beautiful person. Influence change for improvement rather than be a victim of inaction.

However, once a very pleasing sound has been found I slow the process down every bit as dramatically. The ear will tell you when it hears something good. When my ear sends the signal, “Ah! I really like this sound,” I halt the system reconfigurations and spend time enjoying. More often than not the system will remain fixed for some time and I will authentically thrill to the sound of it for weeks. It’s so much better than leaving niggling concerns about the sound unaddressed. If I get my concerns about the sound dealt with up front, I find myself much more content with the system for longer periods of time such that I become reluctant to disassemble the rig!

When I’m in “Reconfiguration Mode”, usually cables are the first to be reworked, partly because they can be incrementally changed, and partly because they are easiest to work with physically. If I’m confident of the source’s quality then the next thing to be considered for change is the amp. But never the VAC Phi 200. I have moved it in and out of the rigs I have built enough times that I have heard the devastation resulting from its removal. It has become an “anchor component” which has proven itself the best option no matter which team of components I assemble. Inevitably, it is re-inserted into the system to restore much needed vitality. When another amp’s review work has been concluded, out it goes and in goes the Phi 200. I have preferred over the months to build rigs around it rather than work without it. This confirms Kevin’s voicing process, whereby the amp is conditioned to be compatible with a wide range of speakers.

Thus it was that recently when I put the Whisper DSW back into the rig I instinctively reached for the Phi 200’s, no matter the other components and cables. I keep an updated exact system list from power cord for the source to speakers for the “Best Rig” with every speaker system. I could have simply recreated my previous best rig. However, I decided to fly solo and rework the cabling again. In the span of two hours and four partial cable changes, I was content. The results obtained are often so right, so spot-on that I leave it that way for weeks until another review priority forces change. As amps have come and gone, the Phi 200 has remained and if I had the means financially they would remain permanently. Their quality, reliability and unimpeachable sound earn them a resounding recommendation.

In conclusion I leave you with two more VAC Facts.

Firstly, Kevin is also interested in the quality of the discovery and reporting in regards to his products as they are used in real-life systems. He is not so concerned with analyzing specifications to death, but rather what works in terms of obtaining the best sound. This review is my most comprehensive to date in terms of an amplifier’s use with other components. I subjected the Phi 200 to more sources, preamps, cables and speakers – systems – than any previously reviewed piece. It yielded top-quality sound with a large body of available components.

Secondly, with CES around the corner and enthusiasts hearing his components, I suspect Kevin is about to get a lot busier. If you like what you hear and seek a VAC instrument, be patient. Your patience will be well rewarded. Kevin’s concern is producing a quality instrument above all. You are paying him for the best amp he can build, and he’s going to make sure you get it. That is why he’s going to listen to it before it ships.

Manufacturer’s comment:

Thank you for the thorough and thoughtful review of the VAC Phi 200, as well as for the courtesy and professionalism always shown us by everyone at Dagogo.

A quick note about the VAC / KingSound demonstration at the inaugural 2010 California Audio Show. After discussions with the dealer, Bob Kehn of Audio Image, who presented the room, it was determined that the King’s panels likely were not fully charged most or all of the time, which results in reduced sensitivity and premature clipping of the panels themselves. The problem was that the speakers were left unplugged when the alternate Magico speakers were being demonstrated. Normally I would not have thought of this, but we experienced a similar issue during setup at Axpona; the speakers had to be plugged in (and unplayed) for several hours before they would play normally. Clarity about this is important, as we would not want the King’s to get a reputation for being difficult to drive, nor would we want the stereo Phi 200 to be viewed as marginal for the task!

To clarify the bias setting of the output tubes, the proper procedure is performed without music playing, as initially stated in the review. Once the proper settings have been achieved, in normal operation one will notice that the LEDs will be dark when no music is playing, and will light ‘with the beat’ as music is played. However, this is not part of the adjustment procedure, and there is no need to select a particular kind of music, etc.

Thank you again for taking the time to review the VAC Phi 200. We count it a privilege.

Kind regards,

Kevin Hayes / VAC