preamp for aksa 55

[gaetan8888]

Hello Professor smith

Strange that you don't like it, the majority of Aksa buyers find it superb sounding, even a panel of listeners, in a blind test, found it better than amps costing ten time more, read this web page:

Audiophile Society of NSW - February 2009 meeting | Hi-Fi

Bye

Gaetan

[Professor smith]

Originally Posted by AKSA

Why don't you tell the world what you paid for your fully built AKSA modules, and how much of a discount this was on the original kit? Then others would see how privileged you have been compared to other owners, and that your personal attacks on the amp quality represent something of a bitter vendetta.......
Hugh

That's one way of looking at it but couldn't it be argued that one reason to DIY is to avoid the unfairly inflated prices of high end audio products so if one were to purchase a kit amp, he should not expect to pay many times the cost of the parts?

My only objection about the price of the amp is that the material cost of it is probably around 1/10th of the retail price. So how do you suggest the consumer can justify paying ten times that amount when there is no fancy casework? One reason you might give is sound quality. The trouble is that sound quality is a very personal thing which varies a lot, so how does one ascribe a value to a subjective quality for which there is often no consensus?
Another reason might be that you have priced your amp in line with other 'high end amps'. The trouble with that is it only perpetuates the unduly high prices in the high end audio business. Yet another reason might be that you have put in many hundreds of man hours to design and refine the amp. But there is no intrinsic value in the effort you put into designing an amp. It comes back to sound quality again.

Part of this hobby is about being good at recognising different kinds of sounds so if you do confirm what I describe about the treble, it would be reassuring. If you dont agree it would be a mystery with no explanation. Clarity is a basic quality so I should not have to describe it further. When I say lack of clarity I mean details are not clear and perhaps some would call it warmth.

[AKSA]

I cannot confirm what you hear, Kenji.

The top end of the AKSA is very smooth, I find.

And I disagree utterly with you about the design cycle being worthless. That is an absurd proposition. Try hiring a consultant for any task at all and see where you get with that approach.

Hugh

[rabbitz]

Originally Posted by Professor smith

One thing which strikes me about the AKSA sound is that the upper frequencies are not refined.

Rubbish. That's one of the big advantages of the AKSA over many other amps and in fact, was better in that respect than all the other DIY amps I've built.

I'd look elsewhere in the music chain for problems with the top end. An AKSA can only be as good as the partnering equipment or it's implementation.

[gaetan8888]

Hello

It look like that Professor smith are doing the same errors than some others diyers and audiophiles who think that kits or modules for diy market should be sold for cheap because they believe that the designers work don't match those of the well-known brand names designers works.

Take out the nice case and the well-known brand name and most of their amp circuits are just plain ordinaries topologies, some of brand name designers are just copying old amp topologies adding few useless "novel" ideas to say that their design are exclusive, or they do an overcomplicate amp circuit design that will still sound dull and lifeless but that will impress the buyers wen they see a nice photo of the pcb in the case.

Professor smith, Just try to do amps design like Hugh Dean did with countless hours of works before you talk without knowing, you need years of experiences and experiments to design an amp who worth to be listen. And if you don't like your Aksa amp, stop complaining and just sell it, and buy a well-known brand name amp, buy a used one if your budget are limited.

Bye

Gaetan

[andyr]

Originally Posted by Professor smith

Clarity is a basic quality so I should not have to describe it further. When I say lack of clarity I mean details are not clear and perhaps some would call it warmth.

You haven't specified what pre you're using with your AKSA amp - nor what speakers.

Having switched from Naim 250s to Hugh's original AKSA Nirvana amps 12? years ago - and then to Lifeforce & Soraya amps about 6 years ago (which was another upgrade) - I can confirm that the AKSA HF is:
a) extensive, and
b) very clear.

Perhaps your source is crap? Perhaps your pre is crap? Maybe the tweeters on your speakers are crap? Whatever, I would suggest your AKSA amp enables you to hear this - which your previous amp didn't.

I have an (enhanced) AKSA GK-1 pre and a top-spec LP12 with a G2.2 arm and a Benz Ebony LP cartridge (neither of which is an inexpensive component ). And the true-ribbons in my Maggies deliver their beautiful sound to well above 40KHz. So I can assure you, AKSA amps deliver clear HFs.

So I suggest it behoves you to audition some other components in your sound chain ... and keep the AKSA amp where it is.

Regards,

Andy

[pinkmouse]

So, Prof, you don't like Hugh's amps. Fair enough. I built a couple of Pass Labs designs a few years ago, and frankly, I was unimpressed. They just weren't to my taste. Did I spend my time after that complaining to the designer, whinging about the cost, and challenging all those Pass fans out there? No, I built something else, surely that's what diy is all about! Be positive, use this as a learning experience and move forward with your hobby, don't get stuck in a negative cycle of complaining and disruption, you're the only one that will lose out by going down that path.

[Greg Erskine]

Professor smith,

It sounds like you still have a massive case of buyers remorse or is it upgradeitest, but no budget.

If I was you, I'd move on to another amp as soon as possible. Hifi is all about state of mind. You are never going to be happy with your current situation. No one can tell what sounds good, it's up to you to make your own decision.

A word of advise, when you select your next amp, try not to **** off the related community, a large amount of the enjoyment is being involved with fellow owners.

Regards

[tinitus]

im not going to get messed up in this
but I can say with absolute certainty

my amps(not Aksa)can sound from harsh to exstremely refined, only depending on very very small changes to my speaker crossover

btw, this 'debate' sounds like dejavu

sort out your setup
good speakers are the most important key to good sound....and thats a fact

not even the best electronics can save a crappy or wronly adjusted speaker design
maybe even the contrary will happen, making it sound even worse
thats how good amps work
you will only be rewarded when you get it right, all of it
a blessing or a curse, in one and the same package

its the curse of audiophile hifi

thats all, END OF STORY

[Woody1911a1]

Wow ! i just read this thread and that is all i can say . except maybe Huh ? or WTF ?

cheers Woody