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New NAKSA now arrived!

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Folks,

I have been very quiet lately, recovering from illness and working hard to get my next amp out. This amp is manufactured in an assembly factory using high reliability equipment, and I'm very happy with the results.

It is the NAKSA 80, which now replaces the NAKSA 70. This is a completely design of the NAKSA 70, which sold well and wowed a lot of people. Power output is 82 watts rms into 8R, and is better and only $60 more...

There is now a review at Digital Audio Review from Johnny Darko:

Aspen NAKSA 80 amplifier review | Digital Audio Review by John Darko

During my convalescence the layout and process design was therapy. Significant friends helped with logistics, testing and proving concepts, particularly Steve and Paul, and many others upon whom I forced long, protracted auditions!. This is a VERY good amplifier, I'm well pleased. I will put a 'N80 Listening Impressions' thread on a bit later. Here I put in a nice photo and the brochure with all specs. BTW, THD is 0.025% at 12.5W into 8R//1KHz!

Cheers,

Hugh
 

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Hello,
I've been waiting for Hugh to post about the new Naksa 80. I assisted in the development and have been pleasantly listening to one for several months now. This is a very good amplifier and worthy of everyone's consideration. I cannot praise the Naksa 80 high enough. And I'd like to add, after reading the review, that if you buy just the module, you only need add the transformer as the power supply is on the amplifier board.
 
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Hi Hugh,

Congrats on the NAKSA 80 hitting the streets!

I have to confess that I have also known about the new 'baby' for a couple months now, and in fact ordered two of them as soon as Hugh had described the construction to me :D

Those two were dispatched a couple of days ago and will replace my NAKSA 70s in my Equilibrium speaker system ;)

I will report back when I have received them and had a good listen!

Cheers,

Jens
 
Some Photos

I built up a NAKSA 80 about two weeks ago, and I've been listening to it with a pair of Grover Notting Code 4 speakers (reviewed in Australian HiFi magazine, Nov/Dec 2012). This combination sounds extremely good! I've attached some photos of the NAKSA 80 in our music studio, partnered with the Grover Notting Code 4's and an Audiolab 8200cdq.

The NAKSA 80 is normally supplied on a heatsink, and I've edited the photo to show the wiring connections. I've placed my NAKSA 80 into one of Hugh's purpose built chassis, which is made of one piece of folded 3mm thick aluminium and acts as the heatsink.

Paul Bysouth

HD: Thank you Paul, very clearly demonstrates a very well set up music system in a custom music studio. Nicely built NAKSA, too!
 

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Hugh,

I do not own a NAKSA amp (yet), but follow your section in the diyAudio forum from time to time, and have read reviews of your amps. Your longstanding approach and dedication towards designing amplifiers that measure well and sound good too is definitely praiseworthy, and the appreciation is evident from owner/listener testimonials over the years.

Great to know that you are doing well healthwise, and have a new offering for the audio enthusiasts (or should I say music lovers? :)). The reviews/listening impressions have high praise for the NAKSA 80, and wishing you success with it.

Regards,
Zia
 
Hi Zia,

A pleasure to receive a post from Dhaka - a capital where recently there was a tragic loss of life....

What is it about you guys from the sub-continent? You write better than most native English speakers in my country - your language is academic, flawlessly good, like a lot of those Scandinavian guys.

Thank you for your thoughts, and your best wishes for my product. I hope you get one in due time! I do feel that after so many years of compulsive-obsessive attempts I'm finally getting very close to what the human hears from the original music, it's been a journey, and I'm grateful that my detective work is fruitful.

My wishes to your capital city as people recover from the carnage of the recent tragedy,

Cheers,

Hugh
 
Naksa 80

I have had quite a lot of time with the new Naksa 80, with the same front end (Aspen GK-2 preamp and modified Marantz player) and with different speakers. So, here are a few words about the amp.
I find the amp to have standout qualities of imaging and tonal clarity. These qualities stood out to me from the very first listen. The bass is very good. One can listen for hours without any signs of listener fatigue.

My only direct comparison has been with my Lifeforce 55 amp of 2008 vintage. It was a short comparison as the N80 was so much better, as in it amplified the music into decay, whereas the LF amp seemed to leave a sort of black hole of nothing after the first bit of music note decay. I know that that is an odd phrase, but words not withstanding, it was clearly evident with only a few seconds of listening.
When Hugh came out with the Naksa 70 some time ago, he came to my house and we did a direct comparison to my LF55, 2006 vintage and the earliest LF module he made. I heard the standout bass of the N70, along with some other good qualities. Yet, after this all was done I was easily able to go back to listening to my LF amp. The same cannot be said for the Naksa 80 comparison.

I have listened to the Naksa 80 with my own two sets of speakers as well as with my brother’s pair of Revel Ultima Salons. I know the tendency is for people to listen to the N80 and then use speakers in the same relative price range. But the N80 holds it’s own with speakers costing far far more, like the 5 figure Revel’s.
Do not be mislead by the relatively modest 80 watt rating for power. This amp can fill a large room well, as they did with the Revel’s in my brother’s nice largish room.

This is a seriously good amplifier and a great bargain as well.
 
I have had quite a lot of time with the new Naksa 80, with the same front end (Aspen GK-2 preamp and modified Marantz player) and with different speakers. So, here are a few words about the amp.
I find the amp to have standout qualities of imaging and tonal clarity. These qualities stood out to me from the very first listen. The bass is very good. One can listen for hours without any signs of listener fatigue.

My only direct comparison has been with my Lifeforce 55 amp of 2008 vintage. It was a short comparison as the N80 was so much better, as in it amplified the music into decay, whereas the LF amp seemed to leave a sort of black hole of nothing after the first bit of music note decay. I know that that is an odd phrase, but words not withstanding, it was clearly evident with only a few seconds of listening.
When Hugh came out with the Naksa 70 some time ago, he came to my house and we did a direct comparison to my LF55, 2006 vintage and the earliest LF module he made. I heard the standout bass of the N70, along with some other good qualities. Yet, after this all was done I was easily able to go back to listening to my LF amp. The same cannot be said for the Naksa 80 comparison.

I have listened to the Naksa 80 with my own two sets of speakers as well as with my brother’s pair of Revel Ultima Salons. I know the tendency is for people to listen to the N80 and then use speakers in the same relative price range. But the N80 holds it’s own with speakers costing far far more, like the 5 figure Revel’s.
Do not be mislead by the relatively modest 80 watt rating for power. This amp can fill a large room well, as they did with the Revel’s in my brother’s nice largish room.

This is a seriously good amplifier and a great bargain as well.

Thank you, Steve, that is a good evaluation - sort of "sets the scene". :D

I have to say, though, that the difference between the LF55 (which was what I had before the NAKSAs came around) and the NAKSA 70 was somewhat greater in my ears. I heard clear differences especially in soundstage, reverberation, and low level details. Mind you, neither the LF55 nor the NAKSA 70 were ever used full-range here - I used them to drive the treble/midrange of my Equilibrium speaker system - so their work is easier, which might account for some of the difference. Personally, I would not have been happy to swap the LF55 back in my system (I tried).

However, I am happy to say that my old LF55 is still playing along happily in one of my friend's system, where it replaced two (!) Nakamichi PA-5s (he was biamping), and in fact made very short work of these! Do I need to add that he is very happy with the LF55? As am I when I visit him, because it makes me smile to hear it again.

Please do not think I am trying to discount your opinion - mine is just slightly different ;)

And it certainly does not mean that I am not eagerly awaiting the arrival of my two NAKSA 80s :)

Cheers,

Jens
 
Almost there... Now I'm drooling!!!

Hugh;

I almost pulled the trigger a few minutes ago with NAKSA 70, but then logged in here and noticed the new 80! Oh the dilemma!

Obviously the 80 will be my amp of choice, but first a few questions to those "in the know" with these amps;

1. Is anyone in North America using a 70 or planning on the 80 and what transformer did you end up using (cost, etc)?

2. How much is shipping, including the chassis work (roughly) to North America, and specifically Central Florida, USA?

From what I have read (here and in reviews) this sounds like THE most affordable option to replace my recently sold ARC D76a tube amp.

TIA, and I look forward to ordering up shortly!
Dman
 
Folks,

I have been very quiet lately, recovering from illness and working hard to get my next amp out. This amp is manufactured in an assembly factory using high reliability equipment, and I'm very happy with the results.

It is the NAKSA 80, which now replaces the NAKSA 70. This is a completely design of the NAKSA 70, which sold well and wowed a lot of people. Power output is 82 watts rms into 8R, and is better and only $60 more...

There is now a review at Digital Audio Review from Johnny Darko:

Aspen NAKSA 80 amplifier review | Digital Audio Review by John Darko

During my convalescence the layout and process design was therapy. Significant friends helped with logistics, testing and proving concepts, particularly Steve and Paul, and many others upon whom I forced long, protracted auditions!. This is a VERY good amplifier, I'm well pleased. I will put a 'N80 Listening Impressions' thread on a bit later. Here I put in a nice photo and the brochure with all specs. BTW, THD is 0.025% at 12.5W into 8R//1KHz!

Cheers,

Hugh


ok, when you say $60 more...How much is for one NAKSA 80 in $USD :wave2s:
 
Hi Dman,

Thanks for the post from Florida via Ontario!

I have no any NAKSA 80s in your area of the US unfortunately. It's only been on the streets a couple of weeks and I'm yet to update the website!!

A Y23 Avel Lindberg toroid is just fine, 250VA to 330VA, and $US54 from Parts Express. It should be fitted two, individual 30Vac secondaries. Here's the website:

Avel Y236653 250VA 30V+30V Toroidal Transformer 122-630

The amp is $AUD930, the enclosure is $AUD120, and the shipping is around $AUD120. Total cost is around $USD1140. (AUD is dropping like a stone compared to the USD)

Take your time, lots of orders at present, working like a one armed paperhanger.....

I would very thrilled to welcome to the NAKSA family!

Lanchile,

You saw the prices for Dman? Any more questions? You will get it to USA shipped for around $USD1140 in a custom enclosure, ready to drop in the trafo and wiring.

Cheers,

Hugh
 
$1300 USD for amp kits?

Hi Dman,

Thanks for the post from Florida via Ontario!

I have no any NAKSA 80s in your area of the US unfortunately. It's only been on the streets a couple of weeks and I'm yet to update the website!!

A Y23 Avel Lindberg toroid is just fine, 250VA to 330VA, and $US54 from Parts Express. It should be fitted two, individual 30Vac secondaries. Here's the website:

Avel Y236653 250VA 30V+30V Toroidal Transformer 122-630

The amp is $AUD930, the enclosure is $AUD120, and the shipping is around $AUD120. Total cost is around $USD1140. (AUD is dropping like a stone compared to the USD)

Take your time, lots of orders at present, working like a one armed paperhanger.....

I would very thrilled to welcome to the NAKSA family!

Lanchile,

You saw the prices for Dman? Any more questions? You will get it to USA shipped for around $USD1140 in a custom enclosure, ready to drop in the trafo and wiring.

Cheers,

Hugh

$1140 USD plus transformer? that will be around $1300 USD...I think that is way to much. your amp can be good but not that good to ask that much. I will pass. Good luck with your "one of a kind amplifier kits"!
 
$1140 USD plus transformer? that will be around $1300 USD...I think that is way to much. your amp can be good but not that good to ask that much. I will pass. Good luck with your "one of a kind amplifier kits"!

Hello,
The Naksa 80 requires only 1 transformer. You can get the Avel Lindberg from Parts Express if you wish. It's likely cheaper to get direct from Avel. You can also get transformer from Antek, 300VA 30V secondaries, for under $50 including shipping. I used this transformer in the first prototype Naksa 80.
The module alone from Hugh is $930AUD. Shipping the module itself is way less than the quoted $120 as there isn't much weight. You would then need a heatsink and also a case and all the connections.

You may find that you do not want to spend the required money to get the amp. That's your choice.

Your post makes it sound like you were thinking more like $50 USD for a bare board as you already have everything else, and then because it's all too much for you, then it cannot possibly be any good. Humorous.

The Naksa 80 is a seriously good amplifier, and a real hi fi bargain.
 
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$1140 USD plus transformer? that will be around $1300 USD...I think that is way to much. your amp can be good but not that good to ask that much. I will pass. Good luck with your "one of a kind amplifier kits"!

Hello

Have you read this review? :

Aspen NAKSA 80 amplifier review | Digital Audio Review by John Darko

I have a NAKSA 70 and it's a top of the line high-end sound.

The NAKSA 80 are in the top high-end and to get that kind of sound in a commercial amp you would pay many thousand dollard.

Wen you buy a power amp you don't pay only for the parts and the case, but you pay for years of researchs and developments, Hugh works many years of hard works to made so good sounding amplifiers.

Bye

Gaetan
 
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The more I look at the boards the more I drool

I reckon they are even more stunning in the ‘flesh’. I’ve looked at many ‘commercial’ amp boards that aren’t as beautifully presented as these.

This is a seriously good amplifier and a great bargain as well.

I’ve listened to all of Hugh’s amps over the years, some such as the ‘Glass Harmony’ and AKSA’s in my system and loved the warmth and vibrancy. I liked the early Life Force amps but never bought them for much the reason Stephen and Jens related. They still weren’t quite the balance I was looking for.

When Hugh developed the Life Force ll (LFll), I was much happier and bought one as I thought it much improved over the original LF (55 or 100). It was still not quite there however and I was a willing up-grader as Hugh developed it over 3 or 4 steps into the original Soraya and finally the current Soraya 105. It retrospect, the final outcome was revolution as there is little if anything left of the original LF design, particularly the power supply. The current version I find stunning and hard to imagine how it could be improved on though the Maya is a great alternative. I doubt it will of course as Hugh has other fish to fry and Naksa development features prominently here.

So what has the Soraya got to do with the Naksa 80? Well IMHO, all that learning during the Soraya and Naksa development has had a massive cross-pollination effect. The 70 and 100 are fantastic amps but have a different and somewhat warmer sonic presentation to the Soraya; perhaps a different target market? If I didn’t also have the extra warmth of an active GK2 preamp in my system, they would be strong considerations though I’d personally need the power of the 100. With the new Naksa 80 however, Hugh has now close to matched the wonderful Soraya characteristics and refinement with a simpler, cheaper amp and to call it a ‘seriously good amplifier and great bargain’ is almost to understate the case. For those that want an amp that both ‘sounds great’ and also ‘gets out of the way’ at the same time, they need look no further. I’ll be sticking with my Soraya but there’s not a lot in it now sonically, the 80 is in the top league. At around the $1K, it's fantastic value and the only problem when adding a case is hiding those beautiful boards. :D
 
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