Thanks Dave,
You beat me to the punch - I was going to email you privately today!! Many thanks for your kindness.
Raj, I am not quite sure how far you are from Leeds, but I particularly recommended David because he is an Engineer, and very widely experienced in both DIY amps and listening tests. He also has quite a variety to listen to!
Raj, don't forget to take the CDs you really know well. These tests are only ultra revealing if you take your own music along.
Thank you again, David. Much appreciated!
Cheers,
Hugh
You beat me to the punch - I was going to email you privately today!! Many thanks for your kindness.
Raj, I am not quite sure how far you are from Leeds, but I particularly recommended David because he is an Engineer, and very widely experienced in both DIY amps and listening tests. He also has quite a variety to listen to!
Raj, don't forget to take the CDs you really know well. These tests are only ultra revealing if you take your own music along.
Thank you again, David. Much appreciated!
Cheers,
Hugh
Yes Terry, New Year there is nice...i born in Miguel Lemos Street, near main hotel
The biggest hotel in front of the beach....my place was there for 30 years when i decided to married and to confuse my life a little.
Well, not a problem, three marriages is a lot of fun, and i am going to fourth....and already selected the woman and the place....ahahahaha...Brasília, our Capital.
I am lucky, not only with because womans likes me, but also that they all gave me daugthers....wonderfull to have daugthers, and one more pretty than the other....i do not know what side is better to watch....hehe.
During 30 years i had observed strangers around..... we love strangers, as our country is made of strangers.... we do not make any difference....we have some indian blood, and that thing of my land....my place...only mine!...this do not exist...so...many redish, heavily burned Germans, and in special North American guys are living there, cooperating with our diversity of faces, colors and life styles....this is very nice, to have the world inside our place....groups of noisy italians in some bar, speaking Italian and very loud.... other corner a group of Germans...serious talking not loud and not laughing....US people more hot and touching one each other in other place...and in the middle of every group one brazilian speaking the stranger language and inside the group as a part of them...very nicely integration we use to do...i am proud of it.
Listening AKSA into good speakers.... together with silent audiophile friend, is wonderfull, also very nice to be in Rio de Janeiro, the place that cause big satisfaction,even for native people...those moments, New Year, some drink, a good woman together us...those are the life pleasures, that makes our moments something wonderfull to leave.
regards, and i wish you good rememberings about Río, as i am sure, you left people remembering and missing you there.
Carlos
The biggest hotel in front of the beach....my place was there for 30 years when i decided to married and to confuse my life a little.
Well, not a problem, three marriages is a lot of fun, and i am going to fourth....and already selected the woman and the place....ahahahaha...Brasília, our Capital.
I am lucky, not only with because womans likes me, but also that they all gave me daugthers....wonderfull to have daugthers, and one more pretty than the other....i do not know what side is better to watch....hehe.
During 30 years i had observed strangers around..... we love strangers, as our country is made of strangers.... we do not make any difference....we have some indian blood, and that thing of my land....my place...only mine!...this do not exist...so...many redish, heavily burned Germans, and in special North American guys are living there, cooperating with our diversity of faces, colors and life styles....this is very nice, to have the world inside our place....groups of noisy italians in some bar, speaking Italian and very loud.... other corner a group of Germans...serious talking not loud and not laughing....US people more hot and touching one each other in other place...and in the middle of every group one brazilian speaking the stranger language and inside the group as a part of them...very nicely integration we use to do...i am proud of it.
Listening AKSA into good speakers.... together with silent audiophile friend, is wonderfull, also very nice to be in Rio de Janeiro, the place that cause big satisfaction,even for native people...those moments, New Year, some drink, a good woman together us...those are the life pleasures, that makes our moments something wonderfull to leave.
regards, and i wish you good rememberings about Río, as i am sure, you left people remembering and missing you there.
Carlos
Attachments
In Utah the Polygamists are married to 20 wives all at once..... those of us that are not Polygamists marry 20 wives one at a time😀
😱 .Mark
Some nice way to avoid to go against the law
And this is some solution, as routine is alike a murder. waiting us with patience, to finish with our peace.
Better this confused way to leave...loneliness is much worst.
regards,
Carlos
And this is some solution, as routine is alike a murder. waiting us with patience, to finish with our peace.
Better this confused way to leave...loneliness is much worst.
regards,
Carlos
Hi Guys,
Leeds is a little far, around 180 miles from Bedford, at least a 3 hour drive, If I'm ever travelling that way, I will contact David (thanks for the offer).
For the time being I have a few reapairs left on the wn amp, which may need a new pcb. Mods tend to ruin pcbs after a while....
Thanks
Raja
Leeds is a little far, around 180 miles from Bedford, at least a 3 hour drive, If I'm ever travelling that way, I will contact David (thanks for the offer).
For the time being I have a few reapairs left on the wn amp, which may need a new pcb. Mods tend to ruin pcbs after a while....
Thanks
Raja
Hi Hugh,
mi little contribution to this topic, based on an ancestor version of the AKSA55 kit, namely a P61 amplifier - formerly distributed through Rod Elliott's website.
After quite a long time standing on a shelf, I finally built my P61 amp, and thanks to Hugh's suggestions on this forum (Hugh is a gentleman), I made some further modification too.
I can't say how far from a standard AKSA55 is my P61 "enhanced" right now (Hugh can tell), but after almost a year long listening experience, I can say that my P61 is the finest amplifier I ever had in my hands, compared to other DIY amps like P3A/P101, and to commercial amps like Rotel 960 and Nad C350. My reference speakers are Dynaudio Contour 25.
Particularly bass are well controlled and natural, midrange is totally transparent, and treble are soft, warm and detailed.
Keep up the good work, Hugh. I'm now curious to know how better is your latest AKSA version, I could give it a try...
Ciao,
Gianluca
mi little contribution to this topic, based on an ancestor version of the AKSA55 kit, namely a P61 amplifier - formerly distributed through Rod Elliott's website.
After quite a long time standing on a shelf, I finally built my P61 amp, and thanks to Hugh's suggestions on this forum (Hugh is a gentleman), I made some further modification too.
I can't say how far from a standard AKSA55 is my P61 "enhanced" right now (Hugh can tell), but after almost a year long listening experience, I can say that my P61 is the finest amplifier I ever had in my hands, compared to other DIY amps like P3A/P101, and to commercial amps like Rotel 960 and Nad C350. My reference speakers are Dynaudio Contour 25.
Particularly bass are well controlled and natural, midrange is totally transparent, and treble are soft, warm and detailed.
Keep up the good work, Hugh. I'm now curious to know how better is your latest AKSA version, I could give it a try...
Ciao,
Gianluca
AKSA amp has been around for some years now.
This is not the first thread in diyaudio.com with an examination
of this construction.
From looking at schematic there are no extraordinary sophisticated features to find.
Just as hard as it is to find something bad.
This old post with a comment by a diyaudio member,
might give us one of the reasons for the quality in AKSA amplifiers.
-- There is nothing simple in really good simple design --
Exactly!
This is not the first thread in diyaudio.com with an examination
of this construction.
From looking at schematic there are no extraordinary sophisticated features to find.
Just as hard as it is to find something bad.
This old post with a comment by a diyaudio member,
might give us one of the reasons for the quality in AKSA amplifiers.
-- There is nothing simple in really good simple design --
Exactly!
Aw, shucks Gianluca,
Many thanks for your terrific review; I'm very pleased.
Lineup,
This man, Fred Dieckmann, was an EE who worked for NatSemi in Austin TX for many years. He is now in his fifties, like me. We got along well, but regrettably he is no longer in our forum. He fell foul of the moderators for his often outspoken and confrontational views, but he was a luminous talent, a very straight and honest man, and an extremely able engineer.
I was very flattered by Fred's comments. He always said what was on his mind.
Where art thou, Fred? We need you!!
Cheers,
Hugh
Many thanks for your terrific review; I'm very pleased.
Lineup,
This man, Fred Dieckmann, was an EE who worked for NatSemi in Austin TX for many years. He is now in his fifties, like me. We got along well, but regrettably he is no longer in our forum. He fell foul of the moderators for his often outspoken and confrontational views, but he was a luminous talent, a very straight and honest man, and an extremely able engineer.
I was very flattered by Fred's comments. He always said what was on his mind.
Where art thou, Fred? We need you!!
Cheers,
Hugh
AKSA said:
Honesty is not always appreciated.
That is a sad thing.
Because there is dishonesty around - most everywhere.
Yes, there are moments that honesty are not adequated.
Once in my life, a very ugly woman asked me what i think about how she looks.
Those sittuations are very complicated....what to do....continue with our tradition to tell only the true?
I was not honest and i told her that she is just normal, not pretty and not ugly....normal.
Also, we are not usually honest.....observe that we buy and we make a gift to others, and we "think" that the gift is for the other one....it is not!
The gift is something you made to your own pleasure, normally, you will receive gratitude, friendship and a threat of non agression from the one that received the gift...so....gifts, can be understood with other words, can be translated in some active corruption....and our tradition, human tradition, is to make gifts....is this honest?
Sometimes you say:
- I love you!
But you omitt...you supress, all the words that can follow that small phrase.
for instance:
- I love you when you do not bother me
- I love you when you do not talk too much
- I love you when you do not envite your mum daily into our home
Well....we are not always honest..... depending the profession you just cannot be.
A Doctor, for instance, you can ask him if your Cancer will disappear.
The Doctor will never tell you that, your particular Cancer, never disappeared before, that normally, YOU disappear!....is this possible to say?
If Politicians start to talk, to translate in words their thougths...ahahahaha..what a confusion!
Try to imagine what the French President can think and say about the American President...ahahahaha...i now what he may think...but he do not tell.... not honest too?.... is Diplomacy some exercice of liers?
Can you tell, frankly, what you feel related moderators, or some moderator in special....that one that may have bothered you during the fair and constitutional work to protect our forum rules?
Halojoy made that..... can you see halojoy in the forum?...he was one of the most intelligent, incredible, interesting, popular, nice, clever, that had courage to shake traditional extructures...of course....well..... of course.....we cannot read him anymore, and he is alive...i am sure he is, and reading this forum, i am sure he is.
And Moderators use to say that he was not kicked out from forum...that he made that by himself.....oh!...of course i do not discuss those things..... am i beeing honest?
Well man....the first thing we learn, to survive, is not to tell always the true....because we cannot!....not allowed!...not a good sense!
Oh!...i was talking true!...complete true!...well...if someone order...i am already prepared to dennie each line!....to survive man!
I think i drink too much...yeah!...i lost the sense....of course not guilty.... and this is honest.
regards,
Carlos
Once in my life, a very ugly woman asked me what i think about how she looks.
Those sittuations are very complicated....what to do....continue with our tradition to tell only the true?
I was not honest and i told her that she is just normal, not pretty and not ugly....normal.
Also, we are not usually honest.....observe that we buy and we make a gift to others, and we "think" that the gift is for the other one....it is not!
The gift is something you made to your own pleasure, normally, you will receive gratitude, friendship and a threat of non agression from the one that received the gift...so....gifts, can be understood with other words, can be translated in some active corruption....and our tradition, human tradition, is to make gifts....is this honest?
Sometimes you say:
- I love you!
But you omitt...you supress, all the words that can follow that small phrase.
for instance:
- I love you when you do not bother me
- I love you when you do not talk too much
- I love you when you do not envite your mum daily into our home
Well....we are not always honest..... depending the profession you just cannot be.
A Doctor, for instance, you can ask him if your Cancer will disappear.
The Doctor will never tell you that, your particular Cancer, never disappeared before, that normally, YOU disappear!....is this possible to say?
If Politicians start to talk, to translate in words their thougths...ahahahaha..what a confusion!
Try to imagine what the French President can think and say about the American President...ahahahaha...i now what he may think...but he do not tell.... not honest too?.... is Diplomacy some exercice of liers?
Can you tell, frankly, what you feel related moderators, or some moderator in special....that one that may have bothered you during the fair and constitutional work to protect our forum rules?
Halojoy made that..... can you see halojoy in the forum?...he was one of the most intelligent, incredible, interesting, popular, nice, clever, that had courage to shake traditional extructures...of course....well..... of course.....we cannot read him anymore, and he is alive...i am sure he is, and reading this forum, i am sure he is.
And Moderators use to say that he was not kicked out from forum...that he made that by himself.....oh!...of course i do not discuss those things..... am i beeing honest?
Well man....the first thing we learn, to survive, is not to tell always the true....because we cannot!....not allowed!...not a good sense!
Oh!...i was talking true!...complete true!...well...if someone order...i am already prepared to dennie each line!....to survive man!
I think i drink too much...yeah!...i lost the sense....of course not guilty.... and this is honest.
regards,
Carlos
You seem to be very phylosophycal . . .
Hope your audio review is honest . . . 😀
Regards
jh
---
diyAudio seems to be getting ugly daybyday . . .
Hope your audio review is honest . . . 😀
Regards
jh
---
diyAudio seems to be getting ugly daybyday . . .
Mr Dean,
I attempted an e-mail to you, regarding a possible purchase, through the AKSA website, but I've not heard back. I understand that you are busy. If I should try again, just say and I will re-send
Thanks
Ryan
I attempted an e-mail to you, regarding a possible purchase, through the AKSA website, but I've not heard back. I understand that you are busy. If I should try again, just say and I will re-send
Thanks
Ryan
AKSA Bass
Those interested in bass response might find this aticle interesting:
http://sound.westhost.com/project56.htm
Being both an SS and tube amp user, I have found speakers sometimes favour one or the other. This may help if you want to sometimes fill out lean bass.
cheers
Those interested in bass response might find this aticle interesting:
http://sound.westhost.com/project56.htm
Being both an SS and tube amp user, I have found speakers sometimes favour one or the other. This may help if you want to sometimes fill out lean bass.
cheers
A short point regarding the AKSA
Hello all, I thought I'd add a few comments regarding my AKSA 55N which I have owned for some time now and would love to obtain a sister 100N+ soon.
I don't have much experience with exotic brands or pretty much anything american but the AKSA is without doubt the most balanced sounding amp I've ever heard, no soft or unnatturally loud bass, no dull midrange and the topend just sounds right, I woulnd say sweet or any tosh like that as it is likely to give the impression it is a false sound.
short and to the point but I just wanted to add another post to the thread! 😀
One last point I would like to make regarding peoples thoughts on the AKSA topology, and its possible problems:
It is widely acknowledged that the Porsche 911 is based on far from ideal principles (rear engined etc...), why therefore is it consistently considered one of the best cars in the world? Because the details and problems have been identified and ironed out! Therefore I can happily state, "my other amp is a Porsche!"
Hello all, I thought I'd add a few comments regarding my AKSA 55N which I have owned for some time now and would love to obtain a sister 100N+ soon.
I don't have much experience with exotic brands or pretty much anything american but the AKSA is without doubt the most balanced sounding amp I've ever heard, no soft or unnatturally loud bass, no dull midrange and the topend just sounds right, I woulnd say sweet or any tosh like that as it is likely to give the impression it is a false sound.
short and to the point but I just wanted to add another post to the thread! 😀
One last point I would like to make regarding peoples thoughts on the AKSA topology, and its possible problems:
It is widely acknowledged that the Porsche 911 is based on far from ideal principles (rear engined etc...), why therefore is it consistently considered one of the best cars in the world? Because the details and problems have been identified and ironed out! Therefore I can happily state, "my other amp is a Porsche!"
TNT magazine had published something related Aksa
http://www.tnt-audio.com/ampli/aksa_e.html
regards,
Carlos
http://www.tnt-audio.com/ampli/aksa_e.html
regards,
Carlos
Hi Ryan,
Thanks for your post. Try again; I have a very aggressive spam filter, that's the likely cause - I'm sorry.
Cheers,
Hugh
Thanks for your post. Try again; I have a very aggressive spam filter, that's the likely cause - I'm sorry.
Cheers,
Hugh
siimple question and a suggestion:
1. what does topology mean in electronics ? I know what it means to a geographer but how does it translate to amplifiers,pcbs, etc.
2. When comparing amps should we report what we can hear when playing a reference piece of music ?I can see the problem that we wont all have the same CD. I can kind of understand the terms fast transients , deep bass etc etc but I like it when someone describes their experience of listening to a recording.
for example we've been listening to Katie Melua almost daily for the last two months in our household. What can I hear in her recordings when played through an Aksa 55 N and Aksonics that I cant ,or not as clearly through an ME550 (II), gainclone, Aleph X, and an old rotel preamp amp combination ?
Her voice is clearer. Her diction is precise anyway but the words come though lucidly with Aksa.
The piano sounds sharp particularly when playing in the higher registers. The bass guitar which seems an instrument difficult to record faithfull y also comes through well defined rather than its notes running into one another as with the other amps ive mentioned. If the various components sound exceptional how do the songs come out as a whole ? Track 3, The closest thing to crazy, from the call off the search album is for me as emotional as it can get.
For the first time in my twenty five years of listening to hifi (mostly on commercial mid priced gear I must admit) I can tell where the musicians are placed in relation to each other , if the recording enginneer has taken the trouble to include these spatial relationships in the recording.
I also like Coldplay a lot . There are a couple of tracks on their Rush of blood to the head album that I cant listen to on the Aksa. The lead guitar and cymbals when they are playing simultaneously are in my opinion poorly recorded on these tracks and come out sounding like irritating high pitched noise not music. Ive played these tracks through the other amps and some friends amps . Its better for my ears but the songs are also less intelligible. Ive found this with other Cds in my collection. Aksa will unveil those recordings which are less well engineered and make you marvel at those where attention to detail in the recording is as important as the song and music.
My summary; the Aksa is the best component in my system. My efforts for now are to find better cd player, a good tuner ( my onkyo
T9090 was stolen sometime ago) and good cds.
Cheers
1. what does topology mean in electronics ? I know what it means to a geographer but how does it translate to amplifiers,pcbs, etc.
2. When comparing amps should we report what we can hear when playing a reference piece of music ?I can see the problem that we wont all have the same CD. I can kind of understand the terms fast transients , deep bass etc etc but I like it when someone describes their experience of listening to a recording.
for example we've been listening to Katie Melua almost daily for the last two months in our household. What can I hear in her recordings when played through an Aksa 55 N and Aksonics that I cant ,or not as clearly through an ME550 (II), gainclone, Aleph X, and an old rotel preamp amp combination ?
Her voice is clearer. Her diction is precise anyway but the words come though lucidly with Aksa.
The piano sounds sharp particularly when playing in the higher registers. The bass guitar which seems an instrument difficult to record faithfull y also comes through well defined rather than its notes running into one another as with the other amps ive mentioned. If the various components sound exceptional how do the songs come out as a whole ? Track 3, The closest thing to crazy, from the call off the search album is for me as emotional as it can get.
For the first time in my twenty five years of listening to hifi (mostly on commercial mid priced gear I must admit) I can tell where the musicians are placed in relation to each other , if the recording enginneer has taken the trouble to include these spatial relationships in the recording.
I also like Coldplay a lot . There are a couple of tracks on their Rush of blood to the head album that I cant listen to on the Aksa. The lead guitar and cymbals when they are playing simultaneously are in my opinion poorly recorded on these tracks and come out sounding like irritating high pitched noise not music. Ive played these tracks through the other amps and some friends amps . Its better for my ears but the songs are also less intelligible. Ive found this with other Cds in my collection. Aksa will unveil those recordings which are less well engineered and make you marvel at those where attention to detail in the recording is as important as the song and music.
My summary; the Aksa is the best component in my system. My efforts for now are to find better cd player, a good tuner ( my onkyo
T9090 was stolen sometime ago) and good cds.
Cheers
AKSA said:
Hi hugh,
thanks for your attention to my nickname!
A good shortform explanation to Ultima Thule you do find here.
There are a bit various explanation where the "Ultima Thule" is located and has changed by time while I think it's actually Iceland.
However I do apply more to the plain meaning of the words as I live in the Nordic giving Ultima Thule that means "The Utmost" "Nordic" a broader interpretation.
Looking at my location information which tells "koskenkorva land" by that I mean Finland (Helsinki area), where I have lived now for couple of years, where also the very fine Finnish Vodka Koskenkorva* is made!
Earlier I lived in Stockholm Sweden, and when I was a young shild I lived in Wienna, Austria for couple of years, which makes up totaly three capitals in my book.
Over to your AKSA amplifier, do you mind posting those figures?
Now that I don't think any figures directly serve the picture of any amplifier's sound qualities, but I believe the composition of harmonics do tell something among other things.
If I may speculate about the AKSA amplifier I guess you don't have much of OLG while it's sensitively tailored to it's details making up to the sound qualities your amplifier bears, Hugh?
BTW, I do miss Fred Dieckman too, is he banned for "lifetime"?
Cheers Michael
* "Koskenkorva is very good", as noted by former US president & actor Ronald Reagan when he was visiting in Finland. And Ronnie was correct. Original, clear and fresh Koskenkorvan is fit for a tough sheriff too.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.