I have now built the AkitikA GT-104 (and PR-102) - and they are both world class, in my opinion.
When one Doubles or More the oem Capacitance, as In being a Greedy Pig about it. The More is Gooder approach.
That said...MY amp (even with the greedy pig Capacitances) Is not in even the same sound quality league as my Firstwatt.
Which manages this with only a fraction of the components.
Don't dick around at the edges of amp/sound quality. Jump in wholeheartedly
Herr Pass is legend.. for reason.
I finished my Akitika Z4 a few months ago. Here is a build report I wrote..... http://rvbprecision.com/stereo/akitika-z4-amplifier-kit-build.html
UPDATE!...Built a new faceplate for the Akitika Z4......Needed it to match the Schiit Freya
I have installed Sparkos SS2590 dual mono modules in the input and output op-amp sockets on my AkitikA PR-102 preamp. The input stage requires one DIP8 riser, and the output requires two.
The sound quality is simply amazing - the soundstage is very wide and deep, and the clarity and layering - everything is on a another level. It is a very good preamp with the OPA2134 op-amps - but I am absolutely loving this upgrade.
If you are a first time buyer, Sparkos will give you a 15% discount, so the SS2590 are about $111 each, and they sell the risers for $2 each.
The sound quality is simply amazing - the soundstage is very wide and deep, and the clarity and layering - everything is on a another level. It is a very good preamp with the OPA2134 op-amps - but I am absolutely loving this upgrade.
If you are a first time buyer, Sparkos will give you a 15% discount, so the SS2590 are about $111 each, and they sell the risers for $2 each.
Hello, i've been thinking about building an akitika or aca kit too, but i'm not sure about which one, i don't have inefficient speakers so i don't really need the power of the akitika but i'm kinda leaning to it because of rbertalotto's review, if he says it somewhat close to the sound of a first watt maybe it's some good value, any recommendations on which one to get for 90dB speakers in the near field?
I just got the akitika gt-102 and the sound is stellar !!! Very fast with punchy bass !!!!
The other consideration might be the impedance of your speakers? If they are nominal 4 ohms then I would recommend the GT-104 or GT-102 Z4.
I have not heard the ACA, but I feel that the GT-104 is the best amp I have ever heard. It has no flaws that I can hear.
The impedance of my speakers is 8 ohms, but if ever wanted to get 4 ohm speakers the gt104 or z4 version of the gt102 may work just fine, akitika says that I may lose 3 dB of power if I go for the z4 version and use it with 8 ohm loads, which is not bad for my room, I imagine it’s the same in the discrete version