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Brand New Super AKSA - the SAKSA 85!

Just saw this post in the Maya 4 thread and wanted to ask if the SAKSA 85 is going away?

Here's a funny flashback, When I was in the UK, I think the year was maybe 1999 or 2000! I was running a Primare A20 class AB 70w integrated with Dynaudio Audience bookshelves. I got in touch with a friendly DIYer who came round with his (I think) AKSA 55. The soundstage compared to the Primare was humungous, with the image jumping out of the speakers, and with luscious tone. If the SAKSA 85 improves on that, then well, I'd think it a shame if the least expensive AKSA product isn't there anymore, given that Hugh said it was in fact more capable with 4ohm speakers than the Titan?

mk, then perhaps you need to get in touch with Hugh promptly, if you'd like to get hold of a SAKSA 85. :)

Re. your experience with Hugh's original AKSA 55 ... I first met Hugh when I took one of my Naim 250s over to his place, for a shootout with his AKSA 55. The AKSA 55 simply blew it away - so I purchased 2x AKSA 55N+ kits plus an AKSA 100N+ kit for my active Maggies - and when I'd built them, sold off all my Naim kit!.

Since then, I have upgraded several times to his new designs - coz they always sound better! Having heard it, I can assure you the SAKSA 85 sounds better than Hugh's original AKSA 55.
 
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Ah, but MK you forget MY POV on this!!

Yes, the SAKSA 85 is a very nice amplifier but I can tell you the Titan is better, and the Maya better again.
Each time I make a batch of my amps I have to stump up thousands of dollars for the inventory, and a lot of hard work and time........ and it takes quite a bit of time to sell them because I do not advertise. More inventory means more capital invested, and my small business has never borrowed to ensure growth.

As it happens, audio gets me out of bed every day. My raison d'etre is audio design; to my detriment to my business methods. I have been mentored by some very successful businessmen, who have told me that this could be a very, very good business if I take a few significant steps to grow it. But I'm now 72, I'm comfortably well off, and I'm a survivor of a horrific AAA in 2012. I live with very low cardiac output, and my energies are limited, so I do not want to spend all my years selling amplifiers. Most of my customers are repeat buyers, and I try very hard to deliver consistently improving products to them and many of them are good friends. OTOH I have been trying for years to find a successor to my business; at this point, no one yet.......

I am a doyen of the Melbourne Audio Club, so I know the market well and I can tell you that most people buy a brand, and it has to be well marketed and well known. Very few people will cross the floor to buy an unknown amplifier, and the fact is that only a few audiophiles can tell the differences between amplifiers, and the others have no confidence that their ears are telling them the truth.

But I live in hope........and put a lot of time and effort to build a better mousetrap!

Cheers,

Hugh
 
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The Saksa85 paired with the Sony wm1z (dap) sounds amazing, even though the Sony is meant to be paired with headphones. I just ordered a dac r2r discrette, Musician Pegasus. I'm very curious how it will sound. I will write my impressions here.
I've been using a Musician Pegasus r2r discrete dac in conjunction with a Saksa85 amp for about two weeks. I use the Sony WM1Z only with headphones. I am experiencing an even greater musical nirvana. The quality of Hugh Dean amplifiers has been confirmed once again. Thanks Hugh!
 
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