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Finally! My SAKSA 85 up and running :-)

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Hi Maty,

Thanks for the post - you make complete sense to me, avoiding transformers is terrific advice...... and I always try to twist all AC cables to keep fields small. Depth is an interesting one but I have noted that, at least with power amps, it is related to minimising global feedback. This tells me it is a phase issue, perhaps 'time-smearing'?

Thank you finding the earth connection, Rom! Are you in Sarajevo?

Peter,

I will despatch your new SAKSA next week, I'm a bit short on energy this week!

Cheers,

Hugh
 
Weeks ago I used the 64-bit PEQ (minimum phase, like analog) of JRiver MC to modify the frequency response of my modified KEF Q100 speakers very slightly, before making the decision to change the filter for another one proposed by Zvu.

Minimum Phase vs Linear Phase | Page 7 | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

[IMG, link] https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...nts/kef-q100-fabricka-30-40-50-zvu-png.32991/

[IMG, link] https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?attachments/jrmc-dsp-peq-kef-q100-png.32987/

Already put, from the PEQ you can add delays. In principle, the human ear / brain appreciates them after 5 ms (factor to be taken into account in the design of the hearing aid). I tried with 50 ms and I went down to 5 ms, where I stayed.

In principle it is used to adjust the speakers that are not the same distance from the listener, but when doing tests I found that improvement.

Sound: 340 m/s. Then 5 ms -> 1.7 m.

These modifications using 64-bit software must be not very aggressive so as not to lose more than win.


The other improvement, analog sound, was unexpected: Foobar or JRiver | Page 8 | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum
 
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Hugh,
thanks that is really good news! Hopefully Austrian customs will work quicker this time!


Maty,
you really are an expert! Adjusting time delay to optimize speakers! Thats far beyond my level of education....


Fortunately this (time-delay) is a problem I don't have. My Mangers are broadband, they play from180Hz to 30.000Hz. And at the low end phase differences because of different driver distances to the listener do not seem to be much of an issue...
 
Hugh, no need to answer - found it myself:

"The electrical conductivity of 6-nines copper and 4-nines copper (99.99% pure) is nearly the same at ambient temperature, although the higher-purity copper has a higher conductivity at cryogenic temperatures. Therefore, for non-cryogenic temperatures, 4-nines copper will probably remain the dominant material for most commercial wire applications. (Wikipedia)


and (on layers of strands):

Basics of Wire and Cable: Solid vs. Stranded Conductors | OmniCable



@ Hugh:
I try to use six nines with multiple layers of copper wires, rated to eight amps, suitable for speaker and power supply wires.
One question remaining due to the naming of wire in different countries/languages: What is this: "six nines with multiple layers of copper wires" ?
[Can I look up (on the internet) a picture or a classification table of wire in the english speaking countries? ] Sorry for bothering you with a question the answer of which most of you will know...
 
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second transformer arrived so I had to put it in...

Today the second transformer arrived and round 5mm LEDs so I could not resist putting them into the case right away. I turned both transformers upside down so as to get the transformer cables down to the grid plate and a bit out of the way. I also put the common ground screw on the underside of the the grid to get it out of sight too. Then I exchanged the rectangular LEDs I had fixed with tape to the front plate to the newly arrived round ones. (Looks much nicer if only on the inside...)

Twisted the transformer cables and bent them away from the signal leads as far as possible (ca. 1 1/4 inch).

The black input signal cable was too short to get it further away from the transformers.

Please Hugh, when dispatching the 2nd Saksa, please add 120 cm of the input cable, I could not find a decent one here in Austria.

I hear a faint hum at around a foot from the speakers, therefore I have to get longer cables and reroute them, probably between Printed Circuit Board and heatsink, where I hid the LED-cables for now.

Currently the amp weighs 13,7 kg (30 lb) (completed it will be around 15 kg (33 lb)

When I first put the module into the case I had it oriented so the heatsink was in the middle, between transformers and the PCB. I did not like that as I could not easily get to the connections on the PCB so I turned it around. Did not make a sound check to see if the little hum was less that way.
If anyone has experience on that any help is appreciated.


Yesterday I had a disturbing listening session. Since ages I listened to Peter Paul & Mary's Greatest Hits again and was shocked about the scratchy, really distorted voices, especially of Mary. As the instruments were fine I suspected the SAKSA first. Only when listening to other known music I realised that it was obviously the recording. What a shame, I really like the music of P,P&M.
Which proves your point, Hugh, that most of the recordings leave something to be desired....
 

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Yesterday I had a disturbing listening session. Since ages I listened to Peter Paul & Mary's Greatest Hits again and was shocked about the scratchy, really distorted voices, especially of Mary. As the instruments were fine I suspected the SAKSA first. Only when listening to other known music I realised that it was obviously the recording. What a shame, I really like the music of P,P&M...

Peter Paul And Mary - The Very Best Of Peter Paul And Mary (1975), CD, Warner, Europe

Now Playing + What are you listening to?

The others albums I have are in vinyl. The famous Peter, Paul and Mary - Peter, Paul and Mary (1962) By Warner 2013 Re, 45 rpm has only DR11 too.
 
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Thanks Maty!
Found this comment on your link:

man_reik_vinilo
29. November 2018
bezogen auf Peter, Paul And Mary, CD, Album, RE, 1449-2
"Mary's vocals sound distorted/clipping in "500 Miles"? I wonder if it's just this release or was it recorded this way... "


So its not my old ears......

Right now Norwegian singer Kari Bremnes is making glorious music (Svarta Bjoern from 1998) WITHOUT any distortion. :))) Practically all of her discs are first rate and marvelously recorded. But you probably will know that.
 
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To provide some reading stuff and prepare the home for my next SAKSA….

Thanks to Maty tinman I had a look at the Starquad cable. I must admit that I mostly use the ordinary black power cables. Not being willing to spend a lot of money again I built two power cords myself.
One 60 cm for the SAKSA and one 3.5m for the connection from the wall outlet to the Dynacord X4100 line filter.
I ordered
Viborg power plugs:
4-strand cable: 4 x 1,5 mm² made in Germany, but no 6 nines copper, no fairy dust.
ground cable (1,5 mm²)
expandable braided sleeving
shrink wrap

And according to the photo tutorial at
Belden 83754 Star-Quad Powercord -
I built the 2 cables.
Look nice, give peace of mind.
Audible difference?
Nothing I can reliably report. But then, I did not take the time to compare old and new….
Maybe I DO need some fairy dust ….
 

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hum from the speakers

I have a little hum problem from my saksa and I can't find the references to appropriate measures to get rid of it. In a distance of 1 m I can hear a distinct noise in my speakers. It is not only a clean low 50 or 100 Hz sinus hum but contains also a "scratchy" component. (Don't know how to describe it better)

Currently I run the yellow earthing cable from my saksa to a bolt I fixed to the subchassis of my enclosure. From there I run another earthing cable to the earth terminal of my IEC mains socket.

Is there a tried and tested procedure to follow to minimise this noise? Are the earthing cables still just to close to the transformer?

Should I turn around the module so that the heatsink is between PCB and transformers?

Should I position the grounding bolt to another part of the enclosure?

Is it important that the distance from the grounding bolt is the same for both modules (the second module is going to arrive soon) ?
 

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Hello Hugh,
today I received my second AKSA. I must admit that my joy was considerably spoiled by one fact: The heatsink does NOT have the 4 threaded holes that my first sample has! Therefore I cannot mount the module into my enclosure where I have everything prepared to mount it the same way as my first one.

A big disappointment.

For the moment I do not know what to do. I have no experience in cutting threaded holes so I have to acquire that skill and take the risk in drilling right beside the PCB.
Any suggestions?
regards,
Peter
 
Peter,

You do not need threads, this is a rather small aspect of the product - the heatsink is identical thermally. When you drill place the piece downwind of the pcb to avoid sprinking the filings. You can avoid using threads; drill holes in the outer fins and then use a nut and bolt to attach. This works very well, Peter, you don't need threads here.
OTOH, I regret this, it's spoiled your second purchase.
BTW, did you solve your hum issue? I'm quite happy to help you further.......

Hugh
 
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Hugh,

OK, after the first "shock" abided, I had a closer look. Then went to YouTube and informed myself how to make threads in aluminum. Then got myself a toolkit for thread cutting and actually managed to make two M4 threads in the heatsink (on the kitchen desk without damaging anything...) Fortunately I have a harware store just around the corner and this problem is solved.

Due to space constraints any other way of fastening the module would have been above my possibilities. Photos will follow later.


Re my hum issue:
I did not solve it yet. After connecting everything together I will hook the amp up to input and speaker cables (with lid open) and with the system switched on move the cables around inside as possible and listen if its a matter of proximity. I remeber also having read somewhere that blue LEDs can cause noise problems.
I will report back when I have found the time to do it.
With your help I am sure will get there... :)
 
Some progress

re hum: Before mounting the second SAKSA I turned around the first module so that the heatsink was between transformers and PCB to see if the heatsink would provide some shielding and the increased distance would reduce the hum. That wasn’t the case so I turned it around again and mounted the second SAKSA (see photos). Thanks to the extra length of signal cable Hugh provided I could reroute the signal cable along the side walls of the enclosure, as far away from the transformers and the power supplying wires as possible.
I also moved the ground bolt close to the IEC power input socket at the rear of the enclosure.
I tried to run all the cables as symmetrical as possible.
Result: A little overall reduction (20%) of noise. Only when I disconnected the ground wire from the PCBs to the grounding bolt of the enclosure I achieved a reduction of noise (mainly hum) on the RIGHT channel only. On the left channel (the new module) there is still a a bit of hum audible from about 50 cms and closer.

Fortunately it is not really discernible when music is playing (and I am sitting 2,8 metres away from the speakers and not 50 cms…). Still, it is something I need to remedy in the long run.

Any hints and tips what I can try to get rid of the hum are very welcome!
Specific question: Would 2 aluminum „walls“ between the transformers and the modules be promising? As this would be difficult to organize (can’t do it myself) I’d like to be rather sure about the result before I try this measures.

But now I am just enjoying the marvelous sound. At one point of listening to a classical recording I was just overwhelmed by the beauty of the sound. It cannot get any better than that!

Next on my llst will be meticulous positioning of the speakers and subwoofers in my room.
It MIGHT still get a bit better than how it is now….
 

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