No ETA right now as we're focused on the kit, but we'll be making extra PCBs when we get the ones for the kit so we'll definitely have PCBs available in the near future. Probably June/July. The will get processed into SKUs as part of the kit processing (Thanks, Mark!).
Unlike the kit, the ACA PCBs have been continuously in stock since the Amp Camp event, up until this January. For that reason, we're not madly rushing to get the PCBs back in stock, and focused on the kit offering, as most people who wanted to build it from scratch have done so and we don't anticipate the PCBs will sell out when they do come back in stock so there's no need to deal with the complications of a pre-order.
Please also note, there's no sonic or parts difference in the 1.1 BAF, 1.1 March ACA, or 1.6 PCBs, compared to the 1b boards we used to sell, it's just a new layout.
Hope that explains the situation!
Unlike the kit, the ACA PCBs have been continuously in stock since the Amp Camp event, up until this January. For that reason, we're not madly rushing to get the PCBs back in stock, and focused on the kit offering, as most people who wanted to build it from scratch have done so and we don't anticipate the PCBs will sell out when they do come back in stock so there's no need to deal with the complications of a pre-order.
Please also note, there's no sonic or parts difference in the 1.1 BAF, 1.1 March ACA, or 1.6 PCBs, compared to the 1b boards we used to sell, it's just a new layout.
Hope that explains the situation!
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Jason:
Thanks for the explanation. My plan is to build an integrated amp using NP's BOZ (jfet edition) and a bridged ACA in a HiFi2000 2U Pesante Dissipante chassis, which means I'll need two pairs of the ACA. The limited height of that chassis (especially when the brackets are taken into consideration) encourages the use of the new ACA layout. So it seems I'll have to wait for the updated ACA boards.
Please don't make us wait too long for those pcbs!
Regards,
Scott
Thanks for the explanation. My plan is to build an integrated amp using NP's BOZ (jfet edition) and a bridged ACA in a HiFi2000 2U Pesante Dissipante chassis, which means I'll need two pairs of the ACA. The limited height of that chassis (especially when the brackets are taken into consideration) encourages the use of the new ACA layout. So it seems I'll have to wait for the updated ACA boards.
Please don't make us wait too long for those pcbs!
Regards,
Scott
Jason:
I've signed up for notices but am nonetheless anxious to get started on this weird little project. Any updates on the pending availability of ACA v 1.6 pcbs?
And a second question: is the HiFi2000 baseplate compatible with the ACA v1.6 pcbs in a 2U chassis, or would the baseplate block the installation of the new ACA boards?
Regards,
Scott
I've signed up for notices but am nonetheless anxious to get started on this weird little project. Any updates on the pending availability of ACA v 1.6 pcbs?
And a second question: is the HiFi2000 baseplate compatible with the ACA v1.6 pcbs in a 2U chassis, or would the baseplate block the installation of the new ACA boards?
Regards,
Scott
Considering that the ACA1.6 kit is predicated on PCBs mounting directly on the heatsinks of the custom chassis, and utilizes an external SMPS, what additional components are you envisioning that would benefit from using the internal baseplates?
I’ve used bone stock HiFi2000 chassis for another build - Hypex UcD180, and as well have bashed out all sheet aluminum stock chassis for more than one other build, and absent a well outfitted metal working bench I’d never use anything but the custom chassis for an ACA build. I hesitate to say it’s underpriced
, and while it took a while for some of the upgrade mechanical parts used in build of pair for a DaveD to arrive, the assembly of ACA chassis went together like a dream. I seldom run a stop-watch timer, bit I think it took longer to populate the 4 PCB, and wait for temperatures to settle when setting bias than to finish the rest of the build.
Considering that the ACA1.6 kit is predicated on PCBs mounting directly on the heatsinks of the custom chassis, and utilizes an external SMPS, what additional components are you envisioning that would benefit from using the internal baseplates?
I’ve used bone stock HiFi2000 chassis for another build - Hypex UcD180, and as well have bashed out all sheet aluminum stock chassis for more than one other build, and absent a well outfitted metal working bench I’d never use anything but the custom chassis for an ACA build. I hesitate to say it’s underpriced
chrisb:
My plan is to build an integrated amp consisting of a Bride of Zen preamp (jfet version) and a bridged pair of ACAs (i.e., 4 pcbs in total) in a HiFi2000 full width 2U Dissipante chassis. Instead of an SMPS, I plan on using a 400VA toroid and about 75k uF per channel in PS caps. The toroid is heavy. I thought a baseplate would be far more secure than relying on the screws HiFi2000 uses in the Dissipante enclosures.
Jason:
As noted above, the baseplate would be for a full width 2U Dissipante chassis. Any idea if it will fit, along with the ACA v1.6 pcbs?
Also, can you put a few of the ACA v1.6 boards up for sale? I may be the only knucklehead who wants to build a non-kit version of the new ACA, but maybe not...
Regards,
Scott
Jason:
Do you have a new ETA on the availability of ACA v1.6 pcbs? I'd really like to buy two pair for the BOZ / bridged ACA integrated amplifier mentioned above. It's hard to imagine you guys don't have a pile of the ACA v1.6 pcbs lying around gathering dust while the other parts for the ACA kits are accumulated.
Pretty please?
Regards,
Scott
Do you have a new ETA on the availability of ACA v1.6 pcbs? I'd really like to buy two pair for the BOZ / bridged ACA integrated amplifier mentioned above. It's hard to imagine you guys don't have a pile of the ACA v1.6 pcbs lying around gathering dust while the other parts for the ACA kits are accumulated.
Pretty please?
Regards,
Scott
Yeah, a lot of people imagine a lot of things about how things actually work behind the scenes. I would too - a nice big factory, big piles of stock sitting around all in one place, worker bees buzzing around packing things. Unfortunately that's just fanciful thinking. Each project is produced ad hoc, usually on a kitchen bench, by dedicated DIYers such as yourself, before then finally being sent to our central distribution warehouse (we have recently moved to a smaller, faster, cheaper, more flexible, more friendly, vastly more competent and slightly less software-alogically advanced warehouse partner, in MA).
Those PCBs you imagine sitting around gathering dust? They don't exist. We ordered enough for the last batch and that's it (we actually ordered extra but the increased pre-order sales soaked them all up). We have ordered extra for the next batch (to make up PCB sets as you desire), and if we can, we'll get standalone PCBs into the store before that batch is done, if we can, but no promises. Our #1 laser focus is on getting people the kits they've pre-ordered, which has been a herculean task (not just the kit production, but finding and moving warehouse, changing technology stack and many other factors). I'm happy to say that the ACA pre-order status page has just been updated with news that all remaining kits from the batch 1 pre-order have now shipped. Due to as-yet-unconnected systems being involved, tracking information won't appear in those orders for another couple of hours (much manual spreadsheet wrangling, script writing, API talking to be done).
So, back to those standalone ACA boards - they've been ordered, and we're on it, but you'll have to wait a little while as we rebirth ourselves with better technology, logistics, prices, customer service, process and of course, getting people what they've already paid for already as our #1 priority. ETA for them? September 15th, and sooner if we can.
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