AudioCircle
Other Stuff => Archived Manufacturer Circles => Aspen Amplifiers => Topic started by: AKSA on 31 Aug 2006, 11:48 am
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Folks,
A clean slate for Lifeforce listening impressions!!
Please reserve for ACTUAL REVIEWS, people who have HEARD IT, and wish to comment on the sound, good or bad.
Discussions about other aspects, such as value for money, relevance to DIY, etc etc, should be put into a fresh thread.
Sorry for the bother!
Cheers,
Hugh
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As moderator, do you have the capability to merging all of the genuine listening impressions into one thread? Would be very handy.
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Due to the unfortunate circumstance with the original thread I thought I would repost my original impressions here at the beginning of this thread. Continued listened has only reconfirmed everything I originally wrote.
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Hello all,
Here are some Lifeforce impressions from one of the first to take the plunge.
LIFEFORCE
I have one of the first pairs of Lifeforce55 modules Hugh made for sale. I’ve finally had enough time with them to be able to write a bit about them.
First, some background info; I listen mostly to classical sacd’s, high rez recordings. My speakers are one of a kind 2.5 ways with Seas W18E drivers and Hiquphon OW1 tweeter, high rez drivers to be sure. My speakers are set up 7 feet out into the room, and I sit in a near field position, and have a very good 3D effect from this setup. My N+ amp has attenuators build in, and thus I have no preamp.
I heard one of Hugh’s Lifeforce prototypes during a visit in March. It was just a short casual listen, but I was so impressed by the sound that afternoon that I wrote Hugh the following day that I felt he was really on to something with the new design.
Once Hugh published his price for the new Lifeforce modules, well, I didn’t really have to think too long before ordering a pair.
What most got my attention in the casual listen at Hugh’s were the superb clarity and three dimensionality of the music. This three dimensionality stood out to me, as music I had previously heard at Hugh’s had never really sounded that way. However, my own system, setup, and listening choices already stood out for high resolution, clarity, and three dimensionality. I was not sure of how much improvement the Lifeforce would really add, as the music was already quite good and at a fairly high level.
After giving the amps some hours to play and myself to listen, I can say that the Lifeforce raises the level of music playback up a fair bit. What I believe to be the strength of the Lifeforce is an increase in the low level detail of the music. This gives the music a higher level of clarity and precision, a much firmer stereo image, and a much more natural sound.
Low-level detail is a real benchmark of an audio system’s quality. Classical music is all about musical detail, decay, and notes fading to infinity. The more an audio system is able to resolve these musical notes, details, and decays the more natural the music will sound. The more low level detail present, the lower one needs the volume to be, in order to hear everything that is there in the music. If you have to turn up the volume in order to “get into the music”, well, it’s just not there. It’s just loud.
I have made numerous changes to my audio system through the years. And some of the more profound changes have been amplifier changes. Going to a BAT VK60 several years ago, made the music overall sound so much better than before. The Aksa N+ kept the VK60 tonality and added superb bass response and driver control, as I described in my testimonial that is still on the website. And now………………
The Lifeforce has increased the low level detail that is in the recorded music, to a superb level. And I think it is a performance level on par with, or beyond, the highest performing audio amplifiers.
I think this is why the music sounded so very good at Hugh’s. The Lifeforce seems to raise the level of performance of the total audio system to a very high level. I certainly think this is what Aurelius was alluding to in his comments about Hugh’s system with Lifeforce being a notch above his N+ w/Orion’s.
Much has already been written about the increase in bass performance of the Lifeforce over the N+. Classical music doesn’t exactly have the pulsating bass line of most popular music. Classical bass is more of a foundation to the sound of the orchestra, best done with a large bass driver or subwoofer. My system here has neither. Yet there have been times in certain pieces when I’ve noticed the tympanis sounding much louder than before, and other times where there was a greater firmness to the orchestral foundation.
The other day I put on a couple of old popular music rbcd’s that I still have in my collection. And like WOW, where’d that bass come from! It was like my nice little 55-watt amp had become a mini Krell. And my 7-inch W18E lower woofer (the .5 woofer) had become a 12-inch bass monster. This definitely got my attention!
Oh, and I must mention that I wouldn’t really think of this quality as slam. I don’t really think that slam is a very good musical term; although I realize that others might beg to differ. I’d rather say that it’s “increased bass performance”.
At this same time, I also put on a couple classical rbcd’s still in the collection. Again, another WOW, as I heard more resolution and detail than ever before in these discs. It was somewhat like the resolution had almost risen up to sacd level, although not quite.
In conclusion, the Lifeforce is such a high performer that every other component in the audio system seems to also have it’s level of performance significantly raised as well.
I think the Lifeforce is the most cost effective improvement one can make to one’s audio system, provided of course that you already have an Aksa.
I rather like this Lifeforce amplifier. It gives the music a Life Force all it’s own. Or perhaps I should say that it gives the music more LIFE!!!!
Steve
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As with stvnharr above, just repeating what I wrote some weeks ago in the other thread as nothing further changed over the final week that I had the demonstrator in my house except an ever deepening respect for this amp. I genuinely miss it at the moment and as good as stereo is on my Arcam HT kit, my real (separate) stereo area is sadly silent. My only mistake was to listen to it so early and well before a fully built item was available for purchase as Hugh is fully commited to his upgrade programme first up. I don't currently have time for DIY so unlike many existing AKSA owners, I have been judging the LF100 in competition with Arcam, NAD etc separates that I might otherwise have bought.
......Previosly posted Jul 31..................................... ..........
Some two weeks ago, I posted my first ‘wow’ impression of the LF55 after listening at AKSA HQ for an hour or so through Hugh’s backup speakers. So I couldn’t wait to get it home and try it in my dedicated stereo system but by the time the opportunity came up this weekend, it was the LF100 that Hugh placed in my boot.
Having reread most of the previous posts about both the LF55 and latterly the LF100, I’ve realised that I have found what everyone else has already said to be true and that repeating the descriptive accolades would simply take up space. So I will take a slightly different approach and apart from summarising my impressions at the end, I will rather describe what the LF100 (trial) has done for my system.
To set the background then, I have been deeply researching speakers over recent times as my taste is for accuracy and detail, but neutral. After much listening, Vandersteen 2CE sigs headed my list but in the ‘saving up’ meantime, I had picked up some very old but pristine Vandy 1s. Whilst they are bottom end of the range, I had found them very good but lacking a little something, dynamics I suspect, with the previous amplification I had heard them with. Whilst lovely, they were perhaps a touch more laid back than I wanted.
So, enter the LF100 stage left, hook it up to the Vandy’s with a reasonable CD source and lets see how they go together. Well my first reaction is that ‘wow’ simply doesn’t cut it as a descriptor any more. This has been simply the most pleasantly, astonishing upgrade weekend that I have ever had. Talk about coming alive. The LF100 has been simply brilliant in bringing out the best in the speakers. Base is now amazing for a 2 way system. That lower octave I was missing over the bigger 2 series is of course still missing in an absolute sense but the drive and slam on what I do have, is excellent. More importantly to me, the overall naturalness and musicality across the whole frequency spectrum is pretty much everything I have previously dreamed of. And I can’t even imagine how much better the next model up might be.
I have thrown every sort of music I can at the system to see if it trips up anywhere, but not so far. I hope I am not going too far now but I prefer the LF100 overall to the Glass Harmony for the reasons above. To me it is quite neutral and while it perhaps lacks that little bit of extra warmth and finesse in the midrange, it is so punchy and fast such that to my ears it is reproducing all of the musical detail in an extraordinary way. I have one quality recording of a string quartet that I have listened to about three times now and I still find it hard to grasp just how realistic the timbre of the instruments is. Imaging and soundstage were superb such that you are really part of the performance.
Things I have particularly noticed were the handling of decay; brilliant. Echo and reverberation detail are such as I have never heard before and as well, there is a totally natural instrument separation and an almost holographic soundstage. My overall impression was of effortless rather than absolute power giving great dynamic range, transients, tonal purity and superb openness and imaging. The dynamics gave me a huge sense of the performance, particularly during dynamic orchestral passages, that was very, very impressive. There was no congestion, distortion or harshness that I could detect. Strings, wind and vocals are remarkably lifelike. String plucks are clean and all the stages of a drumbeat detectable.
I hope everyone reading this realises that I am neither a true audiophile nor a professional reviewer, just an enthusiast. I haven’t listed any negative points as I have not noticed any. I am sure, on rereading the above, that my description may sound a little enthusiastic for essentially budget speakers and source, but that’s how much the LF100 has enhanced my system to my ears. In the end, I virtually dragged Hugh around to my place to have a quick listen to the amazing synergy between amp and speakers in a customer system. I hope it was worthwhile Hugh. My only problem now is being able to hang on after returning the demonstrator amp till Hugh can supply my order.
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Below is my post from 18-Jul-06 that opened the original 'LifeForce Listening Impressions' thread, followed by some more recent thoughts...
Though there is already a LifeForce thread, it is full of more questions on availability and trade-in details etc etc than on impressions of what the amp sounds like. This thread is for those who are interested in what the new LF sounds like and other auditioners/owners are encouraged to post their thoughts here. (Apparently this was too subtle :roll:)
Last week I was lucky enough to audition the LF55 in Hugh's system (which I know quite well) for a few hours and then in my own system for a few days. I have been using an AKSA 100N+ in my system for the last couple of years, since upgrading to it from a Plinius SA100 mk3 amp (100wpc, class A) that I bought several years earlier after it outperformed amps from Electrocompaniet, Perreaux, Rotel, Arcam, Musical Fidelity etc. My source is a Bolder modded SqueezeBox2 with Bolder Deluxe power supply (replaced my Sony SCD-XA777ES SACD player), pre-amp is a modded AKSA GK-1 (replaced a BAT tube pre-amp), speakers are modded Ambience Ultra 1600 SE's (with Hovland XO's). Room is 19' x 24' x 9' ceilings with a few room treatments.
Upon installing a new component I usually hear 2 or 3 major differences within the first few minutes then listen longer to ensure that these differences are indeed improvements, and to identify other less obvious differences. The aspects that first hit me with the LF55 were: bass; dynamic headroom/effortlessness; purity across the audible range; openness and imaging.
It was immediately obvious that this amp has plenty of grunt. Bass slam and detail were superior to the 55N+ and possibly even the 100N+. The palpability and detail of the bass was improved and we heard chords in the bass that were not noticed previously. The sense of the venue acoustic during dynamic orchestral passages was very impressive and there was no congestion or flattening of the imaging or soundstaging. The performance continued in a completely open and unhindered manner, very impressive. The LF55 gave the impression that it could knock down a brick wall just by breathing on it, a sense of power and majesty that is not evident from my 100N+ and gives the appearance of greater dynamic range. On one Mighty Sam McClain recording there are vocal peaks that audibly distort with the 100N+ and other amps. I had figured that it was on the recording given that it was my only CD that does this, but it is on an audiophile label and this seemed strange. However, played through the LF55 at the same or even higher volume, the distortion disappeared!
Strings and vocals are more lifelike than the N+ with a beautiful balance between the body and breathiness of voices. Percussion and guitar plucks are also better, their initial attack is cleaner and they float up more effortlessly in a quieter soundstage, sounding more pure and 'in the room'.
I have a couple of CD's that I don't tend to listen to very much as the female vocals are slightly bright and I find them irritating after a very short while. Again, I had put it down to the recordings. Again, the LF55 stripped away the brightness and hash to leave a wonderfully smooth, pure and beautiful voice. It does not do this by 'smoothing over' things, reducing transparency or giving up detail. Instead, it provides even greater transparency and detail, removing the slight hash and edginess that had caused irritation and hidden some of the detail and presence.
In a nutshell, the LF55 is a more refined sounding amp than the N+ with a wonderful transparency and a beautiful purity. No grain, no peakiness, just silky smooth and pure. The macrodynamic performance of a much larger amp, with the microdynamics, inner detail and poise more typical of a smaller one. The LF55 just disappears, leaving the performers in front of you, with palpability and presence I have not heard before (even from a $60k tube based system).
It is worth noting that my Ambience ribbon hybrid speakers, though excellent performers, are not the last word in dynamics. The fact that the LF55 was so impressively dynamic and effortless is therefore all the more impressive.
As good as the 100N+ was, hearing Hugh's flagship tube hybrid Glass Harmony monoblocks in my system revealed greater harmonic completeness and organicness, to a degree that I had never heard from a solid state or digital amp. My long term goal was looking like it would be a tube or tube hybrid amp .... not any more ... Bring on the LF100!
EDIT: For completeness, I should mention that my early assessment stands:
AKSA stock amp 7.5/10
AKSA N+ amp 8.5/10
LifeForce 55 amp 9.7/10
I also forgot to mention that the LF55 does piano better than any amp I've heard, same for the realism of sticks and hands on drum skins.
Since my impressions above on the LF55, I have received my LF100 which now has approx 70 hours on it.
The LF100 sounds largely identical to the LF55, the only detectable difference being in the bass. The bass performance and quality of the LF55 surpassed the 100N+ (greater weight, impact, detail, control) and the LF100 bass is the same but with even greater impact and control .... it really is the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove.
Initially I noticed a slight degree of edginess to upper mids and a slight over emphasis of sibilance. These traits disappeared before the amp had 30 hours on it and the music became even more open sounding, with quieter and cleaner space between performers, greater coherence and even greater inner detail floating up. The detail floating up from instruments deep in the soundstage on classical music is extraordinary. I was a little surprised that the amp settled down this quickly as I've known BlackGates to take much longer than this.
With the LF100 fully burned in, various recordings have taken on a dimensionality, transparency and organicness that I simply haven’t heard before. The sense of life and jump factor from this amp is truly outstanding. Tonality and timbre are superb! The sense of the 'iron fist in a velvet glove' is further enhanced with burn in. When we listen to bands at clubs there is a real weight to the bass lines that underpins or carries the entire performance and gives it a real sense of rhythm and life. Most stereo systems do not reproduce this feeling very well, leaving an unconvincing performance. The LF amps do this better than any I have heard, giving the performance a real (dare I say it :lol:) Life Force.
I've now played a wide variety of artists and genres, doing my absolute best to find even the smallest weakness. So far I have come up empty. The sense of front to back layering and the inner detail on instruments toward the back of the soundstage are top class. The imaging across the stage is now more coherent and the wall of sound presentation from the Ambience ribbon hybrids is the best I’ve heard. The music has more poise, the emotion and artistry just flow out effortlessly. It’s cliché I know, but the system has disappeared and I’m just enjoying the performances. The suspension of disbelief is no longer periodically interrupted by artifacts that remind you that you are not at a live event. There is no conscious sense of listening to a tube or solid state amp, just real performances.
Perhaps I can finish with a sentence that I sent Hugh after burn in was complete ...
F@#K THIS AMP is GOOD!
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Me too... I placed an order for an LF55 this week!
Last night I had the pleasure of a visit to the home of AKSA and was given the privilege of hearing both the LF100 and the LF55.
Before I talk about the amps, let me qualify the discussion by stating that I now consider my Orions at least a class or two above any of the speakers Hugh had available for demonstration. This is not to denegrate Hugh's set-up, but rather to highlight that there may be many strengths of the amp that I under-empasize, due to speaker differences.
In regard to the following aspects, the LF amps are clearly superior (LF + Hugh's speakers beats 55N+ plus Orion):
Preservation of decay: this is truely awesome. Sounds fade from their peak to nothingness in perfectly textured natural decay. As a result, environmental cues are much more realistic and the presentation of space is astonishing.
Sound Field: The aural image is substantially deeper, wider and higher. Wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling; it's pretty magic stuff.
Mid-range tonal fidelity: I find voices a very difficult reference from which to judge tonal fidelity. Unless you intimately know the person singing (a la Dick Olsher's Leslie test), you can't possibly make a judgement; however, acoustic guitar is another matter entirely. If one was well versed in these things, one could determine the wood of the sound board. Whist no so practiced and estute myself, it was certainly a very engaging experience.
With regard to Mid range smoothness and effortlessness , the session gave me reason to believe that the LF is better than the N+, but speaker differences make it impossible to say for certain.
Specifically, one minor disadvantage of the N+ is the slightest propensity to make any midrange distortion in the original material stand out like dogs' balls. Johnny Cash's version of Trent Reznor's "Hurt" off "Ring of Fire" is a fair exapmle. The LF seemed to have relaxed the midrange without taking away any of it's dynamicism or musicality.
The area that most listners have noted to date is the bass slam. I must confess that Hugh's speakers (with or without the Lifeforce) are a poor match for 2 x 10" Peerless XLS dipole woofers, equalised to 20Hz, 0.5Q, driven by 2 x 55N+. I can only go by what others have said.
As for the LF55 versus the 100, I will go against the tide and state a strong preference for the 55 for two reasons. 1) The sound field on the 100 sounded a little stretched for my taste... hard to explain, but it felt as though it were forced wide... some times it was as if I were wearing headphones... never experienced that with the LF55 which flowed effortlessly into its space. 2) Just a little more tonal elegance. Swimmer or ballet dancer? In a fight, you'd take the swimmer, but when beauty and grace rock your world, there is no comparison.
Would I part with the cash? If I had a simple stereo system, I wouldn't have walked out the door without slipping Hugh a lazy $750... as it is, I have a quad-amped system... do the math... it ain't pretty. I suspect that I will upgrade one day any way... I'll just have to come up with more sophisticated marital cash laundering systems.
Cheers.
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Well not really listening - the guys above have covered what it sounds like very well.
Now the LF55 Tech Head stuff:
Frequency response at 10W output (into a 3.5 Ohm resistor)
-3dB points at 8Hz and 82.5 kHz
Surprisingly I found that the frequency resonse at 1W, 10W and at 80W was nearly identical. That means that the amp is NOT slewrate limited. Probably where the great imaging (phase response) is comming from (also means no or low intermodulation distortion)
Max power (just below clipping), continuous sine wave, one channel ONLY driven, into 3.5 Ohm resitor load
80 Watts
10kHz Squarewave at 10W level into 3.5 Ohm resistor load - viewed on the oscilloscope showed single, well damped half cycle of slight overshoot. This confirmed good high frequency response and good stability (into a resistive load at least). I should have added a capacitor across the load and checked this again but did'nt get around to it. Was busy listening to it again before it crossed my mind - it can wait for another day.
Cheers,
Ian
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Hi Ginger,
Many thanks for this technical information; matches my measurements, though I'd not verified the power bandwidth, wow, much appreciated!
I've just had word from Rob White, a South African AKSAphile in Port Elizabeth who owns the AKSonics, a Swift, and now a LF55. His comments are very interesting, and disclose a sharp audiophile with insightful things to say about the Lifeforce. His email is reproduced here without change, with his permission. What is so interesting is the complete consistency with things remarked upon earlier in this thread; he picks up very strongly on the resolution, the warmth, the bass, and the sound stage.
Hugh, I have listened to quite a lot of vinyl this weekend, and am convinced that this amp favours CD/DVD, unlike the 55N+ which favoured vinyl. I have a lot of listening to do before I can honestly say that vinyl sounds better. I am not convinced that the LF55 is run in yet, and I have a lot of AKSonic adjustments to make before I get the preferred position and settings. The sound is natural and extremely detailed, more so than the 55N+. The lows are more involved with extra grunt, so to speak. There is definitely more separation from left to right and center stage is just lovely. I have brought forward my sitting position slightly and this does help to surround me with or pull me into the sound. It is a totally new listening experience and different to the 55N+, which is still in my memory, so I am comparing all the time. At this stage I think the 55N+ is slightly warmer and valve like. As I said the LF55 does need more time to settle in.
The LF55 is a classy amp and a totally new listening experience for me. There is a lot of power there and detail at low volume is very impressive. Quite seriously I don't think, at this stage, that anyone would need to consider bi or even tri-amping with the LF55.
In a nutshell, I think the LF55 is just great and satisfies all my hifi dreams, but I would never speak negatively about the 55N+.
Rob's comment about the relative warmth of the 55N+ is noteworthy. The LF has a distortion spectrum around 15dB lower than the 55N+, and because I was gunning for extreme resolution in this design I did not engineer any H2/H3 into the signal as in the 55N+. With less distortion, there was less masking required to eliminate the nasties, and the very clean, high resolution sound of the LF55 brings this out, adding a sense of intimacy due to the almost subliminal sound of the venue. This in turn explains technically why Rob refers to the LF55 as a '...completely different listening experience'. However, a little warmth is always a good thing for almost any SS amplifier, and this is the reason I like to see the LF55 coupled with a tube preamp, specifically the GK1/Swift.
Thanks Rob, this was a great rap, and I appreciate the time and effort you've gone to!
Cheers,
Hugh
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Putting all the reviews together we now have a clear and exciting picture of the new amps.
Hugh ... I hadn't realized that you'd got rid of the H2/3 engineering in the LF. That's quite a step and the fact that people are still talking "warmth" is a great credit to the design. For someone in Rob's position maybe a little tube rolling in his Swift could be interesting for vinyl but as he says, the LF isn't run-in yet.
Don't give yourself RSI with all that soldering Hugh :)
Jules
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Hi Jules,
Thanks for the post - I think the word for the LF sound is 'intimate', whatever the heck that means..... something like 'being there', for those Peter Sellers fans amongst us. :lol:
The LF resolution is so fine that the notion of warmth is probably not relevant, given that in most 'warm' amps (read 'tube') there is usually an attendant loss of detail, however slight. The LF detail is so evident, yet not aggressive, that you hear every nuance of the recording, including environmental cues and instrument and performance noises incidental to the music, but all at very low levels. This gives a feeling of realism which I term 'intimate'. This seems to more than compensate the need for warmth; rather like freshly squeezed orange juice rather than sweetened, preserved concentrate (though this analogy is unkind to tube amps, some of which are just extraordinary!).
Rob nailed it, it's a totally different listening experience, and if anything the marriage with the Swift/GK1 is even more appropriate than for the AKSA. The LF makes it possible to follow individual instruments in a small orchestra, for example. I believe this is what is meant by 'seeing into the music'. But as NP says, if you want it to sound like a tube, you use a tube.
The Swift/GK1 has that tube, but its distortion is kept very low as it is not used as a gain element, merely as an impedance transformer (a cathode follower, in fact).
The more I get into this technology, the more I think the amp should be utterly transparent and the preamp an analogue music processor, adding a little color to 'humanise' the sound. By 'humanise' I mean somehow work on the music so that it grabs your heart - brings out the tingling spine and the tear to the cheek. Of course, this cannot be measured, but you'll know it when you hear it...... :wink: I realise this is not purist, and many object, seeking the holy grail of low measured distortion. But in a global feedback amp the distortions introduced are not musical as they are high order, massively objectionable the higher you go, and inevitable because of intermodulation through the feedback network. So, the designer must either mask them with a smidgin of H2/H3, or banish them altogether from the power amp and add the 'organic' sound in the preamp - which is zero feedback, all Class A circuitry where distortions created are low order and benign musically.
I'm sure there are those who would disagree vehemently, let 'em eat cake I say, these are just my conclusions and I'm into what works, not religious argument!!
PS Jules, I'm not too scared of RSI from all the soldering, it's the heavy metals that worry me..... I might have my hair tested to see how much Pb I'm picking up from all that sniffing!!
Cheers,
Hugh
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The LF resolution is so fine that the notion of warmth is probably not relevant, given that in most 'warm' amps (read 'tube') there is usually an attendant loss of detail, however slight.
....
The more I get into this technology, the more I think the amp should be utterly transparent and the preamp an analogue music processor, adding a little color to 'humanise' the sound. By 'humanise' I mean somehow work on the music so that it grabs your heart - brings out the tingling spine and the tear to the cheek. Of course, this cannot be measured, but you'll know it when you hear it...... :wink: I realise this is not purist, and many object, seeking the holy grail of low measured distortion. But in a global feedback amp the distortions introduced are not musical as they are high order, massively objectionable the higher you go, and inevitable because of intermodulation through the feedback network. So, the designer must either mask them with a smidgin of H2/H3, or banish them altogether from the power amp and add the 'organic' sound in the preamp - which is zero feedback, all Class A circuitry where distortions created are low order and benign musically.
I'm sure there are those who would disagree vehemently, let 'em eat cake I say, these are just my conclusions and I'm into what works, not religious argument!!
Hi Hugh,
A bit of a Quiche .. er Cake Eater Philosophy
I'm mostly in agreement with the above BUT am still a fan of the frequency dependent 2nd harmonic current distortion (ref Partridge) you get in a tube amp output transformer as the tubes output impedance approaches the impedance of the transformers primary inductance. That however is a VERY specific sound where you get significant 2nd harmonic distortion at low frequencies but that 2nd harmonic disappears at higher (fundamental) frequencies. This also limits "harmonic multiplication" (where the distortion products are themseves distorted and produce higher order distortion products again). From that point of view I like the final "sound" to be tailored in the TUBE power amp.
How I cope with this is that I modified the wiring in my GK-1 such that the HT bypass switch on the back now switches between:
Switch Up: Output taken directly from the volume control wipers (no tube buffer stage)
Switch Down: Output taken from the standard tube buffer output.
When I run a tube power amp I use the GK-1 with the switch up (Tube buffer out)
When I run the Lifeforce 55 I use the GK-1 with the switch down (Tube buffer in)
So - If you have enough time, money (enough for say 15 to 20 LF55s) and skills to prototype 3 or more tube amps then use the most basic preamp (maybe even a passive) and set the sound in the power amp.
Else use a Lifeforce to get that detail/energy/immediacy/image and tailor the sound in the preamp (GK-1 or other).This is certainly the most cost effective method to get to the sound you want.
The big caveat on all this is of course that speakers will always determine say 50% 'ish of your final sound
or at least with an power amp of the quality of the Lifeforce they will. When we start talking about TUBE amps we necessarily have to talk about power amp / speaker combination and interaction.
Cheers,
Ian
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Hi Ginger,
Else use a Lifeforce to get that detail/energy/immediacy/image and tailor the sound in the preamp (GK-1 or other).This is certainly the most cost effective method to get to the sound you want.
No argument on this one! I agree emphatically, and so continue to work on ways of processing the music so that the preamp gives this sound.
Thanks for the post, good points....
Back to ripping....
Cheers,
Hugh
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Folks,
I'm moving this back to the front page in the vainglorious hope that more LF reports/reviews come flooding in!!
Cheers,
Hugh
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Hi all,
Just a quick update as I have had the LF55 in mysytem for many hundreds of listening hours now. My system consists of SB3, Zhaolu 2.5 DAC modded with 2107 opamps and couple of other small mods, GK1, LF55 all playing through some Acoustic Energy bookshelf speakers that I picked up as an interim but never cease to amaze me with their ability although being smallish they do not let the amp do its full bass extension, which I have however heard on other speakers which were capable of a proper 35 hz or so. For those who care I have average interconnects and cardas speaker cables.
The LF55 is one of only two items I have ever purchased that every time without fail when I use them I always say to myself "that is bloody fantastic", they always surprise me even though I know what to expect! The other is my Kawasaki ZRX1200 motorcycle. Even if I have just listened to my system a couple of hours ago, I am still often unprepared and surprised by unexpected depths of emotion from the amp. This amp, especially with the GK1 just portrays music in the most fantastic ways. (I also like listening to my motorcycle :lol:)
I listen to a wide variety of music, classical, especially Paganini, lots of string compositions mostly, I love portishead, radiohead and some other more obscure Alternative/Triphop bands, I also love many genres of jazz, and also have a penchant for vocals like Jeff Buckley, Norah Jones, Eva Cassidy etc, Lastly I really enjoy almost anything accoustic. So I believe I give the Amp a good wideranging workout. I tend to listen to most of my music at about a realistic volume....give or take a bit.
The LF55 has an amazing ability to just play music! I very rarely find myself wishing for something else. I rarely think "that could have been clearer" or "that was not as dynamic as I expected". It just seems to effortlessly do exactly a little better than I expected. With the 55N+ there are places in many parts of the tracks I like where I would sort of hold my breath because the amp gave they impression it just might not quite make it (I am talking big dynamic transitions, or vocals like Jeff Buckley). The LF55 is just effortless over these parts, it never hints it might struggle. I find this adds immensly to my enjoyment of my music, I just know when I play the album it is going to be great! It renders instruments and voice with an uncanny accuracy but is never harsh or tiring, to the contrary it is a pleasure to listen to entire albums. Violins sound organic and alive with emotion as they do in real life, voices have edge and emotion. The LF55 has a quality which I find hard to put into words and I have rarely heard on many other amps, something alive that allows the music to flow.
I have refrained from doing a particularly technical review here as this is not my forte'. I do however read the other reviews and wholeheartedly agree with their comments on the LF from a more tech standpoint. I really wanted to let people know that this is a really versatile amp that just effortlessly plays your music way above expectation all the time over many genres. Compared to my 55N+ this is in a different galaxy all-together. An amazing piece of equipment.
I am happy to audition this for anyone and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the LF to anyone looking for a very high quality product for a very reasonable price. You will get more enjoyment out of this product than you possibly thought.
Thanks for reading this rambling review.
Russ
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Russ, well said!
I sat here nodding as I read your post. Your following paragraph sums it up perfectly...
It just seems to effortlessly do exactly a little better than I expected. With the 55N+ there are places in many parts of the tracks I like where I would sort of hold my breath because the amp gave they impression it just might not quite make it (I am talking big dynamic transitions, or vocals like Jeff Buckley). The LF55 is just effortless over these parts, it never hints it might struggle. I find this adds immensly to my enjoyment of my music, I just know when I play the album it is going to be great! It renders instruments and voice with an uncanny accuracy but is never harsh or tiring, to the contrary it is a pleasure to listen to entire albums. Violins sound organic and alive with emotion as they do in real life, voices have edge and emotion. The LF55 has a quality which I find hard to put into words and I have rarely heard on many other amps, something alive that allows the music to flow.
I have about 175 hours on my LifeForce 100 now and all my earlier comments and observations still stand. I have just upgraded my speakers to a more transparent, refined, dynamic and articulate pair. The LF made it very easy to discern the differences between speakers and just lets the music flow without loss of emotion or beauty.
:drool: aa :thumb:
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just installed my LF55 this evening and letting it settle in so I can test it.... give me a week and I'll let you know what I think
can't wait :drool:
jim
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Hi Russ,
Very nicely put - thank you! I must admit to worrying about the emotion thang; the AKSA was designed, within the limits imposed by conventional topology, to convey warmth, like a tube amp; the Lifeforce is a radically different approach, and I knew it would have an order of magnitude less distortion. The absence of warmth might have been a concern to those who have listened to clinical amps, but the fact is the detail and resolution is now so fine that you absolutely hear everything. Often excessive detail is an artefact of crossover distortion; not so on the Lifeforce, where elaborate design steps were taken to remove all trace of this problem. Thus, the detail is evident, making the amp 'intimate' in its rendition of the performance, but the fatigue is absent, because the usual high order distortions of crossover are banished.
Your comments are reassuring, thank you, and I certainly agree with you about the Kawasaki too!! It's a stonking motor, very stable running gear, an absolute hoot to ride, even quietly!
Darren, I must visit very soon..... thank you for your input. Are your new speakers that much better than the ribbons? That surprised me!!
Cheers,
Hugh
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Hi Hugh,
My God man - what a way you have with words! I've been reading this thread wondering what I could possibly add given that I'm again in total agreement with all the other posters. And then you do it. Yes, indeed the Lifeforce truly is "inimate". Loads of my mates agree when I say to them "This amp is good inimate?".
All jokes aside, add me to the long list of very happy LF campers. I'm a 55er at present but I've got my name down for one of the retail LF100's in due course - can't resist having more of a very good thing.
I'm presently running Andyr's modded GK1 into it (thanks Andy - tell 'em what you've done to it -it sounds great) with a bog standard SB3 up front (analogue outs) and it's making great music. With 750 albums on Random Mix I've never had so much audio fun. Random Mix makes much better choices than I do.
Martin,
I'm very sorry - a spelling error!! I have corrected it; it should have been 'initmate', in the nature of convivial, rhetorical affirmation........ Hugh
Cheers,
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With 750 albums on Random Mix I've never had so much audio fun. Random Mix makes much better choices than I do.
Cheers,
Well, SuperMart,
I guess SB "Random Mix" doesn't suffer from Alzheimers? :lol: :lol:
Regards,
Andy
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Hey Hugh,
With the number of LF/SB users here, have you thought of becoming a Slimdevices distributor or maybe a LF/SB package deal. :lol:
Looks like I'll have to upgrade my AKSA to fit in with the crowd.
I have to agree SuperMart about the "Random Mix", it certainly makes the decision easy, but do you select "Random songs" or "Random albums". :scratch:
regards
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...Darren, I must visit very soon..... thank you for your input. Are your new speakers that much better than the ribbons? That surprised me!!...
Yes indeed! It didn't surprise me that they are more dynamic and coherent than the Ambiences, but they also pass more inner detail and deliver a more refined, transparent, complete and natural presentation (in the same way that the LifeForce does compared to the AKSA N+).
The Ambience is a lovely speaker and does most things very well, but it has a mid hall presentation that (in comparison to the SSR) you 'listen to' but are not as 'immersed in'. It doesn't really bloom forward of the speakers or reach out and grab the listener (when the recording requires it) like dynamic cone speakers do. It is a more laid back presentation. This is less of an issue on orchestral and some jazz music, but moreso on rock and more intimate, close miked performances (blues, folk, acoustic, small jazz etc).
Hugh, you are always welcome to drop in for a listen (and a coffee and chat)! You might just gain a newfound respect for just how good your GK-1 and LF really are! :icon_lol: aa :lol: :thumb:
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I've recently migrated from a 55N+ to a LifeForce55. It has around 50 Hours on it so far, so I think it's time to give some feedback:
Like others have said here, the bass region is where first impressions grabbed me. The bass is articulate and tuneful, and it gives the impression of going an octave or so lower than that of the 55N+. Resolution is excellent, the rendition of cymbals seems to be especially good in my system. The Sound stage is also more accurate than the 55N+, pin-pointing instruments is easier with the LF. These improvements are evident even at low listening levels.
When I first got interested in HiFi all those years ago, The dealer asked me what I wanted from a system. "I want to hear EVERYTHING" was my naive but optimistic reply. I feel that I'm a big step closer to that ideal with the LifeForce.
Note for GK-1 Users: After 20 Hours or so running in, I was aware of a slight lack of "warmth" when compared to the 55N+. Then it hit me :duh:. I had used a pair of NOS Siemens E188CC valves in my GK-1, which although excellent sounding, are "fixed mu". The H2 that is ordinarily supplied by the GK-1 was not there. This wasn't noticed when the GK-1 was partnered to the 55N+ because the 55 introduces H2 of it's own. Swapping to a pair of Siemens "variable mu" ECC189s brought back that warmth. It looks like I have some more tube rolling to do to see what valve is best for the GK-1 when partnered with the LifeForce!
Cheers,
Ron.
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In the Hall of the Lifeforce King.
I’ve been listening to Hugh’s new amp for a wile now. I use a pair of Lf 55's to power a pair of Raven R2 ribbon tweeters. A pair of Lf 100 to power 2 Accuton C90-T6 ceramic mids.
The detail, the low level detail in nothing short of amazing. The end of my room completely disappears and is replaced with an utterly believable sonic image of the recording venue.
There are details in instruments that surprise me, “ I never noticed that before”. I have listened to a lot of amps that I thought came close to this but in the end no cigar, not even close.
These amp are every thing every body is saying about them.
The rest of the audio world better look out !!
:thumb:
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:D
Just installed Lifeforce 55 for my tweeter and midrange amps with Lifeforce 100 for the woofer amps on my Orion system. I now have 25 hours of burn in time and they are amazing. Like previous reviews detail is paramount. I hear detail and accuracy in high, mid and bass. This sounds strangely familiar like a previous improvement when I switched to Hugh’s new power supply for my ASP board. Hugh, you have probably cured my desire to tweak things. All my tweaking has improved mainly the tweeter segment at the expense of making the highs stand out. Your Lifeforce not only improved the highs but also has improved the whole range so that the blend or the mix is perfect. Vocals to background music have a good blend. Bass is so detail and strong, I just gave up on my subwoofers, I don’t need them now, besides they can’t match the speed and accuracy of your amps. Previous amps were 25 N+, 55 N+ and 100 N+ with lots of tweaking. Lifeforce was a major investment but well worth the music.
PT914
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Darren, Ron, David and Phil,
Many thanks for your collective inputs - greatly appreciated, you have all nailed the salient features of the amps pretty well. :thumb: The preternatural detail, the sense of 'being there', the power of the bass and clarity of the mids and highs is apparently affirmed by all of you. I'm convinced it's this detail which is at the heart of the surreal imaging; it's caused a rethink on my part and I believe that imaging is about detail, mostly the almost subliminal detail of the recording environment.
Ron, I believe your comments about the ECC189 are absolutely spot on - there is no doubt that the major step up in detail of the LF over the AKSA mandates use of the 189 tube because it adds just a smidgin of warmth. There is absolutely no distortion in the Lifeforce at all; it's incredibly low, around 0.01% at close to full power, at least five times lower than the AKSA. Only a tube knows precisely how much distortion to add, too, it's extraordinarily difficult to engineer H2/H3 into a global feedback SS amp though it can be done.
I'm absolutely delighted with results and sales to date - this amp is my absolute best, superior to the Glass Harmony, and I would hope to be selling it in the years to come just as I have the AKSA to this point. I do believe that after all these years I've finally found the critical areas of amp design, after serving my dues it's all come together. Sam and I are getting pretty slick at making them too, and we can each build eight modules all at once and test/bias/lacquer them for despatch in reasonable time.
The Squeezebox power supply and the Transmission Line speaker (the VSonics) are coming along too. I'm really pleased to say that these projects just seem to be getting better and better. I've been away interstate for some time, attending to my Mother after cardiac surgery, but she's turned the corner and doing very well. Last Sunday we drove almost 700 miles - that took a while to recover!! :shake:
Many thanks to all AKSAphiles who have contributed to this thread - but please keep these reports coming, they are invaluable for others trying to figure out exactly what these LF modules do......
Cheers,
Hugh
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Fajimr/Jim,
My apologies, your post was fiddled and lost, so here it is again:
O.K. .. it's about time I chimed in with my impressions. I've had the LF55 running for about 3 weeks now and have more than 150 hrs in it so it should be pretty well settled in.... not really sure where to begin as I really haven't done these reviews before.
I think it is easiest first to simply agree with what all the others have said- the LF55 is a definite improvement over an already excellent 55N+. The detail is remarkable as is the soundstage that is reproduced. In my system this is most apparent and striking in the cymbals and actually hearing the guitarist's fingers sliding on the strings- really remarkable!!! The bass is definitely tighter and more pronounced but I don't think as much as others have noted- not sure if this is because I have Ellis 1801b monitors or possibly an artifact of running pure silver INPUT wires from the RCA to the LF board (anyone want to comment on this? I almost posted this question in the IC discussion, wondering if the two silver wires with cotton sleeving should be twisted- they are not in my setup).
What strikes me most about the LF is that the music has more of a "dimensionality"- not in the sense that it is fuller but actually "rounder" if one may use that description. It almost feels like I can hear the music in a third dimension. hmmm...... and here I have to pause as words can hardly describe the feeling but feeling is exactly what it is- the music has more feeling and more texture... really stunning!!!!
bravo to Hugh... I wasn't sure if the LF was worth the trouble and/or expense (actually dropping it in is no trouble at all)... but I am extremely happy I did. I'm feeling quite happy with the sound now and have no interest in upgrading or changing... life is good. Now to get a little time to get the GK1 together...
cheers all
jim
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Hugh and everyone, please forgive the slight transgression into the realm of curiosity (about wiring) :)
So, instead of continuing along the wiring line (which is now in another thread), I'll post my Lifeforce 55 listening impressions:
First of all, I'd like to say that I entirely agree with Hugh's comment about this amp being "an entirely different beast". And beast it is, it's probably one of the best amps I've heard to date, and it obviously "beasted" the hell out of my superb 55N+, which I was very fond of. Shame on you, Hugh, what has that nice little amp done to deserve such treatment? (hope you received the returned 55N+ modules by now :wink: ).
So, how does LF 55 sound like in my system? Well, just to put you all in the picture - in my system the LF55 only drives the treble and the mid, so obviously I cannot comment on its performance in the bass region.
However, even when leaving out its bass performance (which others have commented very favourably on), what it does is horrific. The very first impression I had "out of the box" was that of utter clarity and cleanness, paired with exceptional control and tightness. In my book, there is no comparison to the 55N+ at all. The 55N+ is a seriously good amp, but the Lifeforce 55 is one hell of an amp!
There has been a few comments that the LF could seem a bit cold. I do not agree. I think the LF plays every bit as much music as the 55N+, it just does it in an entirely different fashion and much better. You get detail and separation and soundstage to die for, paired with that clean, tight sound - but it still plays music. I have also noticed that there is less tendency to compression. Not that the 55N+ had a problem with this, but again the Lifeforce just does it better. Everything sounds more free and unconstrained. Even the dialogue in movies is much clearer and is easier to understand.
Another thing: when you've listened to this amp for a while, you just know instinctively that it sounds "right". I don't know exactly how to explain how I know this - I just know. Perhaps it's based at some intuitive level on many hours of listening to live music (especially classical) or other similar experiences - but it's a gut feeling: this amp does it right.
And for those who might be tempted to change the "rolled" tubes in their GK-1 to add extra warmth: I'm using Siemens Gold Pins (7308) in my GK-1R, and it's never ever sounded so sweet! No need to change anything.
To sum it all up: The Lifeforce is much more than just one step up from the 55N+, it's more like a leap up :D Hugh, you did a really great job on this one :thankyou:
Friends, Romans, and fellow Aksaphiles - don't miss out on this great amp!
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Thank you Jens,
This is a very good review, appreciated. You touch on all the important points, well expressed and succinct.
I have another to follow, just now posted by Darren (DSK) on Critics Circle. Here it is in full:
Foreword:
I have previously shared most of this content with fellow AKSA owners in the Aspen Amplifiers forum on Audio Circle. However, I continue to be so impressed by this amplifier that I thought I’d tidy them up into a more formal review for the interest of enthusiasts who haven’t heard the new AKSA Life Force amps and may not have heard of Aspen Amplifiers, the company. The number of times I’ve been moved to do this, during the many years that this obsessive hobby has had its boney fingers gripped tightly around my neck, could be counted on one hand. But, if I can help someone else onto the right path to achieve their audio nirvana I will be happy that I have given something back. I am grateful to the people who have helped me along my own path. Be aware that I am not a professional reviewer (a fact that will no doubt become evident as you read on) and that my ears may or may not be any more golden than yours. So, feel free to take this review with a large pinch of salt.
Intro:
Until about two and a half years ago, I was using the Plinius SA100 mk3 power amp. This was purchased after listening to a variety of amps from Audio Aero, Consonance, Melody, Electrocompaniet, Perreaux, Musical Fidelity, Arcam, Rotel, NAD, Elektra, ME, RedGum etc. The Plinius, rated ‘Class A’ by Stereophile, was a nice amp and I used it for several years. However, two years ago I had the opportunity to audition the AKSA Nirvana Plus amp in my system and compare it to the Plinius. Despite reviews praising the Plinius’ bass, the AKSA amp had more articulate bass, better transient attack and seemed a little more extended on top. Overall it was a more transparent amp than the Plinius, which sounded a little soft, veiled and ‘blowsy’ or romanticised in comparison. I also auditioned the Bel Canto EVO2 in my system and, although very clean sounding, it lacked emotion and life. So, I upgraded to the AKSA Nirvana Plus and used it happily for two years, until…
In July 2006 I had the opportunity to audition the new AKSA LifeForce 55 in Hugh Dean's system (which I have come to know quite well) for a few hours, then in my own system for a few days. Shortly after, the LifeForce 100 (subject of this review) was released and I eagerly snapped it up. The LifeForce 100 (100wpc) is simply a more powerful version of the LifeForce 55 (55wpc) and I’ve had it in my system for several months now. All marketed AKSA power amps are solid state designs.
Test System:
Sources: Sony SCD-XA777ES SACD player; Bolder modded SqueezeBox2 with Bolder linear power supply.
Pre-amp: AKSA GK-1 tube hybrid pre-amp (modded)
Power Amp: AKSA LifeForce 100 (aka LF100)
Speakers: Ambience Ultra 1600SE ribbon hybrids (Hovland xo’s); Selah Audio ScanSpeak References (Deluxe crossovers).
Subwoofer: Rythmik Audio DirectServo sealed subwoofer.
Room: 19’ wide x 24’ deep x 9’ ceilings, DIY acoustic treatments.
Power: Dedicated 20A lines, PS Audio High Current Ultimate Outlets (one on source, one on pre-amp).
Cables: Audience Au24 IC’s, Eichmann Nightingale SC’s, Eichmann AC Enhancer PC’s & PS Audio xStream Plus PC.
First Impression:
Upon installing a new component I usually hear 2 or 3 significant differences within the first few minutes, then listen longer to ensure that these differences are actually improvements, and to identify the less obvious differences. The most obvious areas of improvement upon firing up the LifeForce55 were: bass power and articulation; dynamic headroom/effortlessness; purity across the entire audible range; and openness and imaging. However, even more fundamental than this was an immediate and overwhelming impression of listening to a live performance rather than a hifi system. Everything just sounded ‘right’, natural and alive.
Bass:
It was immediately obvious that the LifeForce amp has plenty of stump-pulling grunt. Bass slam and quality were easily superior to the AKSA Nirvana Plus amps, with greater weight, impact, detail, and control. The palpability and detail of the bass was improved and we heard chords in the bass that were not noticed previously. The LifeForce 55 and 100 amps sound identical, other than the LifeForce 100 possessing even greater power reserves and control. The LifeForce amps really are the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. Though there are some higher powered amps that may equal the slam and dynamics of the LifeForce, I haven’t heard any that are also able to make the bass sound as realistic, palpable and acoustic as the LifeForce does. Crisp and punchy, round and growly, or heavy and gonad rattling, depending on the particular recording.
Mids:
Before hearing the LifeForce, there was always a little voice in the back of my head telling me that I would only find true satisfaction (in the mids) with a tube amp. Several months before the release of the LifeForce I auditioned Hugh Dean’s reference Glass Harmony tube monoblock amps (hot class A amps that were unfortunately too inefficient and expensive to be brought to market). Simply lovely, with a more complete harmonic envelope than the AKSA Nirvana Plus, this is what I had been yearning for. Overall though, the LifeForce is a better amp than the Glass Harmony. Compared to the great tube amps, the LifeForce may not quite have that very last iota of tube ‘wetness’ or ‘magic’, but its transparency, ultra low distortion and purity allows a far more complete and realistic harmonic envelope than any solid state amp I have heard and some tube amps too. The mids are wonderfully open, uncoloured, organic and convincingly real.
Treble:
The LifeForce is a wide bandwidth design and this is evident in the lack of rolloff in the higher frequencies. It is more extended and open than the Plinius and much more refined than the AKSA Nirvana Plus. Shortly after release of the LifeForce, Hugh replaced a capacitor that acts as a low pass filter, reducing any RFI and high frequency noise. This change has been retrofitted to all supplied LifeForce amps. After the capacitor change, the top end became even more open, detailed and natural, with the elimination of a very slightly hot top end that had masked some inner detail and soundstaging information. I really didn’t expect to hear a difference, but the change was unmistakable.
to be continued next post.....
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- the remainder of DSK's post....
Soundstaging & Imaging:
In my experience, tube amps typically portray a more complete and convincing portrayal of the soundstage and images thereon than their solid state brethren. They seem to have greater depth of image and better front to back layering. The LifeForce equals anything I have heard in these respects. I think this is perhaps due to the exceptional transparency and the completeness of the harmonic envelope that it offers. Whatever is on the recording, you will hear it, or in this case ‘see’ it. Whether a small, intimate studio or club performance, or a symphony in a large hall, you will not have to search for the audible cues to create an accurate picture of the venue in your mind’s eye.
Also impressive, is that the sense of the venue acoustic is not diminished during dynamic orchestral passages, there is no congestion or flattening of the imaging or soundstaging. The performance just continues in a completely open and unhindered manner. This control imbues a sense of power and majesty that is only evident from the very best amplifiers and seems to instill in the listener a sense of greater dynamic range, or at least greater effortlessness and control within the dynamic range. Very few amps seem to get right the ‘swell’ of an orchestra, homogenizing the various instruments into one big lump. Not so with the LifeForce.
In addition, the clarity and detail floating up from instruments deep in the soundstage on classical music is extraordinary. On many amps, these instruments are buried or just hinted at.
Character:
The LifeForce is a very neutrally balanced amplifier. Neither warm nor cold, it will simply allow the personality of the rest of the system to pass through unaltered. Simply spice to taste with your choice of pre-amp. In concert with the GK-1 tube hybrid pre-amp, I have found the tonal balance to be superb.
Perhaps most impressive is the sheer transparency, openness and lack of colouration afforded by the LifeForce. Along with the quietness of the amp, these traits allow tremendous inner detail to emerge in a completely natural manner and invoke a strong sense of purity and refinement. Thankfully, there is no solid state ‘thinness’ or ‘leanness’ to the sound of the LifeForce, it has excellent body or ‘meat on the bones’.
Strings and vocals are more lifelike and palpable than other amps I’ve heard to date, with a beautiful balance between the body and breathiness of voices, and also between the body and strings of stringed instruments. Percussion and guitar plucks are superb, with cleaner and faster initial attack, and the ability to float up more effortlessly from a quieter soundstage, thus sounding more pure and 'in the room'.
The LifeForce portrays vocals, drums, percussion, piano and stringed instruments in a more convincingly lifelike manner than any amp I have heard to date, with wonderful timbral and tonal accuracy.
Despite, or perhaps because of, the high levels of transparency and inner detail, the LifeForce is an extremely musical and engaging amplifier. In this regard, the listening experience is more like that from a good tube amp than a solid state one. Differences between various recording techniques and equipment are even more obvious than ever, as are any underperforming components in the system.
When we listen to bands at clubs there is a real weight to the bass lines that underpins and carries the entire performance, giving it a real sense of rhythm and life. Most stereo systems do not reproduce this feeling very well, leaving a comparatively lightweight and unconvincing performance. The LifeForce amps do this better than any I have heard, giving the performance a real (dare I say it ) … Life Force.
It’s cliché I know, but the system has disappeared and I’m just enjoying the performances. The music has more poise and delicacy, the emotion and artistry just flowing out effortlessly. The suspension of disbelief is no longer periodically interrupted by artifacts that remind you that you are not at a live event (quality of the recording permitting). There is no conscious sense of listening to a tube or solid state amp, just real performances.
Conclusion:
As may be well evident by now, I am rapt in the LifeForce. I’ve spent many years in this crazy, obsessive hobby and believe that I’ve finally found an amplifier that I can live with for the long term. Matched with the AKSA GK-1 pre-amp, I am experiencing wonderfully realistic and emotional performances that I have not heard bettered, even by the systems I’ve heard with a total cost in the 60k to 80k range. On decent recordings, I am more consistently ‘in the room’ with the performers than ever before.
Though the LifeForce may be just the tiniest smidgeon short of great tube amps in harmonic completeness, it fares better in this regard than any solid state amp I have heard. It is impressive everywhere else (even in a ‘cost no object’ sense) and is a beautifully balanced amplifier that plays music in a very refined and engaging manner. No grain, no glare, no peakiness, no unnatural emphasis of any frequency range. It just sounds REAL.
Is it the proverbial straight wire with gain? Well, overall it is the closest thing I have heard yet.
Perhaps I can finish with the initial teaser I sent Hugh after hearing the LifeForce in my system for the first time...
“Hugh, F@#K THIS AMP is GOOD!”
By the way, this review is written purely from a performance point of view, without regard to price. IMHO you would normally need to spend pretty serious money to achieve this sort of performance. However, compared to the cost of some of the amplifiers with similar overall performance, the LifeForce is a true bargain. The only catch is that you will need to build it yourself or have someone do it for you. Hugh may be able to put you in touch with someone. More info, specs and pricing details are available on his website. (See http://www.aksaonline.com/index.html)
Disclosure: I have no vested in interest in AKSA other than being an immensely satisfied customer.
Darren, Thank You! This is VERY comprehensive, covers the whole range of audiophile attributes.
Cheers,
Hugh
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This is a re-post from my forum:
I have some... bad news. I have invested too much money in my Golden Tube SE40SE (about $2400 total). It has slight/pleasant tube-like sound and very good detail, but, it's inferior to the AKSA LF55.
Yesterday I conducted the official listening test with Mrs. Ellis, and she confirmed greater detail, layering, depth of soundstage, and bass resolution when using the AKSA LifeForce 55wpc amplifier. The difference wasn't monumental, but it was present, and I agreed wit my wife's comments. She doesn't speak "Stereophile", but the words that kept coming up were, "Yep, this one is better". She would then explain why this was true from varying aspects. The summation is that the LF55 is indeed a marginally better amplifier than my heavily modified Golden Tube SE40SE.
I really don't know what Hugh did inside this amplifier. My guess is the parts quality is a consideration and indeed the capacitors are all top-notch stuff.
Congratulations to Hugh Dean for making an incredibly good amplifier. I didn't think this would happen, but it did.
There are several afore mentioned products that I have not auditioned/experienced. The current hierarchy list is:
1. AKSA LF55/LF100
2. Golden Tube SE40 Modified by Jeff Glowacki at www.soniccraft.com
3. VanAlstine Ultimate 70 (2 years old).
4. Jolida 302b - modified
I will also offer some comment herein regarding the common commercial amplifiers. The short summary is... the best quality parts are necessary to obtain the best possible results. There are many good amplifiers on the market with fancy marketing campaigns touting their circuit typology. While this matters (i.e. the Levinson 33 massive regulated power supply), the very best sound quality WILL ALWAYS be obtained when using the best possible components internally. Specifically, electrolytic capacitors with labels "Black Gate" (by Rubycon), "Elna Cerafine", "Nichicon Gold" are arguably the best possible components. Coupling capacitors in tube circuits with labels "AudioCap Theta", "Sonicap", "AuriCap", "Jensen", "Mundorf Silver/Oil" etc. etc. . There are certainly better quality diodes too. It is worthwhile to note that high quality components will cost 10x to 20x more than "standard" components. This is why 99.9% of hifi amplifiers don't use them... and remain inferior.
This assertion is a generalization that assumes equally competent amplifier designs, design goals, and quality control. I believe it is well within the reach of most amplifier designers to build a great amplifier using high quality components. I do NOT believe it is within the reach of the accounting department to build a great amplifier using high quality (i.e. expensive) components. Typology matters, but parts quality IS significant. Given the same typology, an amplifier with better components will indeed sound better.
Dave
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I have some... bad news. I have invested too much money in my Golden Tube SE40SE (about $2400 total). It has slight/pleasant tube-like sound and very good detail, but, it's inferior to the AKSA LF55.
Mr. Ellis - Do you now own the LF55?
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The LF55 in my living room belongs to Steve Harrison. Steve allowed me to borrow his amp while in Australia for the winter.
Hugh is sending me some LF modules for my own amp.
Dave
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That is good news Dave. Being that you liked the AKSA N+, I had a feeling you would like the Life Force even better. I bet it sounds amazing with the 1801's.
Happy Holidays,
Steve
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Let me just add a few comments here. The Life Force 55 amp that David currently is using, i.e. mine, is configured with series attenuators on each channel and there is no preamp in the system, just direct connection from the digital source player. This is about as simple as it gets.
Steve
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David,
Many thanks for your comments - appreciated, and substantial.
I think, like you, that the parts selection is certainly important, but the topology is arguably important too. I once read something from a world renowned designer which mentioned equal parts of topology, component choice, and layout. I believe it's more like 3 parts topology, 2 parts component choice, and one part layout.
I'll email you a bit later - much to discuss about forthcoming RMAF!
Cheers,
Hugh
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Thanks everyone for the carefully written observations on the LF's. Hugh obviously has a great product on his hands.
It was mentioned that the amp David Ellis had just used attenuators with a digital source straight in, though doesn't say what it was.
I've become very hooked on the direct to amp mode, but my resident BEL 1001 amps have very low sensitivity (2v for full output when bridged).
With 860mv input sensitivity (+30.3db) for full output on the LF100, has anyone tried a Bolder modified Squeezebox (1.1v max) direct into one to see if it yields satisfying levels and sonics with reasonably efficient speakers (87-88db)?
Tom
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Thanks everyone for the carefully written observations on the LF's. Hugh obviously has a great product on his hands.
It was mentioned that the amp David Ellis had just used attenuators with a digital source straight in, though doesn't say what it was.
I've become very hooked on the direct to amp mode, but my resident BEL 1001 amps have very low sensitivity (2v for full output when bridged).
With 860mv input sensitivity (+30.3db) for full output on the LF100, has anyone tried a Bolder modified Squeezebox (1.1v max) direct into one to see if it yields satisfying levels and sonics with reasonably efficient speakers (87-88db)?
Tom
Hi Tom,
Yes, when I first received my Bolder modded SB2 & Deluxe PS I ran it straight into my LF100 with Ambience Ultra 1600SE ribbon hybrid speakers. These are claimed 89db/2.83v/1m but after comparison to my new 83-84db speakers I would say that the 89db is rather optimistic. The sound quality was excellent, in fact so good that I left the system this way for 6 months. Eventually, I wondered how much of the improvement was due to the improved source (ie. Bolder SB2/PS replaced Sony SCD-XA777ES SACD player) and how much, if any, was due to omitting my modded GK-1 pre-amp from the system. So, I reinserted the GK-1 and .... it will never leave my system again. :D
If I had not heard the system with the GK-1 back in, I would still be extremely happy. With SB2 direct to the LF100, everything was great and there were no flaws.... no apparent lack of dynamics or soundstaging etc etc. However, the GK-1 did improve dynamics, (surprisingly) offered a quieter soundstage and more inner detail, and increased the emotion factor of the music. The suspension of disbelief improved, there was a greater sense of being in the room with the performers.
For completeness I should add that I was using Y-connectors on the outputs of the SB2 to simultaneously drive the LF100 (47k Zin) and an active subwoofer (with approx 30k Zin). My GK-1 has two output pairs, one off the solid state stage for the subwoofer and the other off the tube stage for the LF100. Interconnects were all 1m long and of very high quality.
With SB2 direct to LF100, the SB2 volume averaged between 12 and 20. Supposedly, it needs to be above 16 to eliminate any degrading effects. With the GK-1 in the system, I am able to set the GK-1 attenuator at 12 o'clock and keep the SB2 volume at 25+. When I crank things up, I can set the SB2 volume to 40 (max) and it is out of circuit. I suspect that the ability to set the volume levels higher (and get them more out of circuit) when the GK-1 is in the system, is a factor in the improved sound.
Hope this helps!
Darren.
EDIT: Forgot to mention... the DAC in the SB2 is rated to drive a 5k load. Both SlimDevices and Wayne at Bolder confirmed that the modded SB2 (1.1v output) should drive the LF100 and subwoofer with no problems.
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Darren,
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
I was a little confused on the levels you mention for the SB. Mine goes 0 to 100 and I believe the optimum range is between 60 and 100. Was yours maybe an early firmware such that it was a different range?
Tom
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Darren,
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
I was a little confused on the levels you mention for the SB. Mine goes 0 to 100 and I believe the optimum range is between 60 and 100. Was yours maybe an early firmware such that it was a different range?
Tom
Yes, most of those users who have gone to the trouble of comparing the older V15 firmware with the later versions still declare that V15 sounds better. The volume taper was changed after V15 and the maximum setting rose from 40 to 100. I have not read of a single person claiming that V15 was outperformed by any subsequent versions. So, I have left my SlimServed version at 6.2.1 and firmware at V15 and I've never had a problem.
Also, firmware versions up to and including V15 inverted phase. So, for stock SB's you needed to swap your speaker cables around to compensate. But, for modded SB's (which also inverted phase) you didn't need to. A lot of people got confused about these changes and thought the sound quality was due to the phase change, when really it was about the volume taper change. SlimDevices claim nothing else was changed after V15 that would effect sound quality.
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Thanks for the reminder. I've flipped back and forth on both v15 and polarity. I used Mgalusha's firmware selector on XP, then switched to Linux on the server and never dealt with the firmware switching issue.
Sorry to take us OT, but I appreciate the feedback. LF100 definitely sounds like an option.
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Thanks everyone for the carefully written observations on the LF's. Hugh obviously has a great product on his hands.
It was mentioned that the amp David Ellis had just used attenuators with a digital source straight in, though doesn't say what it was.
I've become very hooked on the direct to amp mode, but my resident BEL 1001 amps have very low sensitivity (2v for full output when bridged).
With 860mv input sensitivity (+30.3db) for full output on the LF100, has anyone tried a Bolder modified Squeezebox (1.1v max) direct into one to see if it yields satisfying levels and sonics with reasonably efficient speakers (87-88db)?
Tom
Dave has my amp, and I believe he uses a modified Anthem cdp.
I have used my amp with a Sony C2000ES sacd player and have no issues with the setup.
My other system has a GK-1 in it, and I like that as well.
Steve
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It was mentioned that the amp David Ellis had just used attenuators with a digital source straight in, though doesn't say what it was.
Tom
I am running a CDP directly into my LF without any issues at all. I use the same attenuators as Dave does -I heard of them from him and needed a solution at the time. Since the amp makes such great music, I haven't been in too much of a hurry to build my Gk-1
check out http://mysite.verizon.net/vze4c5pt/ for the attenuators.
cheers
jim
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Hi TomS,
My apologies for not responding earlier, you wrote:
With 860mv input sensitivity (+30.3db) for full output on the LF100, has anyone tried a Bolder modified Squeezebox (1.1v max) direct into one to see if it yields satisfying levels and sonics with reasonably efficient speakers (87-88db)?
Two issues here, I believe. One, the notion of direct to amp from the source, and two, the gain issue.
The gain of the Lifeforce amps - both of them - is 32.7, or 30.3dB. For a power amp, this is in fact high, and the reason is that I was allowing for the use of shunt volume controls, which deliver better sonics. This means that 1.1Vmax (which I presume is 1.1Vpeak, or 2.2Vpp) will deliver 71.94Vpp into 8R, which equates to precisely 80.9W, and around double that into 4R. In practice, and in a domestic setting with even 85dB/watt/metre speakers, this would be VERY loud, loud enough in fact to cause ear damage. So it should be fine on the basis of the calculations!! (You will notice I try not to be too emphatic, someone always proves you wrong, and then I look a damn fool! :duh:)
Second, the source direct issue. This warrants a bit of philosophy, in fact. There are two schools of thought on this - roughly divided into the SS camp and the tube camp, accuracy versus engagement as I see it. SS is accurate, dry, surgical, even acerbic. But lots of people like that - it is visceral, too, and delivers a thwack, particularly obvious on rock bass. SS is quiet, usually quieter than tubes, and doesn't take forever to warm up after switch-on. And on orchestral works, with tens of instruments and a big scale sound, this accuracy is very good as you can pick out individual instruments clearly, like the solo violinist, and still hear the pure, single notes above all the cacophony. OTOH, tubes give a more organic sound, somehow more 'vox humana', a little bit warm, and, dare I say it, fuzzy. aa Huge numbers of people like this sound, too, because it seems somehow more engaging. They find a tear rolls down the cheek more readily with tubes - the big one is female vocals, particularly blues, where tears appear de rigeur. (Ever heard 'Strange Fruit', first sung at 'Cafe Society' in Greenwich Village by Billie Holiday in 1939?) But there is a downside - there always is in the world of physics - and it's slightly loose bass, and some intermodulation, and a cloying sweetness which costs resolution.
So audio is forever doomed to compromise. We have to choose!
I love tubes, but miss the detail. I also like SS, but don't enjoy the surgery. The best compromise, I've found, is a tube front end, the preamp, followed by a SS power amp. This gives pretty much the best midway ground, and my GK1 and Swift were designed to complement the AKSA and Lifeforce power amps. The tube in the preamp is used in a very benign, low distortion and quiet configuration, and there is dark chicanery in the circuit to fix the 'loose' bass I mentioned earlier. To my ears (and remember I'm just one guy so YMMV, and likely does!) this is the best option, and it seems to win a few converts here and there.......
Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Hugh
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It was mentioned that the amp David Ellis had just used attenuators with a digital source straight in, though doesn't say what it was.
Tom
I am running a CDP directly into my LF without any issues at all. I use the same attenuators as Dave does -I heard of them from him and needed a solution at the time. Since the amp makes such great music, I haven't been in too much of a hurry to build my Gk-1
check out http://mysite.verizon.net/vze4c5pt/ for the attenuators.
cheers
jim
Let me clear some things up here:
1. The attenuators listed above are NOT the ones in my amp that Dave Ellis is using at the moment. The attenuators in my amp are diy series attenuators that I got from Michael Percy. They have 23 steps and the steps are 2 decibels each. I believe the Endler attenuators to be a bit different, and the 12 step ones have much larger steps.
2. Direct source input to amp vs. source to preamp to amp.
I have two systems and one is direct source in with the other having source in to a GK-1 and then amp.
Gain is not an issue. With the direct source in I still have to attenuate the signal even on the lowest level recordings, though I do have a couple discs that only need a step or two of attenuation.
Sound: sound out of digital source is pretty dependent on the output stage of the player, most being full of opamps and such. I just call it clean and clear while others use terms that are somewhat different and are not really like music terms, although clean and clear are not directly musical terms either.
GK-1 sound changes digital source sound ever so slightly with the tube output stage. I've found that the teflon cap at the input to tube grid has cleaned up things while still preserving the wonders of the tube, and thus makes things about perfect.
I'm happy and pleased with both. I like the simplicity of direct source in. And I like the sound of the system with the GK-1. Different flavors, same wonderful taste!!!
But as with all things audio, it's all just personal preference.
Steve
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Folks,
I've received a knockout review of the Lifeforce 55 as, would you believe, a POEM!! It's from Alan Oldale, a NZ audiophile with a long background as an accomplished technician. With Alan's kind permission, here it is:
The Lifeforce amplifier - what can I say
I can listen to the music night and day.
The highs, the middles and the lows,
For all of these the music flows.
Attack, sustain, release, decay
the Lifeforce superbly doth display.
You can safely bet your all
The Lifeforce is quite natural.
It plays music soft and sweet
and can also knock you off your seat.
I must say I'm truly astounded
when with music I'm surrounded.
Also with speakers electrostatic
I am simply left ecstatic.
Though this appears to be absurd
The Lifeforce is the amp I've never heard
So this must be my proclamation
there's no unwanted coloration.
Thank you Alan - I hope on your upcoming visit to Oz we can meet!!
Cheers,
Hugh
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Now that I’ve had the LF modules installed and running for approx 100 hours, I felt somewhat obliged to throw my two cents into this thread.
(Before I begin, let me just state that I’m more of a lurker on the Audio Circle forum (check what’s new every morning) but rarely contribute. However, this amplifier, and Hugh’s prompt and unwavering service & support, warranted me to getting off my lazy butt and write a few paragraphs.)
In a word, the LF modules are…..AMAZING!
IMHO they are in an entirely different league than my beloved N+ 55W.
They are quieter/blacker, more powerful, sustain notes longer, have absolutely “to-die-for” bass and reproduce the entire audio spectrum uncolored and effortlessly.
My modest setup is as follows;
A modded SB3 with DIY power supply.
A pimped-up AKSA TLP preamp
Paradigm Studio reference V2 80’s
and, of course, the AKSA 55W LF amp
This setup is “glued” together with Anti-cable speaker wire and mag wire for all internal hookups and interconnects.
My listening “den” in the basement is fairly insulated from any outside noise, allowing me the opportunity to hear subtle changes an upgrade may bring.
What I didn’t want to do in this review was wax poetically about a particular musical passage or how piano notes and acoustic guitars sounded with the LF. Rather, I thought I’d slant the review with a humorous anecdote that happened since moving to the Life Force.
Ever thought you heard the phone or doorbell ringing, or your wife calling you in the middle of a sing? You then quickly turn down the music, run for the nearest phone/door, or bellow up to your wife “Ya, wadda ya want!” Well…. this has happened a stupid amount of times since upgrading to the Life Force.
I’m hearing more phones ringing, wives calling, doors slamming, chairs squeaking and subsonic thumps in my music than every before.
This, of course, is due to the tremendous amount of low level information coming from the Life Force that, frankly, I rarely experienced with the N+ modules.
I’ve gotten somewhat used to it now, but initially, the situation was quite amusing (but not for my wife who was sure I was going mad hearing voices and bells in my head).
Needless to say, with this kind of sonic information coming forward, hearing my favorite cuts is like an entirely new experience. Everything is there. You are in the Studio. She is singing to you. The speakers are gone.
I think Hugh should be very proud of himself. He’s surpassed the N+ sonics, not by a little margin, but by a significant amount, and that my friends is unbelievable.
I’d like to close this review with a few simple statements.
For those of you out there that are considering buying into this solution…..don’t hesitate, I’m confident you’ll have a VERY difficult time finding a better amp, regardless of the price. (Now that’s a pretty big statement, but one I’m prepared to stand behind).
Hugh, you da man! I’m a VERY thrifty audio consumer, saving for then sending the money took a HUGE leap of faith on my part. You didn’t steer me wrong and the amp is everything I could imagine and more, and for that I will be forever grateful.
Folks, hope you found this review useful, Fred in Canada.
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Well, I finally found the few hours at home with no
other pressing tasks and swapped out my 55N+ for the
newly arrived LF55. I've now had it running for about 30 hrs total.
I am simply stunned by the quality improvement!
I immediately had the impression of enormous bass
enhancement - then as I listened more, I found that
was an incorrect description; it wasn't the quantity
of the bass that changed, it was the "presence" of the
bass. It was absolutely clear that the string bass on
my jazz recordings was now in the room with me, not
just somewhere on the left side of the stage with the
piano and the drums on the right side.
The feeling of improved "presence" - call it the
perception that the instrument was "there, in the
room" applies across the board to all instruments and
vocals.
To me, this is where the LF excels. I found myself
sitting down on several isolated occasions during the
past few days to do "critical" listening so that I
could pass on my impressions to others (I.e.,
potential customers of yours). I found that impossible
to do. Why? Because I kept getting drawn into the
music and the musical performance and forgot that I
was suppposed to be criticising the darn thing!
Perhaps that statement says it all!
For the record, the "current system" consists of:
Meridian G98 source
Mobile Fidelity signature 21 DAC
GK-1 Preamp
Seas Thor Speakers
Before Hugh's amps entered the system, I had used a Proceed BPA-2 followed by a McCormack DNA 0.5 Rev A.
Cheers,
Keith
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Thanks Fred and Keith,
You've both nailed it; resolution is the principle issue here. If you improve resolution, the noise floor is lower and you hear more spatial information. Therefore more of the venue and the instrument noises are exposed, introducing a new dimension you didn't realise was there. This draws you in, and is different to the excessive detail one hears about which is virtual and electronic in nature, not actually on the recording.
I was very concerned about the loss of euphony when I stepped away from the AKSA, which part emulates the distortion profile of a tube amp. I knew this would be missed, but realised it could be recovered with the GK1/Swift in the front end. But I was very surprised at the increase in presence, 'being there' as I described it some time back, and then realised that much of the imaging and musical engagement of high end is, in fact, down to resolution, particularly across the 'dead zone' of a Class AB amplifier.
In this the LF excels, and I'm really grateful that people are listening carefully and hearing the same things!
My thanks to you both for your reviews, you've hit the mark!
Cheers,
Hugh
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I have had two LF55s running now for about a month and--lacking time to write a substantive review--I want to at least take a few minutes to get my thoughts down.
By way of background, I'm building Orions (should have music in 2-3 weeks, maybe sooner) and I bought two LF55s to drive the Orion mids and highs. After I converted my first 55N+ to LifeForce I put that amp in my bedroom system to break in (replacing an AKSA 100N+) while I worked to convert the second 55N+.
That evening I made a really serious mistake... I listened to the LF55 in the bedroom system (Luxman CDP --> TLP(N) --> LF55 --> GR Research Paradox 1 monitors) and fell in love. In the first 30 seconds of listening to the LF55, with 2 hours of burn-in, I uttered a few silent curses at Hugh as I realized that I would never, never remove that amp from the bedroom system and that someday soon I was going to have to pony-up and buy another LF55 from that incredible Aussie amp-wizard, curse his hide!
IMO, the LF55 is a discontinuity. When I first listened to the AKSA 55, it sounded (to me) like an NAD 3020 on steroids... clear, musical, finesse with muscle. N and N+ upgrades brought more transparency, sweet extended highs, and more authority in the bass. The LF55 does not improve upon the N and N+, it doesn't seem like "more clarity" or "more transparent", rather it seems like "clarity and transparency in the absolute" while remaining polite and civilized (except of course when it's time to play nasty, then can be very nasty indeed). Listening to solo cello, for example, I have often heard the growl of agressive bowing on the low notes, enjoyed listening for the bow on the strings. The LF55 adds the clear woody-resonances of the cello body that I had never heard before.
For my bedroom system, the LF-55 is a total game-changer: in the past (driven by a 100N+) I enjoyed the bedroom system, now I love it, look forward to listening to it.
In the main system (modded Philips 963SA--> modded GK-1R --> LF55 --> GR-Research Paradox 3) the LF55 is a significant step forward from the 100N+ I formerly used there. The only caveat is that my main listening room is large and for complex orchestral works at high volume the LF55 can become conjested where the 100N+ would be unfazed. Of course, I will soon have Orions in that room and there will be few if any power issues.
I am not in a position to compare the LF55 with a long line of high$$ amps because I started the serious phase of my audio journey with the AKSA 55. All I can say is "I'm a very happy camper" and that the amps were more than worth every penny I paid.
Thanks Hugh, for your incredible design and for the generous trade-in opportunity.
Peter
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Hi Peter,
Thank you for your careful, measured, and precise critique!! I was reminded of a review in Stereophile many years ago, Jonathan Scull I think, where he kept himself well in check for a couple of paragraphs and then waxed lyrical about the product (dammit, I've even forgotten what it was, a Krell of some sort I think!). When you spoke of the '...clear, woody resonances of the cello body' you unerringly pinged the 'being there' thang really well, and that, I agree, is what the LF does best. It draws you into the performance by bringing the performance to you. Our love of music does the rest.... Managing to extract this performance from the LF after all those false starts (which began in earnest in 2003) has been a very great privilege, no question. But I can't rest on my laurels because unless you have heard the LF the general trend amongst seasoned technocrats is to criticise it. The next big challenge is sliding bias, getting a Class AB amp to do Class A tricks; I've been working on this for five years so far and I reckon I'm about 20%, no more. It's TOUGH, keeps you focussed.
The AKSA was an attempt to overcome the traditional weaknesses of SS amps by deliberately introducing some tube like distortion - in tiny quantities, I might suggest, around 0.045% at full power - but the Lifeforce is an attempt to produce an amp of such vanishingly low distortion that it completely disappears because it reveals ALL the low level information as well as the usual, high level fare. This delivers realism.
BTW, I will signal this more clearly later, but the Transmission Line speaker, the VSonic, is almost there. The speaker was developed in Australia and trialled in Britain - overseas the two developers were James Lewis, a 40 year speaker design consultant with a famous Brit company, now 86 and sadly very ill, and Soren Danner, a senior technician for 25 years with a driver manufacturer in Denmark, now living in the UK. These two guys each built the speaker to our design and trialled them, and both have remarked it's the best transmission line they have ever heard. Laurie Menogue has gone to hell and back on the design of the crossover, which has extraordinary performance - phase shift of just 0.01 degrees for the 300 Hz bandpass around the crossover. He extensively used Xover Pro to assist during development. Impedance variation, a pet peeve of mine, does not drop below 5.5 ohms, and efficiency is 89dB/watt/metre. By making it very easy to drive, the sonics are improved!! Drivers are the XT25G Vifa tweeter to which we add a new, CNC machined Al front plate with Aspen VSonic engraved upon it, and the new 830884 Peerless phase plug 8" Nomex mid-woofer. And Laurie has just managed to pull the design back to 32 litres with no loss of bass and a significant improvement in image and focus; the enclosure is just 72cms tall, so it is VERY high on WAF!!
Cheers,
Hugh
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Folks,
New LF55 review from Paolo Bizai in Italy. Very nice review, thank you Paolo!
"Hi to everyone I'm an Italian Aksa fan, I bought an Aksa 55 some years ago, then I bought a GK1 preamplifier and upgraded my Aksa 55 to Nirvana plus. I'm always satisfied with Aksa products and now I have bought a Lifeforce 55.
My first impression was:
"This is not an amplifier but a JEWELL", I never believed I would change my AKSA55 N+ but when I listened to the LF55 I changed my mind!
The LF55 is without any doubt the best amplifier I have ever heard, better than Mark Levinson, Audio Research, Audio Analogue (a famous Italian amp) and many others.
With the LF55 Hugh did a great job.
I use the LF55 with the GK1 and I find the sound of this gear very right, I love this sound with CDplayer and with Vinyl too.
When I turned on the LF55 for the first time immediately I exclaimed WOW!!!!
The bass was more extended and deep, mid frequencies were very clean and liquid, and I can listen to every nuance in the music. But what I like about Aksa products is the live effect and the amazing soundstage - I can touch the musicians, the LF55 can do this so well.
Voices are real and natural, highs are very extended without harshness. This means a lot of air and details. This amplifier is very neutral, much more so than AKSA55 and I like it more with its perfect match with the GK1 preamplifier.
I can write many words but I cannot explain you how good this amplifier sounds. I can only say "I'LL NEVER CHANGE MY LF55 FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!
.............. ........... ..............................until Hugh releases a new amplifier, anyway!
Ciao Paolo"
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Hugh,
I know I promised you “listening impressions” of the new Life Force 55 amplifier ages ago, but every time I get ready to sit down and write something, a new post comes along, like the last one from Italy, and I just say to myself “what he said!”. Well I'm finally sitting down to do it, so I can pester you about that new loudspeaker system in good conscience :wink:
One thing I don't recall having been mentioned explicitly is that anyone owning a stock AKSA, as I did, just HAS to do this upgrade. N, N+, N+ non-plus-ultra owners seem unanimous in noting improved sonics from the LF. I can attest to the fact that for those of us with modest systems, the results are nothing short of Transformative!
I had a very nice vintage tube amp in my system for about 30 years which I upgraded and modified several times over that period. The rest of my system has remained largely stable for about the last 15 years- PS Audio 5.1 preamp which I run in “straight wire”, ie. passive mode, exclusively; Ruark Templar II speakers, that are remarkably similar to the Aksonics in appearance, driver compliment and I suspect, sonics; JVC XL-Z1050 used as transport to an AckDac! (the latter being the second most significant improvement to the system after the AKSA); analog sources are a homemade turntable (seen in my avitar) fitted with an SAEC tonearm from the 70's and Grado low output MM cartridge and preamp, and a Creek analog FM tuner (very sweet).
While the venerable old tuber was not without some shortcomings, I knew I couldn't live with anything I heard in the ss world, at almost any price- certainly nothing within reach. I went for the original ss AKSA in hopes of obtaining better efficiency (certainly), bass response and transparency, while retaining the best characteristics of my tube amp promised by AKSA. I wasn't disappointed- it was very easy to live with, and more than lived up to expectations. I thought about N upgrades off and on, but couldn't really justify the incremental cost and improvements in my case. When you rolled out the LF, I took a chance once again, with considerable confidence by now, and am absolutely thrilled with the results.
Did I say transformative? Over the years I've tried various diy tweaks on the cheap- cable, interconnects, contact cleaners, buffer amps, etc., etc. Any improvements were subtle at best.
The LF55 changed everything in the first five minutes of play, and of course improved with run in time. Here for the first time were sound stage, wide and deep; tuneful bass; detail without a hint of harshness; and most significant to me, a stunning rendition of musical timbre. I suspect it is the latter trait of the LF that brings the sonic experience of recorded acoustic instruments a quantum leap closer to the live experience. From a personal point of view, it is especially gratifying to have these qualities finally present in my modest system :cry:
Thank you!
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Hi Johnny,
I'm a little unsure of identity; are you John N. from Harvard? Most times I can figure it out, but this one has me beat!!
Thank you for your great review! I appreciate the candour; this is seminal stuff and I think you've nailed it. Musical timbre is resolution; the high resolution gives proper rendition of tiny signals otherwise lost in the noise floor or non-linearities, and this is traditionally a big problem with emitter follower Class AB amps. The Lifeforce uses nested feedback, most from the output stage, but some from the voltage amplifier, the second stage, and this gives far superior control over fine detail, resulting in the extreme detail you hear. What is interesting is that all loudspeakers, pretty much regardless of cost, will respond very favourably to this higher resolution.
The sensation of 'being there' relates directly to this fine detail, because it comes back to spatial details like instrument noises, foot shuffling, soft air movement and furniture noises. These are all tiny signals, less than 3Vpp, and they define the acoustic space. This is incredibly important, because it transmits the venue to the listener, and this does something to our perception of the performance. We think people are in our room with us; what is amazing is that so many of our CDs and DVDs have this detail on them - we often attribute poor sound to the CDs and this is often proved wrong. I remember that JBL (??) ad where an audiophile is slumped in a chair, which his hair swept way back, an obvious huge volume pouring from his speakers...... this is a fetching metaphor, but it subtly indicates that true enjoyment is only possible with the volume set high, and in truth this hides the malaise that low volume usually wipes off lots of detail - another traditional amplifier problem. This was an issue I went after in the LF design brief.
Thank you again, John, great review!
Cheers,
Hugh
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Yup that's me :wink:
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With reviews like this I am gonna have to give one of these a listen some time.
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Trouble is, listening starts you on the path to possession. :) Most people seem to know within about 30 seconds that they are experiencing something special even if they are not audiophiles (whatever they exactly are). At her first listen, I remember my wife looking at me and simply smiling – and she doesn’t know one technical term from another.
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......and then begins the drawn out process of delivery, which for modules is quick, granted, but for complete amps, slow. :duh:
I've had people waiting too long, and to them I apologise profusely. My problem is that I LOVE design with a passion, but am indifferent to construction, which I find tedious and slow, probably because I'm a perfectionist and I try to do it absolutely 100%, which often isn't possible. :oops:
So, when you order, be mindful that the errant nerd is slow to deliver, but that once delivered, it will last you the rest of your days. :lol:
Cheers,
Hugh
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With reviews like this I am gonna have to give one of these a listen some time.
sts9fan,
where are you located? you know, us aksaphiles are a pretty friendly bunch. i'm sure someone would let you in for a listen if they are in the vicinity.
jim
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I live about 5 miles outside of Boston
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Johnny,
Would you be happy to give STS9 a listen - please?
Hugh
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PM sent :thumb:
Johnny,
Would you be happy to give STS9 a listen - please?
Hugh
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Thank you John,
Sincerely appreciated...... I'm sure STS will be impressed!
Cheers,
Hugh
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Hello Hugh,
Guess what I've got ? Well....no need to guess.
I've borrowed one of Occam's (Paul's) AKSA Lifeforce amps to listen too....and compare to my Nirvana+. I should have it here for about a month. :D
I just got my N+ back....I had loaned it out to one of the NY Rave guys...he really enjoyed it. 8)
And....on Saturday at Paul's Rave, the Lifeforce sounded really good in his system...best that I have heard his system sound. 8)
So....give me some time to listen and compare, and to try a few things, and I'll post my impressions. Got it playing now.....nice !!! :wink:
Hope all's well....and looking forward to meeting you at RMAF in October....that's a very good show. :thumb:
Chris
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Hi Chris,
Thanks for the post - I had not realised that Paul was away, and commend his excellent choice lending you his LF. aa
I'm delighted you like it - he raves about it to be honest, very complimentary - and I would really value your opinion in this thread.
The Lifeforce amp is a huge leap forward from the N+, though it's a very different listening experience and likes a tube preamp out front. The chief difference is low level detail which gives almost supernatural rendering of spatial information, but I'm sure you realise that.
Ah, yes, Denver, won't that be a challenge? I look forward to it, it will be my first visit to the States, and I expect to find it very different to the movies...... :lol: I have long been an admirer of the US, sometimes I think my childhood was spent reading Popular Science, and until I fell in love with Toyotas I knew more about Chev V8s than I care to admit.
Cheers,
Hugh
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Hi all,
For some 9 months now since recording my first impressions at post number 3 of this thread and immediately ordering an Aspen LF100, I have been patiently (almost certainly a lie :lol:) waiting for Hugh to produce his line of completely built up LifeForce Amps for customers. I knew at the start that Hugh was fully committed to his upgrade programme for existing customers first up and I must take my hat off to him for that. I don't currently have time for DIY so unlike many existing AKSA owners, I couldn’t upgrade an existing amp and needed to accept the time and cost to have one built. So I was stuck with my trusty old integrated stereo receiver in the interim.
Well the beast has arrived and boy am I glad I waited. The front panel is a full width solid 12mm black anodised aluminium billet that merges nicely into the finned, side mounted heat sinks when looked at from the side or above. The top is dark charcoal steel and slotted for air circulation. I think it looks fabulous but I suspect from a Hugh comment that his perfectionist streak is not yet fully satisfied. Apart from the lightly milled Aspen and LifeForce 100 Mk ll labels, just two little blue LEDs and a large pushbutton switch fill in the frontal face detail. I think it looks really good, understated and purposeful as a power amp should be. I have tried taking some photos for those interested but they are pretty pathetic so I’ll try again tomorrow.
As to the sound, I have only just connected it and checked all is working but once again what a great first impression this amp immediately gives; a delightful revelation. No point in saying more than that at the moment as I will post my full impressions tomorrow after some extensive listening. One small advantage of the delays in production components is that at least Hugh was able to largely run the amp in for me; about 60 hours apparently. So no excessive waiting for it to bed in before making final judgements.
By the way, for those on the waiting list and chaffing at the bit, at least now all the production components are (I assume) finalised and so all future orders should be so much quicker. In fact, I saw a mini production line set up with some items well advanced. Enough wasting of good listening time, I’m off for a bit. aa
Lyn,
Many thanks for your post, and for your hospitality yesterday at Kew. Greatly appreciated!! I thought the sound stellar, I really admire those magnificent Vandersteen 3As, I think they are astonishing. The CD36 was incredible, too, detail without harshness or digititis, and the listening environment was very well sorted. Thank you again, wonderful!!
Hugh
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Right.., have had my LF100s for approx a month, and I'd say have passed the 40-50 hr mark so am qualified to comment (not review), I think!
I came to AKSA after an exhaustive search of the net, considering kits in various states of completion, decided to do the 100N+, then Hugh said the LF100 was available as a module, this was good, I bought it!
So what did it replace, I had (have/now resting!) 2 x power amps, biamped, Rega Maias, I had tried to replace them with other amps, tried quite a few, but always returned to them. I really like/d them. But the LF100's opened my eyes to another world.
My wife has an excellent ear, if I bring an amp/component home, withing minutes she says no.. and says why, and is dead right, strolls off and continues what she is doing. I toiled with building a case, meticulously wiring etc.. nervously powered up the LF100's, she was in another room, came strolling in and said, that sounds beautiful.. My mom came to visit, I was playing music, she said, "it sounds like he's in the room"... I was happy, I hadn't even asked for comment!!!!!!!
They are truly impressive, I have nothing but praise, detailed, powerful, spacious, voices have wonderful clarity, and dynamics are marvellous. I find I now listen at lower levels, but the volume knob has lost a degree of control, things just continue getting louder at times, as the music dictates. When played with some anger, I can only smile, it loses no control, only seems to gain authority.
At first it caused some confusion, I would occasionally head odd noises, once an alarm, once knocking, low frequency thuds etc.. would turn off the music to hear the cause, only to discover it is in the music.
Whats stuck on the end of it? IPL S5TL, 3 way transmission lines (Kit too), they are really good friends.
Downsides? None, except it shows what is above it in the rack, which I guess is the aim of a good amp! I had wired my premap with 2 different cables for CD input, .5mm CAT5 & 1.xMM stranded silver plated copper. I could previously not differentiate, with the LF, the difference was really clear, so much so that I spent 18hrs straight rewiring the pre. With great rewards (to CAT5e!).
To summarize, I'm really happy.
value for money, in the end, the cost built totalled a pretty much what a good power amp would cost, retail (incl, trafos, case, imp duties etc..), but performance is on par with a very dammned fine amp, if I had my choices to make again, I'd still have a LF100...... I like it!
Why such praise? If I didn't like it I wouldn't comment, but I feel if it wasn't for peoples feedback on products they enjoy (cyber products!?) we may all have alot less choice in where we shop, what we get, and whats available online. Make vague sense?
Cheers
Sean
Sean,
Thank you for your very thorough, complimentary and considered review. Greatly appreciated, can't see a thing I don't agree with! And, as I have said to many already, thank you for the profound leap of faith making an internet purchase from Aspen, and for signalling your positive impressions arising from the experience.
Cheers,
Hugh
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Well I’ve now had the best part of 2 days listening to what my own (gosh that sounds good) first off the production line Aspen LF100 has done for my current system.
Perhaps to set the scene, I should first make a general personal comment that after my many and varied experiences with hifi kit over the years (particularly the many mistakes and false starts), I have become a firm believer in aiming for a well-balanced system with no real weak links. Having a good match between components and optimising the speaker positioning and the room itself, all contribute to the harmony of the whole and the LF100 has been very much a part of that plan since I first heard it. A second thing I am acutely aware of is that we are all a little different in what we are trying to achieve and the sound of my system only has to please me (and my wife of course) and it may not necessarily suit everyone. Nevertheless, I would be surprised if anybody visiting didn’t appreciate the SQ of what I have now that Hugh has provided a new heart.
In addition to the LF100, I currently have Vandersteen 3A speakers, an Arcam CD36 player, a borrowed GK1 pre and a fairy basic old AR turntable with Schure MM cartridge for my old LPs. I specifically selected the speakers, CD player and amp to meet my desire for neutrality, refinement, smoothness and the clarity that comes with crisp, clean (but not hard edged) undistorted detail. Likewise, my pre will have to meet largely the same requirements though this is where I may choose to add a touch of tube colour and warmth such as with the GK1.
So how does it all sound now the LF100 is here? Well, although my first reaction was ‘wow’, this is not really a suitable descriptive term as the amp doesn’t stun you with artifice. However it does make an immediate impression both amazing and delighting with its punch, precision and detail. The realism it helps create can be breathtaking with some recordings. I’ve had the CD player and Vandy’s for some time now and have been very well pleased but the ‘LifeForce’ has simply made things come more alive. I don’t have the newer and better Signature model but the 3A’s can still pretty much play any nuance thrown at them. With the CD36 extracting gobs of detail, the GK1 warming it slightly and the LF100 driving the essentially neutral speakers precisely, the performers are right there in front of me and I’m wrapt. Base and mid base are to die for with huge punch, drive and rhythm. Timing seems spot on. The mid range and treble are open, natural and musical. Pretty much exactly what I’d hoped for.
So far I have tried examples of every sort of music type I own and the LF100 presents them all beautifully. It provides seemingly effortless power to drive the speakers. This is great as the 3A’s are not overly efficient and Vandersteen recommends using amps producing 100 to 200 watts and stable into 4 ohm where the nominally 6 ohm speakers sit for most of the base frequencies. Where I have noticed the most difference over my nominally equally powerful and otherwise capable old stereo receiver is with the complex musical passages of orchestral and similar recordings. The previous tendency towards congestion and graininess has gone and location and imaging of specific instruments, has improved out of sight. I can only assume that the power figures in themselves only give part of the story because the LF100 sure seems to punch above its weight.
Perhaps I’m saying the same ‘power’ thing again in another way but the LF100 doesn’t seem to be straining in any way. It makes it so easy to listen to. With previous amps (reasonable but not top drawer), I’ve had to have the volume up a bit for them to sound good (seemed to lose clarity at low volumes) but too high and harshness would creep in. With the LF100, I can listen soft without losing detail or loud without cringing at the ensuing mushiness and so large dynamic range recordings are no problem at all. I love this quality as much as I love the highly realistic timbre of stringed and brass instruments it produces.
At first when I started putting together my current system, I was a little worried that too much detail might end up overwhelming and detracting from the musicality. The last thing I wanted was cold or clinical. That has proved a false concern and in fact I’ve found the opposite true. The ability to extract and present the myriad of minor recorded details as well as providing accurate decay, echo and reverberation detail is as astonishing as it is engaging and as well there is a totally natural instrument and singer location. The overall impression is of openness, clarity and reality with all instruments in their own space. The soundstage extends quite deep and well wide of the seemingly transparent speakers and the musicians occupy a tangible 3D space in front of me (or I should say, us – this ‘presence’ is what my wife constantly comments on).
I don’t have Orions or an exotic DAC or turntable but the LF100 (and borrowed GK1 for that matter) have added to very good sources and speakers to transform my stereo area into a delightful place in which to become part of, and lost in, the music. Thanks Hugh for providing a really strong heart for my system, may it continue to beat for a very long time indeed. Come and have a listen Hugh. Great stuff! aa
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Lyn,
What you are hearing with the LF is something you won't generally hear from other solid state class AB amps, and that is amplifying at low voltage levels which is where the small subtle low level details and spacial information are at in a recording. This is what makes the LifeForce amps such a standout unique product.
And when you get around to making your own GK-1, don't forget to add my "Platinum" recommendations as that will lift the musical presentation much further.
Steve
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Sean and Lyn, congratulations on your LF100's and your nicely written impressions. I agree with Steve, the LF100 does not sound like any solid state amp I've heard, either class AB or class A. I've been listening to the GK-1/LF100 combo for 9 months now and am very happy to say that it is a marriage that is like an eternal honeymoon. A couple of very minor weaknesses elsewhere in my system have recently been eliminated, leaving me in even greater awe of the performance of the GK-1/LF100.
In addition to the inner detail, bass and utter lack of congestion that we praise the LF100 for, the recent improvements elsewhere have better enabled me to identify just how splendid the LF100 is in regard to the tonality, timbre and body of instruments and vocals.... ie. making people and instruments sound REAL! This is an area where solid state amps typically don't do as well as great tube amps. In fact the LF100 is the only ss amp I've heard that performs to this level and while it may not have quite that last smidgeon of midrange 'wetness' (which I'm not entirely sure is natural anyway) of a great tube amp, overall it sounds more convincingly lifelike than any amp I've heard and has eliminated my secret and long held yearning for a tube amp somewhere in my future.
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Steve and Darren,
Appreciate the congratulations and the explanations as to what I have been hearing with the LF100. From a purely customer point of view, having a product that so completely meets my needs is a pleasant change from accepting the compromises of the past.
And yes Steve, I’ve been a lurking looker (the spellchecker doesn’t like that one :wink:) of the ‘Platinum’ thread for some time. Tell the truth though, I’ve been so excited over getting the LF100 that I had somewhat lost focus on the fact that the next requirement is a (non borrowed) pre. Better get started thinking about my options pretty quickly though I understand that the universal recommendation around here will be the GK1.
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Hugh....
If I were the teacher, and you were the student, and the AKSA Lifeforce was your project......
I would be giving you an....(http://www.bhspewter.com/pix/corporate/photo_a+_lg.jpg)
And a gold star....(http://www.murnis.com/images/products/christmas/goldstar_small.jpg)
Its that good !!! :beer:
Comparing the Lifeforce with my Nirvana+...easy...Lifeforce wins hands down.
The first thing you notice....the bass...stronger, fuller, detailed,and at both high and low volumes. This is the foundation for a good amp.
Mids and highs.....smoother....detailed with no sharp edges. You can listen for hours...sound flows easier.
Reading the comments posted so far, I agree...heck of an amp. :hyper:
I did compare it to my Butler 2250 amp...its a hybrid amp....similar....but the Lifeforce bass was the difference....Lifeforce had the foundation...better than the Butler. Both run cool, thats important to me, and both have plenty of power for the speakers I was using to test....Mirage M3's.
To keep it simple....just speakers and a CDP....in order to just "hear" the amp. 8)
Today....its full system time...M3's, Modwright pre, EA Turbomodded Sony 7700, Paradisea dac,Reality IC's and SC's, Black Sand power cords.
Took another jump up.....nice !!! Your right....with some tubes in the chain, you get the extra bloom....but you also keep the great detail and the fine bass foundation.
I like it !!!! :dance:
So....looks like I need to upgrade my AKSA....and what the guys have posted so far is right on target !!! :thumb:
Thanks to Occam/Paul for the loan of his Lifeforce....glad I went to the Paul's Rave. :D
And once again.....great job Hugh !!! (http://www.murnis.com/images/products/christmas/goldstar_small.jpg)
Chris
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Hi Chris,
WOW!! A+ and Gold Star!! Takes me back, Chris!! (Won't talk about what happened behind the shelter shed..... :lol:)
Thank you sincerely, I know you are very highly experienced assessing power amps, you have quite a few, and I really appreciate the comparison with the Butler, which I know from reputation to be a highly competent, well regarded power amp of unique design.
Steve H. said it all a while back when he emphasised the low level detail of the Lifeforce. There is a very good reason for this; it uses very high feedback and in fact features nested feedback. This gives the voltage amplifier an order of magnitude more accuracy, particularly at the crossover event, and you hear this as marvellous low level detail, the traditional failing of SS amplifiers. This draws on the work of Prof Edward Cherry, an Oz academic at Monash University who produced a unique design in the early eighties which I built but couldn't get working. It really is the same old adage; there is nothing new under the sun, most of it recycled, but there is a required way of looking at things before you can apply some of these ideas.
My sincere thanks to Paul for his pivotal part in all this!
As for upgrade, yes please, let's talk about it, I will do my best!!
Cheers,
Hugh
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Hi all,
.................
Well the beast has arrived and boy am I glad I waited. The front panel is a full width solid 12mm black anodised aluminium billet that merges nicely into the finned, side mounted heat sinks when looked at from the side or above. The top is dark charcoal steel and slotted for air circulation. I think it looks fabulous but I suspect from a Hugh comment that his perfectionist streak is not yet fully satisfied. Apart from the lightly milled Aspen and LifeForce 100 Mk ll labels, just two little blue LEDs and a large pushbutton switch fill in the frontal face detail. I think it looks really good, understated and purposeful as a power amp should be. I have tried taking some photos for those interested but they are pretty pathetic so I’ll try again tomorrow.
I can't work out how to post a picture :scratch:, so I have made a photo Hugh sent me of the new Lifeforce my avatar so that you can have a look at it. I will be getting my Lifeforce from Hugh tomorrow, so I was one of the ones part assembled when you picked up yours.
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Thanks Neil,
That's the beast all right. At least you have had a go at posting, I can't even take a good photo let alone post one. Actually Hugh sent me some pictures by email after he popped around for a listen but I've been too busy listening to think about attempting to post one. At least, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Congratulations by the way. If your'e half as happy with yours as I am with mine, you'll be ecstatic. :D
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:)
Hello all. Me here ... finally!
My Tribute to one Man at opposite side of Earth
- where is not summer now
(http://www.aksaonline.com/images/image4.jpg)
:)
They say 1 picture tells a 1.000 words.
Now, I have reead more than 1.000 words by Mr.Dean.
Still, from this 1 picture, as far as I can tell, this shows a man I would be able to trust.
As far as we can trust any of us being those strange things (egos) called human.
... sometimes an 'image', picture or other 'image', can be a lie.
I think not so in this case.
I wouldnt mind meet this man and enjoy his company, for a day or 2.
I know from his biography, life hasnt always been easy. School and such as being not all healthy.
Today, however, he may not have many reasons for discontent.
And who am I to go bury myself feeling bad, when life is 77.3 % good, for me too.
To quote an old Carlos (Brasil X) signature:
Dont Worry! Be Happy!
And when thinking of those acting Censors, when they should in reality in fact be Moderators,
we can use the good old Monty Python wisdom words in 'Life Of Brain':
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
Some things in life are bad,
They can really make you mad,
Other things just make you swear and curse,
When you're chewing life's gristle,
Don't grumble,
Give a whistle :P
And this'll help things turn out for the best.
And...
Always look on the bright side of life.
Always look on the bright side of life.
If life seems jolly rotten,
There's something you've forgotten,
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps,
Don't be silly chumps.
Just purse your lips and whistle. :P That's the thing.
And...
Always look on the bright side of life.
Always look on the bright side of life.
For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word.
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin.
Give the audience a grin.
Enjoy it. :P It's your last chance, anyhow.
So,...
Always look on the bright side of death,
Just before you draw your terminal breath.
Life's a piece of shit,
When you look at it.
Life's a laugh and death's a joke it's true.
You'll see it's all a show.
Keep 'em laughing as you go.
Just remember that the last laugh is on you. :lol:
And...
Always look on the bright side of life.
Always look on the right side of life.
Always look on the bright side of life!
Always look on the bright side of life!
:wink:
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Hi halojoy, lineup, groman
It's good to see you have got all your "personalities" together in one place. :thumb:
regards
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:duh: :duh: :duh:
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Hi halojoy, lineup, groman
It's good to see you have got all your "personalities" together in one place. :thumb:
regards
thanks, greg
I once upon a time made a 'homepage' for Carlos and put it online.
It was several years ago.
He finally has got something else to put in www
.. i could not stand he having http:// as his homepage ... for so many years
But thanks to you and another man, things are now alright.
We can click Carlos www and arrive at DX-Amp
What you do to my friends, you do a bit for me, too.
Their joy is halo-joy.
:)
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Halojoy,
A pleasure to see you here - you are very welcome!!
Cheers,
Hugh
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I've lived with the Lifeforce 55 for a while now, so will post some impressions. This one is the newer double sided PCB V3.1.
Detail has always been there on my AKSA and other amps, but the LF55 really has great resolution which adds the last bit to the jig-saw puzzle. The adding of the small bits of information is not to be under estimated as does add hugely to the overall presentation. At first I was not completely aware of it as I was not sure what to expect, but it sneaks up on you. All this adds to greater space around the individual sounds which in turn gives a sound stage and imaging like no other. This resolution also benefits the timbre / tone (or whatever you want to call it) of the individual vocal or instrument as the low level information that makes up the full natural wave form is there.
There's no complaints with the tonal balance as it's very natural and not overblown in any area of the frequency response. In fact, the main speakers (3-way) were changed from an active woofer section to a full passive 3-way as the sonics and control were so good with the LF55. The reduction is system complexity with only one power amp is appreciated. The LF55 has only about a third of the power of the woofer amp, but you would never know as it can boogie.
With all that resolution, I thought it might have a tendency to be edgy or harsh, but it's extremely smooth and in fact has been able to play some CDs that had previously sounded quite nasty. There's no fatigue factor here at all and can be listened to for hours at reasonably high volumes. I posted these thoughts after a long session listening to some live music. Supertramp, "It Was the Best of Times" (2 CD) and Eva Cassidy, "Live at the Blues Alley". There's something special and atmospheric about a good live recording and the LF55 just brings it out. It's been very enjoyable to revisit a lot of the older CDs which are now reborn.
I had noticed a few sections of music that sounded a bit more recessed than I remembered and during careful listening it found that the LF55 was restoring the dynamics and depth to the sound with no compression. Dynamics are huge and can catch you off guard at times when the slam comes in.
Partnering equipment and matching needs special attention so the resolution is not lost. I tried several pre amps, none of which were suitable, a passive pre which was not too far off the money, but settled with and am very happy using a transparent discrete buffer between the source and passive pre. The result is stunning in an understated way. It's not a combination to blow you away or have a wow factor, as that would be tiring. This is so natural, unforced and just plays music with a presentation to die for.
IMO, you can't compare the LF55 to the AKSA 55N+ as they are completely different amps for different applications and tastes. I prefer the LF55 for the full blown you beaut system, but prefer the AKSA 55N+ for a more intimate system where the added warmth and lower resolution is beneficial. I'm glad I didn't trade in my AKSA and it's not going anywhere. So I have the best of both worlds.
Hugh.... take a bow.
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I've just put together my LF55 monoblocks, and would like to post some initial impressions, even though they have been playing for less than 10 hours. I'll also be posting some pictures tomorrow.
My previous amp was a SKA GB300D (about 200W into 8R), and there will be comparisons.
Speakers are Triangle Antal Esw, and the source is a heavily modified pioneer dvd-player. I initially used an SKpre with 12dB gain, but this was too much, so now I run the amp through a 10K attenuator directly from the source. The LF55 is set up with 24V/150VA trafos giving a supply voltage of +-34.4VDC. Internal wiring is Mundorf Silver/Gold.
First of all, there is little doubt that the Lifeforce is in a different league than the SKA. It it better in every way, even though my SKA was tweaked to the teeth.
Wiring and setup was really easy, and the manual wasn't really necessary, as the PCBs are thoughtfully labeled. Bias and offset were just slightly off. The amp doesn't seem to get warm at all, as it's coupled to an extra 3 mm aluminum board. Build quality is top notch. It is very stable, and my girlfriend is not scared to turn on my system any more. She never dared to touch my SKA, as it had a loud pop when powering on, hissing noises coming and going, and it seemed to be more unstable. :lol:
First of all, the LF55 is dead quiet, no hum or hiss. There's just a slight pop when switching on and off. Initial impression is that the harshness that I've experienced previously in my setup is gone. Female voices which have had this unpleasant tone are now more relaxed and have that spinechilling effect. My girlfried commented that the sound "seems more detailed in time", i.e. better transient response/more silence in between tones. Timbre of small details is also very natural, and makes instruments stand out even more. Sometimes it sounds like the music is being played slower, because each beat is that much clearer. Echo on recordings is presented very good, and makes the overall soundstage much more lifelike. All in all it's less clinical than the SKA. Bass response in noticeably extended, and deep bass is clearer and tighter. My speakers tend to have that in-your-face sound, but with the LF55 the sound is more laid back. Very pleasant.
I haven't had the opportunity to play at louder levels, so I cannot comment about the dynamics yet, but nothing indicates that the amp sounds less powerful than the 200W SKA.
Now I'm eager to get to the serious listening and get to know the amp better. I do have a feeling that this is an amp I can live with for quite some time.
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hi painkiller
with the 10K attenuator in series with the Aksa what will de CDP see as the input impedance of the amp?
Hugh can tell you.
What is the output impedance of the CDP?
I would not be surprised if a Burson audio buffer will bring your setup to a higher plane
it did with mine as with many others
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Hi painkiller
You can reduce the gain on the SKpre from 12dB to 6dB by changing R2, R18 to 2K.
As suggested, you can also add a Burson Buffer in between the source and pot as it does help the sound big time. I took mine out of the case supplied and installed it in my pre case so each source can use it's capabilities. I gave the discrete power supply the flick and use a IC based supply to give me ±21V rails.
Interesting observation on the GB300. I had a GB150 for a short period.
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PK,
Many thanks for your review, despite the 10 hours since first hearing it I found your approach truly long term rather than short term - very well done!
The LF55 is a terrific little amp, and goes very loud. There is no schematic published, but it has more tricks than a monkey on a mile of vine, and I'm very proud of it. It was a fun pcb to design, too, with the increased flexibility of double side.
The standouts over the AKSA are probably the resolution and the spatial details. There are moments with that amp when the sense of intimacy is profound, any closer and you'd have to ask the songstress to stop kissing you!! (Nice feeling for an old codger like me!) But with each new release of amp, I have to say all these qualities just get better and better, and I've just received word from Jeff Dorgay of Tone Publications who has just tested the Soraya that he thinks it is a marvellous amp, and very, very good value for money compared to the big guys. That was nice!!
A Burson Buffer is a good addition to your lineup if you are using a 10K pot, which will load down your digital source appreciably. Peter (Rabbitz) advises this and he is 110% right. I've heard the combination, examined the Buffer closely, and I endorse them strongly. In fact, I wish I'd designed it!!
Thank you again for your review.
Cheers,
Hugh
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I've made a separate analog stage for my cd-player consisting of AD843 at 2.5x gain. This op amp can swing 25V p-p and has an output impedance of less than 0,02R across the audio band. There was little difference with or without the pre, but because of the gain it was more practical without. I guess there could be some advantages with a discrete buffer, but I think I'll try a tube buffer instead.
Yesterday I got the chance to play at louder levels. It seems that there are no restrictions to volume, and the sound really opens up. No sign of dynamic compression. A drumkit at realistic sound levels is no problem for this amp. It's heavy hifi without being physically heavy. aa Very nice.
There is one thing about the sound though. To me it sounds like a too low input filter cut-off. I don't know any other way to describe it. It would be interresting to try a smaller filter cap.
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Jurgen,
Interesting observation! The input filter is set at 6dB down at 133KHz. You could try reducing the series resistor to say 680R; this would about double the cutoff to 250KHz.
However, the amp is extremely fast, and a LP filter is necessary to stop cell phones and stray RF from affecting it, so be circumspect about the adjustments!!
Cheers,
Hugh
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http://www.diyhifi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=435&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=645 (http://www.diyhifi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=435&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=645)
This thread (page 44) over at diyhifi.org has some interresting remarks about the Fc. Look at the graph with Fc=100kHz. Carlos even suggests not going below 500kHz. There should be clear audible differences when comparing 125kHz with 2-300 kHz.
Cap values nearing 1nF to tend to restrict sound. I'll try 250kHz and come back with results.
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I decided to reduce the value of the filter cap instead. Result is that the amp lets through more of the noise from that hopeless delta-sigma dac. Other than that there is no apparent problem. The sound is immediately a lot more airy, and sort of "less compact". It may come across as being a bit thinner, but I guess that depends on the rest of the system. I definitely like it better this way, and it should make an easier load for the source.
The impression I have is that this amp is extremely detailed and extremely fast, without losing the tight bass or timbre. Very impressive. It's absolutely wonderful to listen to. I'm usually a bit impatient, and tend to skip between songs often, but now I find myself listening through whole songs before even noticing it. That has to be a good sign. Now I just need better speakers! :roll:
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PK,
This is an extremely positive review; thank you for taking obvious time and trouble to put it carefully through its paces. The development of the Lifeforce was long and arduous, and there was a lot of empirical testing to be absolutely sure it delivered as I had intended. It looks simple because it is compact and light, but it is quite a complex piece of circuitry since this level of performance can't be had with the sort of rudimentary circuits available in the sixties and seventies.
Thank you for trying the change to the LP filter. I presume you used 470pF in place of the 820pF silver mica? Interesting that you could pick the crud coming off the digital source; this is in fact something I'd found too and caused me select the values I did. You've chosen a particularly compromise which differs from mine, but as you said, there is an upside as well as a downside.
Thanks again Jurgen, appreciate the careful thought in your review,
Cheers,
Hugh
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I actually ended up with 320pF. I believe this value would work for most people. I have very little filtering in my cd player, and the noise is barely noticable.
I changed coupling caps (128 SAL-RPM) and input resistor (PRP) also. Now it's really amazing. I can't imagine any amp being better than this. It would be interresting to try the Soraya, but I'm satisfied for now. Just enjoying music again! :D
My next priority is new speakers. aa Maybe some Bastanis kit. Looks interresting.
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Tried this last night using 1K RN55D and 470pF Polystyrene. A definite improvement, with no discernible hash coming through from my DAC. (http://members.chello.nl/~m.heijligers/DAChtml/dactop.htm)
Recommended, if you can get away with it.
Cheers,
Ron.
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Thanks Ron!
You might also consider keeping the 820pF/1nF cap, and replacing R1 with say 470R. That would have, I expect, the same effect precisely as it would about halve the time constant, doubling the corner frequency.
Much appreciated,
Cheers,
Hugh
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Jurgen,
I have heard the Bastanis, made in Germany, at RMAF in Denver. They are very good and I commend your choice.
However, I also urge you to consider the VSonics, which are almost there. They are MUCH cheaper, and just as good. I will have them on sale in the next week.
Cheers,
Hugh
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Having just upgraded my AKSA 100, 55 & 25 (all N+s) to Lifeforces, two things bring a smile to my face when listening now:
* more transparency (delicacy, resolution ...), and
* lower bass.
An un-missable upgrade IMO! :D
See here for pics of the amp upgrade project:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=browse;album=487&pos=10
This is the first pic - go through to #9 (but, sorry, I can't seem to work out how to get them in order! :( ).
Regards,
Andy
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Folks,
A clean slate for Lifeforce listening impressions!!
Please reserve for ACTUAL REVIEWS, people who have HEARD IT,
and wish to comment on the sound, good or bad.
Discussions about other aspects, such as
- value for money,
- relevance to DIY, etc etc,
should be put into a fresh thread.
Sorry for the bother!
Cheers, Hugh
Hello
> Hugh 'aspenamplifiers' Dean :)
> my audio friends of all parts of world :)
> and the others :(
Some background history goes:
---------------------------------------
On january 8th 2006 me, under the alias 'lineup',
started this topic in another board:
AKSA 55, 100 - Listening impressions
Because I honestly thought AKSA Amplifiers deserved it
( seeing all those other (no names mentioned) amps having such attention ).
Since March 2007 this topic is dead, which only menas nobody posted.
There was a clash between me, some moderator and a few others
and this took a lot of the spirit away from AKSA Amplifier listeners.
The latest post was made by a faithful AKSA Owner: Destroyer X.
I am bound to add: Who Else would do it!
Anyway, in 13 months my AKSA Topic generated 317 Posted Reply.
AKSA 55, 100 - Listening impressions ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... 13 = Last page )
Topic Starter: lineup
Repliies: 317
Viewed: 24,705
Now to my real message.
To anyone happen to read this and being interested in LifeForce :)
From my post #278, written 12th January 2007:ASPEN AMPLIFIERS
- and Hugh Dean has mentioned some new release: AKSA Lifeforce
- AKSA Lifeforce 100
- AKSA Lifeforce 55
- AKSA SWIFT PREAMPLIFIER
Link reference:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=1104650#post1104650 (http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=1104650#post1104650)
This is the first time Lifeforce is mentioned in this topic
and later I also introduced LifeForce with an Image, into same thread.
:thumb: Onwards there are some Sound Reviews of Lifeforce, as well as other opinions.
So if you are interested, have a read and compare your own impressions.
Then come back here and post!
Because this is a friendlier and more open place, in my opinion.
At least for the older audio guys, like me and Mr Dean of Australia.
-------------
lineup date of birth 1951 May
posted in Sweden at 2008-04-18 at 03:30 GMT
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Welcome, Lineup!!
You were born the same year as me, you poor bugger...... old age is not for sissys!!
Thank you for your comments, I will go have a good look, and Carlos and I are still good friends!
Cheers,
Hugh
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Now I've been living with my LF55's for a while, and I think I owe both Hugh and future owners a little followup.
Usually, when it comes to long term listening, I tend to find downsides no matter how good a product is supposed to be. There's always some tiny flaw that keeps getting in the way of experiencing the music. This is not the case with the LifeForce amps. It strikes me over and over again how good my system sounds, even with a cheap(ish) source and seriously compromised speakers. I also enjoy music much more after I bought the amps, and it's easier to get involved in the music.
It seems quite irrelevant to speak about bass punch, midband clarity details and so on, because it all sounds right. Bottom line is that these amps are exceptional at reproducing sound the way it was meant to be. End of story. It's the last amp you'll ever need to buy.
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Thanks Jurgen,
That's a resounding, ringing endorsement, and I'm really pleased. You've lifted my spirits this cold, wet wintry day!!
It may seem hard to believe, but there are even better amps than the Lifeforce - the Soraya, and soon, a 200W version called the Aztec.
Cheers,
Hugh
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Hi all,
I know i haven't been here for a while, but professional issues sure mixed up my life quite a bit.
I have been away from my Aksa gear for 8 months now....too much i telll you. :scratch:
Now...lets talk more about that Aztec of yours... aa ... when can we see it and how can i get my hands on it ?
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Hi Felipe,
Now, are you settled in Sao Paulo? Or Rio? What is the job like? Do you get to go home every couple of months? As a newly wed, they owe you that, the buggers......
The Aztec is coming along. It is the 200W Soraya, essentially. Entire front end and VAS is built into a 20mm x 28mm module with 12 pins, which plugs into the main board, which is 280mm x 80mm, with four pairs of output devices. The module and main board are designed and manufactured, and the prototype is presently under construction, but a smaller version has been made and auditioned by Colin in Canada.
Needless to say, it's pretty good!! :drool:
The power supply will be +/-62V, and will incorporate DC speaker protection. Power will be 195W into 8R, and 312W into 4R, conservatively, yet to be formally measured. Case design is under way; it will use 100mm tall heatsinks, compared to the Soraya's 75mm. Power is from two 500VA toroids. This amp will have more grunt than a pig farm, and more volume than Van Morrison. However, it will be subtle, and detailed, beyond anything out there in the commercial world, I'm sure of this.
I really have to stop developing amplifiers. It costs too much and it's taken over my life...... :duh:
Ciao,
Hugh
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I really have to stop developing amplifiers. It costs too much and it's taken over my life......
Other similarly credible quotes in history:
I really must stop making love to women. It costs too much and it's taken over my life... : Cassinova
You can't be too humble or modest... : Paris Hilton
I think maybe taking innocent life en mass is too much and Alah would not approve... : Osama BL
You know you're a little obsessive Mr Dean. You will be designing amplifiers to the day you drop [touch wood]
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Mark,
For people of average intellect, the only way to be successful at anything is to work very hard, and arrive at success by dogged iteration.
Given that I'm essentially a lazy bugger, what drives me is passion..... it's the only way I know to get past the inertia of laziness.
I would respond to those august quotes with, 'Nothing succeeds like excess'.
However, lest I get big headed about all this, I'm consoled by the notion that the better a product, the less commercial success it enjoys. This propels me towards marketing, perhaps the very worst of my skills!!
Just received a LARGE package from Wayne Waananen, inside is a DUET with VH Caps - can you imagine? With Supermart's help, we've just loaded 303Gb of flac files onto our 1Tb HDDs, so this should greatly expand my musical enjoyment.....
THANK YOU WAYNE, AND IT'S MY 57TH BIRTHDAY, TOO!!
Cheers,
Hugh
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Hi All,
I called to see Laurie at Ringwood yesterday as he has not been living on the Mornington Peninsula due to illness. He appears to be too much like Hugh, always striving to get the best out of the speakers with "passion". What a team! THe VSonics have been improved yet again with some sort of specially designed cross over. I think that they will be more than able (they were brilliant anyway but are now awesome) to faithfully reproduce to the fullest anything the new amps can push into them. What a system, truly top shelf beyond doubt. Go to it boys and sell, sell, sell.
Have fun,
barry.
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Barry,
can't sell, sell, sell, because everytime the curtain goes up on the product, the actors have all disappeared, to learn new lines for the next version!!
Laurie is a worry on this score, it's infuriating, but very nice. Haven't heard the latest, to be frank, was always VERY happy with the penultimate version. :drool:
Cheers,
Hugh
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Hugh,
The production speakers are just fine. I believe a few pairs are to go to customers soon. I would be proud to own them. I think that Laurie is just stretching the envelope for his own satisfaction.
Barry.
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i support the knowing that not my paws but our mind is creating the structure of our (future) experiences
it is also not our wishes or longings of the heart that create our mind, unless.
it is what we feel to be true, in spite of our (dearest) hopes
day in day out
that makes up our mind
i must change my mind
there is this bone...
the ramblings of my Afghan dog Gaudi when i thought i could hear him
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=14501)
BTW
Congrat Hugh, have a big hug from me :D
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Ah, Kyrill,
That beautiful animal has no creative thoughts except devotion to his master, and my, he looks WONDERFUL!! An ornament - aren't animals perfect creatures? Perhaps the fact they do not have tongues? Could that be it?
Cheers,
Hugh
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Congratulations, Hugh! Having a feast today, or .... ? :wink: :birthday:
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:wine: :wine: Well...congratulations on the 57th birthday !!! :birthday: :wine: :wine:
I must say that for a lazy guy, you have more achievments than many! I would have to consider someone prety modest to say he's lazy when you pretty much are known all over the world for making so many people happy. I consider you to be a "joy" spreader, thats a pretty big achievment to me. :thumb:
Whats a DUET ? I am kinda lame on tech these days...all i see is SAP and "caipirinha" !! :green:
I am not in Rio or S.Paulo. I am located in Salvador, Bahia. Its a big city, but far from industrialized. The most high end gadget they have here is an iPod, and their idea of good stereo system has SONY written on it and is sold in supermarkets. (Yes...supermarkets, same place where you buy food).
So audio projects here, have been set aside, as i cannot source materials and time is very very short. I prefer to enjoy the beach now, as in July i will be returning home!
How is your co-project for the Squeezebox doing with Wayne? Is he selling them with you supply reg ?
Best wishes,
Filipe
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IT'S MY 57TH BIRTHDAY, TOO!!
Cheers,
Hugh
Hello Hugh
Happy Birthday :birthday: :beer:
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Happy Birthday Hugh.
:birthday:
Hopefully you took the day off to relax!
:sleep: :sleep:
West
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Hopefully you took the day off to relax!
:sleep: :sleep:
West
As if! aa
I hope you had a good one Hugh even though you didn't relax.
Cheers
Peter
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Thank you Folks,
Really appreciated - and on DIYaudio I received many greetings too, it's bowled me over, all this good cheer..... there are times when this game seems terribly solitary and it gave me a much needed boost!!
I cannot stop my work, even if I wanted to. Worked all through yesterday. I love it so much, but like all such people I tend to do only the things I want to do, leaving much undone, a problem.... Like the Orion power supply, hey West! After the abuse I copped on the OUG, I just dropped it as though it was radioactive, a pity.
Big day, today. Meeting up with Ben Williams (Tinker) at his University this afternoon. Much to discuss!!
Thanks again, guys,
Cheers,
Hugh
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Big day, today. Meeting up with Ben Williams (Tinker) at his University this afternoon. Much to discuss!!
DAKSA! DAKSA! DAKSA!?
For a real challenge, how about a music server that works? A CD version of a PVR with a 1TB hard drive........or do they call that a Transporter?
Happy birthday by the way!!
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Thank you Folks,
Really appreciated - and on DIYaudio I received many greetings too, it's bowled me over, all this good cheer..... there are times when this game seems terribly solitary and it gave me a much needed boost!!
I cannot stop my work, even if I wanted to. Worked all through yesterday. I love it so much, but like all such people I tend to do only the things I want to do, leaving much undone, a problem.... Like the Orion power supply, hey West! After the abuse I copped on the OUG, I just dropped it as though it was radioactive, a pity.
Big day, today. Meeting up with Ben Williams (Tinker) at his University this afternoon. Much to discuss!!
Thanks again, guys,
Cheers,
Hugh
Hugh,
You didn't make a big fuss over your birthday and all, other than emailing?
Wish I could get away with that.
Although I must admit, most of you dinners are like birthday feasts. So, I'm sure you had something to replenish yourself after that hard day of slaving away at things you like to do!!!!
Steve
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Like the Orion power supply, hey West! After the abuse I copped on the OUG, I just dropped it as though it was radioactive, a pity.
I was reminded of your wonderful supplies by peter today (not that it hasn't been in my head) when he explained how he was using them with his ASP, and also as if I didn't know, he made sure to point out how wonderful they sounded!!! Very cruel on peters part, brought tears to my eyes. :cry: I know you must have one buried in your workspace! Even if I have to come down to australia to find it...one day I will have one of your supplies...one day!
It must be nice though waking up every morning and just loving what you do all day. I can't think of anything better (other than getting my hands on your power supplies).
-West
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Hello Hugh....
Sorry I'm a little late (work has been very busy).....
but better late than never..... :beer:
(http://www.freemyspacegraphics.com/Happy_Belated_Birthday_Graphics/Happy_belated_birthday_comment/images/happy_belated_birthday_graphics_20.gif)
See you in Denver.....
Chris
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Thanks Seano, West, Steve and Chris,
My golly, worth waiting for!!
Perhaps I can see ALL of you in Denver?? You too, Seano?
Chris, don't work too hard, and DON'T LOOK DOWN!!
Cheers,
Hugh
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Folks,
A guy in Holland, Hans, is considering buying a LF100. Can anyone here who owns one, or has heard one, give Hans some idea of what to expect and whether it is worth the asking price?
He is a seasoned audiophile, I believe in his middle years, and has been searching for something that neither drives and ice pick into his ear nor offers poor resolution and/or imaging.
I will withdraw from this thread; please say exactly what you feel, good or bad. I'm confident in the product, but naturally, it's my baby!
Thanks in advance,
Hugh
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Folks,
A guy in Holland, Hans, is considering buying a LF100. Can anyone here who owns one, or has heard one, give Hans some idea of what to expect and whether it is worth the asking price?
Thanks in advance,
Hugh
Hi Hugh,
How will our comments reach Hans ... does he lurk here? :?
Regards,
Andy
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Is Hans following this thread?
although i live near The Hague i can't let him hear a LF
But if he is interested a pimp up Aksa 50 is a possibility, so when he knows the mother he gets some idea about the son. The LF though, l read is much more transparent?
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Hi Kyrill,
Thanks for your post - I appreciate your concern.
I've told Hans about posting in the Aspen forum, so I'm hoping he's following the thread. I believe he's read all the thread to date, let us hope he reads these later posts!!
Daughter, Kyrill, you surely mean daughter? :lol:
Hugh
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But if he is interested a pimp up Aksa 50 is a possibility, so when he knows the mother he gets some idea about the son. The LF though, l read is much more transparent?
C'mon, Kyrill - still running AKSA N+s? :o You owe it to yourself (at your age, mate ... not too many years left, right!!?? :lol: ) to be able to enjoy the LifeForce before you drop off your perch. Not only is it much more transparent - it kicks the AKSA's butt in terms of bass! :D
As my daughter is fond of saying "Pull the Trigger" ... go get yourself some LFs!! :icon_lol:
Regards,
Andy
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yeh, here i am (Hans, build in ?64 8))
I've been honest to Hugh. As an experienced DIY-er and never heard from Aspen Amps. It feels fairly a bit odd to spend a relative high price for a few prints with a hand full of components. There are a lot of competitors in this class AB area who provide the same stuff (on the eye) for a fraction of the price. But buying an Aspen amp includes a donation for rare valuable intellectual property. Whatever it is I don?t know yet, but from what I read there must be something special with this amp?s.
Commercial products are all heavenly good on the marketing paper. As a experienced listener I?ve learned (? :() that the price or complexity of a product says nothing about the ability to produce music that touch the soul. The amp, as tail end in the electronic line is, in my case, a bit underestimated. My focus was more on speakers, DAC and source. In the years I listened to several amps like Meridian, NAD, Spinhx, Rotel, Tripath, Hypex, Sugden, Lmxxx, SE 300B, KT84PP, vintage AB amps like TOA, etc, etc. The ?organic factor? of tubes was a discovery and I didn?t experience that ever in any non-tube amp. The Class-d thrilled me in sense of absolute control ability. Can these two be united? The vintage Class AB amps brought a kind of average. But I couldn?t get it out of my head what could be ?the secret? of the organic factor in electronic behaviour of electrons. Lets call it ?the X-factor?, a mysterious thing.
The AKSA and Lifeforce amps seems to have the X-factor. Whatever I have read about, these amps are loved by all the people who have got them in their hands. Very promising. I ordered a Lifeforce 100 now. I am very curious and keep in mind that it always is a matter of personal taste. Thanks Hugh for the nice conversation and I will add these thread with another extended review of my findings. To be continued..
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Hi Hans
i have send an email ( at least the email icon next to your name)
to be sure
my contact info is
kyrgoo at gmail dot com
but the LF will sound definitely more transparent with much more microdetail
there is an option i believe ( Hugh will know) to have a newer pws pcb which sounds better
I agree the X factor with tubes, helas you need NOS tubes which are getting more scarce by the day, to have the most X factor
A SWPS?? Well that is new for me. I try to avoid them like the plague, but also they ( O Brutus) evolve
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yeh, here i am (Hans, build in ?64 8))
The AKSA and Lifeforce amps seems to have the X-factor. Whatever I have read about, these amps are loved by all the people who have got them in their hands. Very promising. I ordered a Lifeforce 100 now and will feed it with a audio-dedicated switching power supply from a Dutch company Hypex. I am very curious and keep in mind that it always is a matter of personal taste. Thanks Hugh for the nice conversation and I will add these thread with another extended review of my findings. To be continued..
Kyrill, can I call you once?
Hi Hans,
Congratulations on your LF100 purchase. :D I agree, it's hard to decide to commit a fair bit of money without having the opportunity of listening first. But yes, owners of Hugh's amps certainly do feel they have the "X-factor"! :thumb:
However, I would be careful about making judgement about the sonic beauty of the LF100 if you are going to use a non-AKSA PS. As I'm sure you know, the PS is a key factor in how an amp performs and Hugh has gone thropugh several iterations of PSes over the last 8 years - each one sounding better than the last. :D
Good luck.
Regards,
Andy
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i add to that that the nice sounding amp completely build by them and having a fine review by TNT was build with their analogue power supply
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Thx all.
At second thought i also ordered the psu print. Thanks Andy, ofcourse its directly associated with the performance of the amp!!
I have the audio SMPS still at home. Its audio dedicated because it has the capability to act like an condensator; it can absord current feedback.
Its a nice experiment to compare it i think.
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i add to that that the nice sounding amp completely build by them and having a fine review by TNT was build with their analogue power supply
From memory, that TNT review was of the original AKSA amp ... before it was upgraded to AKSA Nirvana, then later to Nirvana Plus. The improvement in sound quality was evident in all of these updates. The LifeForce is much superior even to the Nirvana Plus. In other words, what you will get is in a different league to the amp reviewed by TNT all those years ago. :thumb:
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DSK i mean the Hypex review in TNT
I know of the first AKSA review
an entree level high end for sooo few dollars ;)
it should be a collectors item in Hugh's museum
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Hans,
Also congratulations from me :thumb:; this was the Aspen amp I had initially and it was a huge eye opener (or was that ear opener) for me. Whilst I have now upgraded to the latest Soraya, the differences are essentially incremental and the Lifeforce remains a really wonderful amp.
By the way, as to your handful of components most kits supply, unless Hugh has changed the way he supplies things (tell me if I'm wrong Hugh), the amp modules are fully built, bias etc set, tested and mounted to the heat sinks so pretty much plug and play for those critical components. I think same thing for the power supply so while there is plenty more for you to do, I see this as a good value add and a guarantee of sound quality. Personally, I ended up buying a fully built unit from Hugh as I was working silly hours at the time bit I remember thinking that with his sort of kit style, the 'X factor' as you put it was pretty much certain to be there even if I built it myself and with my soldering, that may well be saying something.
Whatever happens when you finish your build and have a listen, please let us know on this forum how it sounds to you. It's always good to have fresh feedback. :D
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Hi all,
Today the Lifeforce100 arrived! Luckily i had the time to open it immediate
(i know it came, because yesterday the postman already was here at a closed door).
The components in the box where excellent packed. They survived a long journey!.
I told Hugh already by mail that i am impressed seeing en touching the real stuff i only remember from a picture.
When looking and touching the parts i immediately notice that this is not just a another amp.
Looking close at the prints, makes understandable how carefully designed, build and evaluated these prints are.
It breaths professionality, experience and skill discretion.
I assembled the LF100 components on a wooden board for a first testing period. See attachment.
But this have to be build in decent case! I already bought two 300VA Transformers 2x33V.
In about 2 hours the amp was fitted and wired.
I am going to listen now, the most important :D. Te be continued.....
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=23661)
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Hi Hans,
How did the initial testing/listening session go, what case etc. have you chosen and what are your impressions so far? :wink:
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Hi Lyn,
I've received a WONDERFUL review from Hans, but he has to decide if he wants to publish it!
And I have to ask if I can use it, it's marvellous.......
You there, Hans?
Cheers,
Hugh
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Here i am again. I took some time to get good listening impressions and write some prose :scratch:.
Well here we go; my first impressions of the Lifeforce 100 MARK II amplifier
Over the past years I have tried all kind of amp's with my Focal 1037BE's. Last months it was mainly class D amps. Now the Lifeforce Mark II, which is not a Class D amp, so i don't want to compare them as they are completely different amplifiers. The Lifeforce is a Class AB amp and I have owned vary Class AB amps over the years. In my experience Class AB amps, when compared to Class D amps, are not real king's in control and transparency but powerful and friendly sounding, with potential. Class D is definitely not my choice in the end. Good clear powerfull sound, but i could not get enjoyable music out of them.
When I heard the first notes of the Lifeforce100 amp i heard the typical Class AB sound; mellow, easy, laid back, not aggressive. While the first songs played on the cold amp modules and at low volume i immediately noticed some aspects I had never heard before in SS amps. Really beautiful rounded presentation in the mid to low region! The timbre of instruments are scary real, nearly touchable. The highs seems somewhat de-emphasized. The mid-low's and bass were solid and lifelike, just as I remember from a tube amps.
At higher volume the comparison with tube amps ends. Where a tube amp is current limited at it maximum output, the Lifeforce 100 awakens. Especially with old live Jazz recordings there is a vivid, live soundstage with strong mids and bass. Very enjoyable and real. I tapped my feet, a sure indication of joy. At (party) loud volume the high?s became a bit raw and the overall control diminishes a bit. (read until the end)
After some live music I turned towards more delicate genres. With growing pleasure I followed the music. The articulation is great at all frequencies. I had never heard this in any other amp! The soundstage is perfectly balanced, nothing is too far front or rear, its perfectly positioned in space. The fine articulation has been a new experience for me. It introduces a new depth (3d) in the soundstage, again, most unusual with the solid state amplifiers I heard before. I had thought that only a DAC would be responsible for depth, but the Lifeforce amp adds a real, credible 3d soundstage. When moving some distance away from my speakers, I noticed that the speakers disappeared into the soundstage. The music literally hangs in the space around them. As the amps run in and warm to operating temperature, sound quality improves even further. The music rolls like velvet throughout my room!
Like most real audiophiles ;-), in my head I can switch to technical listening. Very likely you will recognize this ?trick?. What impresses with this amp is that even playing songs you have heard a thousand times you cannot concentrate on technical listening. For some reason it is the music which dominates! This amp is really sophisticated and finely tuned. Compliments to Hugh who must have spent hours and hours finding the flaws and tweaking them away. Whatever the tonal color of your musical choice is, the overall control of the speaker drivers is excellent. But most important, when the Lifeforce plays you simply forget the equipment. It disappears, leaving only the music.
Hugh supplied me 2 Auricap?s (1uf) with the amp that I could try as (other) decoupling cap. The standard (little) cap on the print is 0,47uf if I seen it right. After the first days of listening I decided to try the Auricap. The Auricap?s brought a minor positive change. The soundstage became more controlled especially at higher volume. Also the high?s got more explicit at my speakers. As I know from earlier experiments paralleling coupling cap?s can be interesting. In my old shoebox I have some more high quality coupling cap?s, like Russian paper in oil?s and Duelund copper cap?s. I added the Duelunds parallel to the Auricaps, so together 2uf. Wow, that ads bass in the lower section. The bass is going very deep now. This is a keeper! Finally I added 2 little Vishay Roedersteins MKP?s 0,01uf.
Have listened all day today and i am very happy. With the 2uf coupling cap even at loud volume the high?s stay?s more controlled and vivid. The bass goes very low, like hearing a sub. How about the X-factor? Does this amp have the X-factor? That question is not relevant to me anymore. This amp simply makes music, nothing more nor less. Does it sound like a tube amplifier? Hmm yes, the rounded, organic sound and the marvellous 3D qualities of the soundstage are typical of very good tube-amps.
I am glad that I took the time to search all the forums and found the Aspen. It will be hard to beat this.
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The music literally hangs in the space around them.
This amp simply makes music, nothing more nor less.
A lovely review Hans.
To me, your words above and the 3D you mention define the X factor that andyr spoke about earlier. Simply an amp that does what it should extremely well and gets out of the road of the music.
I must also reiterate something else that andy said above. It took some courage to buy sound unheard and I'm very happy it has worked out for you. I at least live in Melbourne so I could listen before I bought as I've always done with hifi purchases. Congrats. :thumb:
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Hey Hans,
You really captured the LFII, thank you very much for taking the trouble to put down your thoughts! I am most appreciative..... you really hit the nail on the head!
I should point out again that this is the update Lifeforce, what people get from about two months back when they buy a Lifeforce. It is the very first Soraya module from 2007, when I took it to Denver. Frank Van Alstine really liked that amplifier, loved the resolution and imaging, and in turn I really liked his DAC. He was a fascinating character, a very direct, no-nonsense sort of fellow, one I really related to well. David Ellis of Ellis Loudspeakers now owns that amp!
Hans, thank you for taking such an impressive leap of faith. Along with many other Aspen owners you have shown your adventurous spirit and I really appreciate that you really like what you have purchased, and speak as a committed audiophile with a lot of experience......
Cheers,
Hugh
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Mmm, Hugh,
Sounds to me like you need to replace the input 0.47uF cap on all LFs/Sorayas/etcs with at least a 1uF Auricap! aa
Regards,
Andy
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Andy,
Actually, I don't need to do anything more, I include the Auricap as a no cost addition to the 100LF modules!
Cheers,
Hugh
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Aah - I see I need to upgrade my modules as they still have the square white cap! :D
Regards,
Andy
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Aah - I see I need to upgrade my modules as they still have the square white cap! :D
IMHO changing the input cap is not a 'must do' update to this amp, it's more like a personal taste and the effect depends on the character of the speakers and perhaps the impedance of your source. (i am driving directly from a Buffalo32 DAC) I read somewhere that big input caps also easily can pick up noise. When i put my finger close to the big one i hear i light hum. Allthough i think 0,47uf is a bit on the small side for a coupling cap. On the other side it's only a DC blocker. But Hugh must have it's reason!
Plz report your experiences here if you also try a bigger/other cap. You don't have to desolder the original one. i soldered it to the resistor near the earth connector.(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=23750)
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Plz report your experiences here if you also try a bigger/other cap.
Hi Hans,
Had Hugh fit 0.33uF Sonicap Platinum caps when I had your model (now have the Soraya 09). Preferred the ultra clean presentation (compared with other caps) over any possible loss of base extension though never felt any serious loss existed due to the smaller size. Very much personal preference for system balance as you say and my base was quite solid and tight. The 1.00uF or 0.47uF VCap or Sonicap were just too expensive for me to get Hugh to try but would likely be the bees knees for transparency and extension.
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Hans,
The size of the input cap is of less importance than the quality. The Sonicap, and particularly the Mundorf Silver/Oil, are very good in this role, but horrendously expensive and bulky, so they must be mounted off the pcb.
You've had some weeks listening now, Hans, would you like to make further comment on the presentation of your system with your very good DAC and speakers?
Hugh
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Hello All
I am new here, New to the AKSA amplifiers.
But not new to the audio listinening. since I installed high end audio system, speakers etc
like, Meridian, LINN
my questoin is fool, and many may dont like it!!
As I said, just heard about this amp.
I looked atspecs, people who heared it, impression results.
Now, i wonder how a simple amplifier will sound that way. while
1- using a low number of audio components
2- Very simple
3- Very normal electronics parts, nothing special
I mean, how to convince me pay that amount of money to buy that simple amplifier?
What is the secret in that design? i know no one will tell.
But convince me to buy it
the web is FULL of circuits for audio amplifiers
Thank you
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Just do it!
You won't regret it.
Looks can be deceiving and specs? Pha!
The ears will thank you :)
Jy
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Hello All
I am new here, New to the AKSA amplifiers.
But not new to the audio listinening. since I installed high end audio system, speakers etc
like, Meridian, LINN
my questoin is fool, and many may dont like it!!
As I said, just heard about this amp.
I looked atspecs, people who heared it, impression results.
Now, i wonder how a simple amplifier will sound that way. while
1- using a low number of audio components
2- Very simple
3- Very normal electronics parts, nothing special
I mean, how to convince me pay that amount of money to buy that simple amplifier?
What is the secret in that design? i know no one will tell.
But convince me to buy it
the web is FULL of circuits for audio amplifiers
Thank you
So you want some one to twist your arm? For starters research this forum. Find out some of the things that are important to Hugh and see if that falls in line in what your are looking for as far how as how a component sounds. For example, if you want a cold hard dry analytical sound, that would not fall in line with some of the things that are important to Hugh. My example is extreme, but I was trying to illustrate a point. Another thing, have you noticed any disappointed customers? I am in the same boat as you, I am buying without ever hearing. Have a little faith and good luck.
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Hans,
You've had some weeks listening now, Hans, would you like to make further comment on the presentation of your system with your very good DAC and speakers?
Hugh
Hugh, i missed this question.. I will answer it and also pull 'AudioTechs' over the edge :-)
I am playing for a while with the LF100 now. First i have to say that it's rock solid. Powering off and on is always quiet. Not tics or plop's. From all amp's i had before an Aspen amp is the first amp that could satisfy me. I would call it an amp with the best sum of properties. In all area's of what i expect from an amp it performs largely sufficient. That's unique imo. What's really magical with this amp are the beautiful roundings. NEVER heard that with another SS amp, only with tubes. I did some little modifications, like changing the input cap and i added some extra PS cap's. When listening to this amp i'll feel aware that this is not just a quick design with a few components, but a project with many years of R&D. And AudioTechs: be warned. After the LF100 i build the Vsonic's and sold my 8000 euro speakers. After that i bought the GK1 pre-amp. Ahum..became like an real Aspen fan! Together with my very, very sophisticated new 1541 NOS dac design from Ecdesigns (Dutch company) i am at a point now that i won't want to change anything anymore. That's odd after so many years of 'searching'. I have to learn to sit down, relax and listen to the music ;-)
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Hi Hans,
thanks for the critique, I think you are dead right, but then, I would, wouldn't I? :green:
The roundings (a tube term?) is the deliberate use of a bootstrap, which better accommodates the rather nasty back emf and phase shift coming off the speaker, which is effectively an active load for an amplifier. There are also healthy base stoppers, which improve the musicality of the amp. And there is a nested feedback loop, tricky to stabilise, but it reduces global feedback and makes the amp much more resistant to the kickback from the speaker voice coil. The input stage is quite complex, designed to very accurately process the feedback. This is very important, because the feedback loop really needs to be fast because of the tendency of a fb amp to intermodulate its error processing.
Because the topology is 'different', it sounds quite different too, much more like a tube amp with a bit more slam and resolution. And the depth of image is better handled, and I've found that if you can locate the individual musical instruments in space, you can more closely follow just one. This is what tube amps do so well, and I was striving to emulate this quality.
You are right about R&D. It consumed years. There is some original thinking in this design, quite a bit more than the AKSA. It is not unique, however, and if you research the history of audio you find every circuit element covered prior to about 1980. That's always a surprise, there is nothing new under the sun, sobering thought.
Kieran, thank you for the vote of confidence, much appreciated!
I believe that there is far more work to be done to produce the ideal amplifier. I suspect improvements will be consistent every year for the next ten years at least. Unfortunately, my later amps are even better than the Lifeforce, for which I apologise :oops:, but time brings progress slowly. The Lifeforce remains my present best modular amp - until people hear the NAKSA.
Cheers,
Hugh
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Hi Hans,
The roundings (a tube term?) is the deliberate use of a bootstrap, which better accommodates the rather nasty back emf and phase shift coming off the speaker, which is effectively an active load for an amplifier.
Cheers,
Hugh
Ah, Hugh, just picked up on this. :D Some Qs:
1. When you say "the rather nasty back emf and phase shift coming off the speaker" ... is this any speaker? IE. is it possible to design a speaker which has no back-EMF?
2. Is this back-EMF related to the inductance of the driver? IE. do drivers that are almost entirely resistive - like Maggie drivers - produce less back-EMF?
3. If back-EMF is related to inductance, do drivers which have Zobels produce less back-EMF? (I were designed to "tame" driver inuctance? :? )
4. The Lifeforce amps employ a "bootstrap" ... so does this mean they cope well with back-EMF?
Regards,
Andy
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Andy,
When you send a current through a voice coil immersed in a magnetic field, a force results which moves the voice coil, former and cone of the speaker. Broadly called a transducer, this changes electrical signals into comprressions and rarefactions in the air around the cone.
This assembly has mass, and thus inertia and when moving, momentum.
So, if you excite the speaker with a pulse, it moves. It's extremely inefficient (around 0.25% typically) but it works well.
If now the pulse ends, the speaker voice coil, former and cone continue to move for a short time until they are brought to rest by the suspension of the cone assembly.
This overshoot produces a voltage across the voice coil, which obviously is impressed back upon the speaker terminals, and ultimately, to the feedback node of a global feedback amplifier.
A Magneplanar has a planar voice coil and 'cone', but the effect is the same. This is a purely electromechanical phenomenon, and related to the principle of regenerative braking in an hybrid electric vehicle, where power is applied to the motor in the wheels to move the vehicle, and then extracted and fed back to the battery when the brakes are applied, with the motor used regeneratively as a generator.
The second effect is due to voice coil inductance, which causes phase shift between the applied voltage and the resulting current. This phase shift is again impressed upon the amplifier, which has to deal with this as well as the back emf, which is much, much slower.
It is my contention that the amp has serious trouble with this task, because at audio frequencies the phase shifts in the amp are far less than in the speaker due to its inductance and the crossover reactances, and the application of a fb signal which is considerably delayed electromechanically or phase shifted will disturb the way in which fb functions, chiefly impacting on the stability of the amplifier feedback loop. All this causes what is sometimes referred to as 'time smear distortion'.
For this reason, a zero global fb amp often sounds somehow more 'natural' than one with global feedback when both are used with a traditional electrodynamic speaker. But these sorts of amps do have other problems, damping factor, for one.
I invite comment from others more qualified than I on this vexed issue.
Cheers,
Hugh
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Hi guys,
May I add that a large part of the problem is not only caused by the drivers but the passive crossover as well. With all the cap, inductors and resistors. You will be suprised by how nasty some of them are.
KK