[lonewolfny42]

Hugh,

I'm moving up the ladder. I now have the AKSA paired with my Audio Research SP-9 preamp , out to Green Mountain Europa speakers. The source is now a EA Turbomodded Sony 7700 as transport feeding a EA Turbomodded Electrocompaniet ECD-1 dac.[/list:u]
The AKSA , now with about 50 hours is sounding very good !! To me, it has a tube like quality, not the in your face sound of a SS amp...but smooth. It sounds good at low or high volume (tho I like to turn it up ). On Friday I have a pair of Selah Audio SA-1 speakers arriving (audition tour). I will match them into system next. After that I will include a tube preamp and my Mirage M-3 speakers.[/list:u]
The final test will be a head to head with two other amps I own, Krell KSA-100 mkII and a Carver ZR1600 with 8th. Nerve mods. That will be very interesting. [/list:u]
Thanks again Hugh !! [/list:u]

[lonewolfny42]

Hello again Hugh,

Well, its almost 2AM Sunday morning...prime time for my listening after a day at work. I've got about 80 hours now on the AKSA. Current system equipement added, Philly Audio 7A tube preamp, Selah Audio SA-1 speakers, and Mirage M-3 speakers. At this time I'm listening to Shelby Lynne cd , "Identity Crisis" (thanks Carl) using the Mirage's. The music just flow's so natural. Vocals, guitars, very detailed and smooth . This is the best that I've heard this cd sound.....relaxed....enjoyable. It also helps that I've got an excellent cd playback system...black background....nice soundstage. For those looking for charts and graphs...forget it   ....I'm in it for the sound of music. And right now..... it is music !!!! [/list:u]
Later today I will compare the other two amps I have on hand to the AKSA. After that , I will be returning the amp to Occam/Paul so he can get it ready for the tour. This has been a very enjoyable experience......thanks Hugh...... [/list:u]
Chris[/list:u]

[lonewolfny42]

My pleasure Chris,

Could you relay a more accurate word picture of your experience personally, so we can discuss it?

Paul's back in town after his vacation......

Thanks for your reliability and honesty!

Cheers,

Hugh

Hello Hugh,

I have to call Paul today. I got home late and did not get a chance to call last night.[/list:u]
For those of you reading this, I told Hugh in a PM, that I would tell him exactly what I hear, good or bad ! And that I would not sugar coat anything ...if something I don't like appears, he will know it. So far things are good, binding posts may need some work , but thats a minor issue.[/list:u]
A word picture...might say what "Heaven" looks like.... . The sound is smooth , tube like, but the SS sound is still present. Its not a weak sound as some tube amps. Its very deep...sort of like floating in space. On acoustic material , a nice separation around the instruments....but it is ever present on other material too. And I've played all kinds of music so far. And I've used the amp in different configurations, beginning with just amp and cdp , out to speakers.[/list:u]
Hugh , I've just put the Elgar piece on. Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in E Minor , Jacqueline du Pre'. As I listen, her notes just float off the cello. Smooth sound on quiet passages. Its not playing loud , but as the orchestra comes in , it very forceful , clear , not muddy. You can "feel" her playing...its got "soul".... . Its as if she were here. Very real.[/list:u]
I'm up to the Adagio. The silence between her notes as the bow slides over the strings , slight sound of orchestra behind and around her. No one area of the sound stands out...very balanced.[/list:u]
Now....Allegro, Moderato, Allegro ma non troppo....the cello is like ...skipping along...with the orchestra filling in the background....flutes, violins, horns....the sound is full, not congested as the sound picks up and then goes into a quiet passage. I heard a cough....[/list:u]
With about 3 minutes to go,and as the orchestra comes in , the sound is rising and then falling to very quiet. Then the cello becomes very much alive...and the piece ends.[/list:u]
I picked this work because I enjoy the emotion of the piece and I know from a past dicussion with Hugh , that he is familiar with this work. [/list:u]
To sum up the sound of what I heard....detailed, tubelike but still SS sounding, full, air, emotion,smooth,natural. But mainly...enjoyable.[/list:u]
Get on this tour and give this amp a listen. Dare I say it "sounds" like vinyl. (well I did !! )[/list:u]

[lonewolfny42]

As my time with the AKSA 100N+ is drawing soon to a close, I have been comparing it to the amps I use in my system now. I own three , Krell KSA-100 mkII, Carver ZR 1600 with 8th. Nerve mods, and a pair of Scott Nixon Mono's (40 watts). I will use the Krell and Carver. To make it simple, I've once again changed things around; back down the ladder. Phillips CD-80 CDP (with adjustable volume), to amp, out to speakers....Shamrock Keelin's and Selah SA-1's (audition demo tour). Cables are Ridge Street Audio Midnight Silver Ed. II.

I selected three cds:[/list:u]
James Taylor - October Road(rock,male vocal)[/list:u]
Shelby Lynne - Identity Crisis(rock/country,female vocal)[/list:u]
The Bad Plus - These are the Vistas(jazz, 3 piece group)[/list:u]
I played each cd in its entirety, one after the other. And I took notes of what I heard.
[/list:u]
First up, the Carver. This is basically a stock unit (I know that there are other mods that are being done to this amp). The 8th. Nerve  mods are just speaker posts and RCA input changes. It has alot of power. I would describe the sound I heard as up front, first row. Strong bass. Very  detailed sound. But after three cds in a row, it gets a little tiring. What it lacks is depth and air around the instruments and vocals. Out came the Carver.[/list:u]
Next in, the AKSA 100N+. A nice difference. A few rows back, but very open in sound. Sound wide, as it is deep. A mellow air around instruments and vocals. Very balanced. Very easy to listen to...so smooth. Remember, CDP and Amp only. I enjoyed it compared to the Carver. I do know that when I match the Carver with my tube preamp the sound is better, but still "in your face". But the AKSA is more enjoyable. [/list:u]
My listening was done on Sunday and Monday for the Carver and AKSA. Tonight, and tomorrow night , I will repeat the session with the Krell and AKSA. The Krell I've had for over 18 years. I've not played it for about a month. Class A runs very hot in the summer , and in a 12x12 room , adds about 10 degree's to the room temp. That is why I picked up the Carver...runs cool...as does the AKSA . [/list:u]
Thursday morning the AKSA goes back to Occam/Paul for a little spit and polish, any adjustments, and then I guess....hits the road. [/list:u]
To be continued.......[/list:u]

[lonewolfny42]

Part Two.....My last comparison is the Krell KSA-100 mkII amp. As I said earlier, I've had this amp along time. Its like an old grey battleship, not pretty, but has never failed to satisfy my choice of music or equipement. Also has the ability to power any speaker thats ever been made... .

Playing the music I selected, all three cds in a row, the sound of the Krell reveals a front row seat , controlled bass with nice slam, extended midrange, smooth sound. A detailed treble , not tizzy , but a little rolled off to my hearing. Total sound quality is better than the Carver. Compared to the AKSA , the Krell has an edge in the bass area. In midrange, the AKSA has the edge. I say that because it sounds to me that the AKSA has more air or space around the vocals and instruments. As for treble, the Krell falls a little short compared to the AKSA. The AKSA goes out slightly more in that range.[/list:u]
To sum all this up, I enjoyed all three amps. Each has something to offer. I like a variety of equipement (as they say, variety is the spice of life), thats why I have many different pieces. Depending on my mood, I make my selections accordingly. But of the three, the most enjoyable was the AKSA. Is it the best amp ?????  It was just so easy on the ears, smooth, wide soundstage, and airy detail. Its not perfect, but it never gets in the way of the music. And music is the main reason we buy equipement.  [/list:u]
I'd like to thank Hugh and Paul for providing the AKSA for the audition tour  !! Best of luck on its U.S. journey !! [/list:u]
I'd also like to thank Rocket/Rod, Carlman/Carl, ...and that "dude"... JohnR, for their help in the original AKSA thread that got all this going....Thanks !!![/list:u]

I see now why Hugh has such loyal friends and customers !! Add me to the list...THANKS !!!!!!!  Chris[/list:u]

[JoshK]

I also use Volex power cords, among others.  Actually I have put them up against $500 power cords and they weren't completely outclassed, just different.  Can't beat that for $7 pop.

This AKSA 100N+ is one sweet little amp!  I have had it hooked up all day and all I can say is wow, I didn't expect it to drive my RM40's so well.  I thought it'd clip (not that I was trying mind you) if the bass went really deep and strong.  It didn't.  I am really pleasantly surprised by the refinement, finese and neutrality of this amp.  More formal comparisons to my Spectron Musician II will come tomorrow after I have done more A/B'ing.

[JoshK]

A few more comments on my listening sessions with the AKSA:

1) it was mentioned here, or atleast implied that the AKSA isn't the king of bass amps.  Well, I found the bass to be quite good, if not damn good.  No, it doesn't plunge to the deepest depths that my spectron does but to my ears it seems to be punchier, having lots of snap, tempo, etc and it is a bit better defined in the mid bass.  I can definitely live with this.  To me this is a more natural trade off.

2) speaking of natural, that is a great term for me to describe its character!  The midrange up into the high highs is oh so natural, and without a hint of grain that I can detect.  Compared to a Gamut D100 that I had in my system ($3500 100wpc amp), the AKSA is far smoother, fluid and natural sounding.  The Gamut wasn't offensive but certainly not grainless.

3) compared to my former amp, the Cary V12i, and my current Spectron Musician II, the presentation is definitely in the middle.  With the Cary, the presentation was always sitting right up next to the stage, with the Spectron you are about 3/4 of the way back in mid hall while the AKSA seems to be maybe 1/4 of the way back, or a half a dozen rows or so.  This makes it an easier amp to live with long term in my opinion.  It has the detail while not being aggresive or tiring to listen to.  

If I had to put it in a price class among other retail amps, I might place it in the $3,500 to $5,000 range at the moment, since those are many of the amps I have listened to and the AKSA certainly is not out of its league by comparison.  

More A/B comparisons to come later....especially focusing on imaging, soundstage and other audiophilia qualities that some fret about.

[JoshK]

Ok, as far as imaging and soundstage go....compared to my Spectron the image is ever so slightly less focused, but more focused then when I had a tube preamp, which is to say still very sharp.   The Spectron has a deeper soundstage but less wide than the AKSA.  My width is very limited based on my current setup so the width is still contained to the width of the speakers but that is my setup not the amp.   For those that haven't had experience with the Spectron (which I presume is most), I would say the image is very sharply defined, width is good, depth is somewhat limited but could probably be deeper with the right setup.   Very good scores IMHO.    

The take away:  I plan to build one for myself, now which is the question, 55 or 100?  That is yet to be decided.

[JoshK]

I haven't gotten around to upgrading the clock in my CD player although it is on my list.   I wanted to start with easier projects first since I am pretty new to DIY still.  I'd hate to ruin a $3,000 player (I paid around $2,000 though).   I also plan to upgrade the PS caps to Black gate or something equiv and if I can track down a schematic, then maybe replace the coupling caps with something fun.

More and more my interest in this hobby has turned from what is the best system I can amass on my budget to what is the best system I can build myself.  I may end up with two systems, the first and the one I built myself.  Of course, the Teres TT will be the main source for the DIY system.  

I really did enjoy listening to the AKSA amp!  Thanks Hugh for making this opportunity for us to hear!  I had been thinking about making one for a long time and now this finally cements my decision.   Thanks to Paul (Occam) for getting in touch with me so I had the chance to hear it and thanks to those of you who are patiently waiting to get your turn!  Its worth the wait.

Josh

[Gordy]

Hi Hugh,

Oh yeah, it certainly is behaving itself .   I'll outline my system and general impressions so far either tonight or tomorrow and for now only say that both my current amps (VAC Avatar and Carver ZR1000/some mods) have their advantages over each other. The N+ is melding most of best of both in one delicious package and then some .  As you know, I've already inquired about parts selection in a PM...

It's time to earn? my keep.

Thank you once again for this wonderful opportunity

Gordy

[Gordy]

Well I'm down to one day left with the N+, I guess it's time to put down some impressions!  

My Shanlin T-200 is DNF'n for now , so all listening was done with a stock Sony 999es feeding a Philly Audio 7A (nos tubes) and either a moded Carver ZR1000 (ala the old Monolith/Occam/Scotty thread) or a stock VAC Avatar.  Chris VH flavor 2 cords are fed by a fully decked out BPT 2.0 and IC's are silver Alpha Cores.  All but the first night the Tara's were used for speaker wires. My Alpha Cores were deemed too capacitive without a Zobel and I agree, well, based on what I heard using 'em with a Marchand chip amp I switched to my Belden 8720 wires and the Marchand sounded far less anemic.

A week before the AKSA arrived I turned off the subwoofer and started listening to my main speakers full range, as I wanted only one amp in the system at a time. During this time I was also breaking in the newly re-capped Marchand chip amp, again thanks to a lot of advice (read: newby corraling) from the Occam man.

As soon as I fired up the N+ I was grinning. There was LIFE in this thing, it just made me grin, really, and I couldn't help it!  There's an air about it that I just wasn't used to after 8 or so months with the Carver. A greater extention to the highs that just seems more natural, not squeeky clean, just very nicely detailed.  The Carver seems somewhat trundicated maybe in comparison and not nearly as, well, natural.  The Carver has it beat by a tad in what I hear as bass control and attack/leading edge dynamics, speed.  That's about it though 'cause the N+ walks all over (well, okay ) the Carver in things like imaging/density, decay, and staging size (less upper harmonic noise?) I can't really comment on stage height though, I just don't seem to hear a lot of variance in my room. Yeah, I'll blame it on the room!  Or the cdp!

As for the Avatar, it's still a sweet little 63 lb. thing, but at 27w (triode mode) it really can't juice my 86dB Scan Speak based speakers.  It's every bit as lovely up top (maybe more) as the N+, but the N+ seems to reach out just a bit further.  Bass, well... it's pretty good! Both the Carver and the AKSA have far greater heft though. I prefer vocals, especially female, and acoustic strings with the Avatar, it just has that richness to it.  All in all though, the AKSA is just so beautifully balanced that I can forgive that!

For my taste, Hugh has gotten the majority what I like (and presumably some things I don't even know I like!) in my two amps and smooshed them into this here N+ thang.  I want one. It's going to have to wait, but I want one.

One bum note though, for me anyway.  I spent today rewiring everything to finally run an active x-over stereo sub system.  I have the AKSA up top and the Carver handling bass duties.  Cool, the best of both worlds   Not.  Whether it's all the cheap ass stacked caps in the DBX or all the DIY Belden adaptor IC's (or both) I dunno, but some of that magic has gone missing   Granted, nothing is close to being zero'd in, but even with the bass output off and the x-overs set to 45hz some of that upper magic is lost.  Maybe once I get used to the Marchand again...

So, who's next up???  

Gordy

[SuperMart]

I'd like to add my thanks to Occam for his work on the cables. I ordered a pair of the Tara Phase 2 TFA Return and I'm delighted with the results. A very good match for my 55N+. Nicely detailed and even across all frequencies.Excellent value and well worth considering by AKSA owners IMHO. They seem to be a natural conduit for the AKSA's abundant PRAT.
Crikey, if I put any more jargon in this post we'll all need Enigma machines.

[steve k]

I've had the AKSA 100 Nirvana Plus for a few days now and had a few friends from the GAS group over to hear it in my system including Vasu who brought it by. I'm also hosting a GAS get together next Friday where a much larger group will get to hear it also. Hopefully this will get the word out about what a fine amp this is in the St. Louis area anyway.

Let me preface this by saying I'm from the "dark side" (as we call it among the GASsers)--the tube world and the planar world.   I'm currently running VTL MB125 monoblocks with ZERO autoformers and a tricked out Bottlehead Foreplay tube pre through a pair of Magnepan MGIIIA's.

I haven't heard solid state amplification in my system in several years so I welcomed the change just to get my bearings again. We were all mightily impressed with how the AKSA performed in my system. It had great control and authority over these big slabs with a lot more headroom to go louder than the VTL's. To me, it is a warm sounding amp-- yet very linear across the frequency spectrum--quite musical and easy to listen to. I noticed it seemed a tad faster than the VTL's--transients and leading edges were quick and well defined and the overall presentation was slightly more forward with slightly less depth than the VTL's.

Being a tube man, I'm still a sucker for a tad more midrange bloom and a tad more three-dimensional soundstage both of which I would give the edge to the VTL's. This is more a matter of personal taste however, and not a criticism of the AKSA. I had it on all day yesterday and grew quite used to it's sound. I could easily live with this amp, or better yet, a pair of them biamping my maggies if I were to go back to SS amplification.  

I have to admit, while I don't listen to rock much anymore (I listen mostly to jazz and classical) I did get a chance to be 18 again for an hour or so last night while the wife and kids were out. I through some rock discs on and let it rip. The AKSA goes way louder than the VTL's and cleanly. I had Soundgarden up to about 95dB (which in my small room is stupid loud) and it's the most slam I've had with kick drums and bass on any of my maggie systems.   If I were really into rock, this amp would definitely float the boat. My hat's off to Hugh Dean--this is one fine product particularly at it's price point. It handled what are traditionally difficult speakers to drive with authority and aplomb!

Audiojerry: I will ship this off to you next Saturday so PM me with your address and particulars. No cheese in the box though, sorry.

steve k

[vpolineni]

Like Steve said, I delivered the aksa to him a couple of days ago after having it for a week... first off, hugh dean is a craftsmen.  The wooden crate he built for the aksa was massive-I could have put an egg in there and it wouldn't have cracked (though I'm sure ups would have tried).  Now onto the amp... what can i say?  everything written about this amp is true.  It's the most tube-like ss amp I've ever heard yet still retains the strengths of ss-excellent dynamics with slam in the bass and very extended frequency response.  The first thing that struck me about the aksa in my system was how fast and clean it was.  I was able to hear the reverb on a guitar better than before and as steve mentioned, transient attack was excellent.  One of my torture tests for an amplifier is Pearl Jam-Man of the Hour.  The guitar effect on this song is typically smeared, resulting in an ear-piercing brightness that is untolerable... for the first time in a very long time, I was able to enjoy this song without any smearing through the aksa... the only drawback i had in MY system (I did not experience this at all at steve's-btw, aksa and maggies are an excellent match) is that it was just a little too laidback for me... i think with a better preamp this would be taken care of though.  bottom line, if i knew how to solder, i'd build one of these in a heartbeat.  congrats hugh-you have an excellent product here.

[steve k]

Well, Hugh, the AKSA is on its way to Audiojerry. The GASsers had a blowout here last night (sounds scary doesn't it? and we did pig out on my home made chili! )   and the AKSA performed commendably. We went through a whole host of equipment but the last switch we made was to biamp my MG IIIA's with the AKSA on the bottom and my VTL MB-125's on the mids and top. The AKSA handled the bass with authority and control. This amp definitely packs a lot of punch and the 100WPC rating is deceiving for the sheer current this thing puts out. It handles Maggies very well.

Check out the Gallery later, I'll be posting some pics of the gang and the gear last night. So it's on to cheesehead country. You guys enjoy it up there!

Thanks for the opportunity to hear it, Hugh!

steve k and the Gateway Audio Society

[DeadFish]

Gee, that was fun.
Seriously, I got to hear the AKSA for a little bit before things got changed out, and not enough to seriously be considered a review.
However, when I first heard the amp, everything was 'right' in Steve's setup.  When his Maggies are pitching good, they are a big, tall wall of sound with great imaging and staging.  Sound goes outside the speakers, and *to my ears*, the speakers disappeared.   This is what was going on with the AKSA, when I heard it.  More precise than his VTLs, and maybe a little more extreme range.  
I've still got my Bryston stuff that I ran Vandies on here, and for the sound I heard last nite, the Bryston has nothing on the AKSA.  
If I hadn't been turned to the 'dark side' of tubes by these guys, I'd still be preachine the Gospel of Bryston on any street corner.
However, I had more time to listen to the amp when it was carrying the low end biamped with the VTLs.  
As I said in a previous post, that didn't work for me.
I don't know if it was comparitive sounds or timing clashing with the tube gear or what.  It was really a curious experience, that.  Either amp setup sounded great alone. The bottom end that I had heard the AKSA do solo, it didn't quite reach in the bi configuration.  (There might be some sound engineers that might be able to explain that to me, but to the limits of my understanding, a conundrum.)
Quite frankly, if I weren't so committed to living with my Altec 19s and my tube path, I'd be curious how the AKSA performed on my Vandie 2ci, even actively biamped as I did the Bryston stuff.  
But for the short time I was able to listen, I liked the amp.
Thanks for the opportunity, Hugh!

Best regards,
DeadFish

[sturgus]

Hugh, thank you for letting us take the AKSA for a spin.  With the industry as it is now it is very hard to hear new product if you don't live in a real major city.
                                          The Sound
Dynamics: On a scale of 1 to 10  I give it an seven. With the Maggies it
                 holds it's own very well.  It gave a sense of I am in control.
                 Notes had very good attack and decay without strain. It also
                 gave me the impression that it is very fast . Very good pace  
                 and timing. I think where it falls short is in the area of finess
                 it's just not as delicate with the music as the VTL's.
             
Bass:         In Steve's system this is where this amp shines. Stand up  
                 sounds very taught and the body of the instrument is real in
                 size. When we played Bella Fleck the bass was still tight and
                 in focus. With this music many amps make it sound bloated.
                 I give it  an eight in overall bass performance.

Image/SS: In this area it does well but is lacking in front to back imaging.
                 Every instrument is in the plane but not as holographic as the
                 VTL's. As far as soundstage goes it did not leave the outer
                 boundries of the speakers. Within these boundries it gives a
                 sense of space but when we listened to the Salon New York
                 the venue just sounded smaller. I have to give a six in this
                 area.

Overall I think this amp is a very good buy for the money. Some of the concerns I have could just be a lack of synergy with the system. If I were
going to buy a SS amp it would be high on my list. The price is very right.
Sturgus

[bmed]

Hi guys!  Thanks to Hugh for the opportunity to audition the AKSA.  I just wanted to preface my remarks with the fact that I use SET/Single drivers in my personal rig--so you have an idea of the traits that I prefer.

I have had experience with a local friends Magneplanar 20.1/Levinson behemoth.  Just wanted to throw some of my impressions out there.  

I'll mirror Sturgus' remarks about the dynamics/bass.  I felt that the AKSA was in total control of the bass line.  Plucking upright bass was spot on and clean, from initial attack to decay, very tight.  It really pushed the music out.  I remember putting on the "Pizza Tapes" and listening to track 8 "Summertime".  The AKSA + Maggies resulted in 6 foot tall guitars with strings that must have been the size of 8 guage power cords.  Some thought this was unnatural, I thought it was awesome!  I thought it easily trounced the Jazz in this category.  The VTL's were just different in their presentation of the bass, being more rounded, not having as sharp of a leading edge, but sounding a little more tonally accurate.

I agree again with Sturgus concerning the soundstaging.  I remember discussing with him concerning the boundaries of the stage being the lateral borders of the speakers.  They never expanded outside of this, no matter the material being played.  Front to back depth was mostly 3ft or so in front or behind depending on the voicing of the recording.  Garcia's rough/raw voice on the "Pizza tapes" was dead center, all the nuances of his unsteady pitch and breathing patterns accurately presented.
The AKSA didn't have the smoothness of the VTL's or the AR for that matter.  

In closing, I preferred the AKSA over the Jazz and AR amps on hand.  I thought it had a fuller, gutteral sound, with the best dynamics.  I felt this was a rock-n-roll amp if there ever was one.  It handled the Maggies easily, no easy feat.    What it lacked was some of the delicacy and soundstaging on quieter passages of classical and guy/girl with a guitar music (nit picking, I know, but I'm a SET guy).

If I were to need a SS amp, the AKSA just made it a two dog race with my other SS fave Odyssey Stratos.

Thanks again for your generous opportunity,

Brad

[AKSA]

Folks,

Interesting comments;  some really sharp, perceptive observations and it gladdens my heart to see such concern for the qualities of sound stage, tonal accuracy, engagement, etc.  These are full-on audiophile qualities, and I have for some time felt that they were abating in the torrent of home entertainment sales over the last decade.

However, I note that the supplied Tara Labs cable may not have been used with the Magneplanars.  Is this right?  I am not sure of the cables which were used, but the requirements between SS and tube cables are somewhat different;  the global negative feedback loop of a SS amplifier is very critical in this regard, and I can promise the refinement would have been much superior with the Tara Labs.  This is actually a very serious issue, though it seems trivial;  the cable is an extension of the output stage and its impedance characteristics are most important.  A tube amplifier, with its large output transformer and kilometres of windings is nowhere near as critical in this area.

All future reviewers are strongly urged to use the supplied solid cable (I assume it was available?).  It really does make a difference, and it's only $US100 for a 10' pair!  At this level of performance the right accessories are important for a fair comparison because, as Kyrill says, it is a system, and good systems are the inspired management of compromise.

In closing, I sincerely thank the GAS crowd for taking the review so seriously, and for comparing the AKSA to such an august system.  ARCs and VTLs are very good amplifiers, Aronovs are reputedly even better, and it is a great flattery to Aspen to be in such an exclusive set!


Cheers,

Hugh

[audiojerry]

Hello Hugh and gang,

Firstly, the gain issue occurred 10 minutes after turning the amp on and checking to confirm that everything was working properly. Then I kept it playing for 4 hours, and when I returned home, the volume control was operating much more reasonably, so for some reason it settled down during that time. Is that normal? PS: There were no printed operating instructions included. Should there have been? I know enough to turn the amp on last, and not to attempt connections while it is on.  Can it be left on to stay warmed up without a speaker load or input? The sound improved dramatically with each hour of operation.

Secondly, a full review will come later, but I must report that the AKSA sounds marvelous! It is warm, engaging, and highly musical. Hey, I didn't know the AKSA was a tube amp!   I'm beginning to understand why ASPEN has developed such a loyal following. I'm looking forward to spending some extended time with it.  

Thanks again to Hugh and to everyone who made this tour possible