My Experience Building Aspen Amp's TLP and AKSA 100
(For all those who don't think they can do it)
I hope this will be helpful to those considering a DIY amp for the first time.
My only prior experience at electronics was building a pair of speakers from a kit purchased from The Sound Clearing House in Dec 2002. My first attempt at DIY included building the cabinets from plans, assembling the crossovers, installing the drivers. This proved to be easier than I expected and was glad. These loudspeakers were an improvement over the low-end components I already owned and I was pleased with the difference, but I knew I hadn’t arrived still. I knew what music should sound like.
After much searching, reading, and contemplation I found Aspen Amplifiers and Hugh Dean. From my very first contact with Hugh in mid January 2003, he has been a gentleman of the first order and a
pleasure to get to know.
Prior to purchasing the TLP (Tube Line Preamp) and the AKSA 100 watt amp, Hugh answered all my questions. He was honest with me about the pitfalls I might encounter due to my lack of experience, but still encouraged me to give it a go and promised that in the end I would not be disappointed with the finished product.
Living in the U.S. during this adventure had one very distinct advantage.
As I worked late into the night on the TLP & amp, my night was Hugh’s day.
Most of my e-mailed questions were answered shortly and I was able to keep working without much down time.
I received my kitsets on March 4th and set to work that night. I was also doing the Nirvana upgrade at the same time. So the task takes on the extra twist of inserting the upgrade at the correct stage of progress.
The TLPn was first.
I was anxious to get started. I was really looking forward to hearing quality, but Hugh reminded me that it's the journey...not the destination that we should be mindful of.
As recommended I read the instructions at least twice and more than that on certain parts…read, read and reread again.
I also verified the resistor's ohms and taped them to larger sheets of notebook paper in their order of installation, their designations and their values written next to the resistor, sort of like mapping a trip. This helped to keep me from accidentally grabbing the wrong resistor and kept me abreast of where I was in the installation. I also used a highlighter to mark a big “N” on each page of my Nirvana directions so I would always know which instructions I had in my hands.
One thing that I learned about Hugh’s instructions is that the answers are there if you will read it. Another great source of info is the Audio Circle forum. I found several answers there by using the search feature. I also found a decent resistor program that helped a bunch at this site;
http://www.rjpw.freeserve.co.uk/. This site was helpful also;
http://webhome.idirect.com/~jadams/electronics/index.html.
Granted these are pretty basic, but they still helped a lot.
Hugh was patient with my questions just the same. Never once did I feel like I was being talked down to or patronized. Hugh knows what service is. It is a commodity that is as real as orange juice or gold. It is always in short supply and in high demand, and is very marketable.
The TLP seemed intimidating at first but as I progressed and things fell into place I felt more confident. The going was slow, it took a little less than a week to complete (a lot of questions and much trepidation). With no stand alone amp, I had no way of testing my finished product. No problem. A few measurements to Hugh and I’m given the thumbs-up. Wow! I’m feeling pretty cocky now.
Without a glass of wine or time to pat the dog, I start in on the AKSA 100. I don’t know if I was just confident or if there is a difference in the instructions, but I found the AKSA directions easier to follow. The AKSA went according to the plans without too many questions for Hugh. At first testing without fuses, I was burning the fail-safe test resistors to a crisp.
Hugh had it figured in about 10 min. I had the output transistors mismatched. With that corrected, all other testing went fine until…setting the bias! When Hugh says to take great care while probes are attached to the test points because new output devices are expensive and time consuming to fit…he ain’t lying! During final bias testing I had too much croc clip exposed and poof, I was in a deep hole and crying like a baby.
So close and it was sounding so good! Fortunately Hugh was there to throw me a line and haul me out. Now keep in mind this is my first experience at doing a DIY of this magnitude…is there anyone of the other kitset manufacturers that responds like Hugh does? What if I had bought from someone else…I shudder to think...scary. I'd still be in that hole.
But Hugh and I did battle the best we could to fix it on my end, but in the end I needed to go to the land down under.
This repair time was spent building the wooden chassis. Both made with Western Red Cedar, brass screws and polyurethane finish. There are photos posted in the gallery on page 13 under Martin's Wooden Boxes.
So after nearly 7 weeks and much air postage I am finished.
You know what…I’d do it all again. This is what I have always wanted in high end stereo equipment. Everything I have read about the TLP & AKSA 100 is true. There are probably a lot of people who have spent much money and time replacing audiophile equipment to arrive at the place I’ve started. I feel fortunate indeed.
I can’t believe straight up music can sound this good. I’m hearing my CDs again for the first time. Every instrument is distinct and seems to have space around it. Bass notes are tight, they have a beginning and an end. Highs seem to float at just about cymbal height, clean and clear. The mids…to me this is where music really lives…I can see the acoustic guitar strings vibrating! The vocals are life like. Depth, separation, clarity…real. These all describe Hugh Dean’s TPL & AKSA 100 with Nirvana upgrades.
I couldn’t be happier with my purchases. If you are new to DIY audio like I was and want to give building audio equipment a go…I wouldn’t trust anyone else.
Give Aspen Amps & Hugh Dean a try…you wont be sorry.
Thanks for all the help Hugh, and all the AKSAphiles who contribute daily.
Martin L. Bowles
Enid, Oklahoma. USA
