[AKSA]

Hi Ron,

You got it - yes, with emphasis.......

A few words of explanation here.

The AKSA is a very good amplifier, one of the best of its class.  The design is so mature and the component selection so tuned that it's difficult to fault, particularly the N+, which after burn-in is complete (and this takes a lot of time!!   ) is up there with most of the high end big guys.

However, when you hear the Lifeforce, you need to recalibrate your ears.  I was shocked at how much 'better' it is;  yet it is not that the AKSA is bad at all, and I will continue to sell it as an outstanding DIY amp.  It's just that the resolution of this new amplifier is so exhaustive, leaving not a single note unplayed, that the entire environment of the recording is now completely laid bare.  There is no magic in this;  there are technical reasons why this is so, and they relate to the crossover region of Class AB, which is 2.4 volts wide, and represents the no-mans land where one half of the output stage hands over to the other.  This region, sometimes called the 'dead zone', is not well controlled in a Class AB amplifier, because within this range all output devices are barely on, and their capacity to accurately meter current into the speaker is seriously compromised.  This is one reason why things sound better at higher volume;  less detail is lost comparatively because all the signals present are at much higher amplitude.

Most of the recording environment information is contained within signals of 3Vpp or less, and you will note this corresponds to the dead zone.  This corresponds to that first watt, the one all the fuss is about and which was chosen as the name of NP's latest venture.  Retrieving this low level information means imposing tight control over the output stage at this very tetchy point.   This forces us to improve two aspects of amp design;  to measure more accurately what is taking place at the output so that it can be properly compared to the input - a roundabout way of describing feedback control - and to control the output stage more effectively around the dead zone so that it does precisely what the feedback mechanism tells it to do.  In both these areas, the Lifeforce addresses the issues directly, and hence the greatly enhanced performance.

Hope this is helpful, Ron, thanks for the post.

Cheers,

Hugh

[G Georgopoulos]

amazing!

[RonR]

Hugh,

You have mail.......

Cheers,

Ron.

[Felipe]

Hugh,

You have mail.......

Cheers,

Ron.

likewise............ 

[jules]

Hugh,

could I ask you to translate your technical explanation in terms of what it actually does, if that's possible? I get the impression that what you are saying is that, at normal listening levels, you don't lose some of the lower level stuff. Is that the case?

At the other end of the scale when you fired the thing up did you just feel, wow there's a heap of things, some of which are hard to define, that just sound better?

jules

[AKSA]

Hi Jules,

First part:  Yes, much more low amplitude resolution, so you don't miss the spatial and environment cues.

Second:  Yes, I suddenly realised, this was precisely what I'd been looking for over a long hard three years.

Pardon my indecent haste;  in a screaming hurry.........

Cheers,

Hugh

[jules]

 , thanks.

jules

[ginger]

Well I've had a decent listen to the Lifeforce55 now.

I can only say that the guys in the posts above have pretty well nailed the differences between the 55 Nivarna Plus and the Lifeforce.

Borrowing adjectives from above, the things which stood out for me were:
more "refined" than the 55N+
"effortlessness" - no hint of strain or grunt, it just delivers
"clarity and three dimensionality", "imaging" and "air" are all better than the 55N+
"fine detail" is better

So is a 100% tick in the box - well actually I miss a bit of the warmth (distortion???) of the 55N+ so I'll have to give it 95/100 - Sorry Hugh, but then I never give anyone a 100% mark anyway, can't have them "resting on their laurels" now can we?.

I think, however,  that 95% of you will be quite happy to trade that little bit of "warmth" for the added detail, imaging and relaxed presentation - I certainly am - of course, if I could have both then .....

And have I started modifying it? - well only a little bit. The LF55 has 4 off 100uF/50V electrolytic capacitors in it (each channel). Hugh uses a 100uF/50V Blackgate Standard for the most sonically critical of these. All 4 of them in my amp are now Blackgate Standards. 2 of the other 3 are the main power rail (+ and - supplies) filter caps on the board, and changeing those two to Blackgate in particular gave worthwhile improvements I thought. Changing the 4th one did'nt seem to do much.

Cheers,
Ian

 

[oldtimer]

This may seem a silly question, but I have 99db speakers, and 55w is a lot of power to throw at them. Does the amp operate in class A for long, and if so will it have the resolution at low output levels when paired with very high sensitivity speakers. Most of my listening is in the .5 to 1.5watt area. How about a 20 or 25watt version too?

Regards Nigel

[Felipe]

This may seem a silly question, but I have 99db speakers, and 55w is a lot of power to throw at them. Does the amp operate in class A for long, and if so will it have the resolution at low output levels when paired with very high sensitivity speakers. Most of my listening is in the .5 to 1.5watt area. How about a 20 or 25watt version too?

Regards Nigel

Hi Nigel,

There are a few people that adpated the AKSA55 N+ to a 25W version. This was done to suit the Orion project i believe in order to amplify the tweeter with a lower power version.
You might wanna do a search in the forum looking for this.

As regards to Lifeforce, dont know if Hugh is planning to do a 25w version as well, but he might do it if you ask him.

Apart from this, i do believe that other are using their 55w with higher sensitivity speakers (>100dB) with no problems. But that i cant say for sure who.....

Good luck
Filipe

[ShinOBIWAN]

Holy crap, £310 for the 55N+ then hand that back to Hugh + another £300 for a 55LF.... £600 for a kitset?!?

Sorry for the outburst but shock hardly describes it.

[Grumpy_Git]

Holy crap, £310 for the 55N+ then hand that back to Hugh + another £300 for a 55LF.... £600 for a kitset?!?

Sorry for the outburst but shock hardly describes it.

Better an Aksa than an Arcam / Cyrus / Linn / Naim / Primaire / Roksan / add as appropriate, and some of them are a lot more than £600, as ever YMMV.

Nick

[PSP]

Geez ShinObiDarth... you are free to buy (or not buy).  Why so angry?

[Seano]

Yep.  The LF seems rather pricey by comparison to the AKSA. 

But it is worth remembering that:
a) develpoment costs money and the LF is a development
b) the LF really isn't a kitset amp anymore....it is supplied as a fully built module pair and that's only to current AKSA owners.  If you want one and you don't have an AKSA then you'll have to wait for the complete article.

and c) plenty of others seem quite willing to pay the premium.

The way I look at it is that AU$2000 will buy a very nice looking and sounding 100w power amp.....but I'd be wiling to wager that the LF (or even a N+) would be as good or better...

[AKSA]

Hi Shinobiwan,

Thank you for your post.

The point has been made, but I do not encourage you to buy, particularly as it is clearly beyond your price point.

I am aiming the LF at a new market, that is why it's built and tested.  It is also superior by a large margin - and you know that high end is about margins and marketing.  For years I have tried to work the DIY market;  it's very difficult, as like any business in a high cost country, I have overheads.  I have to derive more income from my sales.  I am not living in China!!

You have been a DIYer and built a lot of amps, to your credit.  Your open comparisons of these products has been thorough, and relentless.  In some instances you were plain wrong - a risk you take when you make public statements.  I made no comment, but suffice to say you did Aspen some damage.  I have never criticised you, but you are doing it again - and in my back yard.

Perhaps I should thank you!  For three years I've laboured to improve on the AKSA, and after your DIYaudio comments I redoubled my efforts.  The result has been the Lifeforce, and I'm prepared to say it's my best amp yet.  Naturally for something so prized, I'm not keen to have it misjudged!!

The LF is not for you.  It is no longer a kit, and the price reflects this selling strategy.  With each new purchase, you appear to find the holy grail.  But it must be inexpensive, and again, and regrettably, this is NOT a suitable product for you.

Cheers,

Hugh

[DSK]

Holy crap, £310 for the 55N+ then hand that back to Hugh + another £300 for a 55LF.... £600 for a kitset?!?

Sorry for the outburst but shock hardly describes it.

ShinOBIWAN, I suggest that in future you do at least a little prior reading on the subject before you start slamming a manufacturer on his own Circle. Hugh Dean has been offering high quality kit sets at relatively low prices for years and providing after sales service that matches anyone else out there.

Firstly, this thread is titled LISTENING IMPRESSIONS ... not COST impressions or technical impressions or whatever ...

Secondly, the LifeForce is NOT a kit set. It will be sold as a fully assembled amplifier. Because every current AKSA owner that got to hear the LF begged Hugh to sell them the LF modules, Hugh decided to offer an upgrade scheme to current AKSA owners. This is a reward to loyal, repeat customers. The price of the upgrade is CHEAP when you hear the LF. Indeed, I feel that we are ripping Hugh off! Especially when you consider that Hugh is providing fully built LF modules (ie. NOT kitset). Hugh did not have to do this.

Thirdly, if you compare the sound quality of the LF to other amplifiers you will quickly realise that the LF pricing is ridiculously cheap. Grumpy Git has suggested that it is better than "Arcam / Cyrus / Linn / Naim / Primaire / Roksan". To my mind, these brands in general are are entry level high-end and not in the class of the LF. The LF is also better, to my ears, than the likes of Plinius, Electrocompaniet, Perreaux, Musical Fidelity, Bel Canto and even Audio Aero etc that I have owned or auditioned at length. The Audio Aero Prestige Monoblocks are approx A$40k a pair IIRC but I preferred the LF .... still 'shocked' at the price of the LF? I was ... shocked at how cheap it is!

You have every right to properly audition an LF, then compare its sonics and price (in the appropriate thread) to other amps you have owned or auditioned. Until then, making such irrational observations makes you look rather silly.

[Hegemony]

ShinOBIWAN,

An ill-considered, ill-informed post which most certainly does not enrich or inform this forum.  I second DSK in all that he has mentioned.  After hearing the LF extensively, which I assume you have done to arrive at your conclusions of the LF being too expensive, I am in no doubt Hugh could sell this amp for double the price and still sell many.

Hugh, keep up the good work, the LF brings me joy every time I turn it on.

Back on topic though, I have recently purchased an SB3 to replace my cd spinner.  I will post some listening impressions of the LF55-GK1-SB3 combo in the near future for your reading pleasure.

Thanks,
Russ

[stvnharr]

Holy crap, £310 for the 55N+ then hand that back to Hugh + another £300 for a 55LF.... £600 for a kitset?!?

Sorry for the outburst but shock hardly describes it.

Did you just crawl out of a cave or something???!!!
You could at least have read up completely on what you are "shocked" about before posting. 
Your ignorance is appalling!!!

[ShinOBIWAN]

Hi Shinobiwan,

You have been a DIYer and built a lot of amps, to your credit.  Your open comparisons of these products has been thorough, and relentless.  In some instances you were plain wrong - a risk you take when you make public statements.  I made no comment, but suffice to say you did Aspen some damage.  I have never criticised you, but you are doing it again - and in my back yard.

Hi Hugh, hope your keeping well,

Yep my comments were lacking finesse but those were my exact thoughts when I took a look at prices. Your right though, its a tough to justify spend that sort of money for amps, I'll gladly spend £800 on a pair of midrange drivers but there's very clear gains to be had with loudspeaker design and its an area which offers the largest overall scope for improvements, amplifiers in comparison are subtly different. I'm pretty sure my comments will be taken at face value and seen as nothing but a personal rant. I also think you undersell your products when you consider a comparison between two amps as damaging to your business. Its all entirely subjective and most folks who read those comments realise that. I've since spoken with a 55N+ owner who has compared the GB150 to it and thought the AKSA wiped the floor with the GB150, so what does he or me know?

Its a shame you're moving away from DIY stuff but if it isn't paying the bills...

I think folks in this thread should realise that I did at one time own a 55N+ and thought it was a real nice amp. I was looking into purchasing the LF after a friend mentioned that this had recently been released but as you've said, its not really for the DIY market anymore. Its sort of halfway between a commercial product and a kitset now.

As always, good luck with the amp and if you decide to make this a kitset with a suitable drop in price, I'll definitely be interested. I've got no issues about spending upto around £400 on a amp *if* the quality is extreme.

The point has been made, but I do not encourage you to buy, particularly as it is clearly beyond your price point.

Looks like I've enraged some member, and maybe rightly so by the sounds of things.

So I better but my money where my mouth is... Would you be willing to do a loan of the amp Hugh? I'll basically pay for the amp in full, you ship it over, if I like it I keep, if I don't I send it back and have a refund? Just minimises the risk.

How much is it for a pair of LF55 fully assembled modules?

[andyr]

I'll gladly spend £800 on a pair of midrange drivers but there's very clear gains to be had with loudspeaker design and its an area which offers the largest overall scope for improvements.

I've since spoken with a 55N+ owner who has compared the GB150 to it and thought the AKSA wiped the floor with the GB150, so what does he or me know?

I think folks in this thread should realise that I did at one time own a 55N+ and thought it was a real nice amp. I was looking into purchasing the LF after a friend mentioned that this had recently been released but as you've said, its not really for the DIY market anymore. Its sort of halfway between a commercial product and a kitset now.

So I better but my money where my mouth is... Would you be willing to do a loan of the amp Hugh? I'll basically pay for the amp in full, you ship it over, if I like it I keep, if I don't I send it back and have a refund? Just minimises the risk.

How much is it for a pair of LF55 fully assembled modules?

Why on earth do you think Hugh should loan you a pair of LF modules ... especially given the unfavourable comments you've made here and on other Forums about the AKSA vs. the GB150?  IMO, "putting your money where your mouth is" means buying a LF straight out, without the comfort of knowing you can get your money back (less the cost of you shipping the modules back to Hugh of course).

If you'd have kept your AKSA, you'd be able to upgrade right now ... but you thought the GB amp was better, so you got rid of it.  But after you realised the GB amp wasn't better (ShinOBIWAN emailed me some months ago with a query about AKSAs, where he admitted this ... but after I gave him some advice, he didn't reply), you didn't have the guts to come back to this Forum and admit you'd been wrong.

The effrontery of some people never fails to amaze me.  Then again, some people when I was but a lad weren't shy of saying to a comely wench when they met her for the first time "Howsabout a F#@!, love" - and they got some action ... whereas I was not so bold - and missed out!   

I find it curious you say spending 800 pounds on a driver is "reasonable" but spending that sort of money on an amp is not!      You might be interested to read someone else's experience about comparing 2 amps with the same speaker ... the guy's own puny Jolida tube amp (50wpc) vs. the dealer's high-priced ss amp:
http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/MUG/messages/101848.html

My point at providing this link is that the guy heard "night & day" differences between the two amps ... he was just surprised that the high-priced ss amp sounded so bad!

In the case of the AKSA N+ and the LF ... yes, there are night & day differences between an AKSA and a LF but the more expensive one IS better!   

Regards,

Andy