I promised to post some photos and impressions of my recent GK1-M build.
I was initally reticent about purchasing this kit for two reasons. Firstly, I had no chance to audition the product. Secondly, relatively speaking, it was an expensive kit.
The fact that I had purchased my Aksa 55N+ without an audition (and still loved the product two years later), and the desire to put some "tube magic" into my system eventually persuaded me to take the plunge.
Once again, the kit is an excellent product. The instructions are clear. All up, construction took about thirty hours. I wouldn't recommend this kit for a complete novice. The case work is quite challenging.
Construction was very straightforward with one exception. I attached the shaft to the source selector switch before the switching PCB was fixed firmly to the case. Moving things around caused the front of the switch to snap off, and I spent about three hours scrambling round on my carpet looking for two miniscule ball bearings and a tiny spring. Once found, putting the switch back together was, to put the most positive spin on things, "character building"! Nevertheless, I got there, and the switch seems to be functioning perfectly. I have concerns for it's longevity, and I think it would be wise to purchase a replacement.
Anyway, some photos:
Front
Rear
Under the hood
The internal wiring could be neater, however, I am not experiencing any hum at normal listening levels. It ain't broke, so I ain't fixin' it!
Hugh was very helpful in explaining what wire links to make so that I could take advantage of 5 inputs without constructing the phono stage. This would be a very handy mod for anybody constructing a unit without the phono stage.
Listening Impressions The GK1-M is replacing my Metaxas MAS Charisma 11 preamp that I bought used two years ago after completing my 55N+. The Charisma was, in it's day, a high end preamp.
The GK1-M is far superior in clarity, instrument separation, timbre, dynamics and soundstaging. It is a significant step up (more than the 5 - 10% improvements you can expect with most audio upgrades). The tube sound seems to have a real synergy with vinyl.
I was using a NAD C521 as a transport and a modded Art DI/O DAC. As an experiment, I ran the signal from the subwoofer out to the input of my headphone amplifier. Usually, I run the DAC straight into this. There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that the solid state section of the GK-1 acually improves the source signal. The sound is more detailed, punchier and more dynamic.
In conclusion, this product has exceeded all my expectations.
Product WarningOne thing I have noticed about using Hugh's products is that they have forced me to upgrade other parts of my system. In this case, the GK1's performance persuaded me to upgrade my digital source. I just purchased a Denon 3910 universal player, and I'm having a blast with the high rez formats.
