NOISY IN HERE!!

AKSA · « **on:** 2 Mar 2007, 12:32 am »

Folks,

It's been quiet here, but at Aspen HQ things are abuzz......

I'm constantly redeveloping things for more refinement and performance. Now that I'm building all the LF modules, I'm considering surface mount components, particularly the small semis and large resistors. I'm having problems with keeping up with my work load at present, it's a juggling act, and I apologise to my customers who are being kept waiting. I don't like it either!

The new Vsonic speaker is nearly done, almost ready for auditioning at my home, and the documentation phase is about to start. Parts for the first four speakers have been purchased -thank you Laurie!

This is 1 incredible speaker, I'm overjoyed with the sound. I have always loved transmission lines; to my ears, the bass is musically superior to a sealed box.

I doffs me cap to Laurie, the designer and builder, who has toiled enthusiastically for six months to make what is regarded by two speaker boffins in the UK as a world class, no-holds-barred, high end speaker. The clincher is the crossover; tolerances on some components are down to better than 1%. Naturally, we have developed it with the Lifeforce 100W, so they are effectively matched to each other.

I'm about to take delivery of a large capacitor order from Japan - Nichicon Golds. They are made only to order, a four month process, and AFAIK very few are held in stock around the world. I find these are wonderful caps with great sonics for audio amps and I will continue to use them for some years in all my power supplies.

Summer is drawing to a close here in Oz, thank goodness, there are signs the drought is breaking, with big rains recently in the east of the State. It's been a hottie this summer, I'll be glad when it's over, always better to work in a cool climate. Recent bush fires here released 30% more CO2 into the atmosphere than one full year of motor vehicle operation. Almost 2.5 million acres were burnt, the worst we've had since 1939.

I'd encourage anyone interested in the Aspen products to discuss them with me and others who are familiar with them right here in the forum.

Cheers,

Hugh

Joules · « **Reply #1 on:** 2 Mar 2007, 12:46 am »

Thanks Hugh for the up date. It's been way to quite in hear

Say - You eluded to some Lifeforce tweeks you were working on ???!!!
Please drop the other shoe......

fos · « **Reply #2 on:** 2 Mar 2007, 01:06 am »

ahh speakers.....my missing link........

cant think now, soldering to be done and cleaning up the backyard after the storms in Canberra. Vege patch is looking a little worse for wear.

ginger · « **Reply #3 on:** 2 Mar 2007, 03:51 am »

Hugh,
Haven't posted in a while but keep an eye on the latest news.
Am flat out with a couple of new tube amps for the next few months so if any Adelaide'ites ask about audition amps, my 55N+ and my 55 Lifeforce are available for short term loan - just refer them to me.
Cheers,
Ginger (Ian)

AKSA · « **Reply #4 on:** 2 Mar 2007, 04:10 am »

Thanks Ian,

That's mighty kind of you, Sire, I will let you know.

The tube amp is your Baby Huey? That design always intrigued me.....

Hugh

AKSAphile · « **Reply #5 on:** 2 Mar 2007, 10:16 am »

Congratulations Hugh, on Vsonic loudspeaker design.

Could you show us some photos, how this speaker gonna look like?

Thx

wmeckle · « **Reply #6 on:** 2 Mar 2007, 11:32 am »

Quote from: ginger on 2 Mar 2007, 03:51 am

Hugh,
Haven't posted in a while but keep an eye on the latest news.
Am flat out with a couple of new tube amps for the next few months so if any Adelaide'ites ask about audition amps, my 55N+ and my 55 Lifeforce are available for short term loan - just refer them to me.
Cheers,
Ginger (Ian)

On this subject: I have a AKSA 100-N + available for short term loan in the Phoenix area.

AKSA · « **Reply #7 on:** 2 Mar 2007, 09:27 pm »

Thank you very much, Bill,

That's very generous of you!

Hi Andrej,

Not yet...... still doing the final cabinetry, and intend to veneer it. Pictures are the very last thing we do, unfortunately, you wouldn't want to see the prototype!

I will say this: 72cms tall, 27cms wide, and 25cms deep - simple to construct and high WAF. You can even put a vase of flowers on the top..... This is 32 litres, quite small, downwards firing vent, it's 1.5dB down at 46Hz, but the bass is to die for..... we are doing final testing on the new Peerless tweeter since it's 8R; this will make this speaker easier to drive than anything else in the market, teasing the very best out of the amplifier!

Cheers,

Hugh

LM · « **Reply #8 on:** 3 Mar 2007, 01:31 am »

Hi Hugh,

Harking back to your first post here, I for one love to hear the latest bits and pieces about the way Aspen is heading re refinement and development. So why not make this a sticky thread. Sort of a combination of ‘Press Release’ where appropriate and musings on production and design thoughts such as ‘surface mounting’. When anything significant comes up such as a new ‘Aspen 500GB Music Server’ (

just kidding folks but wouldn’t it be nice…), I’m sure an appropriate new and separate thread will be spun off.

I know that on the all too rare occasions that I can visit Aspen, the ‘buzz’ is something else, a real privilege to observe. How anyone can pull off being chief visionary, designer, constructor, QA, store-person, sales, finance and administration let alone managing family, forum, car, coffee and friends is amazing. I don’t know where you hide the Oompa – Loompa’s

but I’ll find them one day.

AKSAphile · « **Reply #9 on:** 3 Mar 2007, 01:58 pm »

Quote from: AKSA on 2 Mar 2007, 09:27 pm

72cms tall, 27cms wide, and 25cms deep - simple to construct and high WAF. You can even put a vase of flowers on the top..... This is 32 litres, quite small, downwards firing vent,

Hugh

I can imagine this speaker with shiny vener

Since speaker is quite small, should there be any base support to lift it on a ear height like pmc speaker below?

AKSA · « **Reply #10 on:** 3 Mar 2007, 09:16 pm »

Andrej,

We will sit it on short legs, around 4cms tall. We don't believe that with the off axis performance we are getting that we need a large base; instead, put the vase of flowers on the top, and stare at the flowers!!

Cheers,

Hugh

a.gerner · « **Reply #11 on:** 3 Mar 2007, 09:21 pm »

Hugh,

If you let me listen to it, I'll veneer your prototype for free!

I am the veneering expert.

Anton Gerner

AKSA · « **Reply #12 on:** 4 Mar 2007, 05:11 am »

Anton,

Many thanks - an incredibly generous offer.

You'll hear from me when this design is ready for your ears!

Thank you again,

Hugh

Seano · « **Reply #13 on:** 4 Mar 2007, 09:20 pm »

Oh well...another thing to add to 'The List'. I have been hunting around for the last twelve months or so for TL speaker designs to build once all the other homework is done (kitchen, bathroom, rear of house etc.) and the LF100 is in place. All this time aware that Hugh also fancied the TL and was looking at a design.......

Thus far I've been conceptually attracted to some of the product from www.frugal-horn.com primarily because the final product is generally affordable to make as they don't rely on super you beaut esoteric drivers.

But the V-sonic should be a good product so I'll have to have a listen at some stage. Hugh, veneering is a fairly straight forward operation especially as your product is not massive. The really tricky stuff comes with the marquetry.....(ha!). To be honest, it's potentially easier to obtain panels pre-cut and veneered from a supplier like http://www.briggs.com.au/ or http://www.timbertraders.com.au/index.html

Other finishing choices include using relatively new MDF product suited to finishing the MDF with powdercoat which provides a potentially huge range of finishes that are cheaper to apply and finish than two pack auto paints...

AKSA · « **Reply #14 on:** 5 Mar 2007, 11:18 am »

Hi Sean,

Thanks for your post - yes, the Vsonic will be a GREAT product, I'm immensely satisfied with what I've seen and heard. When you finally get down to grey Melbourne, your presence is commanded at my cafe.

There's good coffee to be drunk.....

Cheers,

Hugh

AKSA · « **Reply #15 on:** 9 Mar 2007, 11:01 am »

A Meeting with Quasi.....

Last Sunday I met Quasi over dinner at my home. He designed an impressive quasi-comp amp which is featured on DIYaudio.com, and has been very helpful to DIYers building it who have many questions. It's an impressive amp, very versatile, and he has developed both bipolar and mosfet versions. He's a great guy, from the city where I was educated, Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. Here are our pictures (Con's the guy with lots of white hair!)

Cheers,

Hugh

Jens · « **Reply #16 on:** 9 Mar 2007, 11:14 am »

Quasi is a lucky guy - getting to enjoy Sri's excellent cooking

EchiDna · « **Reply #17 on:** 12 Mar 2007, 12:50 pm »

shhh! keep it down so i can listen in silence please!!

long time, never post - a source of some of the silence i guess!!

AKSA · « **Reply #18 on:** 12 Mar 2007, 09:41 pm »

Glen,

I've been meaning to speak to you about this......

How is Singapore and fatherhood?

Cheers,

Hugh

EchiDna · « **Reply #19 on:** 13 Mar 2007, 12:13 pm »

Singapore - still plugging away for now... coming up on ten years here!

fatherhood? well my son is now 2.5 and the next one is due in August

it's been great, despite three sets of speaker cables eaten so far