[Occam]

Hugh,

And where, pray tell, is mine?
You're making me 

Impatiently,
Paul

[bluesky]

Paul

Have you ever tried to use a SONIC SCREWDRIVER, pesky little devils to use, especially inside a phone box in another time dimension.  Which sounds like Hugh was in the other day!

I often feel like I'm in another dimension too, although that could be due to all the medication I take.

Ian

[Tinker]

I think I am a little too close to the designer for my opinion to be considered objective, but I feel I must follow up on some of the comments made about Hugh's new amp.  Having heard Hugh's new masterpiece a few days ago, my flabber is still well and truly ghasted. Hugh has outdone himself yet again.

Everything you have heard about the bass on this amp is true. Precise, powerful, and articulate.  The other major strength that instantly leaps out is the VERY solid imaging. Ther is no wandering of the stereo image at all. Period.


Don't take my word for it. Cancel all your plans and arrange a listening session.


Ben.

[AKSA]

Hi Ben,

Thank you for your impressions, I have spent the day ghasting flabbers, and I'm exhausted.....

I now have on order some five Sorayas, and I'm considering moving to the North Pole and hiring elfin helpers.  My workshop is even more chaotic than usual!  Supermart spoke to me today - he has the audition amp at present - and he feels it raises the bar on all the amps he has heard.  He mentioned he would be putting in a post of his impressions, and mentioned 'Way Down Deep', from The Hunter, by Jennifer Warnes, something of a good recording with plenty of visceral bass!

I should add the top end and midrange are pretty good too, with a clarity that everyone remarks upon.

Paul, it's coming!!

Hugh

[gaetan8888]

I now have on order some five Sorayas, and I'm considering moving to the North Pole and hiring elfin helpers.  My workshop is even more chaotic than usual! 

Hugh

Hello Hugh

I'm happy for you that the Soraya 2009 are becoming a real  success.

I would be curious to see a photo of your workshop

My workshop are a mess and most of my friends garages or workshops are a mess, so it seem to be a men's way of working, exept wen the wife are taking direction of it

Bye

Gaetan

[stvnharr]

I now have on order some five Sorayas, and I'm considering moving to the North Pole and hiring elfin helpers.  My workshop is even more chaotic than usual! 

Hugh

Hello Hugh

I'm happy for you that the Soraya 2009 are becoming a real  success.

I would be curious to see a photo of your workshop

My workshop are a mess and most of my friends garages or workshops are a mess, so it seem to be a men's way of working, exept wen the wife are taking direction of it

Bye

Gaetan

NO, you don't want to see a photo of Hugh's workshop!!!!!! 
Ask Marty!

Earlier this year Marty and I cleaned up the listening "salon" with great success.
But the workshop......you never mess with success!!!

[AKSA]

Gaetan,

Suitably chastened, I must agree with Steve.  I'm not sure if I'm lucky, but my wife is even more untidy than me, and our house, recently filled with my parents furniture, is groaning under the weight....  Steve and Marty did me a great service, but steadily, inevitably, slowly, the listening room is filling up again.  I need to throw things out....

I will do a little number on the workshop and take a small photo, which I will insert into a forum post.  Mind you, it will be 50 x 80, I don't want people to see my chaotic mess, I really don't.  Yesterday I had a visit from Anthony Holton, the owner of Aussieampifiers in Tasmania, and I noticed he didn't say a thing when he saw my workshop, so I'm betting his is pretty messy too......  ah, I feel better already......

It is always feast and famine in business, it seems.  Not long ago there wasn't much work, now I'm run off my feet.  I'm always awed by the way people can sniff out something exceptional and respond quickly;  of course this corresponds with the beginning of the recovery from the GFC.  However, that said, the latest Soraya is the best amp I've done and I've resolved to sell it for exactly the same price as before.

Cheers,

Hugh

[gaetan8888]

Gaetan,

Suitably chastened, I must agree with Steve.  I'm not sure if I'm lucky, but my wife is even more untidy than me, and our house, recently filled with my parents furniture, is groaning under the weight....  Steve and Marty did me a great service, but steadily, inevitably, slowly, the listening room is filling up again.  I need to throw things out....

I will do a little number on the workshop and take a small photo, which I will insert into a forum post.  Mind you, it will be 50 x 80, I don't want people to see my chaotic mess, I really don't.  Yesterday I had a visit from Anthony Holton, the owner of Aussieampifiers in Tasmania, and I noticed he didn't say a thing when he saw my workshop, so I'm betting his is pretty messy too......  ah, I feel better already......

It is always feast and famine in business, it seems.  Not long ago there wasn't much work, now I'm run off my feet.  I'm always awed by the way people can sniff out something exceptional and respond quickly;  of course this corresponds with the beginning of the recovery from the GFC.  However, that said, the latest Soraya is the best amp I've done and I've resolved to sell it for exactly the same price as before.

Cheers,

Hugh

Hello Hugh

A 50x80 photo will be perfect, I was just currious to see your workshop. If you want to show me a bigger photo just send it to me by email.

Your new Soraya are at a real bargain price, a similar sonic quality commercial amp would cost 5 to 10 times more.

Bye

Gaetan

[AKSA]

Hi Gaetan,

Here's the workbench, with a Soraya under construction:



The CRO is a Tek 465 storage rated to 100MHz.  And here's one of the three walls lined with shelving to hold the stock, which is considerable these days:



These shots are reasonably sanitised, and do not show the appalling mess.  I must follow a careful path as I walk into the workshop, there are many boxes of components on the floor!

Cheers,

Hugh

[LM]

Hugh,

I hope you don't mind the personal touch but for those who have expressed interest - here are 2 images from your workshop when you started building my original Soraya a few years back.  Don't worry, they are reasonably sanitised and there is very little mess evident.  Also, I haven't including any showing Robyn having to beat you about the head with her handbag to cajole you into getting started at the time.  You can thank me for that later. 

[bluesky]

Well, speaking of messy workshops....my "study" where I work is regularly cleaned up, only to lapse into a complete mess within a day or so.

I have a friend whose work area is a two car garage space and the floor space is covered to a depth of at least two feet with bits and pieces of audio junk.  In the seven or so years I've known him I have yet to see any of these piles of stuff change at all.

Another good friend is something of a bower bird for tube stuff, speakers, tubes, half finished projects, CD's, records and tubes of every description.  The bookcases are full of tubes and then one time I noticed his pantry had no food in it, it was full of rare tubes!

All of which makes me feel positively organised in comparison, mind you I can't swing a cat in my garage for audio junk, and I do mean junk.  Friends and relatives keep giving me  old components that have died because they mistakenly believe I can fix such junk up.  I politely thank them and then immediately throw it into the garage when they leave, then once every six months I take most of it to the tip.  Most of this stuff are those really awful plastic all in one stereos that cost around $100 when new and are designed to last precisely two weeks after the warranty period runs out.  Sometimes I rip out the transformers if they are any good and I never ceased to be amazed at how poorly these things are made.  The PCB's look like someone stood back and threw a box of parts at the PCB.  I can only assume that these were made in sweat shop conditions where the poor souls are constantly hounded to install parts as fast as possible in order to keep the margins at a profitable level.

Ian   

[Tliner]

Hi All,
 The other day I was had the opportunity to hear Hugh's new Soraya CB105 when I delivered the new transmissionline woofer. II must say that I'm thouroughly wooed by Aksa amps. Now after saying that Hugh has built mighty fine amps over the years. Each amp, Life Force, LF100 etc, Soraya and the Maya are all a delight to listen to, each with their individual areas of unchallenged excellence. Now Hugh has masterfully combined the gems into one box. I agree with other comments in this thread about the Soraya CB105 and I can add little. I am sure that the bar has been raised even higher. 

Well done Hugh.

Cheers,

Laurie

[gaetan8888]

Hello Hugh and Lyn

Nice photos, thank for showing it.

Hugh, I know that working on your web site are not your favorite task, since the 2009 Soraya are a new topology, you may need to update you Soraya page in your web site wen you have some times to do it.

Bye

Gaetan

[stvnharr]

Hi Gaetan,

Here's the workbench, with a Soraya under construction:



The CRO is a Tek 465 storage rated to 100MHz.  And here's one of the three walls lined with shelving to hold the stock, which is considerable these days:



These shots are reasonably sanitised, and do not show the appalling mess.  I must follow a careful path as I walk into the workshop, there are many boxes of components on the floor!

Cheers,

Hugh

Note the old clothes dryer under the bench.  It's been keeping well.
I think it can be arranged for Marty and I to drop by in time for a little tidying up and to put the "salon" back into the listening room. It's much easier for "other" to do the hard stuff. The workshop need not be a white coat lab. Just keep the pathway clear to the bench.

[daredevil_kk]

Hi guys,

I had the chance to listen to the new Soraya with a prototype pre-amp at Hugh's place. Interestingly, the pre-amp have a ballast incorporated into the power supply.

Well, here my impression of the Soraya. It has a very accurate reproduction of the music and very good control of the speakers. Allowing me to hear not only changing characteristic as the pre-amp warms up, but also the finer details hidden in the recording.

You can hear which the instruments are closely miked, which part of the drum is struck and the acoustic of the recording venue. The imaging and "living space" of each instruments are well positioned and life-like.

It is a rare few amps that perform well throughout the whole spectrum. Hence, it plays both majestic classical pieces and bass heavy techno well.

The amp is well built with lots of thoughts put in. Hugh is very generous with using good parts in the amp. The parts are all matched. Heck, even the tracks on the PCB are gold-plated. Well worth the price tag. aa

I just can't wait for it to be part of my system.

KK

PS:Hugh was really a nice host.

[LM]

I just can't wait for it to be part of my system.

Hi KK,
I know how you feel.    At least your personal impressions show that I wasn't imagining what I was hearing that week or two back.  I agree with your comment about orchestral.  I didn't say specifically in my original post but I find orchestral pieces as one of the best ways of critically judging a component.  If it can present the orchestra as 3D and layered, brass and woodwind accurately and the strings in particular as neither harsh nor soft and fuzzy but clean and sweet, then it's all one can ask.  Jazz, vocals, piano and the rest will then just be right.

And you are so right about Hugh as a host.

Cheers, Lyn

[bluesky]

Hi KK

Do you feel that the CDPRO added a lot to the sonics?  I am just interested to hear your opinions on the impact of this transport.

I am wondering if the Soyara amp needs to have such a good friend end to take advantage of it's virtues.

Thanks

Ian

[daredevil_kk]

Hi Ian,

I think the transport does affect the overall sonic especially with Soraya. Even though the transport doesn't have as much impact as most people expect. It is because Soraya's resolution. You will be able diff. the icing to the sound due to the lower noise and jitter of the CD pro especially if you are using the I2S.

So in short, it is worth it only if the downstream can allow you to hear the diff.

Cheers,
KK     

[SuperMart]

Oh no! It's time for Ms. Soraya 2009 to return to her inventor the fiendish Hugh Manchu. I have reluctantly removed Ms.2009 and reconnected my trusty Ms.2008 back into my system.

What are the differences? Well, as other auditioners have remarked the 2009 bass is deeper, more defined and underpins the music in a tight and appealing way. Detail is increased in a vivid presentation. The noise floor is noticeably lower in this latest model and busy orchestral pieces are easy to follow and enjoy. Last night I listened to "The Planets" from beginning to end and they have never sounded more spooky and ethereal.

Jazz takes on a new level of swing and thwack - percussion is easy to follow and I find myself thinking "Ah yes, that's how it should sound." The Remote Controller"- my wife - has taken to singing along with the latest version and there have been no calls of "Can you turn that down please"

On some recordings where I would normally reach for the volume control I find myself sitting back and enjoying the crescendos.

This amp is tight and tuneful - even when you listen at low gain. Piano solos are hugely enjoyable with a lovely decay and sense of air around the notes. And Ben was dead right about the image - it's rock solid. I'm listening to Andras Schiff performing a Bach solo piece right now and it's riveting stuff.

Enough! I must now return Ms.2009 to Aspen. Locals - do yourself a favour and book in for a listening session.

Oh yes - I've forgotten to mention that "BEN" the Bass Extender has now landed at Hugh's place but that's a subject for another day.

Cheers,

[andyr]

Piano solos are hugely enjoyable with a lovely decay and sense of air around the notes.  I'm listening to Andras Schiff performing a Bach solo piece right now and it's riveting stuff.

Cheers,

Oh, Mart ... do you mean you've put your trusty LP12 into play (with this lovely decay on piano pieces)?  I mean, you surely can't be getting it from CD? 

Regards,

Andy