[AKSA]

Hi Ola,

The gain of the LF55 is 31.6dB (38.2), that of the NAKSA 70 is 29dB (28.5).  This 2.6 dB is significant and audible.

You can reduce the gain of the LF55 by increasing the 2k2 resistor on the base of T2 to 3k3.  This will reduce gain to 25.8 (don't have my log calculator with me, but this is around 28dB).

Correspondingly you can also increase the gain of the NAKSA 70 by changing the 120R resistor on the emitter of T1 to 100R.  Gain then will be increased to 34, about 31dB.

These relatively small changes can be made without compromise to quality or stability.

However, at the level of sonic performance of these amplifiers, it is very tricky work to manipulate gain and change the original design parameters without subtle changes to the presentation.  This is, to some extent, inevitable, so take care, and listen very carefully.....!!

Hugh

[painkiller]

Thank's for the quick reply! I'm not sure I want to start messing with the gain settings of the amp. The way I see it, the differences in gain could be used as an advantage. The higher gain of the LF55 would compensate for the lower efficiency of the bass drivers, and allow for more benign filtering of the HF units. 

I'll get back to you when the time is right for a NAKSA amp. Right now I'm waiting for a pair of mint condition NOS JBL 2405 tweeters and a couple of Precision Devices 21" bass drivers, on their way from the US. Huge investments. 

I think you've mistaken me for someone else, Hugh. My name isn't Ola. It's Jørgen. Couldn't blame you, though. I haven't really been in touch with you the last couple of years. Just enjoying my amps in peace.

[AKSA]

Jørgen,

My apologies!!  I'll get it right now.....

Email me any time you wish to change the amps!

Hugh

[AKSA]

Pretty noisy around here - any one of the many NAKSA 70 owners out there like to add a few words on what they are hearing?

One owner told me he took the amp to a bunch of musicians and played it, they absolutely loved it, felt it was the best SS amp they'd heard on their guitars!

Now there's a coup......  thanks Sam!

Cheers,

Hugh

[bhobba]

A guy is comming up from Melbourne to Brissy and may be able to make it down to Mike Lenehans.  He has expressed an interest in hearing the Naksa and since I am heading down there to check out Mikes new PDX DAC thought I may take it down for an extended listen using his new ML3 speakers and the new DAC.  Can report back on that.

I will also be sending it down to a guy I know, John Darko, who does reviews so watch out for his write up:
http://www.digitalaudioreview.com.au/

Thanks
Bill

[AKSA]

Bill,

I've just read John's review of the SqueezeBox Touch, one of my faves.

I have to say his writing is astonishingly good, some of the best I've ever seen in my years of reading audio reviews.  He is succinct, accurate, vivid, and relevant throughout, a rare combination.

I've emailed him, we shall see if he is interested in a review of my NAKSA, assuming he is actually in Melbourne!

Many thanks for your offer and your continued interest,

Cheers,

Hugh

[bhobba]

Hi Hugh

John is in Zetland about 4km from Sydney.  Will be sending him my WFS for review and had planned to send him my NAKSA as well.  But if you send him one that will be even better.  Let me know what you want to do.  I had planned to send it tomorrow from Mike's since as a regular user he gets discounted freight.  I have already sounded him out and he is most definitely interested in reviewing the NAKSA.  It ticks all the boxes of the stuff he likes to review - interesting and Australian made.

Yea I like the way John writes as well - really well expressed.  And he has a good ear as well.

Thanks
Bill

[AKSA]

Hi Bill,

I've made contact with John, as a new reviewer he is apparently looking for Oz products, I will send my own NAKSA to him, no problem.....  but many, many thanks for your kind offer.

Cheers,

Hugh

[bhobba]

Hi Hugh And All

That's great that John is getting your NAKSA for review.

I was just in contact with Mike and he let me in on something he and other small guys like yourself face - ripoffs.  I was going down to hear his new PDX which is a PCM1704 based DAC tomorrow.  Guess what - it is finished, but they found they had been stuck with fake PCM1704 chips and needs to resource them.  How low can people sink - disgusting.  I wont be able to check out the PDX with the NAKSA until next week - but do keep your eyes peeled for the review.

Thanks
Bill

[AKSA]

Ah yes, Bill,

Been there.....  this is increasingly common now, particularly with semis.

I was ripped off on a CC scam a year ago, some guy in Asia.  Card was stolen, three months later Bank informed me and summarily took the entire proceeds from my account, no recourse, lost the lot.

Moral:  Credit cards are not reliable, they are not guaranteed by their financial backers, and the consumer law protects the consumer, even when he is a thief.

I no longer take credit cards, unfortunately.  This is how Paypal picks up merchant customers, I might add.

Cheers,

Hugh

[bhobba]

Hi Hugh and All

Initially wasn't going down to Mike's but a guy came up from Melbourne specifically to check out the WFS, PDX, Tranquility and NAKSA.  So off I went taking the NAKSA and WFS - the Tranquility and PDX was already there.

First off he much preferred the Tranquility and the PDX to the WFS.  He heard the issues I had been writing about with the WFS - including the sibilance but thought it was not that bad and I had probably become a bit sensitive to it.  However he thought it, while detailed, was constrained and closed while the other two DAC's were open.  As I had previously noted the Tranquility had a rather dry sound while the PDX was fuller and richer.  He preferred the PDX and that is what he will be getting. 

Oh and like everyone who has heard them was quite impressed with the ML3 speakers Mike is working on.

Ok of much more importance to this forum is how did the NAKSA go.  Very very well thank you.  We had been listening to Mikes much more expensive Macintosh's.  When we put the NAKSA in, this time properly level matched, the initial reaction was - did you change the amp?  Basically he said if he had left the room he could not have known the amp was changed.  Well having listened to both amps a lot I could hear some differences - basically in the NAKSA's favor - it was a touch more non transistor like - a little smother and perhaps more easy listening and clearer.  But when pushed hard, as you would expect with 500W of power, those Macintosh's shone - their grip was simply amazing.  But keep it to sane levels and it was a very close thing with, IMHO, the slight edge going to the NAKSA for being more relaxing and easier to listen to.  Now bear in mind those Macintosh's, while of course excellent amps, cost $20K.  To me, unless you like to listen at frightening loud levels, its a no-brainer - get the NAKSA.  That was the opinion of the Melbourne guy as well.  Right throughout listening to the NAKSA he had a smile on his face just like Hugh mentioned of the person who listened to his glass harmony all those years ago.  Naturally he is going to get one. 

But being the kind of guy I am and rather liking the idea of sharing a good thing I got Mike to ship it off to the guys in Perth who are into the Killer DAC's for them to check it out on their predominately valve systems.  A very interesting comparison indeed and I will keep you up to date with what they find out.

Thanks
Bill

[AKSA]

 Bill,

This is very good news, and I thank you again for your enthusiasm and for being a NAKSA champion!! 

I had always felt that level matching was important when comparing 70W with 500W, and thank you both for your care to get it right.  For what it is, the NAKSA offers an almost SET like harmonic profile - quite deliberate - and it is this prominent quality which I hope will take it far into the audiophile world.  I hope the guys in WA like it!!

Today I despatched my audition NAKSA to John Darko in Zetland.  I enjoyed a long chat with him yesterday - we were both trained years ago as Science Teachers, fancy that - and found we shared similar audio visions, that elusive, infuriating pursuit of musical engagement, whatever the hell that means......   

Hugh

[Johnny]

Like 

Bill,

This is very good news, and I thank you again for your enthusiasm and for being a NAKSA champion!! 

I had always felt that level matching was important when comparing 70W with 500W, and thank you both for your care to get it right.  For what it is, the NAKSA offers an almost SET like harmonic profile - quite deliberate - and it is this prominent quality which I hope will take it far into the audiophile world.  I hope the guys in WA like it!!

Today I despatched my audition NAKSA to John Darko in Zetland.  I enjoyed a long chat with him yesterday - we were both trained years ago as Science Teachers, fancy that - and found we shared similar audio visions, that elusive, infuriating pursuit of musical engagement, whatever the hell that means......   

Hugh

[gaetan8888]

Hello

With a properly matched level, that listening test confirm that the Naksa (at normal output level) was the winner against a $20K Mac, by a small margin, but it still the winner.

The Naksa will slowly become a renown amp in the audio world.

Bye

Gaetan

[bhobba]

With a properly matched level, that listening test confirm that the Naksa (at normal output level) was the winner against a $20K Mac, by a small margin, but it still the winner.

Hi Gaetan

That preference was to my ears.  I am not sure if the Melbourne guy really could tell a difference - at least consciously.  But the smile on his face I think told the story.  Trouble is we are getting into pretty rarefied territory here and the subtle difference between what are some of the finest amps in the world really comes down to something of a personal preference.  Mike prefers the Macs because he listens at frighteningly loud levels - even the 100w NAKSA is unlikely to satisfy him - the Maya may not even do it.  The guys in Perth are pretty much died in the wool valve types and may prefer a more euphonic type of sound than the transparent type of SET sound the NAKSA emulates.  What we can say is the NAKSA is up there with the best at any price.

Thanks
Bill

[AKSA]

Mike prefers the Macs because he listens at frighteningly loud levels - even the 100w NAKSA is unlikely to satisfy him - the Maya may not even do it.

Bill,

This really made me grin!!

Wait until Mike is 55 and see if his flirtation with aural pain endures.....  nothing like a bit of industrial deafness to close down the dynamics.....   

Gaetan,

We can but hope....  that would make me very happy!   

Cheers,

Hugh

[bhobba]

Wait until Mike is 55 and see if his flirtation with aural pain endures.....  nothing like a bit of industrial deafness to close down the dynamics.....   

I think he is already close to 55.  And he readily admits he already has deafness due to listening at the ahhhh elevated levels he prefers.  Trouble is once it occurs you can only really listen at those levels.  He told me he can't even hear at the medium levels I listen at.  That said like you Hugh he simply has to listen to an amp for a bit and can tell you all about it.  He correctly picked up the issue at the DAC shootout was level matching and 100% for sure they were comparable to the Mac's.  He confirmed it again yesterday.

Gaetan. We can but hope....  that would make me at the ery happy!   

To my ears it is.  But it is asking a lot of any amp to be the best for all tastes, ears and expectations.  What we can say for sure is it is up there and any preference is simply one of individual preference and taste.

Thanks
Bill

[Audioclyde]

Hi guys, I'll show my ignorance here (although I've tried to review this circle and Hugh's website)--is there any place to purchase a completed NAKSA amp?  I'm hopeless with a soldering iron ftp://!

My current amp is a 300B SET, but am interested in trying something that retains that sinus character but with more current delivery.

Thanks,

Randy

[AKSA]

Hi Randy,

I'm reluctant to build complete NAKSAs, particularly for export because of size and weight constraints, but truly, with inputs/output, power and the trafo secondaries to connect, there is not much to do.

Do you know an audio hobbyist nearby who might be interested?  You can always toss him some beer.  Advertise in your local supermarket - that approach often worked for me in the past!!

Randy, do let me know how you go.....

Cheers,

Hugh

[Johnny]

Randy,
Where are you?
Your local time puts you just a few time zones west of me.
I'd hook one up for you...
Best,
John

Hi guys, I'll show my ignorance here (although I've tried to review this circle and Hugh's website)--is there any place to purchase a completed NAKSA amp?  I'm hopeless with a soldering iron ftp://!

My current amp is a 300B SET, but am interested in trying something that retains that sinus character but with more current delivery.

Thanks,

Randy