[mb]

TNT Audio is doing a speaker shootout, and have lined up some reference components with which they will be testing speakers at <$1000. Guess what SS amp they're using?

"The AKSA Aspen Amp can't hardly be beat. It's a true dual mono design. It's accurate, clear, concise and one of the best deals going."

http://www.tnt-audio.com/casse/speakertests_e.html

[rwalton]

As an AKSA veteran (100W AKSA and 55W AKSA Nirvana), I have nothing but good things to say about these amps.  However, the guy that wrote this article doesn't exactly strike me as someone whose opinion I'd value.  He has poor grammar, and doesn't seem to mind the thought of losing his hearing as well.  I'm not sure that good press, from what seems to be a not-so-credible source, is all that great for the AKSA amps.  But hey, everyone is entitled to their opinion and the right to post it in the public domain.

[EchiDna]

actually Hugh, you should point out the wrong URL in the original TNT article to them...
http://www.tnt-audio.com/ampli/aksa_e.html

it still lists www.printedelectronics.com as the source of your kits!


IMHO, I'm a little shocked by the new article on TNT. It is far from the usual very high standard found in TNT writings! 'the diarrhea of the fingers' (as written by the author himself!) just goes overboard. Also, the reviewer is using silver plated copper speaker cables and interconnects (which Hugh strongly advises against with the AKSA's)

But the overall picture still remains that the AKSA (or ASKA Aspen 55 as the writer puts it in big bold letters!) is one of the very best SS amps around, bar none.

[Rocket]

hello,

the reviewer does seem to lack correct grammar skills (probably at about my level lol) but that won't prevent him being able to complete a review of the speakers.

hifi reviews are really only a guide and i don't place a lot of creedence on them, using them only as a guide.  i really prefer the judgement of ppl who post in forums like these, usually they don't have anything to gain and can be quite harsh and honest when commenting on hifi products.  unlike a reviewer for a magazine who is always thinking about advertising manufacturers products.  i gave up on reading australian hifi a long long time ago.

anyway it is positive that the aksa is being used as part of a reference system.

regards

rod

[AKSA]

Mervin, Rick, and Rod,

Thanks for the tip from TNT, Mervin!  I must admit I was very surprised when Scott Faller emailed me to propose using the 55W AKSA for these speaker tests.  Pleasantly surprised, and VERY flattered!

I think the business about spelling and grammar is a little unkind, Rick;  he's VERY enthusiastic, clearly knows a lot about hifi (have a gander at his own systems!), and will, I believe, produce a credible report on a very important speaker price bracket.

To be honest, I'd rather have Scott do this shootout than most of the other hifi reviewers out there, whose only loyalty appears to be the magazine advertising budget.......

The truth is, all publicity is good publicity, and I really can't have too much!!  

Cheers,

Hugh

[mb]

To be honest, I'd rather have Scott do this shootout than most of the other hifi reviewers out there, whose only loyalty appears to be the magazine advertising budget.......

The truth is, all publicity is good publicity, and I really can't have too much!!  

Cheers,

Hugh

That's really the point. TNT has credibility because of their non-advertising policy. I believe Scott does (did?) the HTML stuff for TNT.

Hugh: does he have Nirvana? If not, he should be sent one, minus the Mica cap that might risk instability with one of the test speakers

mb

[AKSA]

Mervin,

I'm not sure.   I built that amp a very long time ago and shipped it to Nels Ferre in Florida.  

I need to ask Scott.  Your point is very well taken!

Cheers,

Hugh

[John H]

Maybe I'm getting a "bit" senile but I just don't understand mb's  idea that the older AKSA amp should be Nirvana upgraded before  participating in the TNT speaker shootout.  As I understand it, the idea is to to compare the sonics of reasonably priced SPEAKERS to a reference speaker when driven by an accessibly priced amp/source/connects system.  The basic AKSA 55W will serve this purpose very well I'm sure as I have a similar one to the one Hugh built for TNT and it still delights me no end.

[John H]

I also think that  it could be potentially very beneficial to Hugh if he could arrange for a pair of Aksonic speakers to be included in the TNT speaker shootout.

[mb]

Maybe I'm getting a "bit" senile but I just don't understand mb's  idea that the older AKSA amp should be Nirvana upgraded before  participating in the TNT speaker shootout.  As I understand it, the idea is to to compare the sonics of reasonably priced SPEAKERS to a reference speaker when driven by an accessibly priced amp/source/connects system.  The basic AKSA 55W will serve this purpose very well I'm sure as I have a similar one to the one Hugh built for TNT and it still delights me no end.

Yes, a stock AKSA would be very satisfactory. I've enjoyed my non-Nirvana'd AKSA55 a lot, but enjoy it even more with the Nirvana. Since I would like critical reviews, and nice side comments of the AKSA, I simply thought that an AKSA with Nirvana might be more revealing of the speakers, and and do justice to Hugh's design prowess. Just my thoughts...