[kyrill]

looks nicely build and the pcb has all the room it needs

[AKSA]

Hi Jurgen,

This is VERY elegant.  I like it a lot.

Thanks for posting, and for your review, much appreciated!

Cheers,

Hugh

[andyr]

OK guys, for your interest, here are some pics (in my AudioCircle Gallery page) of the various stages in my new amp build.  This involved putting AKSA LF 100, 55 & 25 modules, plus active 3-way XO, in one box (with 4 power supplies in all!  ).  It was a 5-month exercise in all to build both channels! 

See here:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=browse;album=487&pos=10

That's pic #1 ... follow through to pic #9 (sorry, I can't seem to get them in numeric order!).

Many thanks to marcus, who inspired me to build this "vertical" arrangement (weeell, he probably stole the idea from Halcro!  )

Now sitting back and enjoying the significant improvement in sound over the previous N+s. 

Regards,

Andy

[AKSA]

Andy,

It's brilliant - but did you mean to say that these are all Lifeforce modules?

Thanks for posting!

Cheers,

Hugh

[andyr]

Andy,

It's brilliant - but did you mean to say that these are all Lifeforce modules?

Thanks for posting!

Cheers,

Hugh

Aah, sorry, mised that out!  Made the change! 

Andy

[VYnuhl.Addict]

Hello all Aksaphiles,


    For anyone interested I have cobbled together a few new photos, mild nudity only of course of some of the creation over the last year wiring a few bits together from Hughs brilliant ideas. There are a couple of sneak Aztec photos of the 100w prototype too ...


http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=browse;user=44290


Colin

[DSK]

  I thought the Aztec was to be 200w/ch? I can see from the 4 output devices per channel in your pics that it is indeed 100w. Is a 200w still on the cards?

[AKSA]

Darren,

In a word, yes.....

However, the sub-prime crisis and subsequent downturn in US retail spend decided me not to go ahead with development of 200W monoblocs, as the metal work will be a huge investment to get right.

In the meantime, I have more than enough products, it is now a matter of marketing what I have and trying to get reasonable ROI before I go further with the 'Veyron'.  I need to sell some Passats!!  However, I can assure you the electronics is complete, and the product boards ready for stuffing when I'm set to move ahead.  Bear in mind that one would only sell two or three Aztecs in a year, and it's purpose is essentially symbolic, the flagship of the range.

Cheers,

Hugh

[andyr]

Bear in mind that one would only sell two or three Aztecs in a year, and it's purpose is essentially symbolic, the flagship of the range.

Cheers,

Hugh

Wot, no Maggie owners amongst your AKSA prospects?     200wpc into 8 ohms (or, more particularly, 400wpc into 4 ohms!  ) is the minimum you can get away with, for the big Maggies.  A Soraya or a 100wpc proto-Aztec might just do it for the smaller ones.

Regards,

Andy

[VYnuhl.Addict]

Hi DSK,


     Hughs Aztec is a 200w design, and he has cleared up the details and mystery surrounding this design. The 100w prototype that I built in Canada was merely originally for testing purposes, having only 33-0-33v ac trannies on hand the 100w was a function of economy and to prove that the concept even worked at all...My apologies if you were misled, thats why i included "prototype" in the title, this is merely my homemade boards from Hughs designs for the amp, scaled down to 100w.


Colin

[AKSA]

Thanks Colin,

Much appreciate the clarifying comments, and of course cannot express my gratitude enough for building the original proof of concept.

The Bailey amp topology has three separate circuit blocks;  input stage, voltage amp stage, and output stage.  Progressively, and starting some years ago with the input stage, I have now redesigned all three stages, producing respectively the Lifeforce, the Soraya and the Aztec.

This development completes the analysis and implementation of all three stages of this topology, and takes the Bailey amplifier to stratospheric performance levels.  All three amp familes represent steadily mounting complexity, however, but the reward has been steadily increasing resolution, imaging, engagement, and load tolerance.

I will continue to sell a complete range of these amps, suitably packaged and priced to reflect their performance and utility to committed audiophiles.  But development will now move to non-switching Class AB, tube hybrids, and Class A amplifiers.  I will not say much about any of this until I have something ready to sell, but I would expect sales of LF, Soraya and ultimately the Aztec to continue at least ten years more.  These are seriously good amplifiers, and there's not much can touch them out there.  I fully expect my technical lead here to slowly erode, but when this process is complete, there will be other designs to take their place.  Try as I might, I cannot walk away from what has become the most absorbing, fascinating and challenging work of my life.   

My sincere thanks go out to all those who have supported me by buying my products, ensuring I could go on, living simply but developing amps all the while, and enjoying the work more than I can say.     In particular, I would like to thank two people, Colin Brown, aka Vynuhl_Addict, for his tireless construction of my wacky ideas, never once losing faith;  and Laurie Menogue, the brilliant designer of the VSonics, which are probably the best two ways I have ever heard.  Laurie, these are a sensational speaker, absolutely stunning, and they complement my amps superbly - particularly the Soraya, which I'm delighted to say as of yesterday you now own!!

Sorry to sound a bit intense, but it's Saturday night and Halloween......

Hugh

[DSK]

Hi DSK,


     Hughs Aztec is a 200w design, and he has cleared up the details and mystery surrounding this design. The 100w prototype that I built in Canada was merely originally for testing purposes, having only 33-0-33v ac trannies on hand the 100w was a function of economy and to prove that the concept even worked at all...My apologies if you were misled, thats why i included "prototype" in the title, this is merely my homemade boards from Hughs designs for the amp, scaled down to 100w.


Colin

Thanks Colin, no problem ... I thought it may have been something like that. I'd had the 200w Aztec in the back of my mind as a future upgrade from the 100w LifeForce for my 84dB speakers. However, a recent speaker change (93dB) means I'll be keeping an eye on what Hugh comes up with in the tube hybrid space instead... perhaps bi-amped with the LifeForce on bass duties (though that would seem a bit of a waste of a great amp  )

[VYnuhl.Addict]

No Problem,

    I felt it need be clarified, and thank you Hugh for the elaborate post, much better that you fill it in ultimately. It will be nice to see the Aztec available in the future, it really is a splendid design of a wacky idea or three, sonically utterly transparent, dynamic and smooth, leaves plenty of room for fun with tubes in the chain...But each represents superior value and I have found all of the designs utterly enjoyable to listen too, but when Hughs around there is no such thing as standing still, the guy is always trying to out do himself, crazy bastard, haha. Happy Halloween Hugh, just celebrated my 30th on the 31st of OCT, a halloween baby here...


Colin

[andyr]

However, a recent speaker change (93dB) means ...

Hi Darren - so what are these new speakers?   

Regards,

Andy

[DSK]

However, a recent speaker change (93dB) means ...

Hi Darren - so what are these new speakers?   

Regards,

Andy

Hi Andy, I don't want to take this thread off course. All will be revealed soon  and you'll get to hear them for yourself. Still dialling them in.

[RonR]

I finally got around to taking some pictures of the updated LF55s:

• PSUs to Hugh's new design tailored to fit around Toroidal Xformers
• Sonicap Platinums for Input and Charge Suck-out (underneath boards)
• Nichicon Fine Gold caps replaced with Nichicon KZ
• Input low-pass filter - Naked Vishay + Relcap RTE Polystyrene/Foil
• Feedback Cap changed from BG to Wima Film

Pics are in my Gallery Here: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=browse;album=1185

Cheers,

Ron.

[stvnharr]

I have just posted today some additional pics, newer than the ones last week as I have completed and tidied up the wiring, of the LF55 with the new psu.  See here: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=browse;album=2815

[AKSA]

Ron, Steve,

Brilliant work, very neat, nice wire dress, outstanding componentry, in the spirit of what I am trying to achieve with my designs, congratulations to you both!

Thanks for showing the results, appreciated,

Hugh

[Light-Echo]

Not a single link on the first page worked. So of course I didn't bother with the rest. Pity

[lonewolfny42]

Not a single link on the first page worked. So of course I didn't bother with the rest. Pity

You can check the gallery on the Aspen website....HERE...