Thanks All: AKSA Up and Running

Tweakers' Asylum

Tweaks for systems, rooms and Do It Yourself (DIY) help. FAQ.

In response to a post, I received a number of helpful hints on how to construct/cut/mangle a box for my AKSA 55W amp. Thanks to all!
At any rate, I built the AKSA bone stock (where on Earth does that expression come from anyway?), both the boards and PS. I haven't even added an LED. I'm going to listen for a while and probably then tweak to see (or rather hear) what differences I can detect.
I also used Hugh Dean's standard recommendations for both the box itself (Par Metal) and dual toroidal transformers (Avel Lindberg). Both companies' products arrived practically before I ordered them, and the AKSA kitset arrived to the day on the date predicted (which I think was about 7 to 10 days from Australia to NYC, even in mid-October following 9/11).
Stuffing the PS board and amplifier boards was non-eventful. The hardest part, for me, was conquering the fear of trying to cut metal. I'd never done it -- hell I don't think I've cut wood since I tried to build a shoe shine box in third grade. The result wasn't beautiful if you look on the inside of the rear panel, but from the outside you can't tell too much -- that heatsink covers a multitude of sins.
To make a long story short, upon completion, all voltages were well within spec, so ultimately I inserted the fuses, connected the amp to a pair of Radio Shack LX-5 speakers and, holding my breath, flipped the switch. At first I thought I must have done something wrong, because I heard -- nothing. Then it occurred to me that I had to push "play" on the CD player. After what seemed to be an eternity, music burst forth!
I'm not in a position to provide a listening review -- the amp is only a couple of hours old and during break in it's in a basement with no acoustics in a little system my wife uses when she's on the treadmill. I can say that it's dead quiet -- no hum, hiss, buzz, thumps or anything else -- and there is no distortion, sibilance or anything bad that I can hear even at elevated listening levels. The one subjective comment I will note at this point is my wife's, who, when she came down the basement stairs, said without prompting, "It sounds rich" -- which was precisely the word I had been searching for.
Hugh will be happy to hear that I am likely ultimately to give the amp to my sister and bro-in-law, who just moved into their first house, for a combined housewarming and holiday present -- in which case I'll either get another or, because variety is the spice of life, try the 100W model. (As one who generally listens to 8W amps, 55W nearly blew me out of the room, and 100W is clearly ridiculous, but what they hey.) Do those of you who have heard both have views on this?

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Parts Connexion

Topic - Thanks All: AKSA Up and Running - Bob K 04:52:50 11/24/01 (4)

Updated information - harvardian 12:11:59 11/24/01 (2)

Re: Updated information - Tony D. 20:35:27 11/24/01 (1)

email - harvardian 04:50:20 11/25/01 (0)

Re: Thanks All: AKSA Up and Running - harvardian 06:43:22 11/24/01 (0)

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