Started my hifi journey as a kid as dad was always making speakers, amps, tape recorders etc.

 

FIrst purchase was a Yamaha turntable, with a 2nd hand quadraphonic receiver and some basic speakers, I then built some Kef Concertos which were a huge improvement at the time and paired them with a ETI Series 5000 pre/power amp combo which I assembled from a kit, it had quite a good MC/MM preamp in it so I upgraded to a Systemdeck TT with a Supex MC cartridge. Then came kids etc, but in between I had some Naim and LInn gear and a Metaxas Solitaire power amp,  Project Perspective TT, Ming Da preamp, Duntech Speakers etc. I also met Philip Vafiadis in the 90's and have been a fan of Vaf speakers ever since.

 

My current system comprises an EAT C Sharpe turntable with the Ortofon Quintet Black cartridge, a Jasmine phono stage into a Doge preamp. Digital is my old and loved Sony XA7 ES CDP which I now use as a transport into a Chord Dac. I also run Tidal into the Dac via its USB input. I must say I am pretty impressed with the sound quality I am currently getting from streaming.

My power amps are monoblocks I built using Hugh Deans Aksa "Soraya" boards and power supplies, I had previously used his "Nirvana plus" amp boards that were also very good, I have also built some Holton Monoblocks and have run those in a biamped configuration on the bass (my speakers are triwired, I use ultra thick wire for bass).

 

My loungeroom is excellent sounding, I have added some corner bass traps and some accoustic foam on the back and side walls.

 

My only upgrade thoughts are the speakers to Mark 3 status with the Seas Berylium tweeter and one of the excellent Soundsmith cartridges. I am also thinking of making some Aksa "Maya" amps, but I have listened to a few much higher end systems and whether it is just my room or the equipment combo I think the sound quality,  clarity,bass slam etc is at a very high level.

 

Very nice mate. 👍

Thanks, took the lids of the amps today to check the bias (has'nt changed) so I thought I'd show  the right channel (left is a "mirror" of it) also shows the double speaker terminals and the mess at the back with triwiring.. I noticed I built these cases originally in 2003 when I purchased my first Aksa kit. The speaker posts are biwired direct from the boards,

After much experimentation I use the thickest stuff I can get away with on the bass, fairly high current but thinner on the mids and finer strands of shielded "solid core" on the treble, I have also rewired the speakers using this same configuration.

 

Great system - thanks for sharing 👍

To add a couple of things, the cases were designed to keep signal wires coming in near the front and away from the 240v and transformer. I added snubbers to Hughe's power supply and also some 100uf Blackgate bypass caps on the amplifier boards.

 

I am also lucky (living just outside Williamstown) to have my own dedicated transformer to the house so no need for power filters etc, also have  unswitched 15 amp wired outlets 1 metre from the fuse box.

Edited July 1, 20214 yr by dennist
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