Still many thanks for your help.

About the A1, what can I say?

When I purchased the A1 I was 19 years old, and it seems to me to buy a
"Cadillac" (also for the efforts to save the money!).
It was really a pleasure to listen to it, with Celestion 5 speakers.

Time goes by... I come to the feeling the A1 is a myth:
* I thought it is 20 Watt class A, now I read it is only 2 Watt class A...
It heats like a true class A to tweak the listeners ?

* The volume pot failure is a design failure.

* Some components (example the caps) are not well suited for the high
temperature inside.

* Users report different failures.

* Musical Fidelity feedback is null...

* Do you see http://www.musicalfidelity.com/merchandise.html ?
Watches... pens... ridicolous!
The "keep in touch" page: nothing to send a question, only their way to
cater information from the user.


Now I want to build a Gainclone. If it will sound better than A1 I
understand the business: marketing and psichological stuff. I already think
it for hi-end, but facing this also for the A1 is sad :-(

Going to hi-fi and hi-end, you pay
- sometimes, the handcraft manufacturing
- the high costs of manufacturing low quantities
- the brand
- some excellent materials, but they don't improve sound quality (carved
wood, gold everywhere, shark oil for cdrom, cables more expensive than Nasa
Shuttle ones, abuse of special and expensive electronics parts to obfuscate
customers minds - perhaps the design is weak, and so on...)

Here it is my Murhpy law about hi-fi:
price quality
10 10 % cheap
20 20 % midi
30 30 %
40 40 % mini
50 45 % hi-fi
60 48 % hi-fi
100 50 % hi-end
1000 55 %
10000 60 % madness!
you never reach the perfection, it is all marketing hyphens.

Better for your wallet, more amusing and satisfying is do some DIY project!

ciao, Massimo
ITALY

On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 17:33:17 +0100, Sala Massimo wrote:

Still many thanks for your help.

About the A1, what can I say?

When I purchased the A1 I was 19 years old, and it seems to me to buy a
"Cadillac" (also for the efforts to save the money!).
It was really a pleasure to listen to it, with Celestion 5 speakers.

Time goes by... I come to the feeling the A1 is a myth:
* I thought it is 20 Watt class A, now I read it is only 2 Watt class A...
It heats like a true class A to tweak the listeners ?

* The volume pot failure is a design failure.

* Some components (example the caps) are not well suited for the high
temperature inside.


So? You've obviously had a lot of enjoyment from the A1. Forget the specs
for a minute; do you still enjoy the sound that it makes? If so, why
bother whether it is class A up to full power? It's all just numbers -
it's your ears that have to be satisfied at the end of the day!

If you are dissatisfied with the sound, why not build something like the
Zen? You can have true class A then. You could even use a class A mosfet
if you fancy trying that. If you *really* hate the A1 you could build a
really nice Zen in the A1's case - it has a lovely heatsink just waiting ...

or you could give it to me... :-)

--
Mick
http://www.nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini information
Also at http://www.mixtel.co.uk where the collection started.
Currently deserting M$ for linux... :-)

On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 17:33:17 +0100, Sala Massimo wrote:

Still many thanks for your help.

About the A1, what can I say?

When I purchased the A1 I was 19 years old, and it seems to me to buy a
"Cadillac" (also for the efforts to save the money!).
It was really a pleasure to listen to it, with Celestion 5 speakers.

Time goes by... I come to the feeling the A1 is a myth:
* I thought it is 20 Watt class A, now I read it is only 2 Watt class A...
It heats like a true class A to tweak the listeners ?

* The volume pot failure is a design failure.

* Some components (example the caps) are not well suited for the high
temperature inside.


So? You've obviously had a lot of enjoyment from the A1. Forget the specs
for a minute; do you still enjoy the sound that it makes? If so, why
bother whether it is class A up to full power? It's all just numbers -
it's your ears that have to be satisfied at the end of the day!

If you are dissatisfied with the sound, why not build something like the
Zen? You can have true class A then. You could even use a class A mosfet
if you fancy trying that. If you *really* hate the A1 you could build a
really nice Zen in the A1's case - it has a lovely heatsink just waiting ...

or you could give it to me... :-)

--
Mick
http://www.nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini information
Also at http://www.mixtel.co.uk where the collection started.
Currently deserting M$ for linux... :-)

In article , Sala Massimo
wrote:
Still many thanks for your help.

About the A1, what can I say?

When I purchased the A1 I was 19 years old, and it seems to me to buy a
"Cadillac" (also for the efforts to save the money!). It was really a
pleasure to listen to it, with Celestion 5 speakers.

Time goes by... I come to the feeling the A1 is a myth: * I thought it
is 20 Watt class A, now I read it is only 2 Watt class A... It heats
like a true class A to tweak the listeners ?

To be fair, chances are, most users will be using only a couple of watts
most of the time, so in practical terms I'd guess it is 'more A than B'.
:-)

* The volume pot failure is a design failure.

Oversight, or perhaps a calculated risk. TBH variable pots all tend to wear
out in use, so it is perhaps hard to feel 20-odd years is not enough. It is
possible to design and choose components with a view to a longer life, but
some luck comes into this, and from the designer's POV they may feel that
by then they'll have a better design which they'd prefer you to buy! ;-

Above said, I would not personally have arranged the design as they did.
However their approach does have some advantages, so this is swings and
roundabouts.

* Some components (example the caps) are not well suited for the high
temperature inside.

This again is a trade-off problem. If you want high bias (class A) and a
small box, you end up with high temperatures. As you say, some components
do not really like this... However dealing with it puts up the
price/size/etc...

* Users report different failures.

* Musical Fidelity feedback is null...

That bit is unfortunate if representitive.


Better for your wallet, more amusing and satisfying is do some DIY
project!

I'd agree with that! :-)

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

In article , Sala Massimo
wrote:
Still many thanks for your help.

About the A1, what can I say?

When I purchased the A1 I was 19 years old, and it seems to me to buy a
"Cadillac" (also for the efforts to save the money!). It was really a
pleasure to listen to it, with Celestion 5 speakers.

Time goes by... I come to the feeling the A1 is a myth: * I thought it
is 20 Watt class A, now I read it is only 2 Watt class A... It heats
like a true class A to tweak the listeners ?

To be fair, chances are, most users will be using only a couple of watts
most of the time, so in practical terms I'd guess it is 'more A than B'.
:-)

* The volume pot failure is a design failure.

Oversight, or perhaps a calculated risk. TBH variable pots all tend to wear
out in use, so it is perhaps hard to feel 20-odd years is not enough. It is
possible to design and choose components with a view to a longer life, but
some luck comes into this, and from the designer's POV they may feel that
by then they'll have a better design which they'd prefer you to buy! ;-

Above said, I would not personally have arranged the design as they did.
However their approach does have some advantages, so this is swings and
roundabouts.

* Some components (example the caps) are not well suited for the high
temperature inside.

This again is a trade-off problem. If you want high bias (class A) and a
small box, you end up with high temperatures. As you say, some components
do not really like this... However dealing with it puts up the
price/size/etc...

* Users report different failures.

* Musical Fidelity feedback is null...

That bit is unfortunate if representitive.


Better for your wallet, more amusing and satisfying is do some DIY
project!

I'd agree with that! :-)

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

So? You've obviously had a lot of enjoyment from the A1. Forget the specs
for a minute; do you still enjoy the sound that it makes? If so, why
bother whether it is class A up to full power? It's all just numbers -
it's your ears that have to be satisfied at the end of the day!

Mick, I agree with you until the time the A1 volume pot broke.
It sounded good and I was very satisfied.
I never stressed the ampli, I used it in a "religious" way, always
wired to my Celestion 5 speakers.
Now I discover it is not a single failure, other users complain about
a bad design. I am very upset.

I stop trusting Musical Fidelity.
I purchased the A1 for its sound AND for its quality (hi-fi products
claims).
A1 design quality is worse than many consumer products... so I am
wondering about sound quality... it is really a thorn in my side.


If you are dissatisfied with the sound, why not build something like the
Zen? You can have true class A then.

I am thinking about "Death Of Zen" project (funny names...)
See Elliott Sound Products, http://sound.westhost.com
I appreciate really much his feelings about hi-fi and electronics
projects. Take a look at the very interesting web site!

ciao, Massimo

So? You've obviously had a lot of enjoyment from the A1. Forget the specs
for a minute; do you still enjoy the sound that it makes? If so, why
bother whether it is class A up to full power? It's all just numbers -
it's your ears that have to be satisfied at the end of the day!

Mick, I agree with you until the time the A1 volume pot broke.
It sounded good and I was very satisfied.
I never stressed the ampli, I used it in a "religious" way, always
wired to my Celestion 5 speakers.
Now I discover it is not a single failure, other users complain about
a bad design. I am very upset.

I stop trusting Musical Fidelity.
I purchased the A1 for its sound AND for its quality (hi-fi products
claims).
A1 design quality is worse than many consumer products... so I am
wondering about sound quality... it is really a thorn in my side.


If you are dissatisfied with the sound, why not build something like the
Zen? You can have true class A then.

I am thinking about "Death Of Zen" project (funny names...)
See Elliott Sound Products, http://sound.westhost.com
I appreciate really much his feelings about hi-fi and electronics
projects. Take a look at the very interesting web site!

ciao, Massimo

Thanks to all for your help!

I measured the DC voltage accross the pot, at the middle volume: 10 mV on
channel, 28 mV the other!
How to read these values?


The Alps pot is not available in Italy.
I searched "stereo" pots, also third parties, on local shops and surplus.
They haven't.

Perhaps I found the pot at Farnell UK, ALPS RK27111250K (former 0071
50KAX2), Farnell code 697928.
Good news: it is £ 16.33 plus shipping cost to ITALY (about £ 8), because
Farnell Italy doen't sell to end-users... :-(

If anybody can help me to get the pot at a cheaper cost...

---

At a first glance, one of the big power caps (10000 uF 25 V) is strange: its
plastic dome is going yellow (the other three caps have a transparent dome).
Is this a clue of a incoming failure ?


ciao, Massimo
ITALY
(to reply: remove CHIOCCIOLA and PUNTO)

Thanks to all for your help!

I measured the DC voltage accross the pot, at the middle volume: 10 mV on
channel, 28 mV the other!
How to read these values?


The Alps pot is not available in Italy.
I searched "stereo" pots, also third parties, on local shops and surplus.
They haven't.

Perhaps I found the pot at Farnell UK, ALPS RK27111250K (former 0071
50KAX2), Farnell code 697928.
Good news: it is £ 16.33 plus shipping cost to ITALY (about £ 8), because
Farnell Italy doen't sell to end-users... :-(

If anybody can help me to get the pot at a cheaper cost...

---

At a first glance, one of the big power caps (10000 uF 25 V) is strange: its
plastic dome is going yellow (the other three caps have a transparent dome).
Is this a clue of a incoming failure ?


ciao, Massimo
ITALY
(to reply: remove CHIOCCIOLA and PUNTO)

Sala Massimo wrote:

Thanks to all for your help!

I measured the DC voltage accross the pot, at the middle volume: 10 mV on
channel, 28 mV the other!
How to read these values?


The Alps pot is not available in Italy.
I searched "stereo" pots, also third parties, on local shops and surplus.
They haven't.

Perhaps I found the pot at Farnell UK, ALPS RK27111250K (former 0071
50KAX2), Farnell code 697928.
Good news: it is £ 16.33 plus shipping cost to ITALY (about £ 8), because
Farnell Italy doen't sell to end-users... :-(

If anybody can help me to get the pot at a cheaper cost...

Don't know if its any cheaper, but you could try

http://www.hificollective.co.uk/comp...tiometers.html

Or I found this link in Italy

http://www.audiodesignguide.com/sele/sele.html

--
Nick