AkitikA GT-102 power amplifier - Kit or Assembled ....

joeinid

joeinid

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Wonderful review in Stereophile.


https://www.akitika.com/GT102.html#


https://www.stereophile.com/content/akitika-gt-102-power-amplifier


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Since you only need the first watt it would never get hot like when JA tortured it and it could play all day if it is quiet. It would be like when I bought the Nuforce (little Job) out of curiosity.
 
The review even mentioned it’s on the warmer side of neutral. Sounds like my kind of amp.
 
I agree and maybe even Randy needs one too as he has the perfect preamp for it. Surely he could sneak that little amp into the rack.
 
OMG, that’s right. I’m sure he’d love it.



Jack said:
I agree and maybe even Randy needs one too as he has the perfect preamp for it. Surely he could sneak that little amp into the rack.
Click to expand...
 
Dan from Akitika had the Stereophile demo amp available for sale. My curiosity got me so I bought it. Damn, I just hooked it up and like any amp that hasn’t been used in a while, it needs warming up but it’s pretty cool. After only a few minutes it’s a little bit congested but overall pretty awesome. I am sure as it warms up it’ll be great.

I must have been out of my mind to buy expensive amps. It’s very quiet, but the GAT2 gain is a little too high, so the Misho preamp needs to get hooked up with it.

I’m amazed so far.
 
There’s no bite, no sibilants and it’s pretty smooth. It doesn’t have tremendous 3D (yet) like some other amps but it’s still cooking.



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Stereophile Class B amp rating:

​

Akitika GT-102: $488 (assembled); $314 (kit) $$$
As HR mused in his review of the solid-state AkitikA GT-102, "Jeez, Louise—should I even bother to drive a $7700 pair of [Joseph Audio Pulsar] speakers with a $488 amp?" That question is made more poignant by the fact that the GT-102 is available in kit form for only $314—far less than many of you would dream of spending on an interconnect or even a cable riser. To ensure that ours was an exemplary sample, for the sake of measurements if nothing else, ​
HR tried a factory-built sample and found the 60Wpc GT-102, which is based on the same power op-amp as the well-regarded 47 Laboratory Gaincard integrated amp, had a "warmer, darker" sound than that of his Pass Laboratories XA25.
The AkitikA didn't make much headway with the difficult-to-drive Magnepan .7 planar-magnetic speakers, but it partnered well with Falcon Acoustics' LS3/5a minimonitors, ​
Herb being especially impressed by "how attractively it rendered the complex harmonic structures of . . . saxophone, harmonica, violin, and marimba." His conclusion: "Super-highly recommended."
Writing from his lab, JA noted that the AkitikA "is happier driving higher impedances, though this drawback must be considered in the context of its very affordable price." (Vol.41 No.7 WWW)

Read more at ​
https://www.stereophile.com/content...s-2019-edition-power-amps#xYkdEoJvsD5oVHQz.99
 
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I absolutely love the amp. It has a little more forward presentation than my SIT3, for example, but it’s awesome. It’s smooth and a little sweet, 136 dB silent. I’m stunned.

PS, it turns out that my unit is the exact amp from the Stereophile review. I’m sure it was fully broken in well before I received it.



maty said:
After three weeks, how is the sound?
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With what speakers did you pair it?

The problem is it has only one LM3886 by channel. It is more suitable for speakers with real impedance of 8 ohms or more.

Or 4 Ohms bookshelve loudspeakers with cut > 65 Hz at -3 dB.

Soundstage? With complex music, like the orchestral, how does it sound?

Years ago I was close to buying the GT-101.

My speakers love watts and they go down, according to the manufacturer, up to 49 Hz at -3 dB. Minimum impedance 3.9 Ohms and true 85 dB/W/m. It did not seem the most appropriate amplifier for them.
 
Only my Avantgarde Duo XD so far. I only have two older pair of Klipsch bookshelf in addition to my Duo which I have not tried.

Soundstage is great but maybe not as much depth as my more expensive amps. I have not tried any classical or orchestral music.

Overall I’m not embarrassed to say that I think it’s a great amp and would not have any second thoughts about it as my only amp.

With a pair of Harbeth, or similar not extremely difficult to drive speakers, it would make a great system.



maty said:
With what speakers did you pair it?

The problem is it has only one LM3886 by channel. It is more suitable for speakers with real impedance of 8 ohms or more.

Or 4 Ohms bookshelve loudspeakers with cut > 65 Hz at -3 dB.

Soundstage? With complex music, like the orchestral, how does it sound?
Click to expand...
 
Absolutely not a difficult load, but I think any reasonable speaker of 4 ohms or more should be fine. Same thing goes for my Job amps. They don’t like difficult to drive speakers either.
 
I read this thread this morning. Sounds like an interesting little amp.

I have recently been listening to my T+A amplifier a lot more. Great little amplifier! I have been calling it the mighty midget since it is so small in size. Everything I loved about the Goldmund Job sound, fast, dynamic, etc., but oh so much more. And much better components and parts being used. It is quickly becoming my favorite amp. I can only imagine how good their big boy amplifiers are :D!

The Sylvania tubes give that very forward image in the Audio Mirror amps that Joe was describing for this little value amp. I very much prefer the wider, deeper image that I get with the CBS or Black Treasure tubes :).

But this little guy sounds like a fantastic bargain for sure.
 
Randy,

It’s a gigantic bargain but maybe not for some of the well heeled audiophiles. I love the variety. The SIT3 is a little more laid back but the Akitika is a little more upfront. I’d love to hear it on a Harbeth, for example. I bet it’s a wonderful combo.
 
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