do they have an online presence ?

Not as far as I know - the AAS have an emailed monthly n'letter. Maybe they might join this thread.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Elected officers 2017:

President: Brian Gurr 021 912 269
Vioce President: John Dagg 021 277 7070
Secretary: Dave Harnett 021 279 6850

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Next meeting: 7:30pm, TOMORROW night Thursday 26th Jan, club rooms at 990 Great North Rd, Western Springs (opp. Motions Rd).
Please be on time as so we can start promptly. Members should
wear your name badge and return it at the end of the evening.

Programme:

7:30 Joe Rasmussen’s Elsinore Mk6 speakers will be running with club gear including Krell amp
and all going well Brian Gurrs amazing Vacuum State valve amps with the ultimate Uber clocked Oppo*

8:30 Tea

9:00 Brian Gurr will be announcing the AAS intentions for the year
Followed by more comparative listening and discussion
SACDs and CDs are invited from members!

10:00 Close of formal programme

[e-mail]
www.facebook.com/akaudiosociety/

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Sounds great will check it out

Manager & Product specialist at Rapallo AV & HI-FI

I attended a couple of AAS meetings in a church hall on Ponsonby Rd 30 odd years ago. Only a couple because when music was played many of the worthies continued to talk. After a 30 years break I again went to a couple of meetings in Western Springs. Same thing, incessant chatter - it is more of a social club than a audio club. Deano if you do get something new off the ground, don't let it be dominated by retailers. I wouldn't want to demean their kindness in bringing in new gear, but it is business isn't it. Make a bit of room for the DIY community and those who have classic and restored gear also. Good luck!

May 8, 2021 10:17:03 GMT 12 peter0c said:

I attended a couple of AAS meetings in a church hall on Ponsonby Rd 30 odd years ago. Only a couple because when music was played many of the worthies continued to talk. After a 30 years break I again went to a couple of meetings in Western Springs. Same thing, incessant chatter - it is more of a social club than a audio club. Deano if you do get something new off the ground, don't let it be dominated by retailers. I wouldn't want to demean their kindness in bringing in new gear, but it is business isn't it. Make a bit of room for the DIY community and those who have classic and restored gear also. Good luck!

Absolutely, we will find a balance between old and new & DIY and it won't be dominated by anyone

We want a comfortable, stress free environment, it's about enjoyment not sales

We will have a voting system in place via FB for events where people can vote on what they would like to hear component wise

Deano

Manager & Product specialist at Rapallo AV & HI-FI

FYI


AUCKLANDAUDIOSOCIETY
www.facebook.com/akaudiosociety

cid:1690781e5b24cdccc1

Account: Kiwibank, Auckland Audio Society, 38 9014 0611559 00

Meetings: 4th Monday of the month at 7.30pm, February to November

AAS clubrooms Corwallis Street, St Lukes. [e-mail]

Our next AAS meeting on Monday May 24 might have you raiding the piggy bank.

Featured will be top level Luxman product courtesy of Deano Lambert/Rapallo.

Specifically the New D-10X SACD/CD Player.

A key feature is the ‘world premier of the world’s finest D/A converter, the MUS-IC™ BD34301EKV from ROHM Semiconductor.’ Quoting ROHM
“Not surprisingly, the BD34301EKV chip has been adopted by LUXMAN CORPORATION for the digital circuitry of their flagship model SACD/CD player, the D-10X. They are a renowned manufacturer of high-end audio equipment. Masakazu Nagatsuma, Director and General Manager of the Development department at LUXMAN, praised the performance and sound quality of the BD34301EKV from the development stage: "The sound is natural and flat across the audio spectrum, making it easy to listen to for extended periods.”

Luxman claim superb circuitry: result .... “You’ll hear far greater expressive power with enhanced microdynamics across the audio spectrum, especially in the higher frequencies.” (amongst other notable tech points ....... luxman.com/product/detail/php?id=37).

Plus we will hear their flagship Integrated CLASS A L-590AX11 AMPLIFIER. Luxman says ...

For over 50 years, LUXMAN has been confronting the challenges of balancing performance, function and design in an integrated amplifier body. These years of research and experience have resulted in the L-590AXII, the ultimate complete integrated amplifier design.With unprecedented spatial expression - and a sense of density particular to Class A design - outstanding realisation of tonal quality and penetrating audio ability.

Heck just the vol control is a work of tech art: an 88 step computerized attenuator, laid out in 3D, directly connected to the amplification circuitry.

‘The L-590AXII is equipped with not only a custom power transformer and block capacitors but also with many custom built parts featuring sophisticated technologies. These custom parts and features have been improved through thorough listening tests on passive parts including resistors, input/output terminals and various wires.’ (www.luxman.com/product/detail.php?id=1).

Worthy of note is Luxman have existed for 90 years.

Be there or miss out!

(Bring your silver discs).

Sec

Auckland HiFi Club discussion moved here

FYI

"AAS clubrooms: Cornwallis Street, St Lukes

For our AAS meeting on Monday June 28th we want to involve members with an experiment and have fun: use the Ramblers room dividers/baffles to see if we can produce a better sound from our Q Acoustics speakers.

The meeting will start at 7.30pm, supper at 8.30, resuming at 8.50pm.

(Bring your silver discs).

Sec"

FYI next Audio Society meeting.

"Account: Kiwibank, Auckland Audio Society, 38 9014 0611559 00

Meetings: 4th Monday of the month at 7.30pm, February to November

AAS clubrooms: Cornwallis Street, St Lukes. [e-mail]


This month, Monday July 26, we have esteemed senior AAS member John Paul to enlighten us on techy things and musical things.

An accomplished presenter, John is going to bring his KINKI STUDIO EX-M7 stereo power amp to stimulate our aural receptors.

Though newish, the M7 has fans that like it’s good sound, good technology, and good value.

But there is more: A 16 track CD compilation will be donated to those attending (by John) with a similar mix of jazz and classical to the very well received CD he previously compiled for us.

But wait there is still more:

John is also going to bring his MARCH AUDIO P452 stereo amp along to prove we are a lucky bunch.

The March uses the latest Purifi Eigentakt modules designed by Bruno Putzeys, trail blazing Belgian engineer (along with Lars Risbo).

The Eigentakt secret sauce is apparently a “mathematically exact” optimisation of the feedback circuit that improves performance by at least an order of magnitude over existing implementations.’

Quiz John on the technology of these amps if you feel inclined, I think he will be up to it. Equally you could quiz John on his compiled music – he will happily discuss it.

Some say all amps sound the same – possibly we will find out!

PS we will use the same setup we arrived at during the last meeting which jumped up the performance of our audio system.


Sec"

FYI

Meetings: 4th Monday of the month at 7.30pm, February to November

AAS clubrooms Cornwallis Street, St Lukes

[e-mail]



AAS Jan meeting is on Monday JAN 24th (the 4th Monday of the month).

It will be a music night.

Remember there is no music without your CDs and SACDs – bring them along.

Sec

FYI. I am a bit reluctant to re-post this because I don't think it is sensible for 20 or so elderly talkative men to remain in a room for two or three hours. (At another time I'd be very interested in informed comment about 'digital latency' - happily constant across frequencies - which I suspect is particularly problematic with DSP and to a lesser extent digital volume controls. Anyone informed enough to pick this topic up elsewhere on DL?) Nonetheless:



AAS February meeting is on Monday the 28th February (the 4th Monday of the month) at the softball clubrooms, Cornwallis St, St Lukes.


John Paul has graciously agreed to compare 3 DACs.

He has compiled a pre-meeting info sheet (if you are prepared to do a little homework). Copied below. Enjoy.



Looking for the perfect wave? Surfer or audiophile?

Old Goldilocks Situation: Accurate vs Pleasant. Perception vs Measurement. Subjectivist vs Objectivist etc. etc.- - - - - - - - - - Honest REPRODUCTION of Source Recording or "NICE"? - - - - - - ("For my money!)



"Lollipop video" with excellent sine & square wave I/O demo : xiph.org/video/vid2.shtml.

We hear the "envelope" not the 22.7 used word. Recurring signal at x amplitude from base.

Up Scaling" : - ideally straight (scalar) integer multiplication. N times? Bandwidth limits, register - buffer 'overflow' problems. Complications if Digital EQ'ng (Audyssey, REW, - Dirac in Roon (64 bit downshifts-reduces)

benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/application_notes/intersample-overs-in-cd-recordings

Further 'constipations' by "Down-Sampling' occurs in studios where 24/96 is used to stay above the (-90) noise floor while producing 16/44.1 CD print Masters.

archimago.blogspot.com/2020/10/further-explorations-into-intersample.html#more

Archimago is an 'objectivist' who likes data, and created a "blind" Hi-rez vs ? listening downloaded self test. Interesting results across the respondents. Worth checking?

Also, consider: NOS -Non Oversampling, (Ideally "untouched"), though comes with mid-higher freq IM & THD distortion products, My old PCM-1702 resistor to resistor voltage divider (ladder dac) chip here tonight. Some specialist BIG $$$$$ (DCS, Berkeley, MSB, Weiss have "magical" quasi-NOS and FPGA (complex) type R2R (?) fixes).

Considerable problems w/semantics here as 'Over-sampling' etc. as below: Marketing weenies have confused (BS soiled) much of this stuff.

Up Sampling: Up Converting: - "Calculates" values "averaged or median" approximations etc between converted analogue signal data (A to D) to voltage PCM value. Delta sigma (DS)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta-sigma_modulation. Provides difference between samples then summed output for very good measured performance. Texas Instruments (Burr-Brown), AKM, Cirrus Logic, Wolfson perfected technique & commercially succesful. Cheap & Perfect?

MY emphasis here is VERY IMPORTANT analogue output stage implementation. Class A FET stage in my Metrum R2R. Good op-amps as output drivers. ESS Sabre 9038 types in AQ Dragonfly portables, studio quality Benchmark & $$$$S Brinkmann, Ayre, Mytek, Lumin High end. (WTF?). Heaps of an Audio Precision testing guru info at:

www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?forums/digital-to-analog-dac-reviews-and-discussion.10/. (Full Disclosure: I've donated there ($100) and ID as LesterNZ)

DS also works well as A to D, and is the basic fundamental DSD process. (Not PCM'd & DOP is contradiction). - though problems again with excessive HF noise causes problems w/filtering,

Filters: A bucket of digitally manipulated worms, often tricky to hear, (Ref: Oppo's) but 'sometimes' in your face. A light overview of a representative DS chip family (in my cheap AKM 4490 miniDSP Pre-amp Xover/EQ).

nihtila.com/2019/10/18/dac-digital-filters-part-2-deeper-dive-into-ak4490-and-ak4493-filters/

Noise shaping another complication. A reasonable look at how & why

namoseley.wordpress.com/2018/01/16/simple-noise-shaping-dacs-some-examples/

N.B. Many digital fidelity "problems" start at the studio/source recording-editing processes. Often a long chain of subtle timing & calculation, (interpolation, truncation etc) errors added. Though digital is more accurate "fault" revealing & doesn't have those vinyl (or analoge tape) noise masking & smoothing "advantages", "Bad Stuff often happens behind the louder parts as well as those obvious clipping & saturation peaks.

Playback can't fix GIGO problems. So don't go too $$$$ crazy with anything - Remember. - Diminishing Returns is called a LAW - not a theory. So don't try to dis-prove it, (again) 'cause you'll go broke (again!). I know I should've have spent it on Lagavulin 16 Yr or similar!

It's frankly, "Enjoy, it's all about the music and the RECORDING, Stoopid.".

JP

FYI

AAS clubrooms Cornwallis Street, St Lukes

AAS MARCH meeting is on Monday March 28th (the 4th Monday of the month).

Bob Harvey will present "Pop into Jazz"……. “it is a wander through some of the music I have stumbled across in my time, and how the more I got into jazz, the more I got into music. It might even have an educational aspect, but that will be quite unintentional. The big question of the evening is, "Is André Rieu the Liberace of the violin?"



Masks required ladies and gents.

Sec

And so is Andre Rieu the Liberace of the violin?

Is that Bob Harvey former mayor of Waitakere City ?

I didn't go so can't answer either question. The interest in hifi seems to be waning with few young people turning up to such events.

Most young people probably haven't even heard of Rieu or Liberace, so ropics like that could hold little interest!

They don't seem to be well connected, or make it easy to be in touch or connect...

www.facebook.com/akaudiosociety

Last post in 2017.

aas.org.nz/ (mentioned up thread) hopelessly inept.

"You see this page because you have set
up your Web server for serving a new site, but have not uploaded
the site content yet."

So, as again above, no online presence?

Not that I'd necessarily join a club that would have me as a member... ;=})

Although not a member of AAS I do get their emails and so have posted these on DL over the past year. Time I think for a paid-up member to do this or for AAS to contact one of the DL administrators. So here is the Anzac Day offering.

"AAS clubrooms Cornwallis Street, St Lukes.

AAS APRIL meeting is on Monday APRIL 25th (4th Monday of the month).

This month our presenter is ‘Southerner’ and long standing AAS member Malcolm Hope who will run his self-constructed amplification.
His program is called ‘HOARDING: What You Collect Over 40yrs’

Definition of a Hoarder: Hoard can be a noun or a verb, referring to a supply of something kept hidden away, or the act of collecting and storing said supply. A hoarder is usually someone who obsessively and unnecessary keeps things they do not need.

Ha .. this can be beneficial as Malcolm will demonstrate. He is bringing his Studio 350 Monos, ‘essentially a cheap Luxman’ said Malcolm (and maybe a valve buffer).

Malcolm has a ready smile and a great sense of humour. I suspect his moto is ‘Don’t take life too seriously, none of us get out alive.’

Of course Nothing will happen without your CDs.


Sec"

Apr 21, 2022 14:04:02 GMT 12 peter0c said:

Although not a member of AAS I do get their emails and so have posted these on DL over the past year. Time I think for a paid-up member to do this or for AAS to contact one of the DL administrators. So here is the Anzac Day offering.

"AAS clubrooms Cornwallis Street, St Lukes.

AAS APRIL meeting is on Monday APRIL 25th (4th Monday of the month).

This month our presenter is ‘Southerner’ and long standing AAS member Malcolm Hope who will run his self-constructed amplification.
His program is called ‘HOARDING: What You Collect Over 40yrs’

Definition of a Hoarder: Hoard can be a noun or a verb, referring to a supply of something kept hidden away, or the act of collecting and storing said supply. A hoarder is usually someone who obsessively and unnecessary keeps things they do not need.

Ha .. this can be beneficial as Malcolm will demonstrate. He is bringing his Studio 350 Monos, ‘essentially a cheap Luxman’ said Malcolm (and maybe a valve buffer).

Malcolm has a ready smile and a great sense of humour. I suspect his moto is ‘Don’t take life too seriously, none of us get out alive.’

Of course Nothing will happen without your CDs.

Well I tried to find them the last time you mentioned them.

Hopeless messaging it seems to me. Couldn't find a web page.

www.facebook.com/akaudiosociety/?ref=page_internal

hasn't been updated since 2017.

Even in the quoted email, there's no street number given for the address.

I might find it interesting - if I could get there conveniently by public transport (or a lift).

I would need to know exactly where it was!

Having 'collected' too over some decades, maybe not as many, but also valve oriented, I'm sure I'd enjoy it.

How about some contact details, or up to date website, or ?

Thanks!

PS: It's "Motto" ...

Cheers!! ;=})

The AAS address is as above - "AAS clubrooms Cornwallis Street, St Lukes". The meetings are in the softball clubrooms in Cornwallis St alongside St Lukes shopping centre. It is a very short street so the number is more or less irrelevant. Public transport is not a problem via the Outer Link buses every 10 minutes - get off at St Lukes.

I'm more than happy to post any upodates from them. Can you give me an email address peter0c (pm if you like). Tried messaging them but no response.

Apr 22, 2022 9:22:45 GMT 12 peter0c said:

The AAS address is as above - "AAS clubrooms Cornwallis Street, St Lukes". The meetings are in the softball clubrooms in Cornwallis St alongside St Lukes shopping centre. It is a very short street so the number is more or less irrelevant. Public transport is not a problem via the Outer Link buses every 10 minutes - get off at St Lukes.

Thanks very much, Peter.

Now I see, scrolling back up, that the softball club rooms was mentioned in your 23 Feb 2022 post, but that was it.

Would they have had a sign out? Much better to mention every time I think. Anyway, now located on Google Maps.

There are still a few houses in the street I see. Wouldn't have been fun wandering around in the dark looking for it without knowing!

Yes, Outer Link is easy for me, as is also a Morningside Drive stop by St Lukes, likely quicker, more direct from CBD with a short walk.

Cheers!

What time do they start?

Are non paid up members wdlcome?

Looking up-thread, 7:30pm is consistently mentioned.

Peter wrote that he isn't a member, so I'd imagine and hope that an uninvited guest wouldn't be turned away ...

RdM/Citroen

PeterOc suggested someone from AAS might like to take over his posting AAS notices as a courtesy. What a FINE job he has done - thank you PeterOc.

As AAS Secretary I'll put my hand up. I've registered on DL and my username is aassec or AASSec. OK so far admin?

Contact for AAS was '[e-mail],' but last year after I had a new email program installed it was rejected by the program. After spending my personal funds to have it corrected the professional stated 'It is a Microsoft problem.' The login to further pursue the issue has been lost, so I have been using my own email to send out AAS notices. I'm sorry you drew a blank. My mobile is 0274 951 450/email '[e-mail].'

It is a good point you made RdM re Ramblers Softball Club rooms address. 'nz locale online' states "62 Warren Freer Park, Cornwallis Street, St Lukes." The park building lining Cornwallis Street is Ramblers.

BTW meetings are the 4th Monday of the month at 7.30 (Correct, uninvited guests wouldn't be turned away ... you are welcome, ask for John).

Thanks for joining and posting. All very good!

Thanks, John.

I'd planned on going, but regretfully won't be up for it tonight, I think.

A little after midnight Friday, Saturday early am, I was returning from a near neighbours flat, across the courtyard but walking access from a near, very steep street, and as I turned left into the internal entrance to the courtyard that my flat faces onto, I must have stumbled, there's a bump in the footpath there, and the next thing I knew when I came to, there were 3 concerned faces dabbing copious amounts of blood off my face... I'd obviously fallen straight downhill onto the right side of my face, shoulder (just a tennis ball sized bruise) and lacerations on the top of my right hand, incl. 3 knuckles.

But on the face, from above the eyebrow, to top of cheekbone,(massive swelling under eye and thumb sized scabs) and top lip, it's still a (dried) bloody mess.
So, (while I'd love to drag out the line "Yeah but you should see the other guy";-)) I don't think looking like an extra from a horror film is the best way to make new acquaintances! ;=})
Besides, it's all still pretty painful, and the lip is bruised and swollen as well. The pavement won in this case!

Got myself up to A&E (or ED as they now call it) at Auckland Hospital and was well taken care of, although had to wait until the morning shift started for an actual doctor check-up.
A CT scan showed no broken facial bones, and - oh yes, I feel a front incisor tooth loose and bleeding too, but it's apparently intact. Not sure if loose means still attached at jawbone.
How things can change in an instant! Spent about 8 hours there, had thought it was 10.

Let's see how things are next month! ;=}))

Apr 21, 2022 14:04:02 GMT 12 peter0c said:

[ ... ]
This month our presenter is ‘Southerner’ and long standing AAS member Malcolm Hope who will run his self-constructed amplification.
His program is called ‘HOARDING: What You Collect Over 40yrs’

Definition of a Hoarder: Hoard can be a noun or a verb, referring to a supply of something kept hidden away, or the act of collecting and storing said supply. A hoarder is usually someone who obsessively and unnecessary keeps things they do not need.

Ha .. this can be beneficial as Malcolm will demonstrate. He is bringing his Studio 350 Monos, ‘essentially a cheap Luxman’ said Malcolm (and maybe a valve buffer).

Hmm. I wonder if these would likely be the Jaycar ones?

On special now if you can find some limited in store stock.

Still need heatsinks and power supplies.

www.jaycar.co.nz/studio-350-high-power-amplifier/p/KC5372

But Classe make some (SS) 350W mono-blocks too. (pictured here with electrostatic speakers)

skyfiaudio.com/products/classe-audio-cam-350-cam350-monoblock-amplifiers-350w

And Carver, tubed with KT120

www.musicdirect.com/power-amp/Bob-Carver-Model-350-Monoblocks

Also TriangleArt, tubed with KT88

(the reviewer is mistaken to write "and one 6SL7 rectifier tube")

An internal as well as external photos.

positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/triangleart-ultimate-ta-350m-monoblock-amplifiers/

Cheers!