[Lorspeaker]

hope there will be a mix up n u see this "EliSE" at your doorsteps

 

[JamieMcC]

Looks interesting I am also in the headphone out on the front panel club after going through several new connectors which have become damaged and a amp that was on one occasion very nearly pulled of its shelf by a snagged cable the cable must be able to pull out cleanly in case of such a event.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

I like the unstated looks, and it being called Ekise significantly helps my chances of buying one. It is the wifes middle name!

 

[hypnos1]

Hi folks...a quick THANKS TO ALL who have given feedback(and those yet to come) before I'm off out....will go into more depth later today.
 
Preferences apart, the one area where I agree with everyone is the HP jack placement...I personally HATE it coming out of the top. I just hope to God they can reposition it...will be sending all our comments to Lukasz ASAP!!
 
Keep the comments coming, y'all  

 

[Lorspeaker]

I would like to see McIntosh blue dials on the front plate...
Ok sorry...everybody goes back to bedzzz:rolleyes:

 

[hypnos1]

Hi again everyone...and thanks to ALL once more for your valuable comments.
 
Have already forwarded these on to Lukasz at Feliks-Audio - ESPECIALLY re. the HP jack positioning...I've literally begged him to reconsider, and trust they will take serious note. I wouldn't have thought it too difficult to arrange, and I'm sure it wouldn't spoil the 'clean' look of the front panel one bit.
 
I must admit, MIKELAP, I too like the big knob in the centre...somehow looks more "the business" and literally the "Control Centre", lol! But to each his (her) own, of course...
 
I agree also with you, john57 and mordy - perhaps the vol. knob could be a bit more contrasting. I asked if an optional gold-plated one might be available from start-up...I think it could look stunning against all that black! But arranging a plater to do the job in the time frame is probably not feasible, more's the pity!

 
And I agree with you, ilm2, about that BIG transformer cover. Obviously, in the simulation there aren't all the curved edges there would be in real life, but even so it does look rather dominant, to say the least. So I passed on your comments re. breaking it up somehow.
 
And, Lorspeaker, as mordy said there should be plenty of room for those PsVanes...I would certainly hope so, 'cos they'll be the first things to go into the new baby, followed quickly by my GEC 6AS7Gs...assessment of the stock set-up will have to wait a wee while, I'm afraid!!

 
Hope I've managed to cover most realistic areas OK, and that the Feliks guys act on a good few of them...why not ask for blood? They can only say sorry, no can do...but let's all hope and pray they see sense and realise that these things are VERY important in a competitive market...after component, build and SOUND quality of course...
 
Anyway, I await with eager anticipation Lukasz's reply, and as it looks like the poor fellow has to fit in email replies close to midnight, it might be a long(ish) wait, lol.
Needless to say, I shall pass on any info at the VERY earliest...
 
Any further comments/views are most certainly welcome...

 

[hypnos1]

Have just twigged why I like the basic projected look of the 'Elise'...reminds me of some really nice Naim Audio equipment. If the build quality can match (or nearly) that of the Naim - and I have a feeling it probably will - then I think we will be seeing a real giant-killer...Roll on end-October. (Mind you, if we keep throwing them off track it'll probably be more like end-Nov. lol!!).
 
BFN
 
CJ

 

[hypnos1]

  Looks interesting I am also in the headphone out on the front panel club after going through several new connectors which have become damaged and a amp that was on one occasion very nearly pulled of its shelf by a snagged cable the cable must be able to pull out cleanly in case of such a event.

 
Yes indeed...your point re. what happens if you tug the cable hard is a good one. That on top of the stress placed on the wire at the plug edge, not to mention the whole thing "sprouting" out of the top of the amp makes this positioning totally unfathomable in my book - and everyone else's it looks like!!
 

  I like the unstated looks, and it being called Ekise significantly helps my chances of buying one. It is the wifes middle name!

 
Methinks we're all going to need as much help as possible when trying to justify yet another piece of equipment in the house, lol! (Especially a row of headphone amps ...). But I think this one will merit pulling out ALL the stops

...

 

[MIKELAP]

   
Yes indeed...your point re. what happens if you tug the cable hard is a good one. That on top of the stress placed on the wire at the plug edge, not to mention the whole thing "sprouting" out of the top of the amp makes this positioning totally unfathomable in my book - and everyone else's it looks like!!
 
 
Methinks we're all going to need as much help as possible when trying to justify yet another piece of equipment in the house, lol! (Especially a row of headphone amps ...). But I think this one will merit pulling out ALL the stops

...

But before that it needs to prove itself

 

[hypnos1]

  But before that it needs to prove itself

 
Ah, M...there's the rub - it must be bought and tried in order to 'prove itself', lol! Someone or, rather, -people have to be pioneers (guinea pigs!)....feeling brave, mon ami? OF COURSE you are!!...And hopefully so are others...

 
Mind you, I wouldn't blame you for waiting to see how I find it  compared to my LDMKIV SE, complete with C3gSs and GEC 6AS7Gs (as if you didn't know already!)...

 

[MIKELAP]

   
Ah, M...there's the rub - it must be bought and tried in order to 'prove itself', lol! Someone or, rather, -people have to be pioneers (guinea pigs!)....feeling brave, mon ami? OF COURSE you are!!...And hopefully so are others...

 
Mind you, I wouldn't blame you for waiting to see how I find it  compared to my LDMKIV SE, complete with C3gSs and GEC 6AS7Gs (as if you didn't know already!)...

Im brave but not rich lol. Will Feliks  loan you this amp when its finished or will you have to buy it to test it . They certainely will post pictures of the insides i would guess.We will see soon enough.

 

[hypnos1]

  Im brave but not rich lol. Will Feliks  loan you this amp when its finished or will you have to buy it to test it . They certainely will post pictures of the insides i would guess.We will see soon enough.

 
Actually, M, I reckon they ought to give me one, lol!

...but I (try to) live in the real world, so that's not gonna happen methinks!  No, I'll be 'first reserved' for receiving one...and given that I've encouraged them to invest what must be a good deal of time and money in this venture, I'm lucky they don't send me an 'R&D' bill!!
 
I will certainly try to glean photos of the innards from them - so long as I don't get done for industrial espionage!..

 
ps. Looks like they're still digesting the various comments/suggestions from all you guys I heaped on them yesterday...poor things! (If nothing else, they MUST surely reposition that HP jack...everything crossed...).

 

[hypnos1]

                                                                                        LATEST NEWS FLASH!!!
 
And this one I am sure most of you (if not all!) will really appreciate...
 
After what appears to have been quite a heated battle on the part of Lukasz at Feliks-Audio, I have just received confirmation that they respect our collective opinion and have AGREED TO REPOSITION THE HEADPHONE JACK - TO THE FRONT. Given the stage they were at, right down to suppliers even, I can well understand the heated exchanges (in the quest to keep the front panel as neat as possible, Lukasz has even changed the jack to be used, for example!).
 
PLUS...they have re-designed the panel to also incorporate a power light, and will calibrate the volume knob.
 
Having one big toroidal transformer obviously precludes any kind of 'splitting', but he is certain the end result will not look quite so 'overpowering' (my words).
 
For us to have had such an influence in the design of this new model - especially even at this late stage - I find quite incredible, and all thanks must go to Lukasz (and his team) for respecting our opinions/wishes (even if some are fairly clear to US, lol!).
 
All I can say is GRREAAT! And also WELL DONE for posting your comments so promptly - I am sure the outcome would not have been so welcoming if there had been even just a few days' delay in delivering these missiles to them, lol!!
 
I, for one, am absolutely over the moon with their response, and will surely sleep more soundly tonight...not to mention having a smile on my face when I write that cheque/give my credit card number - it's not often the smile is there at such a moment!..

.

 

[john57]

I wonder why the big fuss was to put the headphone jack on top was. Was it cheaper for them? Glad they change their mind but it is not the only tube headphone amp to put the jack on top. Decware comes to mind on this. What is the new jack like?

 

[geetarman49]

i agree .. with the vol knob on the front panel, it doesn't make sense to have top-mounted hp jack.  having said that, consideration should be given to ensuring that the product is still end-user maintainable.  with tube amps, it's not a matter of if, but when, you will need to access the guts --- in this case, the pcb, in order to check components, voltages, etc.
 
i recently went through a very trying experience with an all tube amp (single driver, single pwr tube) wherein 4 front panel screws had to be removed, 5 4 topside screws (5th screw covered by topside xfmr cover ... had to locate matching screw on the pcb to release) and multiple pwr connections disconnected.  even then, despite careful handling, removal & reinsertion of the pcb resulted in 3 solder joint breaks, one after the other.  my level of frustration went through the roof (with only my bp pills keeping me from blowing a gasket!) but i persevered and finished the job at hand ... result ... fantastic, with curved brown base osram (gec) 6as7g and 5751 windmill getter.
 
so, front-panel hp jack ... but ensure pcb is still easily accessible/removable for maintainability.
 
<edit> looks like positive outcome by the time it took for me to compose & post this.