[CanDude]

There is a home page for HPA-21 now: http://www.bakoonproducts.com/product/hpa-21/
 
If you think that the max output power 1 W @ 32 Ω, 1 kH cannot drive LCD-2/3, remember that this is a different technology. I sensed no lack of power with LCD-3, on the contrary!
Any complaints on the FR (10 Hz ~ 1 MHz)?

And no slew rate...
Hopefully there is a production unit heading my way now so within a week or so I can compare it with my BHA-1.

 

[CanDude]

As you may have noticed there has been a slight delay for the production start for HPA-21. The production units will have a better volume pot, some better components, the circuit boards got some improvements from the upcoming 9 Series and 5 Series and the front panel is now 7 mm thick, as you can see on the pictures on Facebook. There is also some more info on the 6moons page. Soo In: "It's quite surprising to me how the performance became even better than it had been at the Stockholm show. This took us a while but I'm very pleased with the outcome." That sounds very promising, well worth the wait IMO! (my wallet doesn’t agree, though)
 
Audeze, who got to listen to the unit I previewed at the Stockholm High End show, presented HPA-21 along with their LCD-2 and LCD-3 at the NY Audio Show this weekend. So I guess they liked it…

  Anyone having any info from this event?
 
I asked Soo In some questions (via proxy) and I got very prompt answers, thank you! I hope it’s OK that I print them here.
 
Q: Why no balanced output?
A: There is no need for balanced output as our SATRI circuit is current based topology and is far stronger against outside noise (also in longer runs) and maintaining signal purity when it comes to transferring signals. For example, you may connect our two equipment via SATRI-LINK with a pair of 100 meter long interconnect cable (BNC equipped) and still sees no signal loss.
 
Q: Why no remote control?
A: We do not consider the remote controller is necessary for headphone. You are not likely to listen to headphones 10 meters away. It's also possible to develop better sounding products without the remote controller as you won't have to worry about all the internal EMI generating from the controller IC. We use a high quality Tokyo Ko On VR in the HPA-21 and the result is very good.
 
Q: Amps normally perform the best when they are warm. Do I need to "sacrifice" one half to one hour of the battery time to warm up the amp before I get the very best performance out of it? Or is there non-battery power connected to the amp (to warm it up) when the power is off?
A: This is due to behavior of bias circuit and with the new advanced bias circuit inside the HPA-21, you will get optimal result starting from 10 minutes or so.
 
Since I have had some problems with a recessed headphone socket on my Lynx Hilo, and on the picture of the final production unit the sockets seem a little bit recessed, I had some concerns about this (silly me).
A: The internal PCB has been redesigned for the new thicker front panel so that the sockets fit perfectly as before.
 
So there is nothing to worry about, just to wait…

 

[CanDude]

Mmmm...

 

 

[CanDude]

Srajan's review continues..  http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/bakoon3/2.html   http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/bakoon3/3.html
The TDK 2CP attenuator looks interesting.
[size=11.0pt]I recognize some of the information, where have I read it before... [/size]

 

[En_R]

Not sure if this has been posted, but I just saw this listing on Audiogon confirming that the US now has a Bakoon dealer.
 
Link

 

[Dr. Roberts]

The U.S. has two Bakoon dealers, Jaguar Audio Design and Stereodesk.com. The SATRI circuit of the Bakoon is revolutionary, SS amps which sound like tubes but with the presentation qualities one expects from SS in a compact form. We are in Nelson Pass territory here sports fans. The Amp-11R, one of which is firmly ensconced in my stable, sounds fabulous with the LCD-3. A reference quality amplifier!
 
The new headphone only amp from Bakoon, the HPA-21, is due out very shortly. The word is that this will be a must audition piece of kit for serious Head Fi aficionados.

 

[CanDude]

I hope they fix the issue with the volume pot and sensitive headphones. Otherwise there will be some questions, discussions and complaints, as it is for BHA-1, which has an "uneven" volume control. It seems to be a difficult task to make a headphone amp flexible enough to work with the variety of sources and headphones that we want to use with high-end products like this.
 
I will be able to test how HPA-21 performs with a low voltage DAC as my Concero (1.2 Vrms @ 300Ω) to the higher output from my Lynx Hilo (with bal. minus connected to RCA ground as recommended by Lynx for an unbalanced output), where I can set the output trim level from +0 dBV to +24 dBu. It would be nice if Concero + HPA-21 could drive HE-6 and if you also had a reasonable volume control range for Lynx Hilo (on as high output as HPA-21 can handle) + HPA-21 driving Ultrasone SP (the most sensitive "high-end" cans I own).

 

[Dr. Roberts]

Quote:

I hope they fix the issue with the volume pot and sensitive headphones.

 
I don't listen to them anymore but I've never heard the HD 650 sing the way they do when powered by the AMP-11R. However, my least favorite feature of that amp is the volume control.
 
I can compensate with the EAR Acute CDP which has its own volume pot but am SOL using the Marantz SA-7S1 SACD player. I need to introduce a linestage into the chain to get more precise volume control which is not all that bad of a solution, or use a different amp which is what I usually end up doing.

 

[En_R]

Quote:

The U.S. has two Bakoon dealers, Jaguar Audio Design and Stereodesk.com. The SATRI circuit of the Bakoon is revolutionary, SS amps which sound like tubes but with the presentation qualities one expects from SS in a compact form. We are in Nelson Pass territory here sports fans. The Amp-11R, one of which is firmly ensconced in my stable, sounds fabulous with the LCD-3. A reference quality amplifier!
 
The new headphone only amp from Bakoon, the HPA-21, is due out very shortly. The word is that this will be a must audition piece of kit for serious Head Fi aficionados.

 
I think you should slow down with the advertising and consider what you are saying.

 

[AManAnd88Keys]

"The SATRI circuit of the Bakoon is revolutionary, SS amps which sound like tubes but with the presentation qualities one expects from SS in a compact form."

What's so revolutionary about that...?

 

[Dr. Roberts]

Quote:

 
I think you should slow down with the advertising and consider what you are saying.

 
I don't write anything without giving the subject matter adequate consideration. Do the research then you can come back to this thread and apologize. And while you are at it, actually listen to a Bakoon AMP-11R.

 

[En_R]

Quote:

 
I don't write anything without giving the subject matter adequate consideration. Do the research then you can come back to this thread and apologize. And while you are at it, actually listen to a Bakoon AMP-11R.

 
"The SATRI circuit of the Bakoon is revolutionary, SS amps which sound like tubes but with the presentation qualities one expects from SS in a compact form."
 
Well.. you got me. I apologize for my lack of consideration and research.
 
I am going to go buy a Bakoon right now and revolutionize my listening experience.

 

[Currawong]

SATRI is a current amplification circuit similar to what Krell and Audio-gd use. I think SATRI came before the others though but I'm not sure. Bakoon's amps do sound quite similar to my Phoenix, except a prototype I tried with the mega-Ohm output, which sounded very dark.  I wouldn't call it tube-like at all, it is completely different.

 

[Dr. Roberts]

From the Stereodesk site regarding the AMP-11R.........
 
If you value a direct connection to the music. If you don’t mind your music being generated from small elegant enclosures versus behemoth anvils. If the lit up and sound staging attributes of the finest tube designs are appealing to you, then the Bakoon AMP-11R may be the end of your search for the perfect amp. It is an unprecedented value in our experience and knows no equal within it’s power limits. It is also the best headphone amp we’ve encountered. The reviews, if that’s what floats your boat, are in, and they are without exception, stellar. Personally, listening is the primary gauge we use, and the Bakoon just keeps you listening. Do not sit down in front of this amp in a well matched system, if you have somewhere to be within the next hour. You won’t make it. As Srajan Ebaen noted before bestowing a Blue Moon Award, -”My ultimate in-house amp mate became the Bakoon whose capture of micro detail exceeds that of the burlier ModWright. The sound was exceptionally informative about recorded venue data yet didn’t default into an electrostatic read that’s all speed but no curves.” -”My journey started with your highly recommended FirstWatt J2 some three years ago. With great enjoyment I must say. My latest purchase is the Bakoon AMP11-R. Wow! In your review you stated the 11R being” lit up all over.” This is so true. Compared to my J2 the J2 sounds almost metallic (slight glare) whereas the 11-R sounds so open, lit up and sweet. The sound, integration, speed and sweetness are just wonderful. -”Bakoon proved to be an ultra-resolution component…I’ll simply say that the only amp through my system which plays at that level is the Nelson Pass SIT1.”
 
6 MOONS REVIEW
 
 
It makes no difference to me whether another HF'r purchases and listens to this amp or not. I'm not a dealer. Their loss, not mine. I thought this site existed to pass along pertinent info about this hobby.
 
Happy Listening

 

[En_R]

Quote:

From the Stereodesk site regarding the AMP-11R.........
 
If you value a direct connection to the music. If you don’t mind your music being generated from small elegant enclosures versus behemoth anvils. If the lit up and sound staging attributes of the finest tube designs are appealing to you, then the Bakoon AMP-11R may be the end of your search for the perfect amp. It is an unprecedented value in our experience and knows no equal within it’s power limits. It is also the best headphone amp we’ve encountered. The reviews, if that’s what floats your boat, are in, and they are without exception, stellar. Personally, listening is the primary gauge we use, and the Bakoon just keeps you listening. Do not sit down in front of this amp in a well matched system, if you have somewhere to be within the next hour. You won’t make it. As Srajan Ebaen noted before bestowing a Blue Moon Award, -”My ultimate in-house amp mate became the Bakoon whose capture of micro detail exceeds that of the burlier ModWright. The sound was exceptionally informative about recorded venue data yet didn’t default into an electrostatic read that’s all speed but no curves.” -”My journey started with your highly recommended FirstWatt J2 some three years ago. With great enjoyment I must say. My latest purchase is the Bakoon AMP11-R. Wow! In your review you stated the 11R being” lit up all over.” This is so true. Compared to my J2 the J2 sounds almost metallic (slight glare) whereas the 11-R sounds so open, lit up and sweet. The sound, integration, speed and sweetness are just wonderful. -”Bakoon proved to be an ultra-resolution component…I’ll simply say that the only amp through my system which plays at that level is the Nelson Pass SIT1.”
 
6 MOONS REVIEW
 
 
It makes no difference to me whether another HF'r purchases and listens to this amp or not. I'm not a dealer. Their loss, not mine. I thought this site existed to pass along pertinent info about this hobby.
 
Happy Listening

 
I wonder why you purposely copy and pasted a reader's feedback letter to 6 moon and included it as if it was part of the review (of course you purposely left out the "Hi Srajan," part).
 
http://www.6moons.com/lettersfeedback/lettersfeedback_30.html
 
Perhaps by making his comments seem more credible - - - > _______________
 
And I agree with you completely. This site exists to pass along pertinent info about this hobby.