ATRAD-Audio

First build since we re-named this model... all blinged-up in black and gold ready for its new owner.

Winning combination: the Kingsway preamp with the Lyra power amplifier. Commanding and powerful, with plenty of authority, and no loss of definition at lower listening levels. Taking orders now. And if you're in the Wellington area, ask about a demo

Something that a lot of people have been asking for...

New Standalone Tone Control coming | atrad-audio.co.nz New Standalone Tone Control coming August 4, 2023General, UncategorizedATRAD Audio The old Standalone Tone Control A long time ago we did a scrapyard project with leftover and foraged parts, it was an active Tone Control (you can read about it here) that was just intended as a working proof-of-conce...

Promised photos of the Kingsway preamp - new version with revised internals, and toroidal transformers instead of the square ones. What do you think? You like the old look with the rectangular boxes? Or do the round toroidal covers look better?

Anyway, this one is ready to head off to its new owner at the weekend. You can order one from $1995. Three line-level inputs and a phono input, remote control including motor driven volume, and tone controls (use them if you want, we won't judge, promise...)

Available in black with gold blings as shown here, or with the aluminium face and black or silver k***s.

Tested this one on the Lyra power amp and we have to say: it's a winning combination!

New version of our Kingsway preamp getting a photo shoot... Pictures soon! Internal improvements, and toroidal power transformers.

Standalone Tone Control - a long time ago, there was this Scrapyard Project, which was *literally* a thrown-together assembly of leftover parts, designed to prototype the tone-control circuit that now is an integral part of the Kingsway preamp and Octantis integrated.

Despite being a scrapyard project of a prototype with looks that only a mother could love, this project consistently received the most searches and clicks on our web site.

This one also generated the most email inquries from people seeking one.

So now, we will be developing a (much) less ugly and more compact version of the tone control! More details when it starts to take shape, right now it's some drawings and a couple of options for a power supply... pricing details to be confirmed once final build prices are sorted out. Watch this space, and if you're interested, let us know!

It'll have an input and an output, line-level, so you can put it between your preamp and your poweramp - great if you want do get a bit of tube sound quality between solidstate components. Or you could put it in the tape-loop of your integrated amp as well.

For a little while now I've been feeling uncomfortable with the new of our signature integrated amp. Back in 2018 we named it after a whale visiting in the harbour. Since then the discourse around Matariki has shifted, and today this article popped up in the news which artulates the problem quite clearly: http://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/300915796/opinion-split-on-whether-matariki-should-be-protected-by-legislation?cid=app-android
As a result, we'll be changing the name of our signature amplifier, as no disrespect was ever intended. Same amplifier, different name. More details on the website shortly ^AR

Opinion split on whether 'Matariki' should be protected by legislation Debate has begun over whether the term ‘Matariki’ should be protected under legislation, to guard the Māori new year against commercialisation.

Introducing our new design, the Lyra Power Amplifier. Utilising a pair of KT88 tubes on the output, and the power supply has enough energy storage to allow outputs of 100 watts/ch before clipping.
It utilises a Fixed Bias design, but unlike our previous designs where you needed a little voltmeter to calibrate it, this one uses a newly designed bias adjustment and readout around the back. 4 green lights and you're good to go.

Seen on another page... Not sure how accurate this is... Any younger followers on the page care to refute this?

A few photos of our first build of the new model "Lyra" amplifier coming together, getting closer to first power-up!

Everyone knows it's risky to get a suntan...

This was a pull from a 5 volt power supply built in 2016, that's only seen intermittent light duty since then.

This capacitor is clearly bulging and dimpling, and the fluid is starting to vent out the top.

We will only ever use good name brand power supply capacitors ... Panasonic, Nichicon, Rubycon etc.

The risks of off-brand capacitors just aren't worth the few cents less they cost.

A question for my legions of followers... A long time ago, I built a scrapyard project, a stand-alone tone control. This is the page for it: https://atrad-audio.co.nz/index.php/standalone-tone-control/
It was a hacked-together box of ugliness that looked like a piece of Farm Machinery, entirely made up from leftover spare parts .

And yet.... it's consistently been the most frequently visited page on my site. And the one that has generated the most emails (of the "can I buy one" variety)

So I am thinking to make a nicer version of it, something that is small and light, and looks nice

So to my question. What would you pay for such a device, assuming it looked good?

I may or may not end up making one and if so I'm not gonna reach out to you and try to get you to buy it... this is just an invitation for you to participate in a bit of absolutely zero-obligation Market Research...

A new page on the site for the Lyra amplifier here. https://atrad-audio.co.nz/index.php/lyra-power-amplifier/ you can contact us now to get on the waiting list for one!

Lyra Power amplifier | atrad-audio.co.nz Lyra Power amplifier – Coming soon – Introductory Price: NZ$ 6500 plus shipping Lyra amplifier prototype The Lyra amplifier is our newest design, still in development and expected to launch in June 2023. The Lyra is a full-size power amplifier for those seeking more power than the Matariki offer...

Something exciting is brewing - a new product. This is going to be a stereo power amp with a pair of KT88 per channel. At last the circuit boards are all designed and ready for manufacturing. Around 60-80 hours work in these.
Our new KT88 amp will continue the astronomical theme - once again named after a constellation: Lyra. Because Lyra represents a musical instrument.
We're shooting for a power level around 85 watts per channel, and the amp will probably weigh in at around 30kg.
Initial price will be $6500
More photos coming soon as the new design takes shape...

How all new amplifier features start. A shower thought (not pictured!) followed by a sketched-out idea.
One empty cup of coffee later and we have a Frankenstein creation on the bread board :)

What's all this in aid of? This will be a standard feature on our amplifiers from now on: instead of having to tweak the bias levels of the output tubes with a little voltmeter, now there will be an adjustment panel on the back with an adjuster and three coloured lights for each of the four output tubes.

Using it will be simple. Turn the amp on, wait 15 mins, adjust each one until only the green light is on. So easy!

Soon...

Teaser for a new product we're working on - This one will be a KT88-based stereo power amp to add to our lineup. Design is underway... This is a render from the design software for the circuit boards :)

More photos as the product takes shape....

Sitting scrolling they my phone as I was listening to an excellently remastered copy of Neil Young's "Harvest" on 180g vinyl, I discovered this. How appropriate, I thought. Although, it's misleading to imply vinyl is once again the standard, default.way of listening to music. That'd be Spotify.
Vinyl is now a premium, luxury product, only truly available to those with deep pockets. My copy of Harvest cost about $55. That's a lot of months of Spotify right there (even though Harvest isn't in their catalogue any more!).

For all that vinyl is now a luxury commodity, there's still something to be said for owning the music in a physical format, complete with sleeve artwork, and in a way that no political or commercial decision can make disappear overnight!

Artist's Impression vs. the Real Thing... something new taking shape - a new design for a preamp... this is the prototype for evaluation and testing

Continuing with our improvements to the Matariki amplifier. It's getting a brand new circuit board to go with the new Power Supply. Design work still in progress. All the components around the edge to still be added!
This one will incorporate some frequently requested improvements, including Symmetry! Also, the little Bias Adjusters are no more.

For 2022 Our Signature Matariki amplifier is getting some internal improvements. First up is the new power supply which offers far superior noise and ripple characteristics

More improvements and enhancements in the pipeline including a completely new pcb design with some frequently-requested enhancements...

Patrick Turner Tribute

Those in the vacuum tube/valve amplifier game, particularly in Australia, will probably have heard of Patrick Turner. His site turneraudio.com.au was full of information and an often-cited reference for many, written in a style that was uniquely Patrick’s.

Many projects were presented, with background information, theory and construction information all tightly jammed in together. The man was a goldmine of information and his knowledge was guru-level.

I had some conversations with Patrick in 2018/19 and during that time, he implored me to take a copy of his site, as he was not sure how long he had left (he was elderly and in poor health, a subject which he wrote about on his site as lucidly as though it was a broken radio that needed diagnosing and fixing!)

Patrick died in May 2021; his site is offline now.

In tribute to Patrick and his rich legacy of work, I’ve put up the scrape I did of his site with no changes whatsoever:

index Turner

Another Matariki off to a new home. Customer's choice of colours. Now with improved output transformers, designed by our technology partner English Acoustics.

Busy week this week... sold three amplifiers which is a record in one week. The old first prototype Matariki, built in 2018, is delivering an excellent account of itself - two auditions with it in one day... took it to a customer's house to listen to on some delicious vintage restored KEF speakers and he said it was a "Revelation" how good they sounded with it. Second audition in our listening room on 3 different sets of speakers, again the same comment: "Much better than I was expecting".

We like those kinds of comments!

The Matariki is available in several different disguises and with or without the phono stage (hence the different tube count in these pictures)

Not forgetting the venerable little Model 7, smallest amp in our line-up and born of our close cooperation with English Acoustics, one of those on its way to a new owner as well.

A tale of two products. The original and the Chinese Knock-off
*by their own confession* the specs of the Chinese product are vastly inferior, and you can bet these specs are optimistic as well.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32502205394.html?ug_edm_item_id=32502205394

https://www.soundlab.co.nz/bw-800-series-d3/11-bw-803-d3-diamond.html

B&W 803 D3 Floorstanding Speaker - Soundlab New Zealand The 803 D3 is a completely new speaker. The most compact headed model Bowers & Wilkins has ever made, it boasts many of the qualities of its larger siblings, but in a room-friendly size.

The next Matariki ready for its new owner. This one has transformer covers, an option that's always offered but seldom chosen. We think it completes the look rather nicely!
This is the first Matariki with the "Rev. 2" internals, we've made a few enhancements internally which improve the performance, particularly on the phono stage.

Something from our technology partners up in the UK - classics re-imagined with 21st century reliability and safety features added, a wide choice of colours and a paint finish so deep you can fall into it.
We can source these products in NZ,

Stereo 21c – English Acoustics The English Acoustics Stereo 21c is a modern day classic. Exclusively British-made and notably benefiting from the finest transformers along with a chassis that are both designed and manufactured in England.

Another Matariki, all blinged up in black and gold, ready for its new home.