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Thread: 'The Alchemist' APD27A power amp - Tim de Paravicini design - any info?

  1. #1
    Join Date: Sep 2012

    Location: London

    Posts: 434
    I'm Nick.

    Default 'The Alchemist' APD27A power amp - Tim de Paravicini design - any info?

    Anyone own/familiar with this power amp, or can link me to any reviews?

    Can't find anything much about it online - found a review of the Alchemist 'Nemesis' amp, which was favourable but said the amp ran very hot.

    Any info on or experience with this amp much appreciated. Cheers.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: NE England

    Posts: 4,173
    I'm Jez.

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    Quote Originally Posted by nickbaba View Post
    Anyone own/familiar with this power amp, or can link me to any reviews?

    Can't find anything much about it online - found a review of the Alchemist 'Nemesis' amp, which was favourable but said the amp ran very hot.

    Any info on or experience with this amp much appreciated. Cheers.
    I was chief engineer with Alchemist at that time.... what do you want to know?
    Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)

    Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
    ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
    Digital: Yamaha CDR-HD1500 (Digital Swiss army knife-CD recorder, player, hard drive, DAC and ADC in one), PC files via 24/96 sound card and SPDIF, modded Philips CD850, modded Philips CD104, modded DPA Little Bit DAC. Sennheiser HD580 cans with Arkless Headphone amp.
    Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco

  3. #3
    Join Date: Mar 2012

    Location: London and Somerset

    Posts: 2,097
    I'm Dave.

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    http://www.alchemisthifi.info/index.htm

    Jez is the best person to ask about alchemist info.
    Kraken, Saturn, Emotion, Flying V Rocket, Planets.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Nov 2008

    Location: North Down /Northern Ireland/ UK

    Posts: 19,484
    I'm Neil.

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    Quote Originally Posted by jollyfix View Post
    http://www.alchemisthifi.info/index.htm

    Jez is the best person to ask about alchemist info.
    Interesting link. I was always curious about these designs but never got the opportunity to hear any.


    Regards Neil
    Regards Neil

  5. #5
    Join Date: Oct 2011

    Location: Charente, France

    Posts: 3,531
    I'm Nodrog.

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    Yup, great link.

    Why did they fail Jez? The designs look great, finish is definitely up there and I remember them being well reviewed at the time. Fighting the flat earth brigade again?

  6. #6
    Join Date: Mar 2012

    Location: London and Somerset

    Posts: 2,097
    I'm Dave.

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    I have the Kraken early mk1 ( green hammertone), i love it, the reviews at the time stated it had a very valve like sound. I have added some 'fin' ( to match the heat sink fins) legs to the amp,as i always thought it needed more space under the amp for air to flow ( the amp runs hot). I have not heard any other alchemist amps, apart from my Kraken.
    Kraken, Saturn, Emotion, Flying V Rocket, Planets.

  7. #7
    Join Date: Sep 2012

    Location: London

    Posts: 434
    I'm Nick.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Arkless Electronics View Post
    I was chief engineer with Alchemist at that time.... what do you want to know?
    Hi Jez - Thanks for your reply and offer of info. I am really interested to hear from anyone who has experience of listening to this particular amp and what were their impressions of it musically? Does it tend towards warm and tubey (for an SS amp) or is it more or a clean and neutral SS sound?
    According to the tech specs it has a fantastic frequency response!
    Power output is stated as 200W p/c - into 8ohms, I presume? I don't see any stated output into 4 or 2 ohms on the spec sheet. Do you have figures for that?
    Operation is Class A/B which would normally not run hot under home-listening normal conditions - Does this amp get hot with use?
    Thanks for your help.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: NE England

    Posts: 4,173
    I'm Jez.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gordon Steadman View Post
    Yup, great link.

    Why did they fail Jez? The designs look great, finish is definitely up there and I remember them being well reviewed at the time. Fighting the flat earth brigade again?
    I never found out for certain as I had left a few years before they failed (they were still at Muswell Hill when I was there) but I believe it was basically a case of trying to expand and become a major player in the industry too fast. They were exporting all over the world and I recall a few close calls even when I was there when an export order was suddenly cancelled or delayed and it nearly finished them.

    The physical design and finish is a moot point.... The far east likes things shiny shiny! As an EE I often argued that more could be spent on the circuitry if less was spent on the appearance... I guess they were proved right though when one of the biggest customers, from Singapore IIRC, came over to see some new models, which included the new Axiom budget model which I had then recently designed. He did not want to hear it!!! But made all sorts of requests for more bling to the appearance..... Philistines!
    Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)

    Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
    ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
    Digital: Yamaha CDR-HD1500 (Digital Swiss army knife-CD recorder, player, hard drive, DAC and ADC in one), PC files via 24/96 sound card and SPDIF, modded Philips CD850, modded Philips CD104, modded DPA Little Bit DAC. Sennheiser HD580 cans with Arkless Headphone amp.
    Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco

  9. #9
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: NE England

    Posts: 4,173
    I'm Jez.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by nickbaba View Post
    Hi Jez - Thanks for your reply and offer of info. I am really interested to hear from anyone who has experience of listening to this particular amp and what were their impressions of it musically? Does it tend towards warm and tubey (for an SS amp) or is it more or a clean and neutral SS sound?
    According to the tech specs it has a fantastic frequency response!
    Power output is stated as 200W p/c - into 8ohms, I presume? I don't see any stated output into 4 or 2 ohms on the spec sheet. Do you have figures for that?
    Operation is Class A/B which would normally not run hot under home-listening normal conditions - Does this amp get hot with use?
    Thanks for your help.
    It has a fast, crisp and controlled neutral SS sound. I don't know the output into 4 or 2 Ohms but it should certainly drive 4 no problem. It uses mosfets in the output stage and an interesting power supply which uses loads of large BJT's in a huge "amplified zener" arrangement to give a stabilised (rather then regulated) PSU.

    It gets quite warm in use but not as much as the Kraken and Nexus... which also sound much more "warm and tubey" but nothing like as controlled and grippy.

    I suppose the APD27A could be likened to something like Naim 135's on steroids from memory.
    Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)

    Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
    ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
    Digital: Yamaha CDR-HD1500 (Digital Swiss army knife-CD recorder, player, hard drive, DAC and ADC in one), PC files via 24/96 sound card and SPDIF, modded Philips CD850, modded Philips CD104, modded DPA Little Bit DAC. Sennheiser HD580 cans with Arkless Headphone amp.
    Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco

  10. #10
    Join Date: Nov 2008

    Location: Banbury, Oxfordshire/Panteg is where my late father was born

    Posts: 4,382
    I'm Chris.

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    Hi Jez , wasn't there a range topping monoblock , and single ended ?

    I remember listening to a pair at a show once .
    Chris

    We've gone on holiday by mistake !

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