Jez Arkless headamp - first impressions

[Barry]

This is my 'first impressions' of the prototype Jez Arkless headamp, currently doing the rounds amongst AoS members.

Neatly housed in a small plastic case, the amp is powered using four AA size batteries fitted in a dedicated battery compartment on the underside of the unit. At one end are the input and output connectors (unmarked, though the loan unit is a prototype), a rudimentary ground post, the on/off switch and a LED whose brightness gives an indication of battery condition.

The unit came with the input impedance set at 270 Ohm, though this can be changed to order. The gain is, I believe, 20dB, that is a voltage gain factor of 10x. I used it with an Ortofon MC25FL cartridge, the output feeding the MM input of Quad 44 preamp, with the sensitivity set to 3mV.

Being battery powered, the headamp is very quiet: with the volume control turned to maximum, only a very quiet velvety "shushhh" sound could be heard at my listening position, without any 50 or 100Hz component as would be expected. The unit is adequately screened against RFI under normal conditions of use, but there was some breakthrough when I inadvertently put my mobile phone near the unit. The unit is also completely immune to switching spikes.

When it came to the usual requirements of bandwidth, soundstaging, focus, transient attack and resolution, it ticked all the boxes. I played a variety of music through it and have to say it sounded no better or worse that what was on the record. There were two aspects to the performance that pleased me: resolution, low-level detail was clear and unmasked; and a sense of solidity or roundness to the musicians. Maybe plasticity might be a better description - I felt the musicians were solid and 3-dimensional, not flat cardboard cut-outs that are presented with, for example, the Little Bear T-8 headamp (though at only £20, the latter is astonishingly good value for money).

I thoroughly enjoyed listening the loan prototype, and if details such as connector identification and improved shielding against RFI are addressed, it can readily be recommended as a high quality, good value for money headamp.

The loan item was not an improvement on what I already use (costing roughly 10x the proposed price of Arkless headamp), but there were some aspects of the performance that were better than the Linn LINNK phonostage I have, which originally cost a similar amount.

[walpurgis]

That sounds very promising Barry.

[Marco]

Did I imagine it, or was this thread originally posted (rather bizarrely) on an old Nagra thread?

Marco.

[struth]

nope you didnt. I posted a reply to Barry and by time it posted his post had miraculously moved so I had to delete mine

[Barry]

Did I imagine it, or was this thread originally posted (rather bizarrely) on an old Nagra thread?

Marco.

Yes it was. My mistake, I was looking at some old Analogue Art posts and forgot to start a new thread. I moved it to a new thread as soon as I realised what I had done.

[walpurgis]

I've done that. Replied to something in an the wrong thread inadvertently and shifted it once I realised.

What was the proposed price for the MC stage by the way?

[struth]

Yes it was. My mistake, I was looking at some old Analogue Art posts and forgot to start a new thread. I moved it to a new thread as soon as I realised what I had done.

confused me for a couple of seconds .... how did you find the bass Barry? > i used the same cart.

[Marco]

Yes it was. My mistake, I was looking at some old Analogue Art posts and forgot to start a new thread. I moved it to a new thread as soon as I realised what I had done.

Lol... No worries - I just thought it was me losing it!

Interesting views on Jez's head amp. I haven't heard the battery operated version, but last year enjoyed his mains powered one very much

Marco.

[Barry]

confused me for a couple of seconds .... how did you find the bass Barry? > i used the same cart.

I use Quad 57 speakers and deep bass is not their strong suit. The only bass I listened to during my brief audition was jazz double-bassist Charles Mingus on 'Reincarnation of a Lovebird'. It sounded suitably full, neither lean and dry, nor bloated to my ears.

[struth]

I use Quad 57 speakers and deep bass is not their strong suit. The only bass I listened to during my brief audition was jazz double-bassist Charles Mingus on 'Reincarnation of a Lovebird'. It sounded suitably full, neither lean and dry, nor bloated to my ears.

Ah, I see.. Ye, they would be lean-ish anyways... My speakers, that built to be leanish too, were a tad leaner, than through my mc stage, which is similar to the firebottle plus. So that may be the reason I found what i did.

Thanks.