Robert Koda K160 Amps are on their way finally!

LL21 · Sep 3, 2021

ddk said:
Congratulations Lloyd!

david

Hi David,

Great to hear from you. There are many celebrities in this hobby but few legends...I personally consider you in the latter category. And I have appreciated your sage advice over the years on the big Wilsons which you know well.

The Robert Koda represents for me the best of what I look for in the absolutely singular goal of purity of tone...and then it has all of the technical skills in extension, detail, exceptionally low noise floor, and just 'allows' music to pour forth.

While I could not possibly opine on whether this is the territory of single-ended aficionados or not...you would know, not I...but I certainly 'sense' that it probably is or certainly is far and away the further that the solid state world exists in the rarified world of exceptional SETs in the environment in which they excel. Fortunately, with 230 Watts full Class A, it allows me to drive the XLFs to endless levels.

more to come.

LL21 · Sep 3, 2021

Uk Paul said:
Congratulations Lloyd, they certainly are pretty magnificent, even after just a few hours the term 'sublime' becomes a little understated..!

I sense a late night ahead

Enjoy..

Hi Paul,

Thank you. Yes, a very late night! And of course, the EAR Yoshino has arrived today after a long flight from Singapore thru the EAR factory and back here...it looks brand new.

And I have to say...upon 30 seconds of listen, I 'hope' the Sennheiser HD800S are as sublime and relaxing as they appeared upon a quick listen. Wow.

So a VERY late nite indeed!!!

matakana · Sep 3, 2021

LL21 said:
They have arrived...playing around 4 hours or so. In every way imaginable stunning. The TEXTURE of violin bows is so rich in detail and yet it is clearly NOT because Robert Koch amped up the negative feedback to 'sharpen' resolution (there IS is no negative feedback anyway)...it is clearly because he has REMOVED noise, noise floor and allowed a huge open passage of limitless power to pass the signal through. (230 watts pure Class A into this load)

I felt extremely confident everything above 100hz was going to be flawless. The K15EX, speaking with multiple owners of Robert Koda as well as Robert Koda's K70...and several who have heard the K160 monos in Asia or in Europe. For me, it was primarily the sub 100hz work that I was concerned about after 11 years of Gryphon which is magnificent here with a truly earthbound foundational like quailty in the bass.

I am pretty confident I am going to resolve that the Robert Koda bass is even better in EVERY way. I am still listening and learning...and also know the bass will change over the next 150-200 hours.

...more to come...but this in every regard so far is a GREATER uplift in performance going from Gryphon Mephisto to Robert Koda K160 monos as it was going from D'Agostino Progression to Gryphon Mephisto (which I had in system when Mephisto was out and the Progression was the loaner amp.)

Areas of evident superiority:
- TEXTURE...rich in detail, a tapesty of bow roisin, etc.
- PURITY...while it has an inner glow, it does not have warmth. The glow is an inner light, yes...but the sound is effortlessly natural without any tonal glow which (while perhaps there/perhaps not with Mephisto) is not here. And I am delighted with the purity of tone as someone who has been a fan of Zanden (still am owner) and CJ and Gryphon for 20+ years.
- QUALITY HOLDS COMPLETELY TOP ALL THE WAY TO THE VERY BOTTOM...Completely the same level of purity, TEXTURE all the way to the bottom and from the topmost. In the bottom, the Mephisto is magnificent...but even the Mephisto does not manage to articulate as quickly nor as beautifully and effortlessly as the Robert Kodas. Wow.

...a blessing to own...more to come...

Such excellence, very happy for you, Iam sure you will be still learning from them in many years to come, just as Iam doing in having some of my kit for 30yrs !
Any pics ?

LL21 · Sep 3, 2021

Thank you! Definitely looking forward to learning more about them as they break in! Will get around to pictures at some point...still trying to find 'reference CDs' to play!

LL21 · Sep 3, 2021

matakana said:
Such excellence, very happy for you, Iam sure you will be still learning from them in many years to come, just as Iam doing in having some of my kit for 30yrs !
Any pics ?

BTW, I am MOST curious about your Signal Ground Systems Pinnacle which you said was way better than the legendary Troy Elite. I see he is in Scotland...can you tell us more about this? I like the fact that the Pinnacle has 8 posts on the back...we are using the Troy Signature...with only 3! And we have 13 things hooked up to it!

ddk · Sep 3, 2021

LL21 said:
Hi David,

Great to hear from you. There are many celebrities in this hobby but few legends...I personally consider you in the latter category. And I have appreciated your sage advice over the years on the big Wilsons which you know well.

The Robert Koda represents for me the best of what I look for in the absolutely singular goal of purity of tone...and then it has all of the technical skills in extension, detail, exceptionally low noise floor, and just 'allows' music to pour forth.

While I could not possibly opine on whether this is the territory of single-ended aficionados or not...you would know, not I...but I certainly 'sense' that it probably is or certainly is far and away the further that the solid state world exists in the rarified world of exceptional SETs in the environment in which they excel. Fortunately, with 230 Watts full Class A, it allows me to drive the XLFs to endless levels.

more to come.

I appreciate the very kind words Lloyd just hope that I contributed a little to your high end journey.

david

Ron Resnick · Sep 3, 2021

Congratulations, Lloyd! I am very, very happy for you!

LL21 · Sep 3, 2021

ddk said:
I appreciate the very kind words Lloyd just hope that I contributed a little to your high end journey.

david

Very much so. Thank you for both online and offline guidance and wisdom. Many of us can see the transformational work you have done here in opening the eyes and ears of many audiophiles.

LL21 · Sep 3, 2021

Ron Resnick said:
Congratulations, Lloyd! I am very, very happy for you!

Thanks, Ron! BTW, I am expecting to get over toe Absolute Sounds to hear the XVX...whew...quite a speaker by all accounts.

sujay · Sep 3, 2021

Fantastic, Lloyd! And congratulations. I would love to listen to the RK full stack sometime. Indeed a blessing to be able to listen and own gear at this level. The fact that they better the Mephisto speaks volumes of finesse over brawn......not to say the Mephisto lacks finesse...but still

LL21 · Sep 3, 2021

sujay said:
Fantastic, Lloyd! And congratulations. I would love to listen to the RK full stack sometime. Indeed a blessing to be able to listen and own gear at this level. The fact that they better the Mephisto speaks volumes of finesse over brawn......not to say the Mephisto lacks finesse...but still

Hey Sujay,

Thank you. Yes, a blessing indeed.

As for Mephisto, I certainly think they were once the leader globally for the purest and most muscular sound at the same time. And for the most part, I still do. But in some part because they were leaders...the world has spent the last 7 years moving ahead again. And so we have FM continuing on, CH, Audionet...plus all the regulars who have been up'ing their game.

And then we have people like Robert Koch who is just obsessive in the best possible way of all. Really committed to his vision of perfection, down to the very last drop of detail.

That being said, I am still getting to know the mighty Koda monos...and do not wish to declare just yet that the Mephisto cannot answer back in some way. It is a magnificent amplifier...and shockingly...compared with so many high-priced amps now...actually INCREDIBLY Good value for how phenomenal it sounds! I cannot believe I am writing this when not that many years ago, it was nose-bleed territory...but somehow its price has stayed the same, but the world of options that are 2x now has opened up...even 3x!

On pure musicality on an absolute scale...there is surely more to come in the next 200 hours. In fact, would love to hear from Amadeus given his experience with these...

Addicted to hifi · Sep 3, 2021

Congratulations Lloyd.

LL21 · Sep 3, 2021

Addicted to hifi said:
Congratulations Lloyd.

Thank you. BTW, the EAR Yoshino is astoundingly good. Astounding. It just arrived back from the factory today after I found it 13 years old 2nd hand in Singapore and had it shipped to EAR to check it out, retube and ensure it had a clean bill of health.

The unit looks BRAND NEW...its crazy, there are no scratches on the polished chrome faceplate. They must have buffed the whole thing back to new. And it makes the Sennheiser HD800S sound incredibly smooth, fulsome and yet every bit the flagship it is. Wow.

LL21 · Sep 3, 2021

marty said:
Lloyd,
Eagerly awaiting your experience. Since the unfortunate Soulution amp calamity of failures (3 x 701 mono amps in 6 months), I am now pressed into consideration as to whether to explore alternate "uber amp" designs while I enjoy the excellent Parasound JC1+ monos. . The Koda has certainly attracted my attention but I'm just not sure it's adequately powered for my Alexx V. You're experience with the XLF, which is a bit more efficient (93.5dB vs 92 for Alexx V) will be great to learn about!
Marty

Hi Marty,

As you can see, the first 10 hours of the Robert Koda K160s are stunning...truly stunning. They reveal and reveal...but not by pushing information but rather taking away all constraints to allow information that is there to emerge effortlessly. Learning more as we go.

But if you like organic, natural and ultimate full scale and incredible nuance and detail...they are clearly designed by someone who loves purity of tone. And yet wanted a reference for all the technical difficulties of complexity, scale, depth, soundstaging, etc.

Certainly something you might wish to consider...230 watts into a speaker like yours I suspect...but effortless beyond effortless.

...more to come...

morricab · Sep 4, 2021

LL21 said:
Very much so. Thank you for both online and offline guidance and wisdom. Many of us can see the transformational work you have done here in opening the eyes and ears of many audiophiles.

Congrats Lloyd from me as well! The most tube like SS amps ever??

microstrip · Sep 4, 2021

marty said:
Lloyd,
Eagerly awaiting your experience. Since the unfortunate Soulution amp calamity of failures (3 x 701 mono amps in 6 months), I am now pressed into consideration as to whether to explore alternate "uber amp" designs while I enjoy the excellent Parasound JC1+ monos. . The Koda has certainly attracted my attention but I'm just not sure it's adequately powered for my Alexx V. You're experience with the XLF, which is a bit more efficient (93.5dB vs 92 for Alexx V) will be great to learn about!
Marty

I think the critical point will be how the K160's handle the low impedance of the AlexV, not the 92 dB - the AlexV has a minimum magnitude of 1.5 ohm, compared to the 3.2 ohm of the XLF in the audio range.

Considering that the K160 is a class A amplifier this aspect can be problematic, as class A amplifiers leave class A in low impedance speakers, becoming class AB. IMHO it is hard to extrapolate anything from XLF to AlexV from Lloyd experience - the XLF look like a great match both ways to the K160 - I should be envious!

But as always in this hobby the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Amadeus posted the technical specs of the K160 some time ago https://www.whatsbestforum.com/thre...ps-are-on-their-way-finally.30876/post-655523

Edit - just found a more complete power specification, I would expect 90W at 1.5 ohm.

Power output
150W / 8 ohm
230W / 4 ohm
120W / 2 ohm

XV-1 · Sep 4, 2021

LL21 said:
They have arrived...playing around 4 hours or so. In every way imaginable stunning. The TEXTURE of violin bows is so rich in detail and yet it is clearly NOT because Robert Koch amped up the negative feedback to 'sharpen' resolution (there IS is no negative feedback anyway)...it is clearly because he has REMOVED noise, noise floor and allowed a huge open passage of limitless power to pass the signal through. (230 watts pure Class A into this load)

I felt extremely confident everything above 100hz was going to be flawless. The K15EX, speaking with multiple owners of Robert Koda as well as Robert Koda's K70...and several who have heard the K160 monos in Asia or in Europe. For me, it was primarily the sub 100hz work that I was concerned about after 11 years of Gryphon which is magnificent here with a truly earthbound foundational like quailty in the bass.

I am pretty confident I am going to resolve that the Robert Koda bass is even better in EVERY way. I am still listening and learning...and also know the bass will change over the next 150-200 hours.

...more to come...but this in every regard so far is a GREATER uplift in performance going from Gryphon Mephisto to Robert Koda K160 monos as it was going from D'Agostino Progression to Gryphon Mephisto (which I had in system when Mephisto was out and the Progression was the loaner amp.)

Areas of evident superiority:
- TEXTURE...rich in detail, a tapesty of bow roisin, etc.
- PURITY...while it has an inner glow, it does not have warmth. The glow is an inner light, yes...but the sound is effortlessly natural without any tonal glow which (while perhaps there/perhaps not with Mephisto) is not here. And I am delighted with the purity of tone as someone who has been a fan of Zanden (still am owner) and CJ and Gryphon for 20+ years.
- QUALITY HOLDS COMPLETELY TOP ALL THE WAY TO THE VERY BOTTOM...Completely the same level of purity, TEXTURE all the way to the bottom and from the topmost. In the bottom, the Mephisto is magnificent...but even the Mephisto does not manage to articulate as quickly nor as beautifully and effortlessly as the Robert Kodas. Wow.

...a blessing to own...more to come...

Congrats Lloyd

I heard Koda monoblocks a few years back and they were great.

LL21 · Sep 4, 2021

microstrip said:
I think the critical point will be how the K160's handle the low impedance of the AlexV, not the 92 dB - the AlexV has a minimum magnitude of 1.5 ohm, compared to the 3.2 ohm of the XLF in the audio range.

Considering that the K160 is a class A amplifier this aspect can be problematic, as class A amplifiers leave class A in low impedance speakers, becoming class AB. IMHO it is hard to extrapolate anything from XLF to AlexV from Lloyd experience - the XLF look like a great match both ways to the K160 - I should be envious! But as always in this hobby the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Amadeus posted the complete specs of the K160 some time ago https://www.whatsbestforum.com/thre...ps-are-on-their-way-finally.30876/post-655523

Excellent points as always Micro. The Robert Koda K160s are 230 watts Class A into 8 ohms, 230 watts Class A into 4 ohms and 115 Class A into 2 ohms I believe. The unit has a switch to go high power (which I am using as recommended by RK and Absolute Sounds). These specs reflect that.

LL21 · Sep 4, 2021

morricab said:
Congrats Lloyd from me as well! The most tube like SS amps ever??

Hi Morricab,

Thank you. It is interesting...the Gryphon was filigreed, pure and of course muscular in its overall foundational sense of space, bass and power/dynamic capability. What is interesting is that in comparing it to great tubes, all sorts of other differences of course appear (and often I favored the Gryphon).

HOWEVER, when one compares the RK with the Gryphon, both being SS, that comparison reveals something I was not expecting. There now is clearly a nearly invisible rigidity to the Gryphon (NOT and I mean for me definitively NOT hardness to sound)...but more of a more rigid way with music.

The Robert Koda has a sense of suppleness even when its attack is frighteningly fast and loud. I have to let the amps break in and spend more time with the amps to understand better what I am hearing. I have not heard this before with an amp that can do both.

But I suppose this suppleness is where perhaps some of the purist cognoscenti of SET, etc would perhaps appreciate with greater experience than I.

morricab · Sep 4, 2021

LL21 said:
Excellent points as always Micro. The Robert Koda K160s are 230 watts Class A into 8 ohms, 230 watts Class A into 4 ohms and 115 Class A into 2 ohms I believe. The unit has a switch to go high power (which I am using as recommended by RK and Absolute Sounds). These specs reflect that.

To do this the amp
Is then leaving Class A earlier. I would not switch to the higher power setting unless you really need it.

Robert Koda K160 Amps are on their way finally!

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