Any experience with the Aspen Soraya Amplifier?

Well i'm not exactly a U.S. source because I live in Melbourne, about 10km away from Hugh (who makes the Aspen Soraya amp). It is a sweet little amp, gives my Cary's a run for its money. What would you like to know?

Amfibus,

I have corresponded with Hugh and he seems like a great guy and builds a good product. No question about that. The intent of this post is to try to understand how the Soraya compares to its US competitors.

At the current conversion rate the Soraya is approximately US$4700 plus international shipping and any import taxes. This price of admission gets you into some pretty good company like Ayre, Modwright, Cary, van Alstine, Odyssey, etc.

Many Aussies say this amp competes with amps 2-3 times its price point; I am just trying to understand this versus buying something "local". Especially since the purchase would be a leap of faith since I cannot hear the amp.

Crozbo sorry for the delayed reply. I only just saw it. Hugh hangs around some other audio forums, I think mostly audiocircle. It is a bit unfair to compare the Soraya to my Cary CAD-211 amps, but I have heard it in my system. The Soraya has much tighter bass, but the treble extension and detail retrieval isn't quite as good as the Cary. The overall sound tends towards slight warmth, but the amp isn't lacking in drive and rhythm.

Unlike some other amp designers Hugh pays close attention to the harmonic structure of his amps and designs for how well they sound. I have met the guy enough times to know.

Can not comment on Ayre, Modright, Van Alstine, Odyssey as none of them are available in Australia.

Sorry to dig up this old thread, but which version of the Soraya have you heard? Is it the earlier version or the 2009 version? I guess the 2009 version has some improvements. Not sure if those include a better treble extension or detail retrieval.