By Manos Bitsakakis
As you well know I am a man of technology. I like measurements, mobiles and gadgets. I also like good sound especially when it comes from DIY. With these thoughts I stepped that Saturday night to Giannis Vlachos house. I knew that Giannis has been studied quite well in DIY. I said to myself... ‘There will be a small diy amplifier, a turntable and so...’
The things I met were of no description....
The man simply lives inside his own world. He has even build up the arm of his turntable!!! Everything is built by hand. Motors, cables, amplifiers, preamplifiers, turntables, speakers, even the switches are DIY.
Let's try to define some initial meanings. Audiophile Club of Athens.
Athens = famous city of Greece ...
Club = Let's say that in our case is the meaning of the association
Audiophile = friend of the sound.
The pure, clean audio quality as produced by means of a recording... So Yiannis Vlachos is really a ‘good sound’ lover.
The philosophy of the system...
The philosophy of the system is simple. The least possible interference with the original electrical signal. No hope for someone who demands to find measurements of the system. Not hope to find a wide range, good SNR and dynamic range. If someone starts from this point, he will leave disappointed and he would have lost 90% of the substance. This System’s purpose is to delights the emotions of audiophile listener rather than an oscilloscope screen. How really can we measure the emotion? How can we measure the immediacy? Definitely, never will get succeed. Yiannis, however, within 5 minutes show that can manage to harness the emotions with just 3-4 little tubes.
The listening...
The voice of Dandonaki became involved with the sweet voice of Venetsanou. Dandonaki awakened memories of other times. Both voices remind us the old Athens town.
Venetsanou in "old ways" sweet mixed with Savvopoulos and forgotten good Greek music, that today exists with crisis in TV panels. Some people tried to tell Giannis to play some disks with well recorded music. He insisted on putting the music he loved and adored, and perhaps the music that all of us have forgotten.
One from the system’s benefits was certainly the stereo image. The second was the immediacy that succeeds on executions that was obvious for which it was made.
Conclusion...
Yes, we have to admit that Yiannis is from the ‘gold’ members of ACA. We should be proud to have him concerned. The philosophy underlying the system should become a standard for manufacturers. I believe that today and in future will eradicate the love of a building. Both I and all of us have grown up this way. Inanimate boxes, lifeless machines.
Machines of full effect, pretty clean, but lifeless sound.
I left Yiannis home and system thinking about what ‘good sound’ means, what is quality and how it is measured. Three days later, and got no answer ... I do not think I can ever answer. The truth is that I cannot achieve that thing. Giannis did it ...
Yiannis Vlachos' Member Page
