Boazu 2

[ThomasOK]

Nice clips. The musicality of Boazu 2 is quite nice, as I had mentioned before. The 1.5 upgrade is sounding very nice compared to 1.3. It will be interesting to hear the final upgrade version.

[Rudeman]

Hi Folks,

Recieved my Boazu 2.0 about a week ago and after a week continious on music playing it started to show
his strenghts, what can i say..been a early adapter of Exakt with the Exaktbox I i was used to the sound
with was nice and sometimes spectacular but this is a whole other level, music flowing out the speakers so natural
engaging, organic(sorry linn) and so easy to follow..never heard the M109 performing like this.
i'm nailded in my listening chair and the music falls over you like a cozy blanket on a winternight.
Sorry i'm not a great reviewer but this described so what i'm feeling right now..🎶
Highly recommended!!


Deep appreciation to Fredrik for creating much a wonderfull amp..🎶

[ThomasOK]

Very nice review Rudeman and I think conveys well what Lejonklou gear is all about.

There is no price yet for the upgrade to Boazu 1.3 as it is not finished. Fredrik has tested many things that have not worked or are not practical, 1.5 just shows two that worked and will be incorporated. He is still trying other things so we don't know if the final 1.x version will be 1.5 or higher.

[lejonklou]

Hi Folks,

Recieved my Boazu 2.0 about a week ago and after a week continious on music playing it started to show
his strenghts, what can i say..been a early adapter of Exakt with the Exaktbox I i was used to the sound
with was nice and sometimes spectacular but this is a whole other level, music flowing out the speakers so natural
engaging, organic(sorry linn) and so easy to follow..never heard the M109 performing like this.
i'm nailded in my listening chair and the music falls over you like a cozy blanket on a winternight.
Sorry i'm not a great reviewer but this described so what i'm feeling right now..🎶
Highly recommended!!


Deep appreciation to Fredrik for creating much a wonderfull amp..🎶

Thank you so much for sharing your impressions, Rudeman!

[Rudeman]

Now more than 2 weeks later i can say the Boazu improved further and seems now have reached his full potential..
Very Impressive amp, must be my best upgrade ever..🎶
Is it safe to leave the amp 24/7 on? Does this not affect the lifespan of the amp, maybe a silly question but just wondering 🤔
I notice the boazu hardly gets lukewarm..

[ThomasOK]

Fredrik may weigh in on this in regards to Boazu 2, but I leave my Lejonklou and Linn electronics powered up all the time except when on vacation or when a thunderstorm is coming in. I have done so for decades from the time my systems used Naim amplification, through Linn electronics and now that most of my electronics are Lejonklou. My understanding is that electronics go through the most stress when they are powered up, so turning them on and off is likely to shorten their life.

[John]

Fredrik may weigh in on this in regards to Boazu 2, but I leave my Lejonklou and Linn electronics powered up all the time except when on vacation or when a thunderstorm is coming in. I have done so for decades from the time my systems used Naim amplification, through Linn electronics and now that most of my electronics are Lejonklou. My understanding is that electronics go through the most stress when they are powered up, so turning them on and off is likely to shorten their life.

I agree 100 percent and have done so with Naim, Exposure and Linn electronics. The times I have powered the system down, it always sounds best after being on a couple days.

[lejonklou]

It's difficult to say with certainty what will maximise the lifespan, as on one end you have the option of leaving it on all the time and on the other end you can switch on and off multiple times per day.

There's certainly some stress involved in heating up and cooling down. There's also a very slow degradation of some components when they're running warm. But the components that slowly degrade in Boazu have really long lifespans and are also running with a very low temperature when the amp is on and quiet. The warm parts are those that don't degrade over time (semiconductors).

I have Boazu 001 from 2016 and it's been used a lot. I haven't noticed any degradation of that unit. I also used to have an early Kikkin from 2008 constantly powered up to see whether anything would degrade over time. I investigated it in detail during covid and couldn't find any sign of degradation on any of the parts. It also sounded as good as units that had not been used much. After 14 years I moved my lab and the unit was sold, so the long-term degradation evaluation stopped.

If it's being used only on the weekends, I would recommend switching it off after use.
If it's being used every day, I do as Thomas does.

[Rudeman]

Thanks for the reply's Mr lejonklou, Thomasok and John..
This is all very informative and clearly..
I guess i leave the Boazu on now for a while..so much music to rediscover 😀

[lejonklou]

Thank you!

Here is Boazu 1.3 versus the new version 1.5:

https://lejonklou.com/IMG_8449.mov
https://lejonklou.com/IMG_8455.mov

After a lot of thinking and testing, I have decided to release the version 1.5 upgrade of the original Boazu.

The upgrade consists of a new firmware, a new chassis ground and the change of some fasteners.

The upgrade from the previous version 1.3 to the new version 1.5 costs SEK 2500, EUR 250 or USD 250, including VAT but excluding shipping costs.
It can be done at Lejonklou headquarters in Uppsala, Sweden and at Nokturne Audio in Michigan, USA.

EDIT: Clarified that the price of this upgrade is from 1.3 to 1.5.

[springwood64]

Exciting! Is Boazu 1.1 upgradable to 1.5?

[lejonklou]

Yes, all Boazu 1’s can be upgraded to 1.5.

[willem kuis]

Hi Fredrik

Will this be the final upgrade of the Boazu 1?

[lejonklou]

Hi Willem!

Who knows? If I find a way of improving it further and it’s something that makes sense implementing, then I will do it.

The chassis ground I currently use on all units, which by the way has a silly big influence on the music, was developed when working on Källa. Then it was tested on other units and added to them, one by one. A simple and cost effective improvement. A similar discovery I would happily add to Boazu 1 in the future.

I don’t expect any major rework of Boazu 1 to happen, though. Already tried that (making it a 1.8 or 1.9) and the results were inconsistent and very time consuming (=expensive). I felt that 1.5 made perfect sense and stopped there.

There’s a balance in Boazu that needs to be found in order for it to flow really well. Change one thing and you need to change many others to find a new balance. Most of my other products are not like that, they simply get better with each improvement. Boazu is different and mainly it’s due to the preamp and power amp requiring different conditions to perform their best.

Long reply to your short question! 😄

[ThomasOK]

I have received the necessary parts and can now do the Boazu 1.5 upgrades in the US. Anybody interested can contact me at [email protected] At this point turn around time should be minimal, although there will be breaks in my work schedule for Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years.

[Hermann]

When Marco from Hexagon Audio offered to test the Boazu 2, I of course said yes straight away, as I had bought the Boazu 1.3 for my second system many months ago. The recapped 72/140 have been playing in my daughter's system ever since, to her delight.

First of all, my thanks to Fredrik and Marco, who gave me a musical insight into the Boazu 2. There it is, and both amplifiers are warming up. I hadn't expected such a quick delivery. Of course, it was necessary to satisfy my curiosity straight away. First reaction? - Really, that's the new Boazu 2? According to Marco, it's been played in, and a short time later, the statement was confirmed. My wife came over and after a small conversion to the Boazu 2, her comment was just as short and sweet: "Wow. What is that…“

Once again, a product developed by Fredrik shows what can actually be found in loudspeakers such as Linn Keilidhs and a correspondingly good source such as the Majik DS.

The overall presentation of both amplifiers is striking; they seem to me as a listener to be of one piece, with a joy of playing that many music lovers have come to appreciate. Even the minimalist operating or connection concept takes a back seat, and rightly so. Looking back over 50 years of hi-fi, I have never had more than 3 sources connected to my preamplifiers, let alone played together. In this respect, the concept is extremely consistent, especially in terms of faithful reproduction of music.

While listening, I sometimes remember the old days when Tune Dem was not yet properly understood and changes were listened to with the awareness that it had to be better, and reality did not withstand this pressure for very long. In my opinion, it is quite easy to judge a foreign system, as the entire presentation is often different. In your own system with very similar devices, it becomes more difficult and the music itself is the measure of all things. The consideration of whether I should let myself be guided by effects or am I more concerned with the meaning of the composition also plays an important role. After long listening sessions, I decided not to post a comparison, as Fredrik's example shows the difference much better than my second system can do. To compensate, here are some pieces of music that I think reflect the musical quality of the Boazu 2 very well.

What are the differences? Are they really clear? Again, it is not easy to put emotional impressions into words and to subordinate thoughts to the music in the hope of being able to formulate the benefit.

When Smetana's Moldau played, thoughts and dreams flew away, but this time they were not allowed to escape, but allowed questions that move me to listen to music. Don't some thoughts and dreams, carried by music, escaped into their own cosmos, vanished from the impressions of the day and immersed in musical paradise, play an important role, perhaps in mental and sometimes physical relaxation, free from everything outside, for example, enjoying the virtuosity of an orchestra? Or aren't it the little haha ​​insights in music that, even though heard a thousand times, still stimulate emotions again and again each time?

In fact, Lang Lang and Chopin's new Nocturne: Waltz in A Minor came to mind during this time. Be it dancing bodies or jumping waves of the Moldau, couples whirl along musically like whirlpools. Because this is exactly where I hear a difference from the older version. Boazu 2 shows a more understandable order with floating, open freedom, if I can describe it that way. The initial spark to move it into the main system later.

Beforehand, I put together a playlist of nine pieces of music that do justice to different genres, even if jazz was perhaps not considered in the end. The Boazu 2 played and right from the start the term "urgent" came to mind, or an amplifier that plays the music like an instrument, that makes it swing or gives the fortissimo the power of exploding cannons (Tchaikovsky Overture 1812). A few pieces later, even more urgent (Kovacs-My Love), yet more sensitive, it manages to convey an audibly better emotion with notes. I also wrote during the sessions, such as the ability to represent an absolute subtlety of individual notes, next to each other, one after the other or connected to each other. Or the smallest jumps in notes increase the essence of my listening pleasure. As usual, my wife did not miss the opportunity to throw comments around. "This one wants more of my dance than the other one." Or: "The little sister is becoming more and more like the big system." In fact, the signature of this integrated amplifier is very clearly audible.

Perhaps it is due to the better transparency of the bass or other changes that played a major role in the development consideration. In any case, the manuscript is clear, the Boazu 2 does not change the character of the music, but increases the enjoyment intensively and lets you completely immerse yourself in the music. Yes, the Boazu 2 asked us to enjoy long hours of musical trips. Perhaps the slight improvement of rhythm and to hear the increased curiosity of an artist more than just this one piece from the playlist.

I am particularly impressed by Majik DS and the new amplifier to the Linn Keilidh. My wife shaped the term “little sister” for the second system when Boazu 1.3 started the service. "The little sister is slowly growing up", another of her statements.

Of course, a comparison with Sagatun Mono 1.7 with Tundra 3.0, which is irrelevant when satisfaction and budget are in harmony. Even my spoiled ears could live very well with the Boazu 2, even in the main system, if there would be no ...

And arrived there with Källa as a source asked me how it is possible to offer an almost identical sound structure, as I am used to from Fredrik's big components. No punch that the Boazu 2 does not do. It plays like a seasoned adolescent who in peace and quiet the world of adulthood and still demands attention that is reserved for a few adults in my opinion. Astonishing.

Over the entire range of my playlists, the Boazu 2 shows exactly the image of an amplifier, which all the frills and appenders don't care, he plays music how the composer most likely wanted to know them emotionally.

And since life is not a subjunctive, here are some examples with this chain:

Spotify - Ubiquiti amplifi HD - BJC Network cable - Källa - Linn Silver - Boazu 2 - Isobarik - K400 Splitted - Mana Racks.

Kovacs - My Love
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J26xFb ... sp=sharing

Prokofiev - Romeo & Juliet
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L1Rzop ... sp=sharing

Emiliana Torrini - Gun (Attention, loud shot right at the beginning)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vh7YW9 ... sp=sharing

Nickolas Lens - Deliciae Meae
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1745P-E ... sp=sharing

Shocking Blue - Venus
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MTqbZj ... sp=sharing

Hindi Zahra - Cabo Verde
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MjsCgS ... sp=sharing

[Spannko]

Thank you for your excellent review Hermann! I’ve only had a chance to listen to half of the first clip (I’m on breakfast duty!) but it sounds stunning!

[John]

Excellent review! Thanks for sharing the clips. I love your taste in music. I saved the albums these cuts come from into my Spotify album library and will enjoy listening to these artists the next few days.

[Rudeman]

Marvelous review and clips!! thanks for that👍
Could not agree more, enjoying it every day now!🎼🎼