Gaio 2

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Gaio 2

Post by lejonklou »

A new and improved version of Gaio will be released in two weeks.

More details to follow, just too busy to share them right now. Thank you for your patience!
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by Matteo »

Congrats Fredrik

M.
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by mrco99 »

Great news!
Order already placed.
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by ThomasOK »

mrco99 wrote:Great news!
Order already placed.
Ditto!
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by Music Lover »

Congrats!
I’m sure it’s great :)
It's all about musical understanding!
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by u252agz »

Will Gaio be upgradeableto Gaio 2 ?
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by anthony »

u252agz wrote:Will Gaio be upgradeableto Gaio 2 ?
Debatable
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by lejonklou »

u252agz wrote:Will Gaio be upgradeableto Gaio 2 ?
Yes, debatable. It's possible, but time consuming and I'm unsure if it's worth the cost. It would probably cost as much as selling the Gaio 1 and buying a Gaio 2.

If an upgrade is requested by many, I'd have to arrange it so that it's available within a certain timeframe and they're all done at once.

I will also need to train a person to take care of it, so that I can continue with other developments. My current intern is probably up for it, but at the moment he's busy measuring and selecting components for my MC stage project (he's measured 2000 components so far, of which a dozen are perfect for the circuit and almost a hundred are second best - a new personal record in the "how precise can you make it").
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by JPM »

Earlier this week I have extensively compared the new Gaio 2 with the original Gaio with a friend. My setup: LP12, Ittok LV3mk2, Trampolin2, Hercules, Adikt; Naim SuperUniti, Naim Allae. We played mainly 80s vinyl ranging from electro-pop, jazz to rock. I have sent Marco of Hexagon Audio here in the Netherlands an extensive review report in Dutch, but here are is our summary of the test:

We have a very distinct preference for the Gaio 2, which is more transparant and is able to convey the dynamics of the recording much better. Voices and instruments are placed more to the front and soundstage and spatial imaging have been improved. Bass of Gaio2 is tighter and better controlled. The difference is more significant than what we usually experience during other comparing tests. Very often I can only hear the difference between comparable components during a shootout test. With the Gaio1 and Gaio 2 I am confident that I can identify which one is playing at any time without hearing the other one.

Fredrik, you outclass the predecessor of the Gaio, which was already very good in my opinion. Very impressive!
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by mrco99 »

Thanks JPM for your extensive test!
Herewith the full report (in Dutch):



Klanten review Lejonklou Gaio 2 vs Gaio 1
door Jan Peter Moree met Robin Liebrechts

Eerste kennismaking
Zo’n anderhalf jaar geleden kwam in contact met Marco Oudheusden van Hexagon Audio, importeur van Lejonklou audio apparatuur. Dit was naar aanleiding van mijn interesse voor een Lejonklou phono voorversterker voor alleen moving magnet elementen. Ik draai al geruime tijd met een Linn Adikt element en ben daar ontzettend tevreden mee, dus een verandering naar een MC element voorzie ik niet. De allereerste Lejonklou Gaio phonostage die Hexagon in Nederland heeft geleverd staat sindsdien bij mij. Daarna heeft Marco mij herhaaldelijk van demo apparatuur van het zeer authentieke merk Lejonklou voorzien. Primaire drijfveer bij Marco is zijn passie voor geluid, apparatuur en mensen. Er is dan ook nooit sprake geweest van de geringste druk tot aanschaf van nieuwe apparatuur.

Nieuwe phonostage van Lejonklou: Gaio 2
Begin mei 2018 benaderde Marco mij omdat hij geinteresseerd is in mijn mening over één van de nieuwe phono voorversterkers van Lejonklou, de Gaio 2. Hij stuurde mij meteen een exemplaar. Indertijd heb ik met Robin een uitbreide evaluatie van o.a. de eerste versie van de Gaio gedaan en hij was meteen enthousiast om een vergelijkende luistersessie te houden waarin we de Gaio 2 aan onze kritische oren onderwierpen. Hieronder kun je onze bevindingen lezen.

We hebben telkens twee maal een nummer beluisterd op beide phono stages. Gemakshalve zijn we niet telkens met hetzelfde type begonnen, maar “ompluggen” na beluisteren van het volledige nummer. Beide voorversterkers hingen ten tijde van de test al ruim een week aan de netspanning en gedurende deze periode heb ik regelmatig vinyl gedraaid, zonder heel kritisch te luisteren. Wel viel me meteen op hoe open en dynamisch de Gaio 2 klonk. De eerste indruk was een behoorlijke verandering (verbetering?) ten opzichte van de Gaio 1.

De set
Draaitafel: Linn LP 12, Hercules, Trampolin 2, Ittok LV3mk2, Adikt
Versterking: Naim Superuniti BT
Speakers: Naim Allae
Rack: Naim Fraimlite
Interconnect: Flashback Sales Performance RCA-DIN
Speaker kabel: Naim NACA5

Muziek
Mensen die ons kennen zal het niet ontgaan zijn dat Robin en ik echte 80s kids zijn. In deze niet alleen muzikaal interessante periode hebben we een stevige voorkeur ontwikkeld voor albums uit deze periode. Terwijl ik deze review schrijf, realiseer ik me dat alle tracks op één na waarmee we de phono versterkers hebben vergeleken afkomstig zijn uit de jaren 80. Eigenlijk niet een heel uitgebalanceerde selectie voor een vergelijkende test. Aan de andere kant voor ons persoonlijk wel relevant, omdat dat de muziek is waar we vanaf vinyl het meeste naar luisteren.

Vergelijkende test
Het eerste nummer dat we draaiden was 'Twist in my Sobriety' van Tanita Tikaram’s album Ancient Heart uit 1988 via de nieuwe Gaio. Ik bewaar aan dit nummer zeer goede herinneringen (studententijd!) en had het al jaren niet gehoord. De dynamiek en warmte in deze productie is verrassend en overvielen mij meteen. Toen we hetzelfde nummer via de oudere Gaio versie afspeelden viel ons op dat op vrijwel alle hifi criteria de Gaio 2 beter scoort. De zang staat meer naar voren in de ruimte. Ook ervaarden we een behoorlijk bredere ruimtelijke afbeelding. De klank van bijvoorbeeld bekkens lijkt natuurlijker en er is meer “lucht” om de instrumenten. Het laag was wat gecontroleerder. Halverwege en aan het einde van het nummer zitten enkele krachtige percussie slagen. Deze hebben met de Gaio 1 wat meer kracht en druk in het laag, maar overall klinkt het nummer via deze oudere versie wat gecomprimeerder lijkt het. Het verschil wat we horen tussen de Gaio 1 en Gaio 2 lijkt groter dan tijdens een eerdere vergelijking tussen de Gaio 1 en de duurdere Slipsik 6 phonostage van Lejonklou.
Voor ons liet de Gaio 2 bij dit nummer een duidelijke verbetering horen ten opzichte van de oorspronkelijke versie.

We vervolgden onze luistersessie met nog zo’n goede eighties opname: 'Sad Old Red' van Simply Red, afkomstig van zijn debuutalbum Picture Book. De eerdere indrukken werden bevestigd. Hoewel we aan het begin van het nummer bij de overgang van de Gaio 1 naar 2 het verschil niet zo heel groot vonden, moesten we onze mening gedurende het nummer steeds meer bijstellen. Fredrik Lejonklou heeft een indrukwekkende verbetering gerealiseerd met deze nieuwe “instap” phonostage. Met name op het gebied van transparantie en zuiverheid scoort de nieuw versterker hoog.

Het volgende album is misschien wel de best klinkende plaat uit mijn collectie: Brother Where You Bound van Supertramp. Wij kozen voor het nummer 'No Inbetween'. Ook hier weer meer duidelijkheid en meer transparantie met de Gaio 2. De Gaio 1 heeft wel lekker pompend laag, maar qua dynamiek en natuurgetrouwheid is hij duidelijk de mindere.

Bij de meeste nummers die volgden werden bovenstaande waarnemingen bevestigd en versterkt. Of dit nu met Joe Cocker’s rauwe stem is ('Look What Have You’ve Done' van album Sheffield Steel) of met het allerfraaist, maar wat vreemd klinkend (Robin sprak van ranzig hoog en ik karaktiseerde de algehele klank als nasaal), 'Have You Heard the News?' van Talk Talk (LP: The Party’s Over), de verschillen waren duidelijk hoorbaar in het voordeel voor de Gaio 2. Met één van ons beider favoriete nummers 'A Thousand Years' van Toto’s Seventh One was de uitkomst minder duidelijk. Op het gebied van betrokkenheid vonden we de Gaio 1 zoveel beter dan de typische kwaliteiten van de Gaio 2 dat de uitslag onbeslist bleek.

De volgende 2 platen die we voor de vergelijkende test hebben gebruikt hebben een hoger elektro gehalte dan de rest: 'Windpower' van het debuut album van Thomas Dolby, 'The Golden Age of Wireless' en 'I Love You Too Much' van Human League’s Hysteria album. Hoewel de Gaio 2 wat duidelijker en transparanter is, slaat bij deze platen de balans toch wat door naar de Gaio 1. Met name ikzelf ben niet een groot fan van dit soort “vage 80s pop”(citaat Robin) met zijn wat harde klankkleur. Ik kon dit beter verdragen met de wat vergevender Gaio 1. Deze muziek klinkt via de Gaio 1 wat compacter en rustiger met een tikkeltje meer druk in het laag. Voor dit soort muziek is dat helemaal niet verkeerd.

Als laatste nummer in de test dan toch een 70er klassieker: 'Wish You Were Here' van het gelijknamige album van Pink Floyd. Bij het akoestische gitaarintro vallen vooral de grotere ruimtelijkheid en meer details via de Gaio 2 op. Als het nummer verder gaat klinkt de stem losser en er is meer dynamiek hoorbaar bij de inzet van instrumenten en percussie. Instrumenten klinken natuurlijker en bij dit nummer is er geen twijfel mogelijk dat de Gaio 2 de betere phonotrap is.

Conclusie
Onze voorkeur gaat duidelijk uit naar de Gaio 2 die in onze beleving meer transparantie en dynamiek laat horen ten opzichte van de Gaio 1. Deze verschillen zijn significanter dat wat we met andere componenten bij andere vergelijkende tests hebben ervaren. Het is vaak zo dat je pas bij een 1 op 1 vergelijk vlak na elkaar verschillen hoort en kunt omschrijven. Ik durf wel te beweren dat ik ook zonder ze vlak na elkaar te horen ik op ieder willekeurig moment aan kan geven naar welke van de 2 phonotrappen ik op dat moment luister. Dit is een groot compliment voor de Gaio 2 en veel waardering gaat uit naar Fredrik Lejonklou die met de opvolger van de Gaio een pracht van een phonostage voor een nauwelijks hogere prijs neerzet. De Lejonklou Gaio 2 staat met stip bovenaan mijn upgrade-verlanglijstje!
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by lejonklou »

Thank you JPM!

It sounds like you made a thorough comparison between Gaio 1 and 2. I'm very happy that you liked the new one so much!
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by coolhandluke11 »

Received mine yesterday, very impressed.

Beautiful build quality too, this is my first Lejonklou product as a leap of faith. Glad I took that leap too.
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by lejonklou »

coolhandluke11 wrote:Received mine yesterday, very impressed.

Beautiful build quality too, this is my first Lejonklou product as a leap of faith. Glad I took that leap too.
Thank you coolhandluke11!
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by grey17 »

He is a bit late but Michael Fremer of Analog Planet has his long promised review of the Gaio out. He does mention the Gaio 2 also.

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/le ... mplifier-0
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by Joohoo65 »

When reading the manual of Gaio2 it was mentioned that this MUST be connected to an earhed socket.
I this really necessary? I mean, lots of people doesn`t have that in the room of their hifi equipmemt.
Also wonder why?

Really interested in trying out this product, but this comment in the manual made me a bit worried.
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by lejonklou »

Joohoo65 wrote: 2019-03-10 08:46 When reading the manual of Gaio2 it was mentioned that this MUST be connected to an earhed socket.
I this really necessary? I mean, lots of people doesn`t have that in the room of their hifi equipmemt.
Also wonder why?

Really interested in trying out this product, but this comment in the manual made me a bit worried.
Hi Joohoo65 and welcome to the forum!

The reason for this phrase in the manual is that Gaio has an earthed mains plug and the metal case is connected to mains ground. Such a design is the safest, but requires a connection to mains ground. That’s according to safety rules in many countries.

In practice, Gaio works just fine without a grounded mains (in fact, my own apartment doesn’t have it). The circuit of Gaio is completely isolated from the case, so it’s a matter of safety only.

What I do recommend, however, is that a power strip with ground is used for the entire system, so that all units have the same potential. This prevents hum and sounds best.
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by Joohoo65 »

Thanks for this very well explaining answer.

I do have a earthed socket strip connected to my unearthed wall socket.

My plan is to switch my quite cheap Cambridge riia to a Gaio 2.
I believe it would match my project turntable with a ortophon 2m bronze pickup better.
My amplifier is a Cambridge 851a and the speakers are Dali Rubicon6.

What do you think of this combination to use with Gaio2?
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by lejonklou »

Joohoo65 wrote: 2019-03-10 11:31 Thanks for this very well explaining answer.

I do have a earthed socket strip connected to my unearthed wall socket.

My plan is to switch my quite cheap Cambridge riia to a Gaio 2.
I believe it would match my project turntable with a ortophon 2m bronze pickup better.
My amplifier is a Cambridge 851a and the speakers are Dali Rubicon6.

What do you think of this combination to use with Gaio2?
OK!

I think that a Gaio will fit perfectly. Can you make sure you're able to return it in case you don't feel the same?

Please do update us here on what you think!
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by OscarH »

Hello,

Very first post here, though I've been lurking around for a few days; reading with great interest but also with a high degree of uncertainty as to whether I'd be able to contribute.

Anyhow, whilst I first heard of Lejonklou years ago it wasn't until last Friday that I came in close contact with any product. That was when I strolled into Copenhagen's Hifi-Forum to buy a new Rega drive belt and walked out with, in addition to said drive belt, Gaio 2 s/n144 and a temporarily relieved Upgraditis.

As it turns out I had at that point unknowingly broken all forum rules as the purchase was not preceded by any Tune Dem but simply a leap of faith. It would also be a gross exaggeration to claim that my old old, second hand Planar 3 turntable (where the new Rega Exact pickup is arguable the best component...) is the best component in the system. It was all a leap of faith, gut feel, if you like.

This is turning in to a lengthy post to describe my deep satisfaction with my purchase. When I got home my wife was surprisingly understanding of my childlike excitement at the handwritten serial number on the box.

Then as I unhooked the old Rega fono mini a2d (Mind, I got all the Vinyl gear second hand some years ago as a supplement to digital, without any clue that we'd enjoy it) and plugged in the Gaio my wife (who happens to be both an acoustics engineer and a musician) accused me of having turned the subwoofer up. I hadn't, the Gaio just made it much easier to hear everything.

Excellent product, price/performance where I need it to be. Happy customer. Also, me being Swedish it felt good to be able to add a component from "The Old Country".

FYI; The rest if the system is a Hegel H80 amplifier, System Audio Mantra 60 speakers and SVS SB-1000 subwoofer, laptop via USB for digital playback. It's a system not without flaws, but one which we enjoy and where, albeit Tune Dem and Source First may not have been adhered to, there's a sensible reason why each component has been added.
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by lejonklou »

Thank you for a wonderful first post, OscarH!

So happy to hear you enjoy your Gaio.
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by u252agz »

OscarH wrote: 2019-03-14 11:23 Hello,



Then as I unhooked the old Rega fono mini a2d (Mind, I got all the Vinyl gear second hand some years ago as a supplement to digital, without any clue that we'd enjoy it) and plugged in the Gaio my wife (who happens to be both an acoustics engineer and a musician) accused me of having turned the subwoofer up. I hadn't, the Gaio just made it much easier to hear everything.

Excellent product, price/performance where I need it to be. Happy customer. Also, me being Swedish it felt good to be able to add a component from "The Old Country".

FYI; The rest if the system is a Hegel H80 amplifier, System Audio Mantra 60 speakers and SVS SB-1000 subwoofer, laptop via USB for digital playback. It's a system not without flaws, but one which we enjoy and where, albeit Tune Dem and Source First may not have been adhered to, there's a sensible reason why each component has been added.
I replaced my Rega Fono mini Phonoamp with a Gaio ( version 1 ) and was amazed at how much better my Rega Planar 3 (purchased 1984) sounded, through Boazu and Komponent 110s.

A good phonoamp really allows you to hear just how good the Turntable is, and in my opinion is worth doing early on in the upgrade journey..
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by OscarH »

u252agz wrote: 2019-03-15 09:46
A good phonoamp really allows you to hear just how good the Turntable is, and in my opinion is worth doing early on in the upgrade journey..
Evidently! That was also my thinking as I stood there: "this phono amp is good enough to support any turntable I'm likely to upgrade to in the foreseeable future".

I'm reasonable young (36) and we have two small kids so I won't be getting an LP12 anytime soon, let alone a fully loaded one.

While I was fairly confident the swap of phono stage addressed the weakest link in the system it was rather astonishing what a difference it made. Ok, the Gaio costs about 5x as much as the little Rega, but in absolute terms a very manageable cost.

Curious detail; our system is strictly limited to floorstanding speakers as my wife considers any speaker stand an absolute eye sore, prohibited in our living room. So, some extra emphasis must be placed on speakers and suitable amplification. An entirely acceptable compromise to Source First in my view.
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by Joohoo65 »

OK!

I think that a Gaio will fit perfectly. Can you make sure you're able to return it in case you don't feel the same?

Please do update us here on what you think!
I went to Ågrens Hifi and got myself a Gaio2 last Saturday. What a great store and what a fantastic phono stage. As I thought it made an enormous difference in my system. It sure did match my Ortofon 2M bronze superb. The sound got more depth and felt a lot more stable. Awsome product.
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Re: Gaio 2

Post by lejonklou »

Joohoo65 wrote: 2019-03-22 23:00I went to Ågrens Hifi and got myself a Gaio2 last Saturday. What a great store and what a fantastic phono stage. As I thought it made an enormous difference in my system. It sure did match my Ortofon 2M bronze superb. The sound got more depth and felt a lot more stable. Awsome product.
Aaahh! Fantastic to hear that, Joohoo65.

Thank you for reporting how things turned out.
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Gaio 2.4

Post by lejonklou »

A new version of Gaio 2 will be presented the 1st of February at the Norddeutsche HiFi-Tage in Hamburg.

Gaio 2.4 has a much better low bass than its predecessor and the result is a tighter, smoother, more open and melodic reproduction of music.

All Gaio 2's can be upgraded to version 2.4. The approximate cost is 25% of the price of a new Gaio 2 (shipping costs might be added when applicable).

If you bought your Gaio 2 in 2020, you will get the upgrade free of charge (shipping costs might be added when applicable).
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