The GT-102 features the parts quality found in high-end equipment,
yet the kit costs just $349+$26 shipping (48 states), or $370+26 shipping (48 states) for the Z4 kit version.
You can buy it assembled for $534+$26 shipping (48 states), or $549+26 shipping (48 states) for the Z4 version.
Stereophile recently did a comprehensive review of the GT-102. Just click on the picture to keep reading.
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They really liked the GT-102, and we think you will, too.
The GT-102 is the successor to the very popular GT-101 kit. It does everything that the GT-101 did, but it adds a few nice little tweaks that make the GT-102 even better than the GT-101:
You can build a great sounding stereo power amplifier. Just start with the GT-102 kit, a few hand tools, and a little bit of time. It delivers 50 Watts per channel into 8 Ohms. That's enough power to rock the room. And as excited as you might get listening, the amp stays cool owing to its large finned heat sinks. It looks great, and has the kind of sound that would cost 3 to 6 times more anywhere else. The parts quality is top-notch, the kind of stuff typically found in high-end equipment.
You'll get a great sense of satisfaction from building something that looks and sounds so great. It's fun to build. It's a great project for dads (or moms) and kids to do together. A number of happy customers have built GT-101's as personalized presents for their kids or grand-kids. I'm sure that tradition will continue with the GT-102.
Hundreds have built the GT-101, and we firmly believe that hundreds more will build and enjoy the GT-102.
It is a complete kit...everything you need to build a great looking, great sounding power amplifier is included in this kit. Its assembly manual was written by the same team that did the GT-101 manual, a manual often acclaimed for its clear directions that produce first time success for 97% of the builders. Quick email support makes the other 3% successful, too. The GT-102 is an elegant design with knowledgeable support.
100's of people are enjoying their GT-102 power amps. The Stereophile Review of the GT-102 was tremendously positive. The only caveat about the GT-102 is that it's happiest with "8 Ohm" speakers. If you look at the Power Output Versus Load Impedance" section of this web-page, you'll see that the GT-102 is very happy so long as the speaker impedance is greater than 5.5 Ohms. Even with that, its interesting to note that many people who use Magnepan speakers, which are 4 Ohm speakers with very nicely behaved impedance, report that the GT-102 sounds great. With that exception, I've always steered people with low impedance speakers (4 Ohms and below) away from the GT-102.
Now there's a Z4 version of the GT-102. It's specially configured for speakers with impedance of 4 Ohms and below. We guarantee that it will deliver 50 Watts per channel into 4 Ohm loads. It typically delivers more than 60 Watts per channel into 4 Ohm loads. It will even drive a 2.7 Ohm load without complaint. If you have low impedance speakers, we recommend that you buy/build the Z4 version of the GT-102. It costs $25 more than the original version. Why? Because the majority of people find that the GT-102 is a great match for their "8 Ohm" speakers. Thus we sell many more of the original version than the Z4 version, as many more speakers are rated as 8 Ohm rather than 4 Ohm. As a result, we don't get the same economies of scale on the different power transformer that we used for the Z4 version.
This table gives a quick way to compare the original GT-102 and the Z4 version:
| Optimized For | Rated WPC | Typical WPC | Typical 1% THD WPC | Minimum recommmended speaker impedance |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GT-102 (original) | 8 Ohm speakers | 50 | 60 | 64 | 5.5 Ohms |
| GT-102 (Z4) | 4 Ohm speakers | 50 | 64 | 68 | 2.7 Ohms |
Most speakers have a rated impedance of 8 Ohms. Thus, for or most people, the original version of the GT-102 will give the best results. Some speakers have a 4 Ohm rated impedance. Such speakers usually go below 4 Ohms. If that is what you have, then the Z4 version of the GT-102 is the best choice for you. What if you got the Z4, and later changed to 8 Ohm speakers? The Z4 would work fine and be very clean, you would just lose 3 dB of output power compared to what you could deliver with the original GT-102 into 8 Ohms.
The manual guides you step by step through the assembly process in the manner of the classic assembly manuals from Dynaco and Heathkit. Lots of people, even novices, have built the GT-101, going straight from assembly to great sound. We've gotten lots of compliments on the clear and easy-to-follow assembly manual. We've also incorporated feedback from our builders so that the manual keeps getting better. We've brought the same attention to detail to the GT-102 Assembly Manual.
Here are a few pictures of the GT-102
Akitika’s GT-102 is a complete stereo power amplifier kit that delivers more than 50 Watts per channel of clean, low noise power into 8 Ohm loads. More measurements can be found here. The kit supplies everything but the solder. Add a few hours of labor and the result is Better Sound, because you build it. Take a look at what our customers have to say about the GT-101. We think the GT-102 will get continue that great result..
The kit includes a toroidal power transformer, film and COG capacitors, metal film resistors, heavy-duty extruded aluminum heat sinks, isolated input jacks, double-sided PC boards, and a fully regulated power supply, all elegantly fitted into a black custom chassis. The GT-102 puts out more than 50 Watts per channel in 8 Ohms. It may well be the best sound you'll ever build!
The GT-102 can be wired for either 120 or 240 Volt operation at either 50 or 60 Hz. For 240 Volt operation, please order the V240 kit as well as the GT-101. The V240 kit manual includes wiring directions for 240 volt operation. Owing to the large number of different AC power plugs outside of the United States, international customers will have to supply their own country specific IEC power cord.
1. Kit building is fun!
2. You know exactly what's inside your amp...you put it there!
3. It sounds great!
4. You'd have to pay a lot more to get this quality of components anywhere else.
5. The detailed assembly manual makes it easy for you to succeed.
6. Your sweat equity gives you high-end performance at an affordable price.
7. It's educational. Steve Jobs built Heathkits.
The following excerpt is from Appendix C of "The Innovator's DNA", by Dyer, Gregersen, and Christensen. The paragraph speaks about the influence that building electronic kits had on Steve Jobs.
...Later, Jobs's neighbor, Larry Lang, taught him (and other interested neighborhood kids) a lot about electronics by building Heathkits together. In retrospect, Jobs realized that building Heathkits with a neighbor and exploring things on his father's workbench ultimately gave him an understanding of what lurked inside a finished product. More importantly, Jobs acquired the sense that "things were not mysteries", and as a result, he also gained "a tremendous level of self-confidence" about mechanical and electronic things.
We have many satisifed customers for both the Akitika GT-101 and the Updatemydynaco line of products. Still, I know that it's hard to send $349 plus $26 shipping via Paypal when you've never done business with us before. In addition, you may have questions about the amp, about building the kit, and how it might work out in your system. I urge you to send me an email with questions.
Here are impressions from GT-101 customers about building the kit, the quality, and the sound. We'll add information from GT-102 customers as it becomes available.
The GT-102 has an electronically regulated power supply. That makes it unusual among audio power amplifers. But in some ways, it offers an advantage similar to class A operation.
Class A amplifiers can be among the most linear of amplifiers, and the least efficient. They draw a constant current from the power supply, no matter what signal is being delivered to the speaker. That says that a Class A amplifier doesn't modulate the supply rails..constant current drain produces a constant load on the power supply, and hence a constant voltage.
Is a Class AB amplifier with an electronically regulated power supply almost as good in that respect? If the power supply's output impedance is low, then the output signal minimally modulates the rails. That should cause less distortion at the output. In that sense, the Class AB with regulated power supply should be about as blameless as a Class A amp.
The one way that the Class A amplifier still has it over the Class AB is that at low listening levels, the output device has nearly constant current. That is, its operating current is the large class A bias current with the small signal modulations. Of course, at high output levels, the Class A advantage diminishes, as the output device then experiences wide swings in operating current.
Measurement graphs are available here. Or, you can ask a question
We rate the GT-102 at 50 watts per channel into 8 Ohms. We've made additional measurements of the output power as a function of load impedance. These measurements were made on a unit picked randomly from stock, with a single channel driven at 20 Hz. They are summarized here:
We next did a series of tests delivering continuous power into the 5.02 Ohm load, allowing the heatsink temperature to rise with time. Please note that this is a much more severe test than ANY normal listening situation. In normal listening situation, the temperature at the top of the heatsinks is around body temperature, or 37 Celcius. We report the results of those tests, for 20 Hz power, single channel driven, as a function of heatsink temperature.
Remember too, that the typical operating temperature of the heatsinks is around 37 C. That says that in normal music service, each channel of the GT-102 delivers nearly 90 watts into a 5.02 Ohm load.
We also tested for the power delivered into a 4-Ohm load. That power, especially at 20 Hz, is severely curtailed by the safe-operating area circuits built into the LM3886. For this reason, we concur with John Atkinson of Stereophile, who recommends pairing the GT-102 with nominally 8 Ohm speakers. In spite of this, a number of our customers report pairing the GT-102 with 4-Ohm Magneplanars with good results.
Finally, if you are intent on delivering high power into low impedance speakers, we note that you can parallel both channels to make a monoblock amp that should deliver power into sub-three Ohm loads. Send me an email for more information if you're interested.
We rate the Z4 version of the GT-102 at 50 watts per channel into 4 Ohms. It will typically deliver 64 WPC at low distortion, and around 68 WPC at 1% THD. We've made additional measurements of the output power as a function of load impedance. These measurements were made on a unit picked randomly from stock, with a single channel driven at 100 Hz. They are summarized here. We include the temperature of the heatsinks that rise with time as we let the amp deliver continuous power.:
We next did a series of tests delivering continuous power at 1 kHz into other impedances
If you have 4-Ohm speakers, then the Z4 version of the GT-102 is the one for you.
With the exception of fuses, Akitika will replace for free any parts of a correctly assembled GT-102 that fail within one year of the date of purchase when the amplifier has been used in home stereo applications. It is the responsibility of the kit builder to install the replacement part(s). This warranty applies to the original purchaser only. It does not apply to units that have been physically or electrically abused, or modified without prior written authorization.
Place your order now for a GT-102 kit. Kits are currently in stock. Shipments in the lower 48 states are by UPS surface. Please send me email for a quote on international shipment costs. Don't miss out...order your GT-102 kit today!
Buy a GT-102 at the Akitika store. Note: When you check out, the invoice will say Updatemydynaco. Updatemydynaco is a product line of Akitika LLC
In 1966, a Dynaco Stereo 120 in kit form cost $209.00. That’s $1712 in 2021 dollars. The GT-102 is just $349 plus $26 shipping (48-states). The Z4 version costs a bit more. That’s a real deal when you consider all the goodies inside...film input capacitors, toroidal transformer, regulated power supply, 0.1% gain setting resistors, COG capacitors in the feedback, beautiful custom metalwork, 2-layer FR-4 PCB’s, and serious heat sinks, a 10,000 uF capacitor at the output of an electronically regulated power supply, an optimized physical design that minimizes hum, and a ground lifter that minimizes the effects of ground-loop currents. The kit contains everything that you need but the solder!
All the Best....
dan@akitika.com
We think that most people will enjoy building their own GT-102 power amplifier. However, some folks would rather purchase an assembled, tested unit. You can do that now. We build and test the kits to order. The assembled, tested, GT-102 amp costs $488 plus $26 shipping in the lower 48 states. Assuming we have kits in stock when you order the assembled unit, our typical lead time is about 10 business days. Send email to request current delivery schedule and place an order.
The GT-101 power amp and PR-101 preamp are advertised in Stereophile Magazine.
Here are some views of the assembled unit. You might also check out the Assembly manual for a number of detailed photos inside and out.The Five-Way binding posts have holes big enough to accept quite heavy speaker wire. The IEC power connector lets you easily experiment with different power cords. The RCA input connectors are isolated from the chassis to allow optimum grounding.
See what our customers have to say. This is a refined and improved version of the kind of results we've delivered in the Stereo 120 Upgrade kits.
Use this search box to find what you need.
You may be familiar with Akitika's Updatemydynaco kits that make the Stereo 120 and PAT-4 better than new. Those are certainly great kits, but you need an old Dynaco to get the ball rolling. What if you want to build a new kit, from the ground up? That's what you'll find at this web site, starting with the GT-101 Power Amplifier Kit.
Akitika is a pallindrome on "A kit". We pronouce it Ah-kuh-TEE-kuh.
Lots of people used to build electronic kits. Heathkit, Eico, and Dynaco let anyone assemble great stuff and save a lot of money. On top of that, building the kits was relaxing, educational, and rewarding. We’re here to say that the good times are back! Akitika has designed a high performance Stereo Amplifier kit, the GT-101. With our carefully selected parts and your labor, you get great sound and a great value.
The amplifier modules are built on high quality 2-layer FR-4 PC Boards. Critical signal path capacitors have high linearity NPO or poly-film dielectrics. Metal film resistors, a toroidal transformer, and an elegant basic black custom chassis are the great ingredients that produce remarkable results.
Kit construction has four steps:
The kit uses all through-hole components. The circuit board has been specially designed with generous spacing between all the soldered points, making assembly easy.Check out our YouTube video (not yet available), where we summarize the assembly process.
Q. How long does it take to assemble?
A. Probably about 8 hours of work for very experienced builders. First-time builders may take 16 hours of working time. Spread your work out into sessions short enough to avoid fatigue.
Q. What tools do I need?
A. At the minimum, you’ll need:
It’s also handy, but not necessary, to have:
Q. I haven't soldered for a while. Is there somewhere I can get a refresher?
A. This youtube video reviews soldering technique.
Q. Do I have to be an electronics genius to build it?
A. Not at all. If you can stay calm and follow directions, you shouldn’t have any trouble.
Q. Do I need any supplies that aren’t in the kit?
A. Just solder!
Q. What are the shipping options?
A. All shipments are by UPS.
Q. What's the relation between AkitikA and Updatemydynaco?
A. Updatemydynaco is one of Akitika LLC's product lines.
Q. How good does it sound? How easy is it to put together?
A. The GT-102 contains a number of enhancements to the technology found in the Updatemydynaco products. Here are
Testimonials about the sound of the Updatemydynaco products and
the building experience.
Q. What amplifier IC does the GT-102 use?
A. The GT-102 uses the LM3886 power amplifier IC. Then, we do a couple of things that get the most out of this highly regarded part. We use
the metal tab version, this maximizes the ability to get heat out of the IC. The grounding arrangement allows for direct contact between
the metal tab and the heatsink, so we don't suffer the thermal resistance of an additional insulator. The part is mounted on large, deep-finned
heatsinks. Finally, the electronically regulated power supply gives the chip really quiet DC power to work with, which maximizes its ability
to produce clean output power.
Q. I don't see the answer to my question here. What can I do?
A. Submit a Technical Question