FS: Metaxas Solitaire Mark 111 power Amp

[Dennistraeger]

Last upgrades - latest power supply caps, AC mains away from low level inputs
etc.

IMO by far Metaxas best product - Great "Valve Like Sound" can drive any known
speaker load including any known electrosatic speakers. 130 watts into 8 ohms,
1000 watts into 1 ohm. Nice clear mid's and clear crisp highs, Great bass
control.

Weighs 63 lb - huge transformer.

Only selling because I have made/constructed my own kit amps & have too many
power amps for my needs. Totally reliable hardly get's warm driving Vaf
I-93's(Midly difficult load) into high DB's. Reluctant sale $2000 ono.

Dennis Traeger

***@aol.com.au
Ph 08 85246404

[g***@inquiry.com]

Post by Dennistraeger
Last upgrades - latest power supply caps, AC mains away from low level inputs
etc.
IMO by far Metaxas best product - Great "Valve Like Sound" can drive any known
speaker load including any known electrosatic speakers. 130 watts into 8 ohms,
1000 watts into 1 ohm. Nice clear mid's and clear crisp highs, Great bass
control.
Weighs 63 lb - huge transformer.
Only selling because I have made/constructed my own kit amps & have too many
power amps for my needs. Totally reliable hardly get's warm driving Vaf
I-93's(Midly difficult load) into high DB's. Reluctant sale $2000 ono.
Dennis Traeger
Ph 08 85246404

Does it come with a warranty?

Are there any service agents for it?

[Adam F]

Post by g***@inquiry.com
Does it come with a warranty?
Are there any service agents for it?

Do any 2nd-hand amps? Would make a good amp for an engineer if no one
else...also surely if it were going to blow up it would have done it in the
1st few weeks of ownership?


Adam F

[Phil Allison]

Post by Adam F

Post by g***@inquiry.com
Does it come with a warranty?
Are there any service agents for it?

Do any 2nd-hand amps?

** The vast majority have service agents and / or and well known in the
service trade.

Post by Adam F
Would make a good amp for an engineer if no one else..

** What engineer wants to buy a con artists abortion ?


.also surely if it were going to blow up it would have done it in the

Post by Adam F
1st few weeks of ownership?

** ROTFLMAO !!!



............. Phil

[Phil Allison]

Last upgrades - latest power supply caps, AC mains away from low level
inputs
etc.

IMO by far Metaxas best product - Great "Valve Like Sound" can drive any
known
speaker load including any known electrosatic speakers. 130 watts into 8
ohms,
1000 watts into 1 ohm. Nice clear mid's and clear crisp highs, Great bass
control.

Weighs 63 lb - huge transformer.




** Hmmmm, ....... "Solitaire" means it is the wanker's special.

" Mark III " ...... indicates Metaxas's third attempt to get the POS to
work right .






............ Phil

[MDHJWH]

Post by Dennistraeger
Last upgrades - latest power supply caps, AC mains away from low level inputs
etc.
IMO by far Metaxas best product - Great "Valve Like Sound" can drive any known
speaker load including any known electrosatic speakers. 130 watts into 8 ohms,
1000 watts into 1 ohm. Nice clear mid's and clear crisp highs, Great bass
control.
Weighs 63 lb - huge transformer.
Only selling because I have made/constructed my own kit amps & have too many
power amps for my needs. Totally reliable hardly get's warm driving Vaf
I-93's(Midly difficult load) into high DB's. Reluctant sale $2000 ono.
Dennis Traeger

Does it come with a fire extinguisher?

[Dennistraeger]

Yes, some of Metaxas other products(pre amps) got quite hot, not the Solitaire,
no heat whatsoever extremely difficult to get the heatsinks to get even
remotely warm same for internal components.

As I said - his best product, well reviewed & very rare to see anyone wanting
to sell them.

Dennis.

[MDHJWH]

Post by Dennistraeger
Yes, some of Metaxas other products(pre amps) got quite hot, not the Solitaire,
no heat whatsoever extremely difficult to get the heatsinks to get even
remotely warm same for internal components.
As I said - his best product, well reviewed & very rare to see anyone wanting
to sell them.
Dennis.

I wasn't hinting at hottish heat sinks so much as incendiary power
supplies that go bang in the night,

[Dennistraeger]

Never heard of this ever happenning with any Solitaire. I think you are
generalising. The Solitaire is a well regarded and reviewed product and the
power supply is hardly working in my lounge environment.

Many manufacturers have their good & bad products iuncluding Linn,Krell,Sony
etc etc.

Unless you have personal knowledge of a product it is best not to comment or
generalise, something which I am afraid there is a lot of on this newsgroup.

[g***@inquiry.com]

Post by Dennistraeger
Never heard of this ever happenning with any Solitaire. I think you are
generalising. The Solitaire is a well regarded and reviewed product and the
power supply is hardly working in my lounge environment.
Many manufacturers have their good & bad products iuncluding Linn,Krell,Sony
etc etc.
Unless you have personal knowledge of a product it is best not to comment or
generalise, something which I am afraid there is a lot of on this newsgroup.

Whilst you may have a nice sounding amplifier that has no troubles,
the problem is that Kostos Metaxas (the one responsible for your
amplifiers existence) has had many troubles and a reputation for
having built stuff that was overpriced, unreliable , and just a
lilttle bit awkward to fix properly...(notice the use of past tense
here)......
especially as he as exposed as an incompetant businessman to the
courts, a con artist to many and a liar to many others, the
possibility of after sales service for your amplifier is very
bleak...about as bleak as trying to get a refund for undelivered
copies of "Viva la Vie",or for the owners of a certain property in
Greville St Prahan to receive money for an unpaid lease, or for
certain overseas wholesalers to receive a box with an amplifier,
instead of a box of brochures...not to mention the bounced cheques.

In short if your amp works fine thats dandy, but if it ever breaks
down you're stuffed....and for that means heavy depreciation on the
market value....no matter how good you think it is.


and forget the amp reviews ,what about the magazine reviews on Kostos'
bad business dealings ...which date back for years...and your lack of
a mention so far as to who specialises in fixing his amps....with
circuit diagrams etc....since the prospect of Mr M. fixing anything is
about as remote as Phil Allison buying a set of Vaf speakers.

[MDHJWH]

Post by Dennistraeger
Never heard of this ever happenning with any Solitaire. I think you are
generalising. The Solitaire is a well regarded and reviewed product and the
power supply is hardly working in my lounge environment.
Many manufacturers have their good & bad products iuncluding Linn,Krell,Sony
etc etc.
Unless you have personal knowledge of a product it is best not to comment or
generalise, something which I am afraid there is a lot of on this newsgroup.

My days as a Metaxis customer were the most nightmarish experience
I've ever had with any
audio company. Mr M's exploding boxes were one thing, his absolute
refusal to do anything about self destructing equipment (still under
'warrantee'!) forced me to unleash my solicitor on him.
The technical aspects of his power supply 'designs' that make them so
unstable I do not understand. Others on this group may be able to
explain.

Ayn Marx

[roughplanet]

Post by MDHJWH

Post by Dennistraeger
Never heard of this ever happenning with any Solitaire. I think you are
generalising. The Solitaire is a well regarded and reviewed product and
the power supply is hardly working in my lounge environment.
Many manufacturers have their good & bad products iuncluding
Linn, Krell, Sony etc etc.
Unless you have personal knowledge of a product it is best not to
comment or generalise, something which I am afraid there is a lot of on
this newsgroup.

My days as a Metaxis customer were the most nightmarish experience
I've ever had with any audio company. Mr M's exploding boxes were
one thing, his absolute refusal to do anything about self destructing
equipment (still under 'warrantee'!) forced me to unleash my solicitor on
him.
The technical aspects of his power supply 'designs' that make them so
unstable I do not understand. Others on this group may be able to
explain.

Kostas Metaxas was not, I believe, a conman, but simply suffered from
delusions of grandeur, a trait he still shares with several members of this
newsgroup.
He believed implicitly in the equipment he designed & built & therefore saw
no good reason as to why he should repair it when it broke, or more to the
point, exploded, as he believed that it's demise was due in no small part to
it's incorrect use.
Stories concerning his failure to meet financial obligations, deliver items
paid for in advance, deliver items at all, answer the phone, return calls,
pay the rent, honour cheques etc. etc. etc. are merely testimony to his
unshakeable belief in himself & his audio equipment, and all follow
logically from the 'raw deal' he received at the hands of the public, audio
critics, judges, magistrates & anyone else who had the misfortune to cross
his path.
Given his reputation, even from his earliest days as a designer, builder &
purveyor of high end (PA would no doubt say 'audiophool' & he'd be right)
equipment, the axiom 'Caveat Emptor' would seem to be most apt in any
dealings with him.
The prospective buyer, and the buyer alone, is responsible for assessing the
quality of a purchase BEFORE buying, which, in the case of Metaxas, meant
not only the audio gear, but also the likelihood of it being repaired under
warranty should such action be necessary.
Anyone who met him & still proceeded with the purchase only has themselves
to blame, as his 'air of confidence' was more like a tornado, and he clearly
subscribed to the dictum that 'BS baffles brains'.
Having said that, it would be unfair not to acknowledge that he did, on
several occasions, design & build equipment, the performance of which was
very good. It's just that he didn't do it often enough!

ruff

[Phil Allison]

"roughplanet"

Post by roughplanet
Kostas Metaxas was not, I believe, a conman, but simply suffered from
delusions of grandeur, a trait he still shares with several members of this
newsgroup.

** Most "con-men" suffer from delusions of self importance and extreme
narcissism.

How typical of a raving fuckwit like Laurie Dare to say otherwise.

Post by roughplanet
He believed implicitly in the equipment he designed & built & therefore saw
no good reason as to why he should repair it when it broke, or more to the
point, exploded, as he believed that it's demise was due in no small part to
it's incorrect use.

** Another self delusion showing his inability to self criticise.

Post by roughplanet
Stories concerning his failure to meet financial obligations, deliver items
paid for in advance, deliver items at all, answer the phone, return calls,
pay the rent, honour cheques etc. etc. etc. are merely testimony to his
unshakeable belief in himself & his audio equipment, and all follow
logically from the 'raw deal' he received at the hands of the public, audio
critics, judges, magistrates & anyone else who had the misfortune to cross
his path.

** All typical con man behaviour.

Post by roughplanet
Given his reputation, even from his earliest days as a designer, builder &
purveyor of high end (PA would no doubt say 'audiophool' & he'd be right)
equipment, the axiom 'Caveat Emptor' would seem to be most apt in any
dealings with him.

** The "buyer beware" warning does not apply to any normal business
dealings.

Post by roughplanet
The prospective buyer, and the buyer alone, is responsible for assessing the
quality of a purchase BEFORE buying, which, in the case of Metaxas, meant
not only the audio gear, but also the likelihood of it being repaired under
warranty should such action be necessary.

** This is the philosophy of an outright criminal.

Post by roughplanet
Anyone who met him & still proceeded with the purchase only has themselves
to blame, as his 'air of confidence' was more like a tornado, and he clearly
subscribed to the dictum that 'BS baffles brains'.

** Some brains are baffled permanently - like Laurie's.

Post by roughplanet
Having said that, it would be unfair not to acknowledge that he did, on
several occasions, design & build equipment, the performance of which was
very good. It's just that he didn't do it often enough!

** High performance hi-fi electronics gear is available everywhere and at
low cost.

Con men like Mataxas are evil parasites on the gullible.




........... Phil

[roughplanet]

"Phil Allison" <***@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message news:4004f8ce$0$4052$***@news.optusnet.com.au...

"roughplanet"

Post by Phil Allison

Post by roughplanet
Kostas Metaxas was not, I believe, a conman, but simply suffered
from delusions of grandeur, a trait he still shares with several members
of this newsgroup.

** Most "con-men" suffer from delusions of self importance and
extreme narcissism.
How typical of a raving fuckwit like Laurie Dare to say otherwise.

Post by roughplanet
He believed implicitly in the equipment he designed & built & therefore
saw no good reason as to why he should repair it when it broke, or
more to the point, exploded, as he believed that it's demise was due in
no small part to it's incorrect use.

** Another self delusion showing his inability to self criticise.

Post by roughplanet
Stories concerning his failure to meet financial obligations, deliver
items paid for in advance, deliver items at all, answer the phone,

return

Post by Phil Allison

Post by roughplanet
calls, pay the rent, honour cheques etc. etc. etc. are merely testimony
to his unshakeable belief in himself & his audio equipment, and all
follow logically from the 'raw deal' he received at the hands of the
public, audio critics, judges, magistrates & anyone else who had the
misfortune to cross his path.

** All typical con man behaviour.

Post by roughplanet
Given his reputation, even from his earliest days as a designer, builder
& purveyor of high end (PA would no doubt say 'audiophool' & he'd
be right) equipment, the axiom 'Caveat Emptor' would seem to be
most apt in any dealings with him.

** The "buyer beware" warning does not apply to any normal business
dealings.

Post by roughplanet
The prospective buyer, and the buyer alone, is responsible for
assessing the quality of a purchase BEFORE buying, which, in the case
of Metaxas, meant not only the audio gear, but also the likelihood of it
being repaired under warranty should such action be necessary.

** This is the philosophy of an outright criminal.

Post by roughplanet
Anyone who met him & still proceeded with the purchase only has
themselves to blame, as his 'air of confidence' was more like a
tornado, and he clearly subscribed to the dictum that 'BS baffles
brains'.

** Some brains are baffled permanently - like Laurie's.

Post by roughplanet
Having said that, it would be unfair not to acknowledge that he did, on
several occasions, design & build equipment, the performance of
which was very good. It's just that he didn't do it often enough!

** High performance hi-fi electronics gear is available everywhere and
at low cost.
Con men like Mataxas are evil parasites on the gullible.

OK, I'll come clean. My post was totally tongue in cheek, a fact which I was
certain would be picked up by everyone EXCEPT Phil Allison, who, as I have
amply demonstrated once & for all, has absolutely no sense of humour
whatsoever.
I admit that I temporarily removed him from my killfile in order to see if I
was correct in my assessment of his lack of humour, but he is back where he
belongs once more, so I don't need to read his humourless self-aggrandising
reply.
I'm almost certain now that much of his anti-social behaviour is primarily
due to his inability to see the funny side of life. To Phil, every word is
to be taken literally, every jibe a personal insult and every person who
disagrees with him an 'enemy at the gate'.
Little wonder he finds life so empty & spends it, like Don Quixote, jousting
at windmills. A tragedy if ever there was one.

ruff

[Phil Allison]

Post by roughplanet

Post by Phil Allison
** High performance hi-fi electronics gear is available everywhere and
at low cost.
Con men like Mataxas are evil parasites on the gullible.

OK, I'll come clean.

** There is not enough soap on the planet for that.

Post by roughplanet
My post was totally tongue in cheek,

** No-one can see where your tongue is on NG - thank god.

Post by roughplanet
a fact which I was certain

** Not a fact - and you a not certain which way your arse faces.

Post by roughplanet
would be picked up by everyone EXCEPT Phil Allison,

** Everything you post is hysterically funny - Laurie.

But not for any reasons you are aware of.

Post by roughplanet
who, as I have
amply demonstrated once & for all,

** The ***only thing*** you ever demonstrate is just what a pig
ignorant ass you are Laurie.

Post by roughplanet
has absolutely no sense of humour whatsoever.

** No surprise that a plywood marketing fuckwit like Laurie finds the
subject of con artists is humorous.

Post by roughplanet
I admit that I temporarily removed him from my killfile in order to see if I
was correct in my assessment of his lack of humour,

** What a stinking lie - I am not in your killfile.

You cannot resist reading all my replies to you posts.

Post by roughplanet
but he is back where he> belongs once more, so I don't need to read his

humourless self-aggrandising

Post by roughplanet
reply.

** Laurie is aus.hi-fi's official Village Idiot.

No one can touch him at that job.

Post by roughplanet
I'm almost certain now that much of his anti-social behaviour is primarily
due to his inability to see the funny side of life.

** On **sure way** to tell you are dealing with a fuckwit is that they
laugh at inappropriate things.

Post by roughplanet
To Phil, every word is to be taken literally, every jibe a personal insult

and every person who

Post by roughplanet
disagrees with him an 'enemy at the gate'.

** Tell me - who is it that wants to sue and have fist fights over
postings on this NG ???

It is not me.

PKB.

Post by roughplanet
Little wonder he finds life so empty & spends it, like Don Quixote, jousting
at windmills.

** Blowing in the wind and going round in circles describes the Laurie the
Village Idiot pretty well.




........... Phil

[t***@recommended.com]

On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 22:32:01 +1100, "roughplanet"

Post by roughplanet
I admit that I temporarily removed him from my killfile in order to see if I
was correct in my assessment of his lack of humour, but he is back where he
belongs once more, so I don't need to read his humourless self-aggrandising
reply.

You need more strength...don't unkilfile him ....resist temptation
and your life will rewarded with peace.

(although I must admit that the post that got Phil all excited had me
confused too, but then again nothing excuses his bad language..so
unneccesary and pretty much not part of this newsgroup until he
started posting here)

[unknown]

Post by t***@recommended.com
On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 22:32:01 +1100, "roughplanet"

Post by roughplanet
I admit that I temporarily removed him from my killfile in order to see if I
was correct in my assessment of his lack of humour, but he is back where he
belongs once more, so I don't need to read his humourless self-aggrandising
reply.

You need more strength...don't unkilfile him ....resist temptation
and your life will rewarded with peace.
(although I must admit that the post that got Phil all excited had me
confused too, but then again nothing excuses his bad language..so
unneccesary and pretty much not part of this newsgroup until he
started posting here)

For someone who seems to dislike Phil and/or his style of posts so
much - you sure spend a lot of time and much effort making unsolicited
and repetitive posts about him about how great it is not to see him
here (thanks to your alleged killfiling) and such.


Makes me wonder if you have the hots for him or something like that as
in my opinion you sure are "protesting too much" and seem to me have a
strange obsession with him ?


On the other hand - is it possible that you are just stirring the
proverbial pot to continue the "trouble" by "innocently" provoking the
situation so you can sit back and get off on watching all the trouble
and fights continue, and trying to make it look like you are totally
innocent of helping it continue ?

[t***@recommended.com]

Post by unknown

Post by t***@recommended.com
On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 22:32:01 +1100, "roughplanet"

Post by roughplanet
I admit that I temporarily removed him from my killfile in order to see if I
was correct in my assessment of his lack of humour, but he is back where he
belongs once more, so I don't need to read his humourless self-aggrandising
reply.

You need more strength...don't unkilfile him ....resist temptation
and your life will rewarded with peace.
(although I must admit that the post that got Phil all excited had me
confused too, but then again nothing excuses his bad language..so
unneccesary and pretty much not part of this newsgroup until he
started posting here)

For someone who seems to dislike Phil and/or his style of posts so
much - you sure spend a lot of time and much effort making unsolicited

no I was replying to another poster not Phil.

Post by unknown
and repetitive posts about him about how great it is not to see him
here

it is great , better than I thought it would be and told others here
in this group..but more especially to those that were posting their
troubles with Phil...as a solution to ignoring him.






and such.

Post by unknown
Makes me wonder if you have the hots for him or something like that as
in my opinion you sure are "protesting too much" and seem to me have a
strange obsession with him ?

Your wondering is strange.

Post by unknown
On the other hand - is it possible that you are just stirring the
proverbial pot to continue the "trouble" by "innocently" provoking the
situation so you can sit back and get off on watching all the trouble
and fights continue, and trying to make it look like you are totally
innocent of helping it continue ?

It's also possible that you had a strange dream last night and you're
repeating it now.

or you're actually replying to ruffplanet and not me.

[roughplanet]

<***@recommended.com> wrote in message news:***@4ax.com...

On Wed, 21 Jan 2004 15:08:59 +1000, KLR <> wrote:

On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 22:32:01 +1100, "roughplanet"

Post by t***@recommended.com

Post by unknown

Post by t***@recommended.com

Post by roughplanet
I admit that I temporarily removed him from my killfile in order to
see if I was correct in my assessment of his lack of humour, but he
is back where he belongs once more, so I don't need to read his
humourless self-aggrandising reply.

You need more strength...don't unkilfile him ....resist temptation
and your life will rewarded with peace.
(although I must admit that the post that got Phil all excited had me
confused too, but then again nothing excuses his bad language..so
unneccesary and pretty much not part of this newsgroup until he
started posting here)

For someone who seems to dislike Phil and/or his style of posts so
much - you sure spend a lot of time and much effort making unsolicited

no I was replying to another poster not Phil.

Post by unknown
and repetitive posts about him about how great it is not to see him
here

it is great , better than I thought it would be and told others here in

this

Post by t***@recommended.com
group..but more especially to those that were posting their troubles with
Phil...as a solution to ignoring him.
and such.

Post by unknown
Makes me wonder if you have the hots for him or something like that as
in my opinion you sure are "protesting too much" and seem to me have
a strange obsession with him ?

Your wondering is strange.

Post by unknown
On the other hand - is it possible that you are just stirring the
proverbial pot to continue the "trouble" by "innocently" provoking the
situation so you can sit back and get off on watching all the trouble
and fights continue, and trying to make it look like you are totally
innocent of helping it continue ?

It's also possible that you had a strange dream last night and you're
repeating it now.
or you're actually replying to ruffplanet and not me.

Hey, leave me out of this guy's fantasies. I only post replies to things
SirPhyllis has said when
(a) I read about them secondhand in other peoples posts, and
(b) when it is obvious they are about me.
Otherwise I'm happy to let sleeping dogs lie. Your comments about how great
it is not to have to wade through PA's vulgar outpourings every time you log
onto aus.hi-fi are both accurate & timely.

ruff