The new upgrades for Viva Audio Solista (mkIII) coming soon, but before it's arrival let's see what HomeEntertainmentMagazine wrote about the current mkII...
Great tube components are mystical objects. Maybe it has to do with the way the tubes glow, inflamed with voltages that produce the sound of music. Since most recordings aren't "flat," accuracy isn't the goal, musicality is.
Read more: http://www.hemagazine.com/Viva_Solista_MkII#ixzz1ZXyDOg7v
The Light Fantastic
“See me, touch me, hear me!” Those would be the Solista MkII's first words, if it could talk.
The amplifier's flowing lines and voluptuous shape couldn't be from anywhere but Italy. And it is, entirely hand-crafted in Vicenza. The chassis' undulating curves and exquisitely machined knobs show this is no ordinary high-end amplifier. Listen to your favorite tunes and it becomes clear the Solista MkII was designed to preserve, above all else, the essence of the music.
Singers sounded more flesh-and-blood human with the Viva Solista MkII hooked up to my speakers. Frank Sinatra was in the house! This amplifier is almost magical in the way it plays tunes. Music, especially acoustic music, never sounded this natural before; it moved like the real thing. It breathes!
Viva's founder Amedeo Schembri is something of a perfectionist; he's an engineer who flat-out refuses to compromise his designs. For example, instead of using printed circuit boards, the Solista MkII's innards are entirely hand-wired and soldered. Schembri makes the effort because he thinks wired amplifiers sound better than ones with printed circuit boards.
Viva amplifiers' transformers are all designed by Schembri and custom built by a local supplier. Again, that obsessive level of design is rare, even for most of today's high-end vacuum tube electronics manufacturers. Schembri's custom transformers are absolutely crucial to the Solista MkII's sound because the music signal is routed through the transformer.
Off-the-shelf transformers and printed circuit boards would dramatically improve profit margins, but at the cost of sound quality. Schembri is a good listener—he wouldn't build amps any other way.
Before founding Viva in 1996, Schembri designed and built gear for recording studios and concert sound systems. In those days he designed solid-state electronics, but he now works exclusively with vacuum tubes. He knows what solid-state can do, but it can't approach the musicality of tube designs.
You can't miss the Solista MkII's tubes as they stand proud in the chassis' "V" notch; the tubes near the front are unusually large (approximately 6.25 inches high). Upon powering up the amplifier, the front tube quartet lights in spectacular fashion, much brighter than the soft orange glow of smaller power tubes you see in more common tube designs.
The Solista MkII's four smaller rear tubes are literally overshadowed by the power and rectifier tubes' brilliant white light. The all-aluminum chassis helps dissipate some of the tubes' heat. Even so, the amplifier should be placed out of reach of small children.
The rear panel hosts four pairs of stereo RCA inputs, plus a "Direct" that bypasses the volume control and input selector. If you have a turntable you'll need to buy a separate phono preamplifier to play records over the Solista MkII. (Viva offers a matching phono preamp). The integrated amp has a set of stereo RCA outputs, intended for use with a powered subwoofer (or two). A small remote is provided to control volume.
Viva products are built to order. The standard finish is a medium, metallic-grey lacquer, but custom-ordered paint jobs are available. My favorite Vivas are the drop-dead gorgeous two-tone, fiery red and black jobs. Oh so Italian they are, but Viva's creamy white electronics are also stunning.
In use, the Solista MkII is a model of simplicity and unfussy ergonomics: Turn it on, bask in the tubes' glow, select an input (such as CD), adjust the volume and enjoy the music.
The sound is a good deal warmer and richer than my reference Parasound JC-1/JC-2 electronics, but I like it! The Solista MkII's 22 watts per channel sound far more powerful than you'd expect, but the amp didn't have enough gusto to make my Magneplanar 3.6/R speakers sing. They require gobs of power. But the Viva came alive when partnered with my Dynaudio C-1 speakers. I used XLO cabling for the entire system, specifically Signature 3 interconnects and speaker wires.
Great tube components are mystical objects. Maybe it has to do with the way the tubes glow, inflamed with voltages that produce the sound of music. Since most recordings aren't "flat," accuracy isn't the goal, musicality is.The Solista MkII produced a solidity to the sound of instruments and vocals that transistor gear never quite achieves. I loved what the Solista MkII did for less-than-terrific sounding recordings.
Take Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon's In Paris CD, recorded in November, 1962. It's a monophonic recording and the Solista MkII brought not just the sound, but the music back to life. Every meaty pluck, slide and pull on Dixon's stand up bass's strings energized the beat, and his down-and-dirty vocals added to the excitement. T
he duo's rhythms and toe-tappin' grooves were a total joy. The Solista MkII is a feel good machine.
The Solista MkII makes almost every recording sound better than it really is. Big band jazz, like Mel Lewis/Bob Brookmeyer's Live at the Village Vanguard, 1980 CD absolutely knocked me out. Massed brass and winds are tough to get right—they can sound bright or thin—but the Solista MkII was magnificent here.
Instruments sounded like the real-life counterparts, probably because the Viva supplied the full-bodied dimensionality and presence you'd hear from live instruments.
Nirvana's Nevermind CD revealed new textures and palpable details. Kurt Cobain's vocals floated above the fray, sounding more humanly present than I've ever heard.
Thing is, 22 watts per channel will probably limit the appeal of the Solista MkII for Nirvana fans. Not that the amp won't play reasonably loud with suitable speakers, and my Dynaudio C-1s were definitely in that category. But wham-bam dynamics aren't in the cards.
The Solista MkII looks, feels and sounds like nothing I've heard. It's a tough act to follow.
Read more: http://www.hemagazine.com/Viva_Solista_MkII#ixzz1ZXyDOg7v
Simply musical bliss..
ReplyDeleteLast night I had a visit to a fellow musiclover.
From the beginning the feeling was right we were about to listen good music my friend Vangelis told me that our visit would contain at least nice music.
So good things shown from the start; around 7 at the evening we arrived in the hospitable house of Rene and Caroll. Entering the door and after unload our goodies (see next) we met some happy faces from our hosts with nice environment and smile on their faces. Along with our hosts was of course our common friend Vangelis, Pantelis a friend of the hosts and Rooney another one friend came afterwards.
To cut a long story short we connected to the system the Viva Audio Solista LT 18watts SET tube integrated amplifier fed with Harman Kardon cd palyer as a transport and Antelope Zodiac as a dac. The speakers were the cassical american Klipsch Cornwall III.
All cables were simple black cables or Jorma entry level No.3 series.
With the first notes the smiles kept growing and after 15-20 minutes of amp warm-up the party feeling surrounded all of us.
Our host Rene fed with guitar oriented groups either from jazz-fusion or rock. At the begining was Mighty SamMclain, then Lee Ritenour, Dave Weckl, Jeff Beck, Andreas Vollneweider, Bruce Katz, Camel........
In no time the mood was so happy kepting us so happy and forgetting our deep recession depression of the last months here in Greece.
Some Scotch or beers accompanied our evening and the feeling was right....let's play some old good Steely Dan without understand it we have heard all the album. Music so alive with excellent rythm and pace, a real wall of sound in front of us with only 18 tube watts and the fabulous Cornwalls was a no sweat!
In no time we were all into the music enjoying every minute of it enjoying the party.
The time passed and the musical bliss has to end but with so positive vibes in the air and such a good company.
It was started as a home demonstraton but soon became a musical bliss-event bringing together all the participants.
We were all feeling so full the music gave us all such joy that we parted with a smile and full satisfaction.
Simple things: nice music with nice music equipment and such a nice company of people fighting the cruel recession.
Congrats to all the participants, hope to see you soon fellas!
Την προηγούμενη εβδομάδα ο φίλος Βαγγέλης μου λέει ότι ο φίλος του ο Ρενέ αφού έχει στρώσει για τα καλά τα Klipsch του θα ήθελε να δοκιμάσει ένα λαμπάτο SET να δει τις δυνατότητες των ηχείων.
ReplyDeleteΟΚ του λέω κανόνισε ακρόαση θα φορτώσουμε ένα 18watt true SET και φύγαμε, αφού δεν έχει τύχει ποτέ να ακούσω τα Cornwall III.
Έτσι λοιπόν κανονίζει το ραντεβού μας για Δευτέρα απόγευμα, αφού διασχίζουμε τη λεωφόρο Βουλιαγμένης από την Άνω Γλυφάδα στην Κάτω Γλυφάδα μέσα σε λίγα λεπτά φθάνουμε στον οικοδεσπότη μας, ξεφορτώνουμε και πάμε.
Η πόρτα ανοίγει και μια χαμογελαστή φάτσα, ο Ρενέ, μας υποδέχεται με χαρά και εγκαρδιότητα, μαζί και η φιλόξενη και χαμογελαστή σύζυγος του. Ωραία λέω ξεκινώντας με χαμόγελο είναι ότι καλύτερο για να διανύσεις την βραδυά σου.
Ταυτόχρονα ωραίες μουσικές μας υποδέχονται, εμφανίζεται κι άλλος φίλος του ζευγαριού ο Παντελής και φυσικά ο κοινός φίλος μας ο Βαγγέλης και ο Αντώνης, μαζί με εμένα και τον συνεργάτη μου τον Δημήτρη ήδη η παρέα δείχνει δυναμική.
Το σύστημα του Ρενέ αποτελείται από τα Klipsch Cornwall III & vintage ενισχυτικά τις ναυαρχίδες της Marantz, Harman Kardon cdplayers με Antelope Zodiac dac, Nacamichi dragon tape deck, Thorens πλατώ, απλά μαύρα καλώδια και μια ωραία δισκοθήκη με πολλά βινύλια και cd. Στο δε υπόλοιπο σαλόνι υπάρχει ένα επιβλητικό τζάκι με τα ηχεία εκατέρωθεν, αριστερά ένα πιάνο και πουθενά, μα πουθενά τηλεόραση!
Αυτό είναι, ζεστοί εγκάρδιοι άνθρωποι, παρέα και πραγματικοί μουσικόφιλοι με γνώσεις μουσικής επίσης. Εκεί έρχεται ο Ρενέ και μου λέει, κοίταξε να δεις εγώ δεν είμαι μηχανάκιας ακούω μουσική, αλλά με ενδιαφέρον θα ακούσω αυτόν τον ενισχυτή.
Συνδέουμε τον ενισχυτή και για να μην πολυλογώ το πάρτυ ξεκίνησε, ο οικοδεσπότης λάτρης της κιθάρας με πλούσιο ρεπερτόριο από fusion jazz & rock, ξεκινήσαμε με MightySamMclain, Lee Ritenour, Dave Weckl εκεί έγινε πανικός οι εντάσεις ξέφυγαν τρελλά, εμφανίζεται άλλος φίλος του οικοδεσπότη ο Θοδωρής και μαζί η γειτόνισσα από κάτω που νόμισε ότι έγινε εισβολή από εξωγήινους-drummers...........Χαμηλώνουμε λίγο την ένταση και συνεχίζουμε ακάθεκτοι, Steely Dan όλο το album (δεν το κόβεις αυτό το έργο), Camel και δυναμώνουμε πάλι με Jeff Beck.....o ήχος έχει ζεστάνει την ατμόσφαιρα από τοίχο σε τοίχο (πως το λένε οι Αμερικάνοι wall of sound), η ροή αβίαστη μαζί και τα δυναμικά, μα πάνω από όλα το κέφι και η χαρά της μουσικής μας είχε κατακλύσει όλους.
Ο χυμός Σκωτίας που φιλόξενα κερνούσε η οικοδέσποινα με συνοδεία σνακς συντελούσαν στην όλη ατμόσφαιρα.
Για ένα διάστημα είχαμε ξεχάσει ότι ζούμε σε βαθύτατη περίοδο κρίσης και η ανθρώπινη συντροφιά πρωταγωνιστούσε χρωματίζοντας το γκρίζο.
Οι εκπληκτικές μουσικές, που πολλές από αυτές είχα στη δισκοθήκη μου, μας είχαν ζεστάνει την καρδιά, φυσικά τα ηχεία με τον μεγάλο όγκο τους και οι 845 λυχνίες του μικρού Viva Solista Lt είχαν συνδεθεί σε ένα εξαιρετικό ματσάρισμα, πραγματικό γάμο και έδιναν ρέστα. Ο Ρενέ κατάλαβε γιατί και εμείς οι "τρελοί" ασχολούμαστε τόσο πολύ, αλλά αυτό είναι άλλη ιστορία.
Με λίγα λόγια όλοι δεν θέλαμε να τελειώσει, ήταν το όλο που συντελούσε σε αυτό το αίσθημα ότι όλα είχαν ταιριάξει, παρέα, μουσική, γέλιο, ποτό και περιβάλλον, όμως η ώρα πέρασε και έπρεπε να τα κλείσουμε να "δροσιστεί" ο ενισχυτής. Με το που έκλεισε η μουσική ήταν εμφανές ο ενθουσιασμός μειώθηκε και σίγουρα σιγά σιγά προσγειωθήκαμε στη πραγματικότητα.
Αυτό που ήταν εντυπωσιακό ήταν πως όλοι μαζικά για κάποιες ώρες είχαμε ξεφύγει, ήταν σαν ένα εφηβικό πάρτυ με τους κολλητούς και χωρίς άγχη, καθημερινότητα ή ότι άλλο αρνητικό.
Αυτή φίλοι μου είναι η δύναμη της μουσικής σε συνδυασμό με καλοπροαίρετους ανθρώπους και την παρέα τους και μάλιστα υπό δύσκολες κοινωνικές συνθήκες, αυτή όμως είναι εν μέρει η άμυνα μας στην λαίλαπα που έρχεται κι αυτό θα είναι το καταφύγιο μας και πάλι στα δύσκολα που έρχονται.
Κάποιοι το λένε τη μαγεία της μουσικής, ίσως είναι και έτσι, αλλά χρειάζεται κι ο ανθρώπινος παράγοντας.......