CH Precision A1 VS Viva Aurora mono

gian60

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Apr 17, 2016
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Today at home if my friend with Wilson Alexandria we tried CH A1 mono vs his amp Viva Aurora mono,very good tube amp with tube 845.

Viva is considered one of the best tube amp in the world,and his sound is very good,but we found CH better in every parameter.
We were in 3 and all 100% agree

Sound was more dynamic,bigger image,bass more controlled and clean,high more open,more transparent and also voices were more natural and sound more fast

Regards
Gianluigi
 

microstrip

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What are the prices of the CH A1 mono and the Viva Aurora mono?
 

gian60

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I know very well Viva because distributor is my friend since 35 years and i listen Viva a lot of time and in different situation and i can tell is one of the best tube amp in the world
My friend had also Viva preamp top of the line and change with CH L1 and also prefer phono CH P1 to Viva phono.

The room of my friend is not big,6 x 5 mt and Viva sound very very well and very loud in his room that has also a good room treatment
When we listen CH A1 the peak watt we saw in A1 display at medium/high volume for his room was around 5/10 watt.

I also listen this difference when i tried CH in my home agains my Kondo,that i always loved,but at the end i sold Kondo to buy CH

CH A1 mono cost in Italy euro 60.000 ( 2 A1 )
Viva Aurora cost 43.920 euro
 

bonzo75

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The designers of both these amps are my friends, and I will say this - the Wilson Alexandria is the wrong speaker to use with the 36W Viva Aurora Monoblocks.

I agree, the viva is very musical with the Alexandria, but I prefer the Alexandria driven with more power. Best I heard was with the Dan Dagostino. But the owner of this system preferred his Krell Evo to Dagostino and the viva to Krell and as Gian says, the CH to the viva. While the system I heard the Dagostino in, the owner (a friend of jazz head) preferred the Dagostino much more to his Krell Evos. The viva will be on my shortlist for a SET amp for horns for sure
 

morricab

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Apr 25, 2014
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Today at home if my friend with Wilson Alexandria we tried CH A1 mono vs his amp Viva Aurora mono,very good tube amp with tube 845.

Viva is considered one of the best tube amp in the world,and his sound is very good,but we found CH better in every parameter.
We were in 3 and all 100% agree

Sound was more dynamic,bigger image,bass more controlled and clean,high more open,more transparent and also voices were more natural and sound more fast

Regards
Gianluigi

Thanks for your analysis. I will have to listen again to CH precision because so far I am not hearing what you are hearing with them compared to top tube competition. My impression of them so far was not so impressive dynamics, clean but lacking in natural tone. YMMV
 

microstrip

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May 30, 2010
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Today at home if my friend with Wilson Alexandria we tried CH A1 mono vs his amp Viva Aurora mono,very good tube amp with tube 845.

Viva is considered one of the best tube amp in the world,and his sound is very good,but we found CH better in every parameter.
We were in 3 and all 100% agree

Sound was more dynamic,bigger image,bass more controlled and clean,high more open,more transparent and also voices were more natural and sound more fast

Regards
Gianluigi

I am inclined to think that Gary has a point - if the CH is so much better in every point than Viva Aurora it indicates that there was a mismatch with the Aurora. Can we know what was the source and preamplifier in this listening session?
 

bonzo75

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I am inclined to think that Gary has a point - if the CH is so much better in every point than Viva Aurora it indicates that there was a mismatch with the Aurora. Can we know what was the source and preamplifier in this listening session?

It's documented here - dCS puccini, viva linea preamp, Bergmann Sindre TT, Lyra Atlas, Viva Fono

http://zero-distortion.org/the-italian-over-the-top-road-trip/

The CH was better because Wilsons need power :)
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Not arguing but Steve's sounded fine at high levels with a mere pair of GM70s. I wish I had taken down the tracks Ron (Party) was playing. Steve had augmented his then system with Gothams but these were crossed over very low and the speakers were run full range.

I've never heard Vivas but I trust Gary's ears. Makes me want to hear Vivas. So far everything he's said is great, I've concurred with. We appear to share more than just similar interests in music. Common tastes as well.
 

gian60

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But mainly listening session was with peak power,we saw in A1 display,at 6/10 watt maximum and all were agree that voices more natural,bass more controlled and high more extended,but all sweet like tube
 

Ron Resnick

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I have heard the Viva Aurora only at shows, but I have liked it very much each time I have heard it! And Amedeo, the founder of Viva Audio, is a delight!

(Gary, perhaps you can persuade Amedeo to cook up a parallel SET amplifier with four or six 845s?)

This is "expectation bias" at its finest and most severe, but I am confident I would like almost any high-ish sensitivity speaker system the Viva Aurora is lighting up!
 

gian60

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My friend started to buy A1 stereo and put on sell Viva new Aurora at good price
Also with A1 in stereo,that is worse than mono,he prefers A1 stereo to Aurora

But Viva Aurora is also really a very good amp

IMG_1477.JPG
 

microstrip

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My friend started to buy A1 stereo and put on sell Viva new Aurora at good price
Also with A1 in stereo,that is worse than mono,he prefers A1 stereo to Aurora

But Viva Aurora is also really a very good amp (...)

How does the M1 stereo compare to the two A1's in mono?
 

morricab

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Apr 25, 2014
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Today at home if my friend with Wilson Alexandria we tried CH A1 mono vs his amp Viva Aurora mono,very good tube amp with tube 845.

Viva is considered one of the best tube amp in the world,and his sound is very good,but we found CH better in every parameter.
We were in 3 and all 100% agree

Sound was more dynamic,bigger image,bass more controlled and clean,high more open,more transparent and also voices were more natural and sound more fast

Regards
Gianluigi

Viva's are not the best SETs for bass control. I have personally been a bit underwhelmed in hearing Viva amps...maybe its just me... However, tone is one area you have not mentioned and after hearing CH now a number of times I would say that this is an area where the Auroras should be better. I think you put both amps on horns or something like the Horning Eufrodite and the picture will change substantially.

I get the feeling you are falling for this new transistor "clean" sound, that is very enticing on some level but feels a bit synthetic upon extended listening. I know you have been a big tube guy for a long time and that this move over is a big thing to you but I can't help wondering if you will wake up one day wondering why you don't listen much to music anymore.
 

gian60

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I never compare M1 stereo because i haven't a second board,they are only mono,and i compare only M1 mono vs A1 mono
 

gian60

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In my brain i have the sound of triode amp because from 1989 to end of 2015 i listen only with tube and very good quality like Yamamura with 845,Audiotekne top,ANJ M 10,Gakuon,Neiro silver,Ongaku,Baransu,Shindo Petrus and 300 B Limited,Mactone M8V otl mono,FAL,Dissanayake,Kondo Souga,GE 1,ecc,ecc with horn speaker Audiotekne and Monovia Audiotekne or others,
so i know the tone.

Then i bought a new speaker Montagna,that i like a lot, that is 98.5 db with very simple network and very good quality of drivers,so i could use this speaker also with tube for his high efficiency,but this speaker go also very well with amp with 200/300 watt.

I listen in the shop of my friend near my home many many times a lot of good transistor amp like Pass XS 300,Mephisto,Rowland 925,Esoteric grandioso,Mc Intosh mc 1.2K,D' Agostino mono,Spectral 360 mono and 260,FM 411,ML 33,Viola Bravo II,Gryphon Colosseum mono and Krell Evo One of my friends,Burmeister 911 and Antileon Signature i had,ecc,ecc
All good amp but far from my sound.

Then one day i listen in that shop CH C1 with A1 mono and i found much better that other TT amp i listen and i tried at home.
I was very surprised for their sound very fast and dynamic,natural on mid,voice,violin,with high very wide but sweet,with good and controlled bass and deep with infinite power
and i bought using A1 in a second system and C1 in main system like DAC

Then i tried L1,X1,P1,M1 and i bought all selling all Kondo system
So i don't know how tell you but i like more that triode i had before and is a very good match with my speaker
Also my 7/8 friends that followed my system prefer CH in my system
If i had a horn speaker with ALE or GOTO with 115 db could be i didn't buy CH
 
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morricab

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Apr 25, 2014
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In my brain i have the sound of triode amp because from 1989 to end of 2015 i listen only with tube and very good quality like Yamamura with 845,Audiotekne top,ANJ M 10,Gakuon,Neiro silver,Ongaku,Baransu,Shindo Petrus and 300 B Limited,Mactone M8V otl mono,FAL,Dissanayake,Kondo Souga,GE 1,ecc,ecc with horn speaker Audiotekne and Monovia Audiotekne or others,
so i know the tone.

Then i bought a new speaker Montagna,that i like a lot, that is 98.5 db with very simple network and very good quality of drivers,so i could use this speaker also with tube for his high efficiency,but this speaker go also very well with amp with 200/300 watt.

I listen in the shop of my friend near my home many many times a lot of good transistor amp like Pass XS 300,Mephisto,Rowland 925,Esoteric grandioso,Mc Intosh mc 1.2K,D' Agostino mono,Spectral 360 mono and 260,FM 411,ML 33,Viola Bravo II,Gryphon Colosseum mono and Krell Evo One of my friends,Burmeister 911 and Antileon Signature i had,ecc,ecc
All good amp but far from my sound.

Then one day i listen in that shop CH C1 with A1 mono and i found much better that other TT amp i listen and i tried at home.
I was very surprised for their sound very fast and dynamic,natural on mid,voice,violin,with high very wide but sweet,with good and controlled bass and deep with infinite power
and i bought using A1 in a second system and C1 in main system like DAC

Then i tried L1,X1,P1,M1 and i bought all selling all Kondo system
So i don't know how tell you but i like more that triode i had before and is a very good match with my speaker
Also my 7/8 friends that followed my system prefer CH in my system
If i had a horn speaker with ALE or GOTO with 115 db could be i didn't buy CH

Fair enough, I have yet to have this kind of revelation with SS gear. It was the revelation of SET that steered me away from both SS and push/pull tubes.
 

morricab

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Apr 25, 2014
9,391
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Switzerland

christoph

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Dec 11, 2015
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Hi Brad

Viva's are not the best SETs for bass control. I have personally been a bit underwhelmed in hearing Viva amps...maybe its just me... However, tone is one area you have not mentioned and after hearing CH now a number of times I would say that this is an area where the Auroras should be better. I think you put both amps on horns or something like the Horning Eufrodite and the picture will change substantially.

I get the feeling you are falling for this new transistor "clean" sound, that is very enticing on some level but feels a bit synthetic upon extended listening. I know you have been a big tube guy for a long time and that this move over is a big thing to you but I can't help wondering if you will wake up one day wondering why you don't listen much to music anymore.

Maybe if we ask Gian very nicely, he allows us to visit him and see if we also fall for the CH vibe... :eek:
I think it's about a 2-3 hours drive from my place
 

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