Approaching the sonic performance of Ne Plus Ultra - VIVA Verona SE Monoblocs –truly amazing rare audiophile beasts. Rarely up for sale.
The most extreme example of its kind; the ultimate handmade tube amps: These Class A Single Ended mono-blocks won the TAS Golden Ear award in 2000 and still perform with extreme delight against so many amplifiers costing over $100,000 dollars. Viva and Amedeo Schembri design and manufacture handcrafted wonderful stereo equipment in Italy.
These Viva Veronas have been upgraded by Amedeo Schembri to enhance their performance with new transformers and a standby to power switch to heat the Svetlana 572-3 power tubes, the 5U4G rectifiers and the 6SN7 drivers. These are rated at 13W per channel with high current output where speaker selection makes a difference in your listening pleasure. Cost with upgrades was $24,000.
Vastly superior transformers to what is usually commercially available, These Veronas only accept single ended inputs and not balanced inputs but they have twin speaker outputs to support bi-wiring, if you like. Speaker connectors provide first class connections for spade, banana plugs or bare wire. Single Ended Power Amplifier. Designed to have a fast and natural musical behaviour, with an impressive energy delivery and bass punch. Short path in the circuit, use of the best electronic and mechanical parts, hand wired strictly point to point construction, high quality transformers and chokes designed specifically, are some of the characteristics that lead this amplifier to the finest music reproduction. The chassis is made with solid aluminum, with automotive varnish. The output binding posts are made with palladium plated massive copper. Zero feedback circuitry is used on these amps.
The circuit comprises only two zero-feedback, single-ended class A stages, in order to have the shortest signal path. Inside these monoblocs there are no printed circuit boards. Rather, as in all of their products, Viva employs strictly point-to-point, hand-soldered wiring of all components. Yes, this very labor-intensive process is not inexpensive, but it is the only way to achieve the quality of music reproduction that Viva has become known for worldwide.
The power tube is the 845 direct heated tube while two 845 (or 211) power triodes are utilized as rectifiers, in order to deliver the energy in the fastest way. Tube rectification for high-voltage, high current triodes was not considered practical, as generally available rectifier tubes could not withstand the voltages and currents required by high-power SET circuits. Then, the designer Amedeo Schembri came upon the elegant solution of using the same tubes wired as rectifiers that were being used as output tubes...and voila...Magic...Music...with the power and authority of the live event, unlike any other SET made. Again, Schembri melds art and science to achieve a very special result:. A lust for the eye, emotionally they get right to the core. They make music and there's nothing electronic about it.Automotive lacquer with Metalized Red & Black finish main unit, Output Impedance 130 Ohms allows long output cables. Aluminum Chassis for non-magnetic properties Matched Serial Numbers: XC 5007 Gray & XC 5008 Gray Sadly I must start selling off an audio collection that has overtaken 2 living rooms and a bedroom. This was always part of a secondary system that saw very, very little use and was paired with a pair of Quad ESL 2812’s. This was my non-rock n roll jazz/classical set up for those mellow days. Probably under 300 hours of usage. No chips or dings just some swirl marks from polishing. I would rate them at 8 out of 10 conservatively. No original boxes or manual. No cords included.
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