After selling my XI Audio stack (Formula S / Powerman) last month, my quest for my next amplifier for the Abyss TC (plus speakers) continues.
A very fine candidate amp is the
Riviera Labs AIC-10 integrated, which I was eyeing since many months given the outstanding reviews and direct feedback from fellow audiophiles I trust.
The AIC-10 is a rather unusual hybrid design, with a mix of solid-state devices and an 12AU7 / ECC82 tube output stage, operating in pure class A with zero global feedback.
On paper, the AIC-10 has all I am looking for: plenty of power for my TC, practical form factor, a more than decent speaker output and the possibility of fine-tuning its sound signature by rolling the output tube.
Thanks to a series of fortunate coincidences (thanks
@biscottino!) I was able to get the AIC-10 at home for an afternoon a few days ago, together with a bunch of tubes to play with.
Below are a few pictures of the AIC-10 from the internet, pretty pointless I know, but sorry guys but I was so taken by the audition that I forgot to take actual photos on my system
I must say I have been profoundly impressed by the AIC-10, as it has produced the best sound I have heard from my AB-1266 to date, easily outperforming both DAVE direct and the XI Audio combo in many ways, tonality and harmonics richness being the most apparent.
Given the extremely high price point, this result was neither a surprise per-se nor even remotely proportionate in terms of price vs. sound quality increase terms.
But it has been the demonstration to myself that I could get much closer, with the Phi TC, to the type of ‘ideal’ sound I am looking for if price was no object.
For example, with the AIC-10 and the most euphoric sounding tube (a Mullard NOS) I have heard for the first time the TC presenting vocals in a most naturalistic fashion, devoid of any hints of hardness or harshness yet very solidly sculpted, palpable, holographic.
Bass control was as good as I have heard, whereas transient attacks and speed in general were less impactful while still very satisfying due to added bloom.
Out of curiosity, I tried the TC on the speaker taps (10W / channel) and I did not find any beneficial effect. On the contrary, I found the headphone out more refined and three-dimensional sounding. Furthermore, there was a slight yet audible background noise.
Unfortunately, my budget does not stretch to the price of a new AIC-10, and they are non-existent on the used market, so I must rely on a fluke to afford one
My next audition will be an Air Tight ATM-300R next week. I look forward to it - although it exceeds my budget as well - as it should define the ultimate pairing of the Phi TC with tubes, thus providing another useful reference point to my head-fi journey.